Is the 2011 Explorer full time AWD?

[BethesdaEC]

Seems like we will go through brake pads a lot faster then most then....

It only does it when it is slipping and generally at low speeds. A couple of hard stops from 55 are going to be a lot harder on the brakes than anything the 4WD will do over the life of the vehicle.

 

[markls8]

Note also that a multiple-clutch system is also used, so the transfer of torque between wheels or all to one wheel is not entirely done by the application of brakes.

 

[machine4321]

The clutch system will smooth out how the power gets from front to rear. The brakes will stop the wheel that is spinning the easiest to force power to the wheel that needs it.

dI did get the system hung up in slippery mud ans the all season tires. didnt matter what mode I was in, the system was having a hard time. I will put it down as tire issue but I wasnt super impressed.The brakes were frantically trying to make sence of all 4 wheels spinning. In the snow how ever, with snows, its incredible.

I basically use normal and sand. I hate driving aids. Oh and Sand will allow some sweet sideways action as the stability management is almost off....almost.

 

[markls8]

I had a chance to try the system out in several inches of snow a week or two ago. I will say that on "normal" the stability control kicked in quite late, and quite abruptly. While it did its job perfectly, it "appears" to have less "polish" than other systems I've experienced in sedans. But I need to play more.

It would have been nice to be able to turn it off, especially in a vehicle called a "sport". I would suppose doughnuts in the parking lot are out of the question, but I haven't tried that yet. On many of these vehicles, (the Escape comes to mind- its life was "saved" by the timely arrival of stability control technology) the stability control is the only thing that keeps these things from going oily side up. I did not try the other settings of traction, as I want to get the "feel" of the normal mode first, but look forward to it.

The stability control also blocks you from feeling the inherent handling characteristics of the vehicle. I suppose you don't have to have as much skill in evasive manoeuvres because the control takes over for you to prevent you from going too close to the edge in those situations.

Also had no issue with the stock tires (not far below freezing), either in abrupt steering input, or hard braking. That has been my experience multiple times in the past with all-season tires. They are good in snow for the first season when new, but show a noticeable drop in winter performance and "stickiness" into the second and remaining seasons.

Did a direct comparison several times to confirm this in the past by simply delaying the installation of the winter tires.

I'm liking this Sport more and more every day.

 

[ObsceneJesster]

I had a chance to try the system out in several inches of snow a week or two ago. I will say that on "normal" the stability control kicked in quite late, and quite abruptly. While it did its job perfectly, it "appears" to have less "polish" than other systems I've experienced in sedans. But I need to play more.

It would have been nice to be able to turn it off, especially in a vehicle called a "sport". I would suppose doughnuts in the parking lot are out of the question, but I haven't tried that yet. On many of these vehicles, (the Escape comes to mind- its life was "saved" by the timely arrival of stability control technology) the stability control is the only thing that keeps these things from going oily side up. I did not try the other settings of traction, as I want to get the "feel" of the normal mode first, but look forward to it.

The stability control also blocks you from feeling the inherent handling characteristics of the vehicle. I suppose you don't have to have as much skill in evasive manoeuvres because the control takes over for you to prevent you from going too close to the edge in those situations.

Also had no issue with the stock tires (not far below freezing), either in abrupt steering input, or hard braking. That has been my experience multiple times in the past with all-season tires. They are good in snow for the first season when new, but show a noticeable drop in winter performance and "stickiness" into the second and remaining seasons.

Did a direct comparison several times to confirm this in the past by simply delaying the installation of the winter tires.

I'm liking this Sport more and more every day.

You are near 100% on point with your opening statement regarding "Normal" mode in snow. If I can find it, I will post a review I read regarding the 5th Gen Explorer in snow. The author of the article said the same exact thing about the power to the wheels being delayed in "Normal" mode but as soon as he switched to "Snow" mode, it was like he was driving a completely different vehicle with a different AWD system. He said the response of power was distributed instantly exactly where it needed to be and that it kept the vehicle straight and moving forward. He also said that the ABS system on the Explorer is among the best and possibly the best he's ever tested.

Also, doing doughnuts in the snow is easily done with the 5th gen Explorer. You can either put it into "Sand" mode or turn off the traction control through the settings.

Here is a video of one doing doughnuts in "Snow" mode. Had he turned off the traction control or used "Sand" mode, he would have gotten it going even better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j7OgcC8qYA

 

[orangesoda123]

You are near 100% on point with your opening statement regarding "Normal" mode in snow. If I can find it, I will post a review I read regarding the 5th Gen Explorer in snow. The author of the article said the same exact thing about the power to the wheels being delayed in "Normal" mode but as soon as he switched to "Snow" mode, it was like he was driving a completely different vehicle with a different AWD system. He said the response of power was distributed instantly exactly where it needed to be and that it kept the vehicle straight and moving forward. He also said that the ABS system on the Explorer is among the best and possibly the best he's ever tested.

Also, doing doughnuts in the snow is easily done with the 5th gen Explorer. You can either put it into "Sand" mode or turn off the traction control through the settings.

Here is a video of one doing doughnuts in "Snow" mode. Had he turned off the traction control or used "Sand" mode, he would have gotten it going even better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j7OgcC8qYA

I've noticed this in our Ex. I live in Minnesota and we've had some very icy conditions this year. In "NORMAL" mode traction does seem delayed and takes a bit to get moving. Its almost like the front slips and then it transfers power to help get you moving. Its seems a lot like "Auto 4x4" that I used to have in my Silverado. Everything was engaged, but it only transferred power when to the front when it started to slip. Snow mode is an entirely different animal. I'm guessing that the system assumes its going to need power to all 4 wheels so it transfers power to the rear right away. It also cuts throttle response to limit wheelspin. When in standard mode i wasn't too impressed with the car, but my opinion QUICKLY changed when going to snow mode. Its awesome.

 

[markls8]

I knew before I bought you couldn't turn off the stability control (boo), and I knew about turning off the traction control, but it didn't occur to me to switch it off during the brief opportunity I had to play. (Early ABS systems could be turned off too, but I don't think this is possible in (any?) vehicles today.

I cringed when I heard the high revs in that video. I hope you really only have to get the rpms a bit above traction levels, and not winding full out like that!

It's the stability control of yaw more than the traction control that I was referring to in the late but abrupt kick in. The sideways angle that you get the body to face relative to the direction you are moving (yaw) before it corrects is wider than I would have expected. It's less of what I would call a "measured" response that I've seen in other systems. I'll see if this changes with the various traction modes, but keeping a late "kick in" does mean you can have a little fun and practise correcting before the system intervenes.

It's much better to do this on snow-covered ice, and with non-winter tires, as the traction limits are lower, which limits the amount of stress you're putting the vehicle under. Hopefully I'll have opportunity to run into those conditions this season!

 

[ObsceneJesster]

I knew before I bought you couldn't turn off the stability control (boo), and I knew about turning off the traction control, but it didn't occur to me to switch it off during the brief opportunity I had to play. (Early ABS systems could be turned off too, but I don't think this is possible in (any?) vehicles today.

I cringed when I heard the high revs in that video. I hope you really only have to get the rpms a bit above traction levels, and not winding full out like that!

It's the stability control of yaw more than the traction control that I was referring to in the late but abrupt kick in. The sideways angle that you get the body to face relative to the direction you are moving (yaw) before it corrects is wider than I would have expected. It's less of what I would call a "measured" response that I've seen in other systems. I'll see if this changes with the various traction modes, but keeping a late "kick in" does mean you can have a little fun and practise correcting before the system intervenes.

It's much better to do this on snow-covered ice, and with non-winter tires, as the traction limits are lower, which limits the amount of stress you're putting the vehicle under. Hopefully I'll have opportunity to run into those conditions this season!

Turn off the traction control and out it into sand mode. I know that sand mode get's it as close as possible to disabling stability mode. Sand mode also feels as if their is more torque going to all the wheels. The best way I can discribe it is instant power. I suppose this is to keep all 4 wheels on top of the sand and to keep it from digging in. I believe it does use more fuel in sand mode.