and different vehicle types. "He even indicated it was "a wagon", but as a negative when in fact it has better weight distribution across front and back. Unless the pickup had extra weight, just like tires, it was apples and oranges. Additionally another component is that all wheel drive vehicles while having basic traction control elements, they typically do not have the stronger components, protection such as protective shielding, nor clearance specs. These all wheel drive vehicles are designed for climates such as winter driving ON roads, so merely have that additional ability for traction control. Take them off road, rock flies up, they drag, flex the frame and they are done. I see it all the time where these city people get a little over zealous thinking their AWD can go where 4 wheel drives can, get stuck, broke down, whatever. Just happened a few months ago where I was coming back down a modestly steep, but very rocky road. The guy has a brand new Outback, stops me and asks whats back there. I told him, then he said, "I was thinking of going back there, but will just park and walk". I said, "yeah, you don't want to try and take that up there, you won't make it". I guess that was the wrong thing to say, because he said "really?", looked at his wife, then proceeded up the road. Again this was modest, but there were some clearance issues and it was comprised of loose rocks. Sure enough, he got about 50 yards up, starts to have trouble, you hear a loud clang and then see smoke. A rock took out his radiator. Anyway, these AWD vehicles are great for all weather climates on blacktop, or maybe your occasional dirt road to the campground. But that is all. They just are not designed for the other stuff and you will incur some major costs in bent frames, or broken components if you think you can keep up. It takes more than applying power to multiple wheels.
Rotating Cupboard of course, first of all tires are the most important factor when it comes to grip. If you have bad tires it doesn't matter how good your drive train is. I will give you an example, if the "proper 4x4" had street tires and the Mitsubishi had aggressive off road tires like the TA KO2's then it would walk all over the frontier.
They are a great car, very underrated. I don't think North America gets the diesel? It has a real 6sp automatic transmission and class leading economy.
That Mitsubishi did really well. On normal tyres and being a family SUV, that's amazing. The 'propper' 4x4 only went a few feet further and benefitted from the 'ploughing' the Mitsubishi had already done. It got more momentum, expect being on Snow tyres!
I'm glad to see Mitsubishi bringing out a nice SUV. I hope Mitsubishi comes back. I want Subaru, Mitsubishi and Ford duke it out with their 300+Hp AWD cars. More competition is the way to go.
This is ENTIRELY fair as they are presenting the vehicles AS PURCHASED new. So theyre exactly showing you the difference. It isnt a competition. It isnt about making the awd go as well as the 4wd. Theyre actually very complimentary about the awd.
I've been offroading for years, beach, mud, inlands soft sand, snow in a Frontier and light truck tyres, and cant tell you all "YES AIRING DOWN MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE". Depending on the surface, I drop down from road pressure of 44psi to 18psi or even lower if needed. Correct tyre pressure can be the difference between make it safely to your destination, or get stuck and/or damage the truck
I have driven my 2014 Outlander GT V6 6pd auto through 8 inches of snow seamlessly. I've muscled it through 10 inches. That is with the all season tires.
Wish the Mitsubishi was the GT trim with the v6 and awd. I have a 2012 Outlander GT with the 3.0L v6 awd and the thing is really impressive got us through some crazy snow storms when we used to live in New England and kept on moving with the stock Goodyear eagle LS2 all-season tires.
I liked the Chevy Traverse I owned once. Snow deeper than what the AWD here got stuck in, and I didn't have to select a mode, it just worked, and I never got stuck. Even on major hills.
+Scott Wilkins I have a Chevy Traverse and the AWD system is not all that great when you get off road. The only thing it's really good for is giving you added traction when taking off from a stop light and on road snow conditions, which it handles well... beyond that it is very front wheel drive bias and doesn't provide enough power to the rear wheels to when your fronts lose traction during off road driving. Also the Traverse is geared very high, with no low range, so when trying to go uphill you have to give it a lot of gas to get the thing moving which makes it difficult to minimize wheel spin.
Obviously a 4wd with low set of gears is way more capable. But AWD Outlander gets 23mpg. That Frontier you are lucky to see 15mpg. Over 10 years, That Frontier will end up costing you $8000 extra, just in fuel alone. Now, is a low range and locker worth that much? Depends.
Yes, it sure depends on where a person lives and how often he will have to drive in deep snow. Most of the time, though, I say it is better to buy the overall more comfortable, less costly vehicle and put good tires on it. Also, keep a shovel in the trunk. I've followed that logic and it hasn't failed me yet. I'm also thinking of buying a set of snow chains, which I'll hardly ever need, but it sure will be a good peace of mind having them in the trunk.
Misleading comparison ! I didn't expect this from guys who call themselves experts! How could you compare the Mitsubishi with all season tires, which are known to be crap in deep snow, against a giant Nissan fitted with winter tires? Mitsubishi in this case, being few feets behind, is definitely a WINNER.
Coooommmeeeee onnnnnn. You took the mitsubishi up there with all seasons....... and compared it to a 4 wheel drive truck, with lockers, and snow tires..... COMMMEEE ONNNNNNN
I think you guys should have test the trucks on rocks and maybe in mud and sand. In this video you did a comparaison between a AWD truck with all summer tires versus a 4x4 truck with way better snow tires... in snow only. Would have been better with same tires and more types of terrain
hello guys there something you didn't consider it about the different types of tyres, there is the car like Nissan has the track while the Mitsubishi don't have
Put the winter tires on the AWD and regular tires on the truck and I think that 10-15 ft would be a much shorter difference. Also, notice that they didn't choose a Subaru for their AWD vehicle..... as not all AWD systems are created equal.
So basically your fancy 4WD front/rear locking diff atm quad core package truck with special snow tires got no further than an AWD with all season tires on it. Now for research purposes mount the same tires on both and see how it plays out.
so to conclude, 4x4 and rear locking differential is garbage if stacked against a rally bred awd system (remember, Mitsubishi didn't have snow tires or else it would have gone further).
Hey guys, in the description you mention the S-AWC from Mitsubishi which is probably the World's best SUV AWD system. BUT then you test a 4cyl model that did not have S-AWC. Only the 6cyl has it! So the model you tested did not have the active torque vectoring front diff. Every Canadian, Russian, and Australian knows that with proper tires this system is almost as capable as a 4X4 with locking diffs in 4WH (not L). Good video, but they gave you the wrong vehicle to test! Lol.
you guys are testing two,diferent cars,2 diferent engines. I have a mitsubishi outlander 6 cil. engines and is really great in deep snow even when I compare with my jeep grand cherokee 2015
so why would you put an suv vs truck? and why street tires vs all terrain? this is a bull shit vs video. should do a suv vs suv with the same tires on both vehicles. if you want a good vs video.
My truck is a ram 1500 4x4 with the stock good year tires and my wife has a Ford Escape Awd with all season tires and my truck seems to do much better in the snow I think cause the front wheels have so much more weight over them when 4 wheel is engaged
So the one with rear diff lock, worlds better tires, AND enough clearance to clear the snow wentn1 car length past the soccer mom crossover. Sold me on the Outlander if anything.
I have found out by using them, all season tires are the worst tires. I've even talked to mechanics and say that while they agree with me. The companies trick people by saying all season tires. What you want is dedicated tires. Whether they are snow, rain, street, mud tires. If you have the money it's good to have a set of rain tires and a set of snow or mud/off road tires at home and switch them when the season changes and conditions call for it
You can say whatever you want about Mitsubishi, but their suv's/ trucks have ALWAYS been the best! They last forever and are always top performers. Kudos Mitsubishi!
Andre would have gone further with the locker on and the system in 4HI; 4LO is a torque multiplication headset. In this case it applied too much torque and overwhelmed the available grip; 4HI would have maintained grip a little longer. Counterintuitive, I know, but factual.
The Outlander would of done better if they had the same tires. The Outlander has an "active front diff" that you guys neglected to talk about. I would like to see the same test but with different tires
This test really doesn't conclude anything. Tires matter a lot more than drivetrain, so does ground clearance, wheel size, etc. Not to mention there are so many different types of all wheel drive out there. It was pretty predictable that the truck went farther with its bigger tires and actual snow tires. In order for this to be fair, ground clearance cannot be an issue and the tires have to be the same. But basically it goes like this: All wheel drive is safer than 4WD because of its ability to transfer power where it needs to. 4WD has a tendency to throw you off the road because of the locking diffs and should only be used to get you unstuck. 4wd will get you unstuck better, but AWD will keep you on the road. I much prefer AWD because it does all the work for you and I have never been in conditions bad enough where it couldn't get me easily from A to B in the worst conditions.
you MUST be kidding. unless that hill is far steeper than it looks in the vid, which you should explain/show in your vid. And 4-low is not appropriate for those conditions. Nor is locking the rear AFTER being stuck. 4-hi, locked, momentum beats snowy hills, not 4-low and flooring it...
mike force I know! stupid methods and stupid comparison... they need to reduce variables before doing comparisons and it should be done with someone who knows the difference between slippery snow road and high steep road...
I have the 2014 mitsubishi outlander sport v6 and is one of the best on snow,the lock work great.I compare with my2015 jeep GC overland and make jeep look bad.
went from a lifted grand cherokee and now a slightly lifted outlander sport and for the daily driver, mitsu wins. if mitsu adapts a lo gear for the trans, it will gain my 4x4 badge. Plus, in this video they have stock tires. I installed geolanders a/t and yet to get stuck in every scenario I tested a 5" lifted wj.
The subaru makes pretty good AWD systems in their models compared to Mitsubishi. I would consider a decent challenge of AWD systems between a subaru forester and any other 4WD in the same category
meanwhile raised subaru legacy wagons consistently drive up steep, deep snow banks. and they do it with a 2.5 liter motor. This comparison is not even by a long shot. The Nissan has higher clearance as well as snow tires, while the Mitsubishi has street/all seasons. The fact that I elevated truck with snow tires only made it an estimated 15 feet more is unimpressive. With tires along it had an advantage.
what this video really showed was lack of driver skill... They were probably trying to go very slow so we could see the systems worker, but getting through deep snow requires momentum, lots of momentum...
+Nicholas Mapes no, they were trying to demonstrate how the systems work, so they allowed the systems to do there job as best as posssble without any help
I guess your right, but it makes both systems look like trash. At least set them up with realistic tires. Anyone that lives in snow knows tires make a lot of difference. I know both of these vehicles are far more capable than this video shows.
+Nicholas Mapes I agree, I drive a lowered sti, I live in nyc, and we damn sure get heavy snow. I drive my car all year long and has never left me stranded. all 4 corners has all seasons continental dws series. nice feature with most older 4wd systems is that they were mechanically locked. these new ones are electronic with a clutch that wears on. most manual awd cars are locked to each other by spider gears (some with LSD) all 4 wheels will get power all of the time, while autos take advantage of fwd, rwd, and awd by using electronic clutch packs. so while most 4wd systems are all open diffs unless changed by the owner, which ever set of wheels has lower grip, will slip, automatic awd cars will vary where torque is sent. but winter tires on a factory awd vehicle, and on a 4wd, they will both make it far, but I personally believe an automatic with awd will win
I want your guys opinion here I have a honda crv 2004 (gen 2) awd I love going on the beach and offroading, you guys think i should invest in all terrain tires ?
Okay, put the same tyre on both trucks and go again. The biggest difference here is probably All season tires vs dedicated winter tires. You might as well have been comparing pie to fish.
neither vehicle could get much past the gate, looked more like 3 ft not the claimed 15. So is that a pass for both vehicles or a fail for both? Looks like little Billy who lives up Gold Mine Hill has to go another year waiting for his Christmas present.
please admit that 4x4 or awd tells you nothing since one will tell you that awd mean all time 4 wheel drive, then others will tell you that 4x4 means that. These two markings means same and tells you nothing about how the torque is transfered onto the wheels.
With all that advantages, the truck only went 10 to 12 feet further than the SUV? What's the point, they both the same then as 12 ft hardly make any noticeable difference in distance.
If you want to compare off-road capabilities of 2 cars, make sure that you use the same tires on both. If not, you're making it wrong! All season tires VS mud/snow? Really?
+Nathan Scantling Yep. Tires mean EVERYTHING. My '15 Fiesta ST on snow tires does better in snow than my wife's '14 Nissan Rogue AWD on all-season tires. Tires can make a MASSIVE difference. I'd be interested to see how the Nissan and the Mitsubishi would stack up on this same terrain with the same or at least very similar tires.
+Nathan Scantling Bingo, not to mention all season low profile tires vs. those winter truck tires, no comparison, would have to say the outlander did shockling good in this test when you figure in the tire differences.
+Nathan Scantling Winter tires on both and putting the GT Outlander with the S-AWD might have been different. I used to work for Mitsu and drove every single model in deep Canadian snow, traction off and lock on works pretty damn good with the S-AWC. Now I drive a Subaru, my off roading videos are on my chan.
Kartboarder22G I agree, the Nissan only went 15ft with dedicated winter/all terrain tyres, the Mitsubishi with the same tyres would be a level field and suspect it would do much better
You guys crack me up - Feel in Control - Proper 4 wheel drive - Felt like I was in a tank, and you got a few feet past where the Mitsubishi, dragging in the snow on street tires, got? Ha.
15 feet on that test only. The test was designed to fail the vehicles and not test how much better one is than the other. There isn't a comparison when one vehicle with 4wd and differential lock and the other doesn't have all 4 wheels with diff lock. Essentially the 4wd can do everything the AWD did but not the reverse. The only time an AWD might be better when trying to hold a perfectly straight line on a very slippery surface and you only want 1 wheel having power because the other might break traction. But that would have to be such a rare situation that the 4wd with diff lock would do essentially as well or better than AWD
Exactly. All the locking rear-diff, 4x4 nonsense looked super unimpressive. You aren't going anywhere in a foot of snow in almost any truck; hence Sno-Cats.
The only difference is which one has a limited slip diff or lockers. 4x4 vs AWD is irrelevant. However, 4x4 systems are generally more robust if it has a separate transfer case.
You should do a few snow comparisons ( with exact same tires ) of the different vehicles in a suburban setting which is where the majority of drivers drive... that would help to showcase the difference in the drive sysytems
You give part of the difference yourselves. The mitsubishi has AWD with ALL SEASON tires where the "proper" 4x4 (the nissan) has actual WINTER tires. OBVIOUSLY this will give better results for the 4x4. Clearance also help to get you further. To be honest. This socalled comparison is in my opinion useless for various reasons including the 2 already mentioned. Different ground clearance and different types of tires. To make the comparison reasonable they should have same type of tires (preferably same make, model and size) and also the ground clearance should be the same or at least reasonably similar.
Just one test? I was hoping that both vehicles would have the same tires and would be put through multiple off road scenarios. I think this one needs to be revisited.
Only so much better. Snow tires are not made to drive in the conditions that they were in. For deep snow like they were in, you would need a more aggressive off-road tire that can grip the snow and eject the clumps of snow from the treads to keep them clear for good traction. My pickup is a 07 Chevy Silverado 2500hd Classic 4x4 and I have Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx tires on it. I drove it in about 12-13 inches of fresh snow and never had a problem in 4 high.
what i would like to know is when the hell Nissan North-America intends to bring over the All-new Nissan NP-300 Navara/ Frontier to America, that thing been on sale for almost two years now but yet they continue to sell the previous generation here.
+The Fast Lane Truck I hate to say it, but it's also a stupid comparison In an off road setting. the Nissan has basically everything it needs to go on all kinds of terrain. With deep snow like this, the Mitsubishi couldn't even try to go up. I mean, it may have awd, but with that snow, you need a lot more to get up it. Then the Nissan comes in. I can tell, it has big and beefy tires with lots of teeth to dig into the ground. It has higher ground clearance so if there's a rock or something, it can roll right over it. Not to mention the 4X4, so if your in 2wd and you get stuck, then you can just pull right out. if your in that Mitsubishi and you get stuck, your stuck period. Also, that's a full sized truck, with a bigger engine, more power and more traction. it's competitor which only has a tiny 4cy couldn't match. So this was a pointless match.
those tires on the Nissan are not snow tires. They are all season and they're what it comes with from the factory. They are more aggressive than the Mitz though.
Drove the Outlander during winter in Canada with winter tires on, have to say it was pretty damn good, did not have any traction problems and there was a lot of snow.
LET'S take both vehicles to some semi-steep dirt hills and mild mud pits....the 4x4 will leave the AWD in the dust in all scenario's there! ....not just 10 feet....
This test doesn't really prove anything other than the Mitsubishi cannot lock the rear end. A lot of '4x4' systems still don't have locking rear diffs anyways. A really good way to test these two cars would be to equip them both with the same snow tires then compare them. You also have to consider total weight and weight distribution. This test didn't prove if the AWD could send a lot of power to the rear or anything. A little bit more scientific method in these videos would actually provide useful information instead of just saying 'oh the truck feels better offroad.'
Ok so an unfair compare and contrast video. You all should have give each vehicle a set of the Dynapro AT-M tires. That way we could actually see which vehicle will do better or at least give each vehicle a fair chance.... That goes for any video. I think that the little Mitsubishi would've done better with better shoes on.... It PROBABLY wouldn't have done as well as the Nissan but give it the same tires and who know maybe it would've kept up. I say unfair competion and a do over is a must
