Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
SUVs Suzuki Grand Vitara/Vitara Suzuki Grand Vitara 4WD questions
23 messages, Last post on Aug 14, 2009 at 1:56 PM
You are in the Suzuki Grand Vitara/Vitara Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
|
I'm planning on buying a new subcompact SUV in the next 2 or 3 months. One of the vehicles I'm researching is the Grand Vitara (Toyota's RAV4 & Hyundai's Santa Fe are other options, although I might expand that list...). I have a few questions about the Four-Mode 4WD, which is quite intriguing to me. My questions are... 1 - Is there a difference between "4H" and "4H-Lock" in terms of how well the vehicle performs in snow, slush, and ice? Particularly at speeds like 35 to 45 mph. 2 - Can a driver switch between "4H" and "4H-Lock" on dry pavement while driving at freeway speeds? 3 - Can you even drive in "4H-Lock" on dry pavement at freeway speeds (50 to 75mph)? Of course I realize that "4H" is prefered on dry pavement, but I'm curious if damage to the powertrain would occur from driving in "4H-Lock" on dry pavement. What usually happens to me while driving to the mountains to go skiing is that road conditions change. The worst case situation is that the pavement in a sun exposed area is perfectly dry, and when the road goes around a corner into a shady area, the road will be covered with ice. Switching between "4H" and "4H-LOCK" on the fly really isn't a very good option. I would prefer to shift the vehicle into "4H-LOCK" while driving in the mountains, regardless of the road conditions (dry, wet, snow covered, ice, slush, etc.) Answers to my questions above will help me understand better what I can do with the GV while driving mountain roads. Thank you for your time and help. Of course if any of the 2006 and 2007 GV owners have any experiences to share relative to my questions above, I would appreciate being able to read them. Dave
|
|
|
Replying to: dwm86 (Mar 04, 2007 7:33 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: steve_ (Mar 04, 2007 8:51 pm) Thanks for the reply, but that's not what I'm looking for. If I wanted to learn about 4WD & AWD in general, I would have gone to Wikipedia as that website generally has good info. (I searched the threads you linked for "Suzuki" and "Vitara" and didn't find anything specific to the '06 and '07 GV.) What I'm looking for is specific info about the 4WD system in the Grand Vitara. Here's an example of what I'm looking for, except this info is for the Mitsubishi Outlander... http://www.mitsubishiforum.com/m_109254/tm.htm If someone has info, even from the Grand Vitara's owner's manual, that would be appreciated. Thanks again. Dave
|
|
|
Replying to: dwm86 (Mar 05, 2007 8:58 am) tidester, host SUVs and Smart Shopper
|
|
|
Replying to: tidester (Mar 05, 2007 10:55 am) The only time we use 4H Lock is when doing even more demanding driving, such as steep unplowed logging roads. Even then, it's more to avoid getting stuck than to make it somewhere. No one has ever gotten farther than we have over two winters, and we've gotten much farther than an awful lot of other very capable vehicles. The times we've used 4Low Lock are even more rare, and in even worse conditions. The only time I've ever gotten stuck was when I slid off a paved road into a snowbank. Because we've never run out of traction on a road, I can't say that I've noticed any difference using 4H Lock and 4H normal. (This is all with the stock tires, btw.) Using 4H Lock on bare pavement will either cause damage, or the system has provisions to take it out of lock as it senses stress. You can switch it in and out of Lock at any speed, I think, as long as you have the steering pointed straight ahead. This is an extremely capable vehicle on slippery surfaces, and it's not just the drivetrain. It's also because the tires each carry 25% of the vehicle's weight, which minimizes the weight on each wheel at about 900lb, and is ideal for traction challenged driving.
|
|
|
Replying to: xostnot (Mar 05, 2007 1:46 pm) That's quite an endorsement for the vehicle's 4x4 abilities, particularly with stock tires. I wasn't impressed with the tires I saw mounted on the new GV's at the dealership last weekend, btw, so I'm amazed with your results. When I visited the Suzuki dealership last weekend, the sales person tried to tell me the GV could be driven in "4WD-Lock" on dry pavement. I was obviously skeptical about that. I'm assuming from your reply that you don't see any response problems from the powertrain in "4H" mode on slippery surfaces. Thanks for taking time to reply. There's a lot about the GV that appeals to me as a new SUV/crossover buyer. tidester - Thanks for the link to the thread. I'll take a look at it. Dave
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: dwm86 (Mar 05, 2007 9:45 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: hardwater_39 (Nov 21, 2007 11:06 pm)
|
|
You are here:
Forums
SUVs Suzuki Grand Vitara/Vitara Suzuki Grand Vitara 4WD questions
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
