I've been told one story by the salesman, another 2 by service advisors.

1. It's full-time 60/40, R/F. (service)
2. 100% rear until a certain (unknown) slippage on the rears occurs. (service)
3. 100% full-time 50/50 R/F. (salesman)

I'm thinking #2 makes more sense, what say ye?

 

I believe #2 is correct.

But don't you X guys have a snow button? Doesn't that button lock it into 50/50 until a certain speed? Wife's Nissan has that.

 

It's #2 (100% RWD until a certain the systems detects wheel slippage).

EDIT: Specifically, there is a 5% front-rear rotational speed differential slip threshold that when exceeded activates power transfer to the front wheels

 

Yes, my understanding on that is it feathers the throttle and adjusts the trans shift points up to a certain (30?) speed. However on the 50/50 that I'm not aware of.

 

The snow button has been the topic of considerable debate.

 

well I was hoping it was 1 or 3. Thanks for the info.

 

I had #1 in one of my old Jags, its ok but not a real good set up. I would have perfered #2 for sure.

 

Snow button, I believe, just decreases the sensitivity of the throttle. An easy way to put the debate to rest is to have a person with awd activate the snow button and then make a tight turn at lows speeds. Anybody that has driven a 4wd truck knows that when you low speed tight turn the 4wd will fight with you, making the turn jerky/not smooth at all. It's just an inherent side effect of a 50/50 split.

 

#2

Snow button just tones down the throttle. That's it.

 

#2 for sure, I can get my rears to spin a little then the car just pulls forward

 

It does lock the system at 50/50 up to the prescribed speed. You can feel it in the steering. As someone above mentioned there are other threads on this with all the details.

 

Why? The system we have is the best of all worlds compared to every other AWD system out there (and I have owned and driven plenty of them).

You always want to have RWD as a base (if you care about sporty driving that is) -- check.

You want to be able to have instantaneous and smooth transition to AWD when needed, with no torque steer -- check.

You want to be able to lock it into 50/50 for deep snow/mud/gravel/etc. -- check.

You want two-wheel drive for better fuel economy for the 95% of the time you don't need the extra traction -- check.

You want AWD for launch (which our system has, based on speed and throttle position, it always launches from a rest in AWD mode and then quickly reverts to RWD when it figures out you are not slipping) -- check.

What's left that the Nissan system is not superior for?

Having a permanent 60/40 or 50/50 split has only one advantage--predictability. This is rendered irrelevant in the world of electronic traction control and other nannies. It is also a double-edged sword: it is predictable that you will understeer under heavy throtlle while turning. I prefer the balance of RWD (that all sports cars use), but the "nanny" of AWD ready to jump in in a split second if I screw-up or some unexpected loose surface or road problem suddenly appears.

I would love for somone to list a scenario where the ATTESA system is inferior to mechanical AWD (Audi larger models and Subaru manual transmission), the traction controlled open diff systems like BMW and M-B or Haldex (or Haldex-like) systems on FWD cars (pretty much everything else out there).

 

I would like to see a video or other official documention. There seems to be an array of mis-information out there as to what the snow button doesn't do and very little as to what it really does.

Although with the temperature predicted to be about 100 on Saturday, the snow button is about the farthest thing from my mind.

 

Wouldnt it say how this works in the manual

 

Yes, it does. The manual does not mention anything about 50/50 split.