Reply to: Question about Quattro Audi's

[Paddy]

our subaru impreza worked a pretty much a treat in the recent weather, only had trouble once, when the snow had drifted so high, i had a problem with clearance.

though i have since solved that by purchasing a landrover discovery 3

Was that SC or BC? How did getting a Landrover help?

[portseven]

our subaru impreza worked a pretty much a treat in the recent weather, only had trouble once, when the snow had drifted so high, i had a problem with clearance.

though i have since solved that by purchasing a landrover discovery 3

[Boudica]

Shouting into my new shiny iPhone 3GS at the AA

"What do you mean I'm not a priority, do you know who I am!"

Did you forget you are D'Prawn???

[Sysman]

Yeah, I'll get up in the morning, see it has snowed overnight, and then chuck on some snow tyres and then when I get home, if it has melted, I'll chuck on the road tyres.

Is this what you do?

Get a spare set of wheels and change 'em for winter. Cheap steel rims will do and you can save your alloys from the winter muck. Proper winter tyres are made of a different compound which gives much better grip in cold and icy conditions. They do wear out faster in normal temperatures so you want to change back to normal tyres in spring.

[Sysman]

Why would Audi's 4 wheel drive system be any more or less able than any other manufacturers?

I would have thought all 4 wheel drive systems were much of a muchness.

Experience in making the things must come into it, but the main thing on the A4 Quattro I had was the Torsen diff (the PDF is worth reading), which distributes the power between the front and back (if I remember correctly it was 60% of the power applied to the rear wheels). I never used mine in really heavy snow since I was lucky enough to have a decent train service, but it was perfectly fine in light to medium stuff.

It was also excellent in the wet.

The TT and Golfs use a different system which is a bit like a wide bicycle chain, vaguely reminiscent of the Daf Variomatic system but with something better than a belt, but I read somewhere that this isn't suitable for the higher powered vehicles in the Audi range.

[al_cam]

I drive an Audi S3 and have had absolutely no problems whatsoever with the snow - I live in the sticks and the 2 miles of roads to my place were closed for weeks - no problems for the S3 though.
And ignore what some are saying about tyres - I have the standard wide low profiles - not a problem.
Mrs C drives a Land Rover and I would say the S3 is just as good on snowy roads.

It is a great car - just a shame it has had so many faults - German engineering - not what it once was.

Also, it is true that knowing how to drive in the snow makes a difference - Understand Newton's laws and you should be OK.

Al.

[ThomasSoerensen]

Yeah, I'll get up in the morning, see it has snowed overnight, and then chuck on some snow tyres and then when I get home, if it has melted, I'll chuck on the road tyres.

Is this what you do?

you think that is the way it is done over here in continental Europe? I encourage you to go to an internet site called Google and search for how Scandinavians and Germans drive in winter. the address is http://www.google.com

[ThomasSoerensen]

To be fair, the Danes could probably have got a Ford Capri round in the snow.

cause that is just how good we are......AARRGGHHHHHHH.

My 350Z was fine in the snow in Frankfurt. but there are no hills here.
Maybe it is a matter of power? Are you sure you have enough power in the BMW? About 350 bhp seems sufficient to me.

[Paddy]

You hero!



You drove an M3 up a 40 degree incline in 15 inches of snow.

http://morpeth.journallive.co.uk/201...rd-by-new.html



What a guy!

Where's the ****** smiley?

How steep is your hill? Vale Street in Bristol is the steepest, at 42% (22 degrees). Even a Lada can make that in the snow.

[Mich the Tester]

Wow - I've been flamed by some twat who can't drive, and lives in the arsehole of the world

Since when did DP move to London?

[51st State]

You hero!



You drove an M3 up a 40 degree incline in 15 inches of snow.

http://morpeth.journallive.co.uk/201...rd-by-new.html



What a guy!

Where's the ****** smiley?

Wow - I've been flamed by some twat who can't drive, and lives in the arsehole of the world

[51st State]

Were you facing the right direction for any of those 35 miles? .
My car uses the same OEM tyres as the E46 M3 and was terrible in the snow. Managed to drive it for quite a while but even tippy toe round corners resulted in pant changing moments

Yep; even in the wilds of Yorkshire. Mine has different tyres though, as I have an E92 version

[gingerjedi]

Audi sponsor a lot of winter sports events, it would be a bit embarrassing for them if their cars were no good for snow.

[malvolio]

Many years back I had a Sierra GLSi. Great fun in the snow that was, instant tailslides no matter how gentle you were with the throttle. That got swapped for a Volvo T5R, partly becuase I thought a car built in Sweden would understand bad weather. Nope, equally hopless - no traction at all in bad weather (come to that, it would spin its front wheels in the rain.... in third gear... at 60 mph... )

Ever since then I stick to 4WDs.

[SuperZ]

I've got a BMW - an M3 in fact - and I managed to do 35 miles a day, much of it on untreated country roads. Perhaps it's not a new car you need ..?

Were you facing the right direction for any of those 35 miles? .
My car uses the same OEM tyres as the E46 M3 and was terrible in the snow. Managed to drive it for quite a while but even tippy toe round corners resulted in pant changing moments