# What's Audi's fascination with AWD?



## pocketbookbrando (Feb 13, 2007)

I'm trying to figure out what Audi's fascination is with all wheel drive. Even in warm climates in the US, most of the models stocked by dealerships are all wheel drive. BMW, on the other hand, sells only a portion of their models as XI mostly in states where they actually get snow.
Quattro, for those who don't use it, means you have to lug around a few hundred pounds of extra equipment and thus have a slower car with worse mileage. You're also prone to expensive repairs and trying to resell the car to someone who wants to deal with all of that.
Is there a good reason why this is? Is it part of the resale value problem for Audi's?


----------



## A4Jetta (Feb 16, 1999)

*Re: What's Audi's fascination with AWD? (pocketbookbrando)*

Audi Quattro got its reputation started with Ur and Sport Quattro in winning WRC back in the 80s, those were the times when Evo and WRX aren't even on the rallying map yet. Only Lancia Delta Integrale are able to match Audi Quattro in winning races.
BMW got its reputation through RWD + I-6. Their AWD reputation never have the same status as Subaru, let alone Audi. No matter how BMW wants to rename and put as many "X-Drive" badges around their AWD cars, their system remains crap.
Audi Torsen Quattro is not only serve as an active safety feature, it also enhance performance. Their latest iteration with 40/60 rear-bias and Sport Differential just make the performance even more impressive with new S4. The SD + ADS will make it along the Audi line equipped with Torsen Quattro for years to come.


----------



## robbyb413 (May 12, 2002)

*Re: What's Audi's fascination with AWD? (pocketbookbrando)*


_Quote, originally posted by *pocketbookbrando* »_
Quattro, for those who don't use it, means you have to lug around a few hundred pounds of extra equipment and thus have a slower car with worse mileage. You're also prone to expensive repairs and trying to resell the car to someone who wants to deal with all of that.
Is there a good reason why this is? Is it part of the resale value problem for Audi's?

Are you trolling or is this an actual question? Sounds like trolling.








Audi's quattro gives performance benefits in all situations, not just snow. It's not THAT much heaver and it pays you back for carrying that extra weight by giving you better traction and control so you can brake later going into turns and accelerate out of them sooner/harder without spinning wheels or pushing the car otherwise out of control than you could otherwise. That would mean it's not really any slower than the fronttrack car if you're out doing any sort of spirited driving which is just fine those those in the audience who aren't living their life a quarter mile at a time. Gas mileage is only negligibly different and that trade-off is fine for people who enjoy driving all wheel drive cars.
I think maybe you're just barking up the wrong tree. If you don't like quattro, which is a signature of Audi cars, why not just not buy an Audi? Trying to get mad at Audi for doing what they do is like yelling into the wind... they won't hear you and you'll just end up horse. Do you go tell GMC "hey what's your deal, I don't use a truck but all you make it trucks... what gives"? No, you just go buy a car from someone who specializes in making what you're looking for.










_Modified by robbyb413 at 3:12 PM 12-10-2009_


----------



## pocketbookbrando (Feb 13, 2007)

Quattro enhances performance? Outside of snow driving, it may give you faster launch times, but I don't recall a Quattro having much luck at beating an equivalent BMW. One is lighter, so that makes it stop faster, handle better, etc.
I've looked and looked and this is the grand total of pubished evidence comparing the two.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forum...age=3
Granted, it's ancient, but I'm sure we'd be having the same conversation back then. The quattro in that case had a sport suspension as well. Since you're so adamant that one has better handling than the other, please substantiate it with some lateral g's, times around a track for comparable models, slalom times, etc.
Trolling? Should I go to a Toyota forum and ask the question? How exactly is asking a question about Audi cars on an Audi site a troll?
It gives some performance advantages in some situations. When you look at money no object cars where they're not aimed at snow driving, you don't see all wheel drive. To say that it's needed for every day driving situations in most of this country and for all of it in most of the year is a tad silly. Those situations are easily mitigated by shorter stopping distances, better handling, performance, etc, of the lighter car. You also have lower repair bills and Audi would probably have higher resale value.
I fully understand the history with Audi and racing. I'm not sure what that has to do with a grandma driving an AWD car from home down a street to the grocery store. Sure, there are plenty of you who want this, but it seems like 80% of the Audi's sold are Quattro and I'm calling booerns on that if you're saying that all of those people actually want AWD.
Barking up the wrong tree, I'm barking up a tree of people who know about this who I thought might have some intellectual reason as to why. Why are you all so defensive about this. It's just a car. I'm not mad at Audi. It's a company, not a person. 
The signature of an Audi car is the four rings. It's not Quattro. If it was, then how is it that they make cars without it? Your GM example is really the same thing. A better comparison would be GM making 80% of their cars as utes. They're building vehicles with features that people don't need and really don't benefit from and people essentially have little choice but to buy it. For the latest model, you can't even get a manual without an extra few hundred pounds of expensive, brone to breaking equipment added to your car. Did you ever think that this is why your resale value might be a lot lower than BMW?


----------



## Snowhere (Jul 27, 2007)

*Re: (pocketbookbrando)*

I admit Robby raises valid points but he tends to come across as a bully or tool.
Audi has always (since the 80's) done the best awd and stick to it. I do live where we get a lot of snow and ice and I have had varies 4wd pickups and a scooby outback plus a 90 series and now the A6. The Audi's have done the best in the treacherous conditions I experience. All my cars and trucks have had proper snow tires in the winter. I have never gotten the Audi's stuck or lost control, I can't say the same for the other vehicles and see the same trends in friends, coworkers and clients cars. I have had the work jeep and other suv's not make it to a site in the winter where I would try again with my cars and have no trouble. 
I see a rollover about once a week in the winter. I will stick to the lower center of gravity of my current A6 over my HD crewcab truck for anything less then 24" of snow. Only then will I take the higher clearance vehicle. No, the A6 is not 24" of clearance, at that level of snowfall the plows can not keep up and it gets real dicy out there. As long as the snow is not falling super fast, I can get by on less clearance with out a problem. The A6 is very predictable and if it starts to slide, very easy to control and recover. I can't say the same for most other 4wd vehicles out there. 
But I agree, if you do not need awd then don't get it. I have a fwd and several one wheel drive (motorcycles) in my 'fleet' and they all serve their purposes. But come winter in CO, the awd Audi is #1.




_Modified by Snowhere at 12:07 AM 12-20-2009_


----------



## audiqtr (Mar 1, 2007)

*Re: (pocketbookbrando)*


_Quote, originally posted by *pocketbookbrando* »_Quattro enhances performance? Outside of snow driving, it may give you faster launch times, but I don't recall a Quattro having much luck at beating an equivalent BMW. One is lighter, so that makes it stop faster, handle better, etc.
I've looked and looked and this is the grand total of pubished evidence comparing the two.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forum...age=3
Granted, it's ancient, but I'm sure we'd be having the same conversation back then. The quattro in that case had a sport suspension as well. Since you're so adamant that one has better handling than the other, please substantiate it with some lateral g's, times around a track for comparable models, slalom times, etc.
Trolling? Should I go to a Toyota forum and ask the question? How exactly is asking a question about Audi cars on an Audi site a troll?
It gives some performance advantages in some situations. When you look at money no object cars where they're not aimed at snow driving, you don't see all wheel drive. To say that it's needed for every day driving situations in most of this country and for all of it in most of the year is a tad silly. Those situations are easily mitigated by shorter stopping distances, better handling, performance, etc, of the lighter car. You also have lower repair bills and Audi would probably have higher resale value.
I fully understand the history with Audi and racing. I'm not sure what that has to do with a grandma driving an AWD car from home down a street to the grocery store. Sure, there are plenty of you who want this, but it seems like 80% of the Audi's sold are Quattro and I'm calling booerns on that if you're saying that all of those people actually want AWD.
Barking up the wrong tree, I'm barking up a tree of people who know about this who I thought might have some intellectual reason as to why. Why are you all so defensive about this. It's just a car. I'm not mad at Audi. It's a company, not a person. 
The signature of an Audi car is the four rings. It's not Quattro. If it was, then how is it that they make cars without it? Your GM example is really the same thing. A better comparison would be GM making 80% of their cars as utes. They're building vehicles with features that people don't need and really don't benefit from and people essentially have little choice but to buy it. For the latest model, you can't even get a manual without an extra few hundred pounds of expensive, brone to breaking equipment added to your car. Did you ever think that this is why your resale value might be a lot lower than BMW?

Fanboi, Why are you mad at Audi? you don't even own one. And don't be mad at people's answers either. Just go buy a bimmer already. Sounds like that would make you happy.


----------



## Soul Kitchen (Dec 24, 2009)

*Re: (pocketbookbrando)*


_Quote, originally posted by *pocketbookbrando* »_Quattro enhances performance? Outside of snow driving, it may give you faster launch times, but I don't recall a Quattro having much luck at beating an equivalent BMW. One is lighter, so that makes it stop faster, handle better, etc
It gives some performance advantages in some situations. When you look at money no object cars where they're not aimed at snow driving, you don't see all wheel drive. To say that it's needed for every day driving situations in most of this country and for all of it in most of the year is a tad silly. Those situations are easily mitigated by shorter stopping distances, better handling, performance, etc, of the lighter car. You also have lower repair bills and Audi would probably have higher resale value.
I fully understand the history with Audi and racing. I'm not sure what that has to do with a grandma driving an AWD car from home down a street to the grocery store. Sure, there are plenty of you who want this, but it seems like 80% of the Audi's sold are Quattro and I'm calling booerns on that if you're saying that all of those people actually want AWD.
The signature of an Audi car is the four rings. It's not Quattro. If it was, then how is it that they make cars without it? Your GM example is really the same thing. A better comparison would be GM making 80% of their cars as utes. They're building vehicles with features that people don't need and really don't benefit from and people essentially have little choice but to buy it. For the latest model, you can't even get a manual without an extra few hundred pounds of expensive, brone to breaking equipment added to your car. Did you ever think that this is why your resale value might be a lot lower than BMW?

okay so you're saying that "I'm calling booerns on that if you're saying that all of those people actually want AWD." 
if they didn't want AWD, they would get a different car. Audi is known for AWD, there a4's and whatnot without the quattro simply do not perform as well as the AWD models. Look at audi racing, if the weight was that significant the audi touring cars and what not would 
_not_ be quattro.
However I do think its a legitimate question and I'm not sure why people are calling you out that you're trolling..








And most people here didn't buy audi's for the resale value. they bought them for their handling. I promise you if you take a quattro car and drive that thing hard, taking turns at high speed and what not you will definitely notice a major difference than a RWD car. You can brake later into the turn and accelerate much quicker out of it.


----------



## Merckx (Apr 20, 2002)

*I Have to Agree*

I very much admire Audi, but living in a sunny,mid-atlantic coastal town, I'd only consider one of the FWD models.
The Quattro adds weight,complexity,and cost;I judt don't think it's worth it....But as i said, i do very much like the cars...


----------

