Best drive mode for off-road?! (Non Fx4)

[craigt502]

Back when I had my 2023 Lariat Fx4 I used sand mode and mud ruts mode quite a bit when off road (mud or wet grass combined with a slope) or in deep snow.
My 2025 XLT is not FX4 so I’m curious to know which drive modes you non FX4 owners have used off road. I’m wondering if sport mode provides similar attributes as to the sand mode, specifically more throttle response and higher shift points. However, I don’t know if sport mode sends more power to the rears like sand mode does.
A picture for fun.

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[BK007]

 

[craigt502]

I see what you did there.

 

[Hunters Edge]

Back when I had my 2023 Lariat Fx4 I used sand mode and mud ruts mode quite a bit when off road (mud or wet grass combined with a slope) or in deep snow.
My 2025 XLT is not FX4 so I’m curious to know which drive modes you non FX4 owners have used off road. I’m wondering if sport mode provides similar attributes as to the sand mode, specifically more throttle response and higher shift points. However, I don’t know if sport mode sends more power to the rears like sand mode does.
A picture for fun.

AI says slippery mode with traction control off. Not sure if that's correct or not. I believe the FX4 in mud n ruts or sand mode automatically turn off traction control. Hope this information helps. Just keep in mind with traction control off you can have wheel spin which can influence possible fishing and losing control. It's why they stopped positive traction and went to limited slip. Keeping one wheel based it helps from both fishing and losing control. I remember driving my Aunts car north which had positive traction. All of a sudden I'm doing doughnuts on I75. Luckily no one got hurt or an accident it just finally quit but I still remember that experience to this day. So I wouldn't advise that on highways but off road or out back or if you got stuck in snow. As your post suggested off road or deep snow basically low speeds.

 

[Tbone289]

Just keep in mind with traction control off you can have wheel spin which can influence possible fishing and losing control. It's why they stopped positive traction and went to limited slip. Keeping one wheel based it helps from both fishing and losing control. I remember driving my Aunts car north which had positive traction. All of a sudden I'm doing doughnuts on I75. Luckily no one got hurt or an accident it just finally quit but I still remember that experience to this day. So I wouldn't advise that on highways but off road or out back or if you got stuck in snow. As your post suggested off road or deep snow basically low speeds.

Positraction wasn't replaced by limited slip. Positraction is GM's brand name for limited slip, just as Trac-Lock is Ford's name for the same system. It sounds like your Aunt's car didn't have the correct friction modifier added to the oil. They will act more like a locker if the additive isn't added, and that will cause the internal clutches to fail prematurely.

There's no issue like that with traction control turned off on the standard AWD system though, the differentials are basically "open" differentials that can only power one wheel at a time. Through individual brake application it can bias traction to the side that isn't spinning.

 

[craigt502]

AI says slippery mode with traction control off. Not sure if that's correct or not. I believe the FX4 in mud n ruts or sand mode automatically turn off traction control. Hope this information helps. Just keep in mind with traction control off you can have wheel spin which can influence possible fishing and losing control. It's why they stopped positive traction and went to limited slip. Keeping one wheel based it helps from both fishing and losing control. I remember driving my Aunts car north which had positive traction. All of a sudden I'm doing doughnuts on I75. Luckily no one got hurt or an accident it just finally quit but I still remember that experience to this day. So I wouldn't advise that on highways but off road or out back or if you got stuck in snow. As your post suggested off road or deep snow basically low speeds.

You are correct, I remember sand/mud modes would automatically turn off traction control.
Yeah, slippery would surely be safest for on road travel. Slippery is known to cut engine power and limit wheel spin. Sometimes in off road situations you want that power and wheel spin.

 

[Hunters Edge]

You are correct, I remember sand/mud modes would automatically turn off traction control.
Yeah, slippery would surely be safest for on road travel. Slippery is known to cut engine power and limit wheel spin. Sometimes in off road situations you want that power and wheel spin.

Slippery mode with traction control off is what AI came back with. Before purchasing I did a similar search and transit owners were saying the same sequence. That was back late 23 early 24.

 

[notfast]

My 2025 XLT is not FX4 so I’m curious to know which drive modes you non FX4 owners have used off road.

Seems like the '26+ (and hopefully the '25+ with whatever software update) can be driven in normal mode with decent AWD activation.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...rick-hybrid-awd-improvements-slip-test.82095/

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