I've got a RWD with snow tires, I haven't had any major issues so far (gotten a few inches so far this year in VA). The only recommendation I have is be sure you have weight in it. I tried driving around my neighborhood to test out my snow tires, and it drove fine, but when I gave it some gas to see if I could get it to spin while driving straight, it just wriggled around because my trunk was empty and there was nothing pushing the back wheels to the ground. So now I drive with a couple of cases of water in the back and haven't had any problems since.

 

hey what does the snow button do if the car automatically switches to awd....my belief was that the snow button locks the car from rwd into awd manually?

 

If you press snow mode you get power to 50% to the front and 50% to the back up to 12 mph (20km/hr). Then it reverts back to regular AWD after those speeds. In snow mode it also reduces power to prevent slippage up to 12 mph.

 

Snow? What's that? getting a bit chilly over here tonight, Must be around 68 or so.

Joking aside, after driving an AWD car for most of the past ten years, I kinda miss it. But RWD can be so much more fun! The only thing that would stop me from buying an X is the fact that it doesn't come in manual. Part of the AWD fun is 5500 rpm clutch drops!

 

The only function of the Snow button is too reduce the power to the wheels when you throttle so you don't spin them. Everything else you read about it is not true. AWD will activate as needed and is not driver controllable.

 

No, all it does it reduce throttle input it does not lock the power split.

 

I also thought it locked the split 50/50.

Regardless, my G worked great in the snow yesterday & today.

 

I am just telling you what infiniti techs told me. I think I trust their opinion more.

 

The techs are wrong. It's been discussed here many times. There is no official Nissan/Infiniti documentation that says anything about a 50/50 AWD split.

Here's a direct quote from the G37x factory service manual that describes the function of the Snow switch.

Note that there is no mention of the AWD system. All the snow mode swtich does is reduce the throttle input.

 

I have an AWD sedan and a RWD coupe. There is no comparing those 2. The rwd (I have snow tires on it) stops better (due to tires)but on a snowy or icey uphil, it gets sideways. If you have 2 lanes, no problem, otherwise you are going nowhere. The xS, goes everywhere even with the all season tires its like a tank

Here in NY snow storms are rare and I really got to drive in this one. Usually though, AWD is just extra weight, extra understeer and slower responses to throttle input. Both are great cars but they drive very different so you have to chose what matters more to you.

 

I grew up in the snow, driving FWD and RWD. My solution was to leave the snow behind. Southeast Asia and now Texas. I just don't go out here when it snows. It doesn't matter if I know how to drive when no one else does. Summer tires don't have a good rep for snow performance for some reason...

It is definitely interesting to learn about the AWD though!

 

I've had the G35 coupe and for the past 2 years I've had my G37 coupe. Both were manuals, both have been RWD. I just slap on snow tires and away I go. Yes, it can get hairy sometimes, but I would not trade a manual transmission for auto/awd.

IF they came out with an AWD/6mt version, that I would get.

Doesn't matter though, I'm moving to Texas soon enough! Bye bye Chicago winters!

 

Just got back from the dealer for my regular maintenance. The service guy re-iterated the 50/50 lock when the snow mode is on, and cautioned against over-using the switch.

Confused.

 

OK, it's pretty obvious he doesn't know what he's talking about. The snow mode button does not lock up the AWD system like a part time 4 wheel drive system. Read the manual, it says nothing about "over using" the snow mode. On my 2009 G37xS sedan, I've basically left snow mode on all winter for the past 2 years and have no problems.

Even if the snow mode button did split the power 50/50 front and rear it wouldn't lock up the differentials like a part time 4x4 system.

 

So, is the 2011 G37xs available in a 6MT? Thats a deal breaker for me. Also why the problems when trying to mod the AWD??