How confident are you in the FX AWD

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DarkCyde

Member
Location
Las Vegas
Just discovered theres a place that actually snows 30 mins from Vegas called Mt. Charleston. Never paid much attention to it, but the news here just said that a foot fell with more to come in the next 3 days on top of the 2 feet already there.
News also warned that not to even go there unless you have 4x4. My montero sport was a bad ass in snow. I never got stuck back in Chicago and I'm missing snow specially now.
What do you think?
 
Fx is pretty good in the snow! But I keep mine parked or garaged in the snow because you can actually f*** up the tranny making it overheat from rocking it back and forth out of snow. My friends tranny in his ML350 locked up and overheated here yesterday trying to get out of a parking space he was stuck in the snow storm we had here. He had blizzaks and his tires were spinning out like crazy. He shut the car off and the tranny wouldn't engage. I've heard some really bad horror stories over the past few days since the blizzard. It's now at the service dept for it.
 
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I have been running my 22's w/ Hankook RH06's and an H&R drop. I have had no issues and have never been stuck in up to 3' of fresh snow in snow mode. One thing though if you plan on getting crazy and breaking her loose make sure to turn off the VDC so you don't overheat the brakes.I love the way the AWD FX handles in the snow! I say go for it. You can run your tire pressure a little lower than usual as well for added traction.
 
Hello, I'm new to this forum, I only a FX35 2008.has snow moew with VDC. i just drove it for the first time in the snow and its not that good. I have new all weather tires installed. It seem to me that the snow mode will not let the front tires engage? Any help here.


Thanks Marker1030
 
Snow mode does not engage over like 15 mph or something like that. It retards the throttle to give you initial traction when accelerating from a stop. When you are driving normal or faster, it doesn't work. That's the basics of it.
 
The FX AWD performs awesome in the snow, especially with dedicated snow tires. I run Blizzaks on mine and love it in the snow. And "No" I never put it in Snow Mode, do not need it, besides it is only for starting in very deep or wet snow and only functions below 12 mph (it cuts back your power and gives power to front and rear at 50/50, then goes back to the normal atessa awd after 12 mph).
To put it bluntly, the AWD FX with dedicated snows is a tank in the snow, the only think that will stop it is if you run out of ground clearance.
Aaron, what a waste if you don't take it out in the snow, you should have purchased a rwd then. I am on my 3rd Infiniti with this awd system and it will not hurt the transmission unless you drive it like a jerk.
Take it in the snow to play, you will love it .
 
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I took a trip to Vermont last weekend and there was a big storm I got stuck driving through on my way back from snowboarding. My FX was TERRIBLE to say the least. I was sliding alllll over the place, almost completely fishtailing out on the highway. Pretty dangerous, I took it very very slow. My tires are completely to blame though, not the AWD system. I need to get some dedicated snow tires! I think there are around 25-30 thousand miles on my current tires, which are Yoko Avid SUV.
 
Bone stock 2010 FX35 AWD and it is great. ABS is typical, and from there else, everything is good or better. I like the handling, and it's quite difficult to totally lose it. I find I can fishtail easy, but i need to throttle it more than a standard RWD. The feel is that it keeps gripping.

I find it easy to regain control when slipping happens. I can barely pull a 360 in the parking lot at work vs my wife's 07 Camry.

I live in west Michigan and work in Holland. We get lake effect plus some good 8-18" snow every so often here. I've been driving around some of my suppliers for lunches the last few weeks and they all raved about how it felt in the snow as a passenger. Could've been that they were raving about the FX in general, and this was just another hit for us.

I'm pretty sure there aren't many more FX 35 or 50 around this side of the state.
 
During Super Bowl week here in Arlington, TX. I finally got a chance to see how the FX will drive on snow and especially ice. I even recorded my drive to work. I felt very comfortable driving in Snow Mode up to 50 mph. I only have 2wd not AWD. Don't need it here in Texas. The 22's with Achillies grip very nicely. I even gave the FX some gas while on ice just to see if I would fish tale but with the slip I was able to stay in control of the vehicle. The FX is awesome.
 
The AWD system is pretty fantastic as long as you have the appropriate tires too.

I went driving at the height of the NYC Christmas Blizzard and made it through no problem with my Blizzaks.

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These Blizzaks also tackled the Blizzard of 2006 that shut down the Interstate in Kansas and Colorado. My wife and I were forced to find a motel in Sharon Springs, Kansas until they opened the roads again. Never got stuck or came close to losing control of the FX.

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PresPD said:
I live in west Michigan and work in Holland. We get lake effect plus some good 8-18" snow every so often here. I've been driving around some of my suppliers for lunches the last few weeks and they all raved about how it felt in the snow as a passenger. Could've been that they were raving about the FX in general, and this was just another hit for us.

I'm pretty sure there aren't many more FX 35 or 50 around this side of the state.
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I know what you mean. I was just in Wyoming a few weeks ago and the roads were still packed with snow/ice. Getting there on 94 and 69 was a hair raising experience with visibility at zero at times. :eek.:
 
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DarkCyde said:
Just discovered theres a place that actually snows 30 mins from Vegas called Mt. Charleston. Never paid much attention to it, but the news here just said that a foot fell with more to come in the next 3 days on top of the 2 feet already there.
News also warned that not to even go there unless you have 4x4. My montero sport was a bad ass in snow. I never got stuck back in Chicago and I'm missing snow specially now.
What do you think?
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I got stuck in the snow in a driveway this past Christmas in NY. Horribly embarrassing for a $61k truck. (2009 FX50S) - Could have been the SUMMER ONLY SPORT TIRES that the geniuses at Infiniti put on the truck in the first place... idiots... (Ive heard they since switched) :frown:
 
09FX50S said:
I got stuck in the snow in a driveway this past Christmas in NY. Horribly embarrassing for a $61k truck. (2009 FX50S) - Could have been the SUMMER ONLY SPORT TIRES that the geniuses at Infiniti put on the truck in the first place... idiots... (Ive heard they since switched) :frown:
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I believe that the Dunlop Sport Summer tires were an option in 2009. All seasons came standard so those choosing the summer tire option would be prepared for the winter with a set of winter/all season setup.

I know from first hand experience that the Dunlops are horrible as soon as temps drop into the 30's. I got surprised on a road trip to the UP of Michigan. It was 90 degrees in NYC when I left and one day later as I was driving north in MI it started snowing! I woke up the next morning to this:

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Needless to say I drove VERY carefully the rest of the time there.
 

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Haha, yeah... that's just a dusting! They had 30" the night before I got there (drove from FL)... they've had a really rough winter so far, ughhh...

Btw, I think the "S" model (which I have) came with the Dunlop sport tires standard... may have been an option on the regular FX's... but the other problem is, in 2009 when we ordered the vehicle, there were NO other tire options. So, I'm assuming Infiniti ordered whatever was available. (I carry / sell tires for Vettes, so I was looking quite often... only within the last few months did a few other brands / styles come out)

Jason
 
I'm very impressed with the snow handling of my FX, more so than with my previous Pathfinders. Even my son's Jeep SRT spins on the snow sometimes while mine just takes care of business!
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Mine is really good in snow too. When I went upstate in December, there was a heavy snow storm coming down and a lot if cars were getting stuck. Mine was going through it like a tank. No problems at all. Of coarse I have winter tires. All wheel drive means nothing really if your not using some good all season or winter tires.
 
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