2010 Acura Winter Test Experience

Acura's SH-AWD System is put through its paces (alongside Audi's Quattro AWD, BMW's xDrive, Infiniti's Intelligent AWD, and Lexus' Active Torque Control AWD systems) at AET (Auto Enviro Testing) proving grounds in Baudette, MN.
NOTE: All of the crossovers shown were equipped with the base OEM tires. The silver TL SH-AWD 6MT was equipped with Michelin Alpin snow tires, and the dark colored TL SH-AWD shown later in the video was equipped with standard OEM all-season tires.

[@zed3royale]

I hate how people talk trash about Acura. Acura's are truly capable of everything you see here. How about you stop arguing over which car is the best and just accept the fact that Acura won this part and Audi and Lexus didn't. Audi and Lexus beat Acura in many other things, they just can't beat the SH-AWD system in this senario.

[@6spdterror]

Kudos to Acura for making a superior product that doesnt kill your pockets and lasts a lifetime without costly maintainance or issues every 5 minutes like the euro cars.

[@DannyTurell]

This is one of the reasons of why I like Honda's and acuras

[@oneeyedrone4293]

just acura, honda does not have the same awd system. They put the best stuff in acuras.

[@nexushexus4365]

@@oneeyedrone4293 The current Gen Pilot, Passport and Ridgeline does. They just don't call it SH-AWD, the Honda version is called i-VTM4.

[@ryansheen]

acura hands down over any suv. the truth. I had a q7 and X5...mdx is best in reliability, quality..etc. so now i buy Acura only

[@usaskitd]

As a USA snow skiing official, I need the most reliable car for winter driving. I had a 2004 MDX which was great in the snow and which I loved. I then decided in early 2007 to "upgrade" to an Audi Q7. I was assured by the Audi people that the Q7 was superior in the snow. I had a couple traction loss issues in March, but I assumed they were flukes. Then, when I experienced severe traction failure in December, I knew it was for real. I immediately sold the Audi and went back to a 2008 Acura.

[@alaind831]

good to hear - ski buddy has the Q7 and I have the 07 MDX (with snow tires now) and it rocks... last storm he was covered by 2-3+ feet overnight and had to shovel out and I joked he should have sleep in it wit snow tires and just drive off instead... :) I didn't get to test mine. bummer. would have been fun to compare.

[@MrDriDriZzy]

I've lived with acuras all my life and they are as good as this video makes it look

[@ZD3974]

Yup

[@Travelingcarguy1]

I own an 2007 Acura RL with the SH-AWD and I can safely say that this video is absolutely correct in praising the SH-AWD system. The SH-AWD is really the best, I took sharp corners (with posted speed limits below 30mph) at speeds over 80mph and the Acura was as stable as a rock due to the excellent torque vectoring phenomenon of the SH-AWD. I have yet to test my Acura in the snow but I am confident that it should handle quite well like that MDX in the video.

[@QuangNguyen-ng5zh]

+PeterGriffin4200 Agreed, i had an RDX with SHAWD and going around corners has the same sensation of a roller coaster on rails

[@Travelingcarguy1]

+Ken Adams And the best thing is that even with 171,000 miles on my RL it drives like brand new and reliable.

[@Charkatak]

@petergriffin4200 I am planning to get 2010 Acura RL with 109K miles. Anything I should be looking for?

[@SlapShotRm8]

You're absolutely right. My friend bought a 2012 Lexus RX and he was very upset about how it handled in the snow. He went back to the Dealer and demanded they give him another vehicle and they did. I have a 2009 Acura Tl sh-AWD and I am very pleased. Buying Acura only from now on.

[@patrickstar8197]

The mdx didnt even flinch, yall haters go cry somewhere else..

[@bricksandtech7958]

Ya Lol Acura is the best

[@dabambz]

Wow, honda has a crazy awd if it can go up a 30 degree slope when the other luxury brands can't even make 20 degree. I know there are some out there who are gonna say you can take an f150 and set it lock 4wd mode and away you go. The difference is these awd are hand free operation you don't need to mess around with anything, it's just there.

[@autofanatic1]

Poppaschlong: I think you may be correct that ESP was not enabled, but I think that was the point of this exercise (to demonstrate the differences in how each AWD system apportions torque). As an automotive writer, I've studied these AWD systems extensively; Acura's SH-AWD system features a torque vectoring capability that Quattro & most other AWD systems do not. I think the Audi/Lexus could have made it up the hill with ESP, but it would have been difficult and less controlled than the MDX.

[@0609householder]

I own a 01 MDX with 150,000 miles on it. It is very good in the snow and ice. I am a mechanic and I get to work on and drive and all sorts of vehicles. If you have something German and you think you have a winner, you are sadly mistaking! Take a mdx in for service and your German piece and compare the cost. I would glady pay the bill on the MDX.

[@alaind831]

from Acura, not independent so can't say the other 2 SUV had same tires (which makes all the difference). That said I have a 07 MDX with snow tires (last couple years) and whoaaa this thing is amazing on snow. Highly recommend.

[@JimBic72]

Acura’s are the best, even if money were no object, I still would drive an Acura!

[@rickslick730]

now that' s super handling all wheel drive! good job acura

[@autofanatic1]

@Amidat: Hi Amidat. Torque vectoring helps in cornering AND in this test for exactly the same reason: the system can apportion power independently to the rear wheels. SH-AWD communicates with the traction control system on the MDX, and can easilly send power laterally when in detects slippage on one side of the vehicle. This is far more effective than braking a slipping wheel to send power to the other wheel with traction (braking the slipping wheel reduces forward momentum).

[@ldawson103]

Great video, I love my MDX and already know how great sh-awd is but its nice seeing it out perform the competitors.

[@cbotten106]

Acura blows Audi away. SH-AWD rules the roost!

[@KyK5Ky]

i work at an acura dealership and ALL there cars are superfast and awesome handling. have not gotten them ion the rain yet but will tommorrow. I love throwing it down into S and flooring it. BMW x5 has nothing on the MDX. simple sleek and fast

[@TheEuroperules]

Torque vectoring of the honda made a huge difference in this kind of test and thats why it could climb its like more easy to drive you have more control.

[@TheTempleofVTEC]

@reykdal All of the crossovers had original equipment all-season tires. The 335xi (not shown in the cilp) and TL SH-AWD that were tested were equipped with MIchelin Alpin snow tires.

[@civicboi03]

Acura Boom! Mdx wins proof is in the video! Shawd is the best!

[@Y10Q]

I wonder how long before that transmission is toast. Those things are notorious for bad transmissions. Almost all of the 2001-2003 have had a failure, and now up to 2011 model, NHTSA are seeing just as many failures.

[@WhatIThinkNation]

Acura is the best in a video made by acura ? Lol shocker.

[@nigahiga6400]

+civicboi03 Thing is, I had a SH AWD that got itself quite stuck on a flat city street with a few inches of snow. It kept sending power to the front wheels, nothing was going to the rear. I don't care if it can climb hills, that's not exactly realistic, and if I really wanted to go off road and climb steep grades, a Jeep Wrangler would cost a fraction of the Acura and be much more capable. Acura's lineup is uninspiring compared to offerings from Lexus and entry level offerings from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. They simply cannot compete.

[@Av3ntur0zky]

@@nigahiga6400 What Acura vehicle you had with sh-awd?

[@blatnoyaka]

Best handling SUV ever!!!

[@killabandit]

Folks, this is NOT A ACURA VIDEO. Many were invited to drive these cars, and you are seeing live videos of people doing it. SH-AWD is a better AWD system vs all the others. They did have the FX from Infiniti there that did not do well at all as it is RWD biased. Traction control will not help in this instance. It will just cut the power off where you won't get much.

[@baczniewiak]

acura dont have to cheat! they are... amazing!

[@avgvstvs96]

got an MDX 2011 and gonna be driving it in this blizzard today here in new york.

[@courtstone]

damn the MDX showed them how its really done.

[@hhgoreish1]

Excellent, this what acura needs to show , competitve comparison, I think their cars are the best . very luxiourus and sporty enough. Not race track sport, that will break neck and back and very very reliable compared to the others. talking about above 200,000 mile easily with no much problems

[@chuckback73]

i have a 2011 mdx and last winter after an unexpected snow storm ie city didnt put down salt or sand, i climbed a hill by my house that left a few cars and SUVs stranded, including a Tahoe.

[@TD-il6ju]

chuckback73 holy shit I’m getting this

[@Amidat]

poppaschlong - you are correct - the EDL is a funtion of the ESP. It's not the same as a mechanically locking differential like the old quattros (those were too heavy) but it still gets the job done. That leads me to agree with you that the ESP/traction control was turned off on the Audi. The Acura you can tell had the traction control on. The torque vectoring is only for cornering.

[@killabandit]

@NIZMOZ44 I could tell it was slipping, but not bad. I then turned ESP off, and the car was doing 4 wheel drifts with nothing controlling it real well. It was fully controlled with that on. So yes it is possible, but on a ramp when two tires have no traction and two that do, might be different. As they said the 20% grade both the Audi and Lexus had no issues, but the 30% they did.

[@18switchfoot]

This video really shows how Acura can adjust it's awd laterally and vertically. And there is no way the Audi would have made it up that slope. It didn't send power to where it needed instead it made the car go to the side. Due to the right side wheels were on dry pavement.

[@TheEuroperules]

SH-AWD RULES !

[@IL2WYT]

Finally!!!!!! Proof that the SH-AWD is as good as its been boasted about! And remember, the MDX was on OEM rubber as well. Put some serious snow/ice tires on the SH-AWD vehicles and there would be no stopping them! I think my RDX, which I love, would do equally as well. I was told by a friend not to long ago that has worked in the auto industry for many years that the Lexus AWD is basically a complete POS and the Audi is just an antiquated system. This video proves that hands down!!

[@sleeksilver]

That is really impressive. I thought for sure that the Q7 was going to power up that hill with the Quattro. Not so much. MDX is the clear winner.

[@autofanatic1]

@Amidat: Hi, I agree that the ESP systems weren't activated on the Audi and Lexus, BUT it was NOT activated on the MDX either. I believe the point of this exercise was to show the torque vectoring ability of SH-AWD. Torque vectoring is for cornering AND where one side is more slippery than the other. SH-AWD senses wheel slippage on one side and transfers torque to the wheel with traction. This is the advantage they are trying to show over an EDL or ESP based system.

[@Amidat]

poppaschlong2000 - I agree with you. Any person who is not a fan of any of these vehicles but knows how traction control works can tell that the Audi and Lexus had it turned off and the Acura had it turned on. You can see it braking the wheels on the Acura in the shot from the rear.

[@juansaldivar251097]

I love my acura mdx 😍😍

[@pugelliott]

I love our MDX SH-AWD on light snow or packed snow roads. You can really move along as the SH-AWD really enhances the handling by kicking the torque to proper rear wheel. However in the deep winter stuff it is okay at best as you disable the stability/traction control(VSA) and hope for the best. I get stuck with my MDX in deep stuff. But disable VSA backup and motor on. Primitive 4wd or Subaru AWD is better suited for deep stuff.

[@bradyknowzbest1149]

I can tell you that my acura rl is seriously shocking in snow and sand. Ive been up to the local ski resort and driven around stuck 4x pickups.

[@Amidat]

@autofanatic1 - the only problem with your theory is that torque vectoring of the Acura (and even Audi's own sport differential) only works when you are cornering. It is dependent on steering and yaw angles to move torque. That is not a straight line... Also they only work on the rear wheels to push torque to the outside. That is not useful in a straight line (it would have to be all four wheels). Differential locks would be much more effective in a straight line.

[@zimby215]

yeah i have a accura mdx,,,and it did exactly that in the winter,,,last year in all the philly snow...man,,,i had fun not shoving my way out,,,just get in and drive,,,oh,,,in a tight squeeze...someone in front of you and someone in back of you and you surrounded my just plowed snow...no problem,,,just get in and drive...

[@Amidat]

sspope - you are correct - the S4 S5 and new A8 have torque vectoring as an option. However, that wouldn't help in this test because that is for cornering. That's why this test seems suspect. It looks like the Acura is the only one with traction control on. None of them have locking differentials on the front and rear - so that has to be the case the Acura has traction control on why it doesn't spin.

[@ChristopherOfEarth]

... I'm impressed!

[@cbotten106]

@BenFranklin997 They said the same thing about the Audi grill and the Bangle BMW's and yet here we are years later and those are embraced almost universally.

[@owequitit]

Actually, they were ALL on a 30% grade. The 20% grade is to the left of the 30% grade and the sign is on the RIGHT of each grade. You can't see the 30% sign in the other vehicles because of the camera angle. Same grade, same sign, different angle.

[@Vtecstyleturbo]

that was a cool video. Watching the MDX go up that grade was cool! I actually cheered. and at first i wasnt a big fan of the ZDX but im liking acuras move with there look. Its different. which is was the car world needs. all new cars look the same but the zdx takes the ticket for different but still looking good unlike the pOntiac a..... EEk

[@Zhenocnra]

@heavenscape The only reason why the Audi Q7 is able to make it up that hill is because the left front wheel grabs grip from the left side of the pavement every time it slips over there. They stop in the middle of the hill with all three cars to simulate a red light on a slippery hill. Getting a running start just means potentially any car with enough momentum could make it up a slippery hill. That is not the purpose of this video.

[@enyaw8888]

Truthfully, Audi's are very powerful & fast cars.. but they have some Tech issues & their maintenance are expensive. Acura's are a lot more reliable... & the Super Handling is just amazin'

[@marcelokawas]

@tazeat It was made by motortrend. i do feel acura's AWD is better, i got one X5 xdrive 4.4 time ago and an audi q7 4.2. SH-AWD rox!

[@AAmatt777]

@18switchfoot BTW this was not Audi's quattro system, the AWD system on the Q7 is made by BorgWarner

[@bunnamatic]

This I know, that's why I said "but they're all on the SAME HILL." But when showing the first two vehicles, the camera displays the 20% sign, but the Acura footage puts the 30% sign into clear view.

[@enekaken]

@skbuoy all the cars had their OEM All-season tires on.

[@killabandit]

@poppaschlong2000 How is it biased toward Acura when Acura did not make the video? It was a user who went to the event.

[@tjohanson]

MOTOR TREND if you're out there....PLEASE do a non-biased review of AWD systems.

[@Soob4ME]

Huh, you never see Subarus in these comparisons.

[@klangbunruang]

@AAmatt777 Ahem, The Audi Q7's AWD unit is made by Torsen, which incidentally is a division of Toyoda Machine Works. And, we all know who owns Toyoda...

[@ji_x]

That is a vehicle testing facility, logically it simulates the most difficult road situation possible and set as a standard, otherwise anyone can test their car in their backyard.

[@Amidat]

I don't care about what they say on paper but two things seem "fishy" to me. Why did the driver put the brakes on the Audi Q7 when it was almost to the top and didn't look like it was losing any momentum? When the MDX was going up - why did they keep switching camera angles? It looked like it was slipping at the beginning and then the camera cuts and it's going up smoothly...?? Hmmm

[@teodoradonahue8014]

Muy bien acura este video me pone muy contenta por mi nueva compra gracias de nuevo:)

[@meanone111]

they should have tested Mercedes 4Matic system along with these guys too. It would be interesting to see how that system fairs against the industry.

[@autofanatic1]

@accallegari: Actually, they were all on the same grade - the sign is posted to the right so it's confusing.

[@hy77281]

This video wasn't made by Acura

[@jvrdlc]

I think the Q7 was capable enough to vlimb that hill. The guy just didn't push it to the top. I think the SH-AWD is a good all weather system

[@poppaschlong2000]

Thats where you're wrong. TC would have certainly helped. The video is obviously biased towards Acura. Tell me then, why was TC only enabled on the MDX then? You can clearly see the wheelspin being controled by TC. The Audi with it's fully mechanical Borg Warner system would have walked up that slope with ease had TC been engaged.

[@killabandit]

@poppaschlong2000 But I will say that when our parking garage at work was fully covered in ice, and I always park on the top, I decided to give it a whirl (since we don't get snow here), and went up the steep ramp without any issues with ice it, then went on the top floor moving around to park.

[@genadkata]

acura i is the best !!!!

[@Amidat]

autofanatic1 - the torque vectoring helps in cornering....but how exactly would it help in this test?? something is amiss.

[@dallasez]

i just bought one like this, 2010 that is super car ever, it's cost me $ 52.000.00 fully load

[@IceWaterInc]

i got a 2007 acura mdx with everything in it, how similar is the sh-awd system in the 2007s to the 2010s?

[@killabandit]

Last I checked a ricer was someone who had a slow car with no power that was noisy. And last I checked, for Audi A4 for the same price as the TL, the TL or even the TL-S smokes them.

[@Zhenocnra]

@idrinorbarsaku It really is so hard to find an unbiased review of AWD system these days, unfortunately. They all love to show off and compare against those that can't compete. They leave the real competitors OUT of their videos or reviews. Most of us already see that's all they really do.

[@rapidotorpedo]

a little dumb there i mean last i checked the suvs did come with a locking diff??? they are to be used

[@RoundEyeMood]

Something is not right! Audi should have no problems but I'm impress with the MDX! Nice.

[@pugelliott]

try a slightly different test and the results may be quite different. Acura wins here but how often do you find one side ice and the other traction. Rare. I own the winner here and the SH-AWD is good but not sure if "best".

[@fightingmexican707]

When I bought our mdx in 07 it's an 08 when we got stuck we were told to push the VSA button next to the steering wheele on the left to get un stuck

[@reykdal]

Maybe the Acura was the only one that had winter tires.

[@sellsubz]

I agree the Acura has the best system in the test but a less expensive, better built Subaru Outback would have run circles around the rest of the pack. this comes from experience. Subaru rules the AWD world.

[@alaind831]

and yet the sub almost failed this test until he really floored it and spin like crazy - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXvQaWugqd10aac yet the MDX did better (even though the MDX is targeting better road handling, not off-roading this test is for).

[@karkraz]

@1:58 your caption is clearly wrong. The grade is marked 20%, your caption says 30%.

[@poppaschlong2000]

LOL no you're a fanboy. You cannot see that the Audi and Lexus are spinning wildly. What does that mean to an observant human being you ask? Well, let me tell you then. ESP(TC) is not engaged, properly sending power right to left. The Audi for one has EDL. Electronic Differential Lock. Had ESP been enabled, it would have shut power to the left side. Like the Acura did.

[@bricksandtech7958]

Acura’s can handle more than Tesla’s can in snow. LOL

[@flexor212000]

God that music made my head almost explode.

[@nickb1973]

What Kind Of Tires This MDX Is Using

[@karkraz]

@karkraz I retract my comment. I see now, after the video went on further, that it was a 30% grade. I guess the caption was there so we knew that, since the sign says 20%. I would delete, but KZbin's new setup doesn't allow apparently.

[@autofanatic1]

@meanone111: Hi there. The 4MATIC system isn't a bad system, but it is fairly crude compared to most competitor systems. 4MATIC is usually a fixed torque split front to rear (most other systems are variable), and uses a common ESP set up to passively distribute power laterally (most new systems are now using torque vectoring).

[@whattheheck1000]

@drazza94 Ever seen that old Audi Quattro commercial with the ski jump?

[@killabandit]

@BenFranklin997 Last I checked those cars weren't in the same price range as Acura vehicles. Any vehicle that compares to a Acura the Acura blows the Audi away in the same price range. The NSX blows any Audi away in looks and handling. Oh I am so sorry, your overpriced VW hurt me.

[@TheKorgOASYS]

Do you know the 0-60 and quarter mile time of a stock 6MT Civic SI as per Car and Driver? Do you know the 0-60 and quarter mile time of a 2010 stock 6MT Acura TL as per Car and Driver? Yeah, that's what I thought.

[@killabandit]

@poppaschlong2000 AGain, the cars you mentioned aren't even in the same class so you are comparing apples to oranges.

[@wolfeywiggins850]

Great

[@gkwas]

what's the music title? can someone tell me?

[@baczniewiak]

@heavenscape audi was chating!! from time to time he was using 3tires! ang goes up up...up.... and then he Was not on the top but...Start line xD cheater!! SH AWD-awesome tech!

[@poppaschlong2000]

Please research Quattro and see what I am telling is 100% accurate. Wiki it for all I care. Im done. It's obvious you are going to believe what you want. And you honestly think that all three vehicles had ESP enabled.

[@t0nyc0lin]

the audi only went up so far because it kept gripping the ground.. rather than the ice..

[@killabandit]

@poppaschlong2000 You are 100% defending the Audi. You are obvious a fanboy. The Toyota AWD systems are terrible and you would know that if you had experience and read about how all these systems work.

[@house1649]

im not sure why, but I've done a very similar but UNOFFICIAL TEST.. with my 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer w/ All Wheel Control (AWC) - got my car to have 2 wheels on ice. LITERALLY ICE. and other 2 wheels on pavement. I throttled that car and HECK IT WENT UP.. sure there was a wheelspin & trac. control kicking in..but i made it up.. now question is if i could do it, why did these cars fail.. the system is similar to my lancer (but i got driver selectable 2wd, 4wd, 4wd lock.)...

[@heavenscape]

to me seems Audi is able to make up that hill but the driver keeps applying the brake. This kind of test should be done by some independent 3rd party, not by a car maker cuz they make biased tests.

[@killabandit]

@S4Louie LOL! Many do. I read the forums. Audi's are not that reliable. And they are far from the best cars on the road.

[@evanlee3619]

Acura MDX all the way

[@pavelosip0v]

What is the song name??