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"TRAIL" mode?

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iveseen1mpg

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
At 7:06 on this video
you apparently do not have left right torque vectoring on a 23 XLE Premium…instead you have an open diff.

I believe there is “TRAIL” mode on a 23 XLE Premium...so that helps with offroad and it's just not as good as having the left right power control on the higher models??? Is this correct?
 
#2 ·
Is your question related to the hybrid or gas XLE premium? It may not matter. All hybrids (no matter the trim) deliver the same amount of power to the left and right rear wheels. The gas Adventure, TRD Pro, and limited can deliver varying power to the rear left and right wheels. I don’t know how much more useful that is though. I’m happy with the AWD on my hybrid XSE (and the AWD on the gas XLE Premium I had prior).
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Yes I was referring to hybrid only and should have wrote that. So the left right torque vectoring is only for gas models I guess even though the XLT premium hybrid does have a Trail mode button. Thank you.
 
#4 ·
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Discussion starter · #5 ·
Thanks for the response. That link notes left to right torque vectoring as the essence of trail mode then goes on to say it is only available in “hybrid and prime” which is wrong then notes gas models do not have trail mode which is kind of right and also wrong because as per a previous post here in this thread which I believe now, left right torque vectoring is only for gas since hybrid has 1 electric motor with same power to left and right. See the confusion?
 
#6 ·
It sounds to me like the hybrids can shift power to the wheel with traction by using the brakes.

In the gas RAV4's, with torque vectoring, the differential does the work and will also perform during normal cornering, etc.
 
#8 ·
I bought a Lexus NX350h 12-20-22, same car as the Rav4 hybrid. I also have the Trail mode, and the manual was extremely vague in it's description of the feature. For reference, I live 2 miles from pavement, and the 1 foot of snowfall of 12-23-22 was our first chance to try it out. I couldn't see a difference climbing a large, crowned, dirt road hill. I was on the throttle, actually accelerating from 25 to 30 mph. I only pressed once Traction Control off, and didn't know there was a hold feature to disable VSC as well. It did clamp down a wheel when the vector didn't match the steering wheel. I've read that Trail mode and in fact any hybrid Rav4 AWD does not engage at more than 25 mph, so that may be a reason for the non difference. The link listed above is only slightly more informational, but did give this clue, that the 54hp rear electric motor is only a very mild push to "rock crawl". I would be happy with its use in sand, given Michigan trails are all sand, and the bumps will hold me less than 25mph.

Anyone have a link to a thread to explain the "S" shifter mode? Or the "D" shifter mode using paddles? Or what mode for towing? Again, I thought the subjects were not explained well in the manual. This forum has more members and more activity than the Lexus forums, so I'll check in here for a lot of questions. Thanks.

(Skid plate may be in the future.😀)
 
#11 ·
bt10 said:
I wrote "more than 25mph", but I get your point. I'll try watching the various screens again. I did try a basic stab on the gas in a straight line at 55mph and did not see any power engage to the rear.
Click to expand...
You're right, that's my typo. I mean to say that I am not sure where the idea that it will not engage above 25 MPH comes from. On my hybrid it seems to do it well above 25 if you use full throttle or you use sport mode.
 
#12 ·
DougNuts said:
It sounds to me like the hybrids can shift power to the wheel with traction by using the brakes.

In the gas RAV4's, with torque vectoring, the differential does the work and will also perform during normal cornering, etc.
Click to expand...
That would be cool if that’s what the hybrid does. Mazda uses a similar braking scheme for their G Vectoring system.
 
#16 ·
I would love to see an explanation of just exactly what Trail mode actually does. I have tried it several times in snow and I honestly cannot tell the difference in handling and performance between trail and the normal mode. To answer another discussion point, yes, if you push the traction control button and hold it for three seconds, it will turn off the vehicle skid control, as well as the traction control. This is needed if you are stuck and need to crawl out of a hole or whatever. I have a steep driveway and last week, slipped on the ice in my 2020 RAV4 limited Hybrid, I slid downhill down the drive and finally ended up highcentering on the left rear swing arm attach point, with the left rear wheel, over the bottom of my rock wall. No damage to the vehicle apart from a slight scrape on the swing arm attach point at the body.

I just waited for the ice to melt, took a day. Then I hoped in, disengaged the VSC and the traction control, by holding in the traction control switch for 3 seconds, and just quietly crawled up the rock with the left rear wheel, and the other wheels on the asphalt. Piece of cake.

I did all this in just the normal drive mode. I had the energy page pulled up so I could see which wheels were driving.

I have also seen the rear wheel drive kick in in different situations at speeds a lot higher than 25 mph. It seems to kick in whenever needed, and often you can see it when you are taking a sharp corner.
 
#17 ·
iveseen1mpg said:
At 7:06 on this video
you apparently do not have left right torque vectoring on a 23 XLE Premium…instead you have an open diff.

I believe there is “TRAIL” mode on a 23 XLE Premium...so that helps with offroad and it's just not as good as having the left right power control on the higher models??? Is this correct?
Click to expand...
I've owned both a 2019 gas AWD XLE and a 2020 gas Limited with the TV-AWD. I noticed the difference with the torque vectoring during cornering in my 2020 immediately and was genuinely impressed, compared to how it felt in my 2019 on the same stretch of road with spirited cornering.

The hybrid system is a whole different setup. But you're rewarded with better digits at the pump. 😎
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
John Gibson said:
I would love to see an explanation of just exactly what Trail mode actually does. I have tried it several times in snow and I honestly cannot tell the difference in handling and performance between trail and the normal mode. To answer another discussion point, yes, if you push the traction control button and hold it for three seconds, it will turn off the vehicle skid control, as well as the traction control. This is needed if you are stuck and need to crawl out of a hole or whatever. I have a steep driveway and last week, slipped on the ice in my 2020 RAV4 limited Hybrid, I slid downhill down the drive and finally ended up highcentering on the left rear swing arm attach point, with the left rear wheel, over the bottom of my rock wall. No damage to the vehicle apart from a slight scrape on the swing arm attach point at the body.

I just waited for the ice to melt, took a day. Then I hoped in, disengaged the VSC and the traction control, by holding in the traction control switch for 3 seconds, and just quietly crawled up the rock with the left rear wheel, and the other wheels on the asphalt. Piece of cake.

I did all this in just the normal drive mode. I had the energy page pulled up so I could see which wheels were driving.

I have also seen the rear wheel drive kick in in different situations at speeds a lot higher than 25 mph. It seems to kick in whenever needed, and often you can see it when you are taking a sharp corner.
Click to expand...
Have you ever seen the rear wheel display show different power levels left to right?
 
#19 ·
iveseen1mpg said:
Have you ever seen the rear wheel display show different power levels left to right?
Click to expand...
Yes in my gasoline Limited AWD, when turning the wheel past a certain point and accelerating, depending on the direction one of the rear wheels goes all black signifying no drive force being applied, the other 3 wheels remain lit with a blue bar or 2, the unlit rear wheel lights back up when I straighten out the wheel.

Both rear wheels will go black when the system determines AWD isn't needed, for example at highway speeds.

During some off roading I've also seen some wheels that have the blue bars turn orange as they slip and the system sends the drive force to the non slipping wheel.
 
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