[quote=highlanderhybrid;111394]uhh, that little electric motor can not provide much power at all. A V6 Highlander with 4x4 would work because it's actualy a connected drive train. Also in snow alot of people with the i4wd could not even get the car to move because of the VDIM. The Front wheels get alot more power than the rear wheels, the rear wheels only get 67 HP lol. quote]

The Tahoe with locking differentials and heavy frame construction is, of course, much more suited for off-road and shouldn’t be compared to the Highlander. The vehicles have different purposes.

However, don’t underestimate the rear electric drive on the Highlander Hybrid. Torque is much more important than horsepower for both off-road and just getting out of minor traction compromised situations. In really tough terrain you typically go no more than 5 to 10 miles per hour. Torque – not horsepower is king at these speeds.

The rear electric motor puts out its maximum 96 ft-lbs of torque at 0 rpm. This creates significant power at very low wheel rpms. The front drive electric motor can put out a whopping 246 ft-lbs also at 0 RPM. The pair allows very precisely controlled torque application without having to deal with the rubber-band-like torque converter windup in a conventional power train. If it wasn’t for the traction control, this vehicle would smoke its tires from a WOT standing start.

The two front electric motors are both water-cooled and rated for continuous operation. However, the main limitation of the rear motor is that it is not rated for continuous operation. That is a key reason for the Highlander Hybrid not being recommended for off-road (besides suspension/body ruggedness). The rear motor is air-cooled via deep fins cast into the aluminum motor/differential housing assembly. Aggressive and sustained off-road operation could heat up the rear drive assembly to its safety limit. The drive train computer monitors the temperature of the rear drive and will automatically disable the rear drive under this situation until it cools off to prevent damage.