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Offroad modes

Storey21

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BTW, I don't understand Offroad+ what's it do?
Off road plus will slow down your crawl in 4low, and give you a more controlled throttle response. It’s really great on steep slow climbs where you wants precise throttle. It’s also really good on steep descents if you have an auto. It just slows everything down to a molasses crawl if you want.
In 4H, it allows you to have a more snappy throttle response, turns off your ESC, and lets you use the rear locker. It’s really useful in sand, mud, or climbing snowy hills.
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AcesandEights

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Off road plus will slow down your crawl in 4low, and give you a more controlled throttle response. It’s really great on steep slow climbs where you wants precise throttle. It’s also really good on steep descents if you have an auto. It just slows everything down to a molasses crawl if you want.
In 4H, it allows you to have a more snappy throttle response, turns off your ESC, and lets you use the rear locker. It’s really useful in sand, mud, or climbing snowy hills.
Used it today in some deep mud holes, deep water and clay-mud. Seemed to do as you suggest, allow the tires to spin up a little faster (better throttle response) all in 4-H. Just putted along through some stuff I was surprised any vehicle make it through. Kept thinking I'd be pulling cable, but the Jeep just motored along.
 

Wraif

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I kinda get it. But I dont. I mean, if I am on an easy or moderate trail I just drive on auto, the jeep handles it. If I am actually going over challenging terrain, like crawling over an obstacle, I am on first gear and then it is all left to me to get over the obstacle.

So how would these modes help at all?
They try to make the novice driver feel like he or she is a better driver than they actually are.
 

west tex

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So all of these offroad vehicles are coming with a gazillion of "offroad modes" Think of all the modes in the toyotas and the new ford. While our Jeeps pretty much have a manual transfer case and that's it. Sure there is BLD and all that, but it just works, you don't need to select anything. Lockers and sway bar disconnects have been in existence for years, and enabling these is a pretty manual process.

I go offroad quite a bit and I've never even used the hill descent control, I tried it once for a few seconds and it felt pretty weird. I get to the trail, disconnect my sway bar, drop the tire pressure, and have no issues at all climbing up the trail. And same thing do my friends with Jeeps.

I hear all these Toyota guys talking about crawl control this, and crawling mode, and sand mode, and all of these buttons. And I just dont understand why all of that is needed. What do these modes actually do? is it all just a marketing thing? It is funny because Jeeps don't have any of this gimmick and they outperform all of these other vehicles.
Did three BOH trails in Moab last month in my 80th Edition Wrangler. My off road mode was 4L, tires at 18psi and sway bar disconnected. Did better than I expected, honestly.

Now, my lil' Renegade Trailhawk has several "dial-in" modes. Admittedly, it hasn't seen Moab type trails. But I just leave it "Auto" and it does just fine for about 99% of the off road it sees. I did put in 4 Lock once. Probably didn't need to.
 

kbp810

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I've got a Subaru Outback and as expected, the sales and techs at the Subaru dealers don't have a clue what the x-mode button does. I believe it's a little more aggressive with wheel spin possibly but it 100% changes throttle response. If anyone has ever driving a 5th gen Outback, I'm sure you already know the throttle response is not smooth at all, it's like doing a neutral drop every time you touch it. Hill decent control is okay at best. I find myself constantly adjusting the speed in the Outback though. I'm too fast, now I'm too slow, now I'm too fast.
Funny that you mention that; my wife has a cross trek, and while I know what it’s “supposed” to do, I have no idea what x-mode actually does. I’ve hit it while on some muddy forest roads… it does some cool animations and stuff like something badass is about to happen… then I drive, and it beeps at me, and turns x-mode off, LOL! Tried it in some sand, same thing. Don’t get it.
 

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hiimmike

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Funny that you mention that; my wife has a cross trek, and while I know what it’s “supposed” to do, I have no idea what x-mode actually does. I’ve hit it while on some muddy forest roads… it does some cool animations and stuff like something badass is about to happen… then I drive, and it beeps at me, and turns x-mode off, LOL! Tried it in some sand, same thing. Don’t get it.
I think it shut off over 15mph. Unless you get a '21+, I believe they updated x-mode to allow for faster speeds. It definitely adjust throttle response and I think I've tested in places with no x-mode and couldn't get up an obstacle and then turned x-mode on and it was able to figure it out and get me over. It's not a horrible vehicle, it's just not what I want for the adventuring I want to do.
 

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I tried off road+ but it just seems to never shift or shifts very hard. The hill descent/cruise control is sometimes useful but I can't see using in a rock garden over two pedal. I did go to the Bronco off roadeo. The terrain modes are interesting and they did perform well on their trails. However they are sometimes a pain to select and it performed pretty good without all the tech. I did like the turn assist but I can see places outlawing it. Can you see everyone digging up the switchbacks on Black Bear!
MY TJ is the most fun to wheel for me. Manual with a hand throttle and lockers is all it needs.
 
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Toyota's sand capability is pretty cool. You can bury it axle deep and crawl out no problem.

Skip forward to around the 3:30 mark to skip the sales B.S.

I do have to admit this looks cool. I also have to admit I have 0 experience in actual sand and have 0 interests in playing mad max. I love the sound of rocks on skids.
 

DrJ

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I do have to admit this looks cool. I also have to admit I have 0 experience in actual sand and have 0 interests in playing mad max. I love the sound of rocks on skids.
It does look cool… but I’ve never been in a stuck situation where crawl control was able to recover the truck. I’ve never buried it in sand though, so there’s that :)
 

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OllieChristopher

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I am of the opinion the only reason for these off road modes is to make up for lack of experience. The last decade or so has shown a whole new breed of motoring public who frequently get in over their heads in unfamiliar terrain.

I'm smart enough to know my motorcycling and 2wd off road experience will help some in hard terrain.

I also know damn well I have zero on/off highway experience in a 4wd cage that I'm strapped inside of. I will take advantage of the off road modes. I will also take advantage of doing baby steps in regards to trails I will take.
 

IdahoJOAT

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Question about off-road+:

We just got our 4xe yesterday and it doesn't have this mode. On what transfer case does it come with?
 

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There seems to be a misunderstanding some good folks here are having.

The only difference between the “fancy nanny” vehicles with selectable terrain control and our Jeeps is this. They have a dial or screen interface to select mud, gravel, snow, rock crawling, etc. We have various buttons and levers that do the exact same thing. We can short or long-press the ESC button while in 2WD and 4WD for various terrain functionalities. We can push the Offroad+ button in 4Hi or 4Low. In 4Hi with ESC AND stability control turned off, you can press another button to lock the rear axle only, for Baja mode. In 4Lo that Offroad+ button does different things. And so on and so forth.

We have the knowledge on when to push what, based upon terrain. In my opinion we have MORE electronic functionality than the overly-simplistic terrain-select systems, because we can pick and chose more options.
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