ThumperPup

Hi, so I am wondering I have read that the AWD is 50/50 rear and front wheels I also read somewhere that 70 rear and 30 front.

I am not curious about how it distribute the power.
I am more wondering how doe sit work?

Like will it be in AWD all the time no matter what?
Or will it be in RWD until the front wheels start to slip and then FWD kicks in.

I am thinking of two options entirely different options but two options.

I want to get an AWD or a 4x4 for the winter because I am spending the winter in an area different than all others places I have lived in the past few years.

So I am not sure if a gs300 would help me or not, or even a Rx would work.
Because the Rx isn't 4x4 from my understanding, it's just an ad.

So I'm wondering will an AWD help when I am stuck in snow or no? Like it's not going to give me the power to dig out of help, and I will need either studded tires or snow chains?

I am going to be up in MT in an area called the crazy mountains.

BinaryJay

Yes it will help you not get stuck in the snow, but not a hell of a lot unless you have proper tires in the first place. It is 30/70 under normal operation and will adjust the ratio automatically depending on wheel slip detected etc. The very definition of AWD is that all four wheels are actively powered all the time. Generally 4X4 is manually selectable you will never see that on a transmission for a passenger vehicle.

sprtn131

Here is what I found...
The is250 and Gs350 use the exact same setup, just different size cars with different engines and transmissions.

Basically the rear wheel drive works the exact same on both of these as they do on a regular 2wd model, with all wheel drive there is a differential bolted to the transmissin to supply power to the front wheels.

On the AWD models they use a full-time transfer differential.This transfer uses a planetary gear type limited slip center differential. A wet type multi-disc clutch is used

as the center differential limiting device, and the silent chain is used for transferring driving force to the

front wheels.This transfer also adopts the AWD control system. Based on driving conditions, this system optimally

distributes driving force to the front and rear wheels. Distribution of the driving force is done by electronic

control of the center differential limiting device.

So when driving on a smooth dry road you will have about 80% power to rear and 20% to front.

When you get into low traction the system can divide power up to 50/50 between front and rear.

The system also uses the traction control and ABS to kep traction, so lets say for example you get onto ice or mud, if one wheel is slipping not only will the transfer differential split power 50/50 but the car will also use the brakes to control wheel slip, so brake force is applied to the slipping wheels a needed to keep traction on the wheels that can grab. So basically you can keep your foot on the gas in low traction control and the car will do what it needs to do in order to move. The throttle is also electronic on this car, so if needed to get traction the engine output is reduced. It is really interesting to experiment with these cars in low traction, I once got onto an icy hill with one of these, I felt a wheel try to slip, I floored the gas pedal and then car did all the work, the engine stayed at about 2,000 rpms as the abs cycled to switch power to the gripping wheels and the car slowly climbed the hill

ThumperPup

thank you for the response guys
this was very helpful.

ThumperPup

1 other questions Guys.
When snow is say around 4 inches deep how will this do ?
like do i need to worry about 4 or 5 inches of unplowed snow ?

or will it tear through it no problem ?

LexusLive

Depending on your tires, I'd say no problem. There isn't much ground clearance, you're not gonna go off-roading in a GS, but I drove mine in a super nasty storm that had most idiots falling off the road in their 10 foot tall SUVs whilst I just glided by in my AWD GS.

sprtn131

Living in mn, we see heavy snow on the regular, I run blizzaks in the winter. Just hit that snow button and boom no problem