Does CX-5 always start in AWD?

[Unobtanium]

SO what are some other owners experience with the AWD for road performance? Especially those with some type of handling mod? I have been extra conscious lately about causing the diff to be engaged (indeed I've gotten used to the little thump it makes). Who else makes good use of the AWD aside form the 1 time a month driving in an adverse condition or offroad where it actually made a real difference? lol

Well, in cold weather with gravel on the roads, I can actually pull out into traffic instead of sitting there spinning and getting T-boned. That's kindof nice...FWD sucks, IMO/IME. I hate it. I had a FWD CX-5 for a week, and it was NOT good.

 

[Anchorman]

SO what are some other owners experience with the AWD for road performance? Especially those with some type of handling mod? I have been extra conscious lately about causing the diff to be engaged (indeed I've gotten used to the little thump it makes). Who else makes good use of the AWD aside form the 1 time a month driving in an adverse condition or offroad where it actually made a real difference? lol

I give up.

 

[jhu8]

SO what are some other owners experience with the AWD for road performance? Especially those with some type of handling mod? I have been extra conscious lately about causing the diff to be engaged (indeed I've gotten used to the little thump it makes). Who else makes good use of the AWD aside form the 1 time a month driving in an adverse condition or offroad where it actually made a real difference? lol

Yeah that's dumb. Anytime it rains, I am more safe because of my awd. If I need to make a quick move at any point, the awd will make sure I get there and not sit their spinning wheels.

 

[Unobtanium]

Hydroplaning is my BIGGEST fear in the rain, as well as traction on take-off. I still remember when I gave my GT to my Dad. He was getting on the on-ramp and in the middle of the corner in 3rd gear he decides he's going to roll onto the throttle. Well, he got a quick 360* panoramic view of the highway. Had my GT been AWD, maybe that wouldn't have happened. Also, San Antonio. In my WS.6, I could roll onto the throttle about 25% and get sideways in 2nd gear in the summer. THose streets were OILY!!!! AWD is amazing for stuff like that. But rain? Hydroplaning is the fear, for me. I can always let off the throttle. You can't always fix hydroplaning.

 

[davesxx01]

Lots of good info on this thread,,,,, that said,,,, I'm still in doubt......
On frozen, but dry streets here in Wisconsin I can nail the throttle from a stop and definitely feel the fronts loose traction before the rears kick in,,,,, there fore, at least for my car, it does not start off in AWD. It does kick in quite fast though, I maybe get one revolution before it grabs.
After watching off road videos of these cars in mud, not having the front and rear tied together could mean not getting up a hill.
Still looking for a good off road test with real tires vs out street tires.
I kind of like going down forest trails and look forward to getting some 17's with on/off road tires and a touch more ground clearance.

 

[Unobtanium]

Lots of good info on this thread,,,,, that said,,,, I'm still in doubt......
On frozen, but dry streets here in Wisconsin I can nail the throttle from a stop and definitely feel the fronts loose traction before the rears kick in,,,,, there fore, at least for my car, it does not start off in AWD. It does kick in quite fast though, I maybe get one revolution before it grabs.
After watching off road videos of these cars in mud, not having the front and rear tied together could mean not getting up a hill.
Still looking for a good off road test with real tires vs out street tires.
I kind of like going down forest trails and look forward to getting some 17's with on/off road tires and a touch more ground clearance.

The cx5 just isn't made as an off road vehicle. The skid plate is plastic for crying out loud. The awd in the cx5 is made for slippery paved roads or gravel. You really need to invest in an actual off road type vehicle like a jeep, or a fj, or something with a low range, if you're concerned with a millisecond of tire rotation leaving you stuck.

 

[jhu8]

The cx5 just isn't made as an off road vehicle. The skid plate is plastic for crying out loud. The awd in the cx5 is made for slippery paved roads or gravel. You really need to invest in an actual off road type vehicle like a jeep, or a fj, or something with a low range, if you're concerned with a millisecond of tire rotation leaving you stuck.

Heck, even the new Cherokee doesn't come with a steel skid plate. You have to bump up to the Trailhawk version to get the steel skid plate. So it's safe to assume then it's probably plastic just like the CX5.

I just see no interest in taking my CX5 off roading. I'd be worried about all the scratches, damage, etc. Not worth it.

But after reading just about all of these posts(some I probably forgot), it is fact the CX5 does not always start in AWD. As opposed to the new CX3, that does always start in AWD. Correct?

 

[Anchorman]

The cx5 just isn't made as an off road vehicle. The skid plate is plastic for crying out loud. The awd in the cx5 is made for slippery paved roads or gravel. You really need to invest in an actual off road type vehicle like a jeep, or a fj, or something with a low range, if you're concerned with a millisecond of tire rotation leaving you stuck.

What happened unob, did you bump your head? (wink)

 

[Unobtanium]

What happened unob, did you bump your head? (wink)

I'm just saying, if he wants to go offroad, it's going to break stuff, yes, and it's also going to require a vehicle with a low range. Jeep makes/made such a vehicle, as do others. An older XJ would be great.

 

[Unobtanium]

Heck, even the new Cherokee doesn't come with a steel skid plate. You have to bump up to the Trailhawk version to get the steel skid plate. So it's safe to assume then it's probably plastic just like the CX5.

I just see no interest in taking my CX5 off roading. I'd be worried about all the scratches, damage, etc. Not worth it.

But after reading just about all of these posts(some I probably forgot), it is fact the CX5 does not always start in AWD. As opposed to the new CX3, that does always start in AWD. Correct?

No, not a newer jeep. Older...When they were actually simple to work on and used the bulletproof 4.0 6-cyl.

 

[russiankid]

No, not a newer jeep. Older...When they were actually simple to work on and used the bulletproof 4.0 6-cyl.

Except for the late 99'-01' 4.0's with the poorly casted heads

 

[MikeM.]

But after reading just about all of these posts(some I probably forgot), it is fact the CX5 does not always start in AWD. As opposed to the new CX3, that does always start in AWD. Correct?

The CX-5 is a predictive AWD. If you are doing a slow or moderate start on dry pavement it won't engage the AWD clutch because there would be no point. That would be wasteful of fuel and add unnecessary wear to the clutch. It predicts whether it's necessary to engage the rear wheels using data input from things like throttle position, the gear you are in, the ambient temperature, whether the windshield wipers are on, etc. So, if you stomp on the throttle from a stop on a rainy day, it most certainly does start out in AWD. This is good for launching off a wet or oily slippery surface into fast moving traffic. It works without the driver needing to think about it.

Yesterday I drove up a steep, unmaintained Forest Service road with 4-12 inches of granular, wet snow (it was 2 feet of heavy wet snowpack melted/refrozen/melted down into granular slop). Experienced snow drivers know this is some of the most challenging winter condition possible because it has almost no sheer strength and is saturated with water. It's basically like driving in birdshot composed of small, wet ice balls and yet it's too substantial to penetrate through it to the ground. The AWD performed like a champ and allowed me access to my favorite target practice range. Half-way there I ran into a couple of guys in a Toyota 4x4 coming down. I pulled over to the right to let them pass and they rolled their window down and said it gets really deep and impossible just ahead and they had to back down and turn around. They said I should turn around right where I was at. I thanked them and motored ahead. I could see the mess they made where they got stuck and backed down (they almost slid over the edge at one point) and I just kept a steady throttle about 6-8 mph and could feel the power being transferred from wheel to wheel as it motored through with a little left/right squirm but without losing momentum. And it just kept motoring up the hill through soft virgin snowpack to my target area.

I've driven a lot of off-road vehicles that could not have made it through that slop so I don't know what people are basing their doubts about the effectiveness of this AWD on. Maybe internet videos? Did you know one of the data inputs to the AWD computer is the barking brake switch? Yes, so if you do not release the parking brake all the way the AWD will not engage. The brake doesn't even have to be dragging for this to occur, it just needs to be pulled up one click. The next time you're in your CX-5 with a manual parking brake lever, just pull it up one click. Notice the dash indicator lights up. That's how easy it is for someone to make another brand look superior and make the Mazda appear weak and ineffectual in an internet video. In real life the Mazda AWD just plain works.

 

[MikeM.]

No, not a newer jeep. Older...When they were actually simple to work on and used the bulletproof 4.0 6-cyl.

I had the Japanese made version of that engine in my 1969 Nissan Patrol. The Nissan version was actually better because their factory had more precise milling and boring machines. The valves sealed more tightly and the bearings lasted longer. I had two of those 1969 Patrols that I maintained and worked on. One of them made two trips to central Mexico without the top (Willy's Jeep style). It would get 15 mpg whether I was screaming along the highway at 70 mph or wheeling through the Baja desert all day long at 15 mph. Awesome engine for a heavy iron low-tech beast. Plenty of smooth torque, not much hp. The 2.0L Skyactiv would blow it away in 0-60mph. And yes, it was easy to work on and the maintenance interval was shockingly frequent and the amount of fluids it held in the differentials, transfer case, engine, radiator were voluminous.

These rigs were highly desirable in the Australian outback and were used to get produce to markets over bad roads lacking bridges over many creeks/rivers. It was a RWD vehicle unless you got out and engaged the front hubs. Then you couldn't drive it on pavement. I don't miss working on it, the CX-5 I just push the button and go.

 

[Anchorman]

I'll say it again. The CX-5 always starts in AWD. It doesn't make informed decisions when it wakes up and sees the weather. It doesn't matter what the weather is or what the road surface is, it always starts in AWD.

 

[MikeM.]

I just see no interest in taking my CX5 off roading. I'd be worried about all the scratches, damage, etc. Not worth it.

Most places worth visiting have at least a bad road for access. It may have washboards and potholes. There may be steep slippery sections. The CX-5 is excellent on bad roads with it's long travel suspension and nimbleness and the AWD for steep slippery sections. In my F-150 I just slow down and plow ahead hitting potholes, etc. That's just how you drive a full sized truck on narrow roads. The CX-5 is a bit narrower and much more nimble so you steer around the potholes and have a much more pleasant drive and arrive at your destination sooner. It also burns about 1/3 the amount of fuel in this kind of driving. (thumb)


For true off-roading you might want to go to an off-road park. No, that is not the intended usage of a CX-5!(silly)

 

[jhu8]

I'll say it again. The CX-5 always starts in AWD. It doesn't make informed decisions when it wakes up and sees the weather. It doesn't matter what the weather is or what the road surface is, it always starts in AWD.

This isn't true. MikeM confirmed what I had previously thought, the CX-5 is predictive and does NOT always start in AWD. Only the CX-3 has that new feature. Unless you have some data to back it up but I was reading a CX-3 forum and they were saying the same thing that its only the new CX-3 that has the ALWAYS start AWD.

Now, I'm hoping my CX-5 can recognize when I'm driving on snow because obviously then you need AWD all the time. My guess is the car senses continue slippage in the tires so it just keeps AWD engaged until stability is gained.

 

[Unobtanium]

I had the Japanese made version of that engine in my 1969 Nissan Patrol. The Nissan version was actually better because their factory had more precise milling and boring machines. The valves sealed more tightly and the bearings lasted longer. I had two of those 1969 Patrols that I maintained and worked on. One of them made two trips to central Mexico without the top (Willy's Jeep style). It would get 15 mpg whether I was screaming along the highway at 70 mph or wheeling through the Baja desert all day long at 15 mph. Awesome engine for a heavy iron low-tech beast. Plenty of smooth torque, not much hp. The 2.0L Skyactiv would blow it away in 0-60mph. And yes, it was easy to work on and the maintenance interval was shockingly frequent and the amount of fluids it held in the differentials, transfer case, engine, radiator were voluminous.

These rigs were highly desirable in the Australian outback and were used to get produce to markets over bad roads lacking bridges over many creeks/rivers. It was a RWD vehicle unless you got out and engaged the front hubs. Then you couldn't drive it on pavement. I don't miss working on it, the CX-5 I just push the button and go.

Well, yeah, but the CX-5 lacks the rugged ability. I always look at what they are using in Iraq/Afghanistan. Those idiots can't maintain an AK, much less a vehicle, so if it works over there...and it gets hot, sandy, rocky, freezing cold, you name it, in that region. The Toyota Hilux has some pretty impressive resume. Same for the Patrol that you mentioned.

 

[jhu8]

Most places worth visiting have at least a bad road for access

I'd really like to see some videos of your travels in your CX-5. I believe you and the success you've had in your CX-5. I'd just like to see it for my entertainment. Especially these snow videos. Also, what tires do you run? Do you switch out to winter tires or do you run an all season radial?

 

[Kedis82ZE8]

Except for the late 99'-01' 4.0's with the poorly casted heads

Interesting... I have a '00 Wrangler 5-speed with the 4.0L..... a littler over 100K miles. Only issue in the 7 or 8 years I have had it is replacing the water pump.

 

[MikeM.]

I'd really like to see some videos of your travels in your CX-5. I believe you and the success you've had in your CX-5. I'd just like to see it for my entertainment. Especially these snow videos. Also, what tires do you run? Do you switch out to winter tires or do you run an all season radial?

I run winter tires 6 months/year. I got tired of the typical winter tire squirm on bare pavement so now I run Goodyear UltraGrip Ice which have a winter rubber compound but more of an all-season tread pattern. They don't have the snow/ice traction of most winter tires but their bare road performance more than makes up for that. And the AWD CX-5 is so naturally capable in the snow and ice I don't miss the extra traction most winter tires provide in the snow.

Sorry, no snow/ice videos. The only vide I have is this one in case you haven't seen it. It does demonstrate that the AWD is more capable than the naysayers presume:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZCROYEK1DM