The available all-wheel-drive system balances the handling whenever traction is limited. It does this by distributing power to the front and rear tires as needed. In normal driving, the system biases torque 35 percent to the front and 65 percent to the rear to minimize understeer. (Understeer is when the front tires slip before the rear tires, causing the vehicle to push toward the outside of a turn.) It relies on an open differential with a viscous coupling. A clutch pack distributes power between the front and rear wheels based on traction needs. There are no switches or levers for the driver to operate. There's no low range for serious off-road driving, either, but the Mountaineer's system easily handles snow, rain, mud, wet leaves, ice, and gravel.
Body roll, or lean, is controlled well in fast corners. The all-wheel-drive system lets you hammer the throttle whenever you want without wheelspin, even in the middle of a turn. Mountaineer is very stable and inspires confidence, a description that also fits the two-wheel-drive models. Its rack-and-pinion steering minimizes wandering on the highway.
Mountaineer's rigid frame lets its fully independent suspension soak up bumps, potholes and tar strips. Next Page