Full-time 4WD vs. 4WD on-demand for 2025 4Runner 6th gen?

[northernlights]

It seems that Toyota decided to offer full time AWD with a center diff only in the luxury oriented trims, the limited and the platinum. A lot of customers either want a cheaper trim (like the SR5) or more off road oriented trims like the TRD off road or TRD pro. These trims do not offer the center diff and with that also no full time AWD, a big drawback when you are in winter conditions on mountain roads a lot. The Landcruiser is also a more luxury oriented SUV and has the center diff (a Torsen diff) standard and people have used the Landcruiser off road in very rough terrain and the Torsen diff held up very well. So I can't see any good reason why Toyota wouldn't offer the Torsen diff in the off road and lower Trims.
There is of course the problem that you can't order a 4Runner to your spec in the USA (also something I will never understand). If Toyota would offer the center diff in some 4Runners you would have to be lucky to find a Trim and color that also has the center diff in your area.

I'm laughing when you say luxury oriented trims. I'm looking at the price of a decked out Trailhunter and its bell and whistles and I think THAT"S luxury.

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[northernlights]

It’s always been like that on previous generation.

So LOTS and LOTS of 4runners "running" around in the wild in CO for years in challenging conditions(it is the state vehicle after all). Don't remember reading much trouble. So maybe the theoretical is just that.

 

[andim]

I'm laughing when you say luxury oriented trims. I'm looking at the price of a decked out Trailhunter and its bell and whistles and I think THAT"S luxury.

LOL yes, you're right. Didn't even occur to me at that point that the off road models exceed the prices of the "luxury" models by far. We need new words for luxury trims that are off road focussed and luxury trims that are focussed on comfortable, convenience, high end design elements.

 

[TMcGee3]

I'm new to the forum, got a deposit down on a new TRD ORP hybrid. I've watched this video several times, and I have a question. When the part-time system is in 4 hi (or 4 lo for that matter), the chain assembly that powers the front differential is locked to the rear drive shaft (if this guy is right). This seems functionally identical to locking the center diff on the full-time 4WD. Do I have this right?

 

[Dr_Al]

IN the part time 4wd there's no center differential. The transmission always sends power to the rear axle. When you switch to 4wd it now sends power to both front and rear axles. Both the front and rear driveshafts are locked together. The problem with rear 4wd is when you turn the front wheels need to turn at a different speed than the rear wheels. On dirt a tire will just slip a bit. On pavement it also has to slip but is getting lots of traction.

With AWD the power is sent to both axles but the front and rear driveshafts are not locked together. There's slip built in so you can drive on pavement without the problem with the tires needing to spin at different speeds when turning. When you lock the center differential you are now locking both the front and rear driveshafts together to act like real 4wd. I don't know how the 4Runner does it but with my wife's Rav4 it uses an electromagnetic clutch to lock the center diff. If pushed hard it will overheat because it will slip. If it overheats it will turn off.

I haven't seen a new 4Runner but on my Tundra there is no 2wd low range. The only time I've ever seen it was back in the days of manual lock in hubs. Each front wheel had a hub that you had to twist to lock in the driveshafts. When unlocked you got better gas mileage because none of the front driveshaft/ axles were turning. So when you shifted into 2wd the driveshaft would turn but it wasn't connect to the wheels.

So technically when you are in 4wd in the part time 4wd 4Runner it's the same as having the center diff locked on the AWD version. However if the center diff lock on the AWD is a clutch then there's potential for it to slip if pushed hard. If it's something that truly locks, like two gears meshing with each other then it's the same.

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