hi everyone. I'm new and still waiting for my CMS coming from the boat.

I just wondering is the Mini ALL4 similar to the BMW XDrive??

I assume this will be a very interesting Topic to discuss.

Thank you for the input

 

similar, yes. But its not the same. The Mini's version weighs less and is faster to engage. So in theory its a better system, but time will tell if it holds up as well.

 

Top Gear did a casual test of x-drive on BMW on grass and on snow. The result - BMW not moving but all four tires slowly rotating in sync - was not encouraging (in the background in both settings you could see a Rover effortlessly climbing past the BMW).

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nGXpqb3FE

I've tested my ALL4 on some slippery surfaces and it doesn't seem to work like the x-drive - it just works (until I turn off stability and traction ;-D )

 

No, they're not the same. MINI's is patented by and license from GKN and is front-drive biased. XDrive is rear-drive biased.

See this article from MF for more details.

http://www.motoringfile.com/2011/08/...stem-in-depth/

 

Even though it's front-biased, it performs and reacts really well (unlike the CRV or Rav4). With traction control and DSC off, and sport mode on, it performs remarkably similar in the snow as my old Subaru Impreza 2.5RS (i.e. you can still kick the back-end out, hold a drift, do doughnuts, and get the back all squiggly on hard launch, all the fun stuff).

Quite frankly, I was ready to be disappointed as it was not marketed as a performance enhancing AWD, but more of a safety-net AWD.

Watch this vid:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OzK-oRPCbs

I would love to see how the MINI All4 stacks up to a similar test.

 

Very interesting demonstration of various AWD systems - I remember a stuck Porsche with AWD spinning the wheel in the mud while one wheel was on solid dry land - busted!

I'd like to see how ALL4 does in the same tests, too!

 

My old 2001 2.5 RS would get stuck if only one front wheel has traction because it had an open front diff. It didn't have the VDC that the newer subarus do. It had a viscous rear diff which can lock the two wheels in the back together, and of course the mechanical centre diff which delivered power 50/50 front and back. The result? Really tight doughnuts!

 

I guess not at lot different from the CRV.

 

No... Not even close.

 

So worse than the CRV that's pretty bad.

 

I think the All4 can send power better to the rear than the CRV system.

Notice the difference in HOONAGE (how much tighter doughnuts it can pull):

CRV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOWvb-skBU0

Countryman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AinnZOAM4ew

Like I said, when I "tried" it out, it's pretty similar in response to my old Subie without the electronic nannies.

 

Tommy from Gatebil is a professional race driver, currently competing in the Swedish Touring Car Championship, he was also doing donuts on a frozen lake, I'm pretty sure he could do the same thing with the CRV on the same surface.

 

Did a MINI ride-and-drive event earlier this year and they used the same course as they designed for the X1. ALL4 worked great.

 

Yes, I just found out from the BMW web site. Actually the XDrive most of the time push the power to the rear wheel, but ALL4 from Mini most of the time push it on the front wheel

 

Which is a natural bias since BMW's are RWD and MINI's are FWD.

 

Apparently, it's not FWD biased, it's 50/50 from the start:

http://www.motoringfile.com/2011/12/...tem-clarified/

This explains why it felt remarkably similar to my old Subie, which was also 50/50.

 

That's a rubbish video from Topgear, to be fair to the X6 in both instances had the car been wearing the correct tyres it would have made it up the grassy bank and had not problem in the snow and ice.

 

Agreed. Tires (season appropriate, and in good condition) make more of a difference than AWD, in my experience. That doesn't necessarily mean you need winter tires, but definitely not summer max performance tires in winter. Combine good tires with a competent AWD / or most any 4wd system, and that's a force to be reckoned with.

I got my Ram 2500 (a genuine 4wd) stuck in snow, and watched FWD's go around me when I had shot tires on it.

 

Ditto! I too would like to see the Mini All4 tested this way. Maybe someone here with some influence can make the request???

ADDED: I sold a 2006 Honda Element 4WD EX-P to purchase the MCa (hope to trade up to the Paceman after it's out for about 3 years). They are right about the difficulty in determining exactly how the Honda 4WD system works. It was my understanding that it only functioned up to about 15mph and was mainly designed to assist in getting started in difficult traction conditions. Not sure if that is true. After watching the CVR fail the rear traction test (assuming it's a similar system), I have to wonder how effect it would have been if I ever needed it (which I didn't in the 6 years I owned it).

 

The problem with the CR-V system is that it can't send enough power to the rear wheels to save your life. My friend's CR-V has a noticeable "clunk" every time it tries to engage the rear on slippy surfaces. It's not like Honda can't make/doesn't have a really good AWD system, look at the SH-AWD on the Acura vehicles.