The 2008 Acura MDX comes with Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system as standard equipment, and is also used on the RL and RDX. It is, in fact, a full-time all-wheel-drive system. Most all-wheel-drive systems will have a default power split that sends a percentage of available torque between the front and rear wheels.
With SH-AWD, during steady driving conditions such as cruising, 90 percent of available torque is sent to the front wheels and 10 percent to the rear wheels for better fuel efficiency. The 2008 MDX's fuel economy is 15/20 mpg city/highway. If you’re in low-traction conditions – taking a corner too fast or stuck on a slippery surface -- power can be sent to any individual wheel with the most traction to gain grip and help keep the SUV moving and in control. For more information on Acura’s SH-AWD system on the MDX, see senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder’s review, here.
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No. There isn't a center differential.
Also there isn't a rear differential.
If you are driving 70 mph on the highway, you are basically all front wheel drive. There is minimal power transfer to the rear wheels.
This system is reliant on electronics and oil bath clutches. If the electronics fail, you are 100% front wheel drive. If the clutches/oil overheat, the system shuts down, and you are front wheel drive.
See at the bottom where the design of this system relies on an intentional slip rate in the left & right clutches.
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