Tell me about quattro?
Discussion
A4 avant is very high on the list of possible next cars. We've got a dog which we like to take for walks up in t'hills and out in t'country, and I wondered if 4wd would give me a better chance of exploring a bit further afield
Firstly... How good is 4wd on what is otherwise an 'ordinary' car? Am I expecting too much for a car with road tyres and distinctly average ground clearance to happily clamber down muddy country lanes and across fields - and more importantly get me out again?
Which diesel engines was/is quattro available on? I guess I'm looking at 2005 onwards.
And can anyone give me 2wd vs 4wd mpg comparisons for any of those engines? I accept that the 4wd will hit the consumption, but if it's going to be silly I may as well get a Discovery instead
TIA
Firstly... How good is 4wd on what is otherwise an 'ordinary' car? Am I expecting too much for a car with road tyres and distinctly average ground clearance to happily clamber down muddy country lanes and across fields - and more importantly get me out again?
Which diesel engines was/is quattro available on? I guess I'm looking at 2005 onwards.
And can anyone give me 2wd vs 4wd mpg comparisons for any of those engines? I accept that the 4wd will hit the consumption, but if it's going to be silly I may as well get a Discovery instead
TIA
parapaul said:
A4 avant is very high on the list of possible next cars. We've got a dog which we like to take for walks up in t'hills and out in t'country, and I wondered if 4wd would give me a better chance of exploring a bit further afield
Firstly... How good is 4wd on what is otherwise an 'ordinary' car? Am I expecting too much for a car with road tyres and distinctly average ground clearance to happily clamber down muddy country lanes and across fields - and more importantly get me out again?
Which diesel engines was/is quattro available on? I guess I'm looking at 2005 onwards.
And can anyone give me 2wd vs 4wd mpg comparisons for any of those engines? I accept that the 4wd will hit the consumption, but if it's going to be silly I may as well get a Discovery instead
TIA
You shouldnt be confused, a normal Audi Quattro is not an off road car, or even a crossover, its a road car that uses 4wd to improve stability and grip in the wet and slippy conditions and too "launch" you out of corners in spirited driving. There are exceptions in the Audi range eg Q7 and A6 allroad. Firstly... How good is 4wd on what is otherwise an 'ordinary' car? Am I expecting too much for a car with road tyres and distinctly average ground clearance to happily clamber down muddy country lanes and across fields - and more importantly get me out again?
Which diesel engines was/is quattro available on? I guess I'm looking at 2005 onwards.
And can anyone give me 2wd vs 4wd mpg comparisons for any of those engines? I accept that the 4wd will hit the consumption, but if it's going to be silly I may as well get a Discovery instead
TIA
having said that you do get a bit more grip off road than a 2wd audi but ground clearance is an issue. In my household we have an A6 Quattro and a Subaru Outback, both are 4wd but the outback is miles ahead of the A6 off road due to the ground clearance, under car protection, tyres and (possibly) the way the 4wd is set up.
When we go off walking and crossing fields etc its the Outback everytime. On road the A6 is easily the best although the 3.0 petrol outback is pretty swift and feels just as safe.
Can't comment on the various consumption of 4wd against 2wd
Thanks 
I would never use it as (or compare it to) a proper off-roader, but sometimes the FWD leaves me a little... worried... about getting back from wherever we've parked onto the tarmac.
It's probably also a little difficult to ask for a test drive then take a shiny car from a forecourt onto a muddly field
If the quattro is only any real use on-road, I may re-think things.
I would never use it as (or compare it to) a proper off-roader, but sometimes the FWD leaves me a little... worried... about getting back from wherever we've parked onto the tarmac. It's probably also a little difficult to ask for a test drive then take a shiny car from a forecourt onto a muddly field
If the quattro is only any real use on-road, I may re-think things.
A4 Quattro systems come in two variants:
V6s have a torsen centre diff and are permanent "mechanical" 4 wheel drive. If you're looking at a 2.5 / 2.7 / 3.0 TDI this is what you'll get. I don't take my RS4 off road so can't comment on how it performs in a muddy field but it was fine in the snow in January.
4 cylinder engines have the Haldex system which is electronically controlled, so basically part time 4 wheel drive. If you're looking at a 1.9 or 2.0 TDI this is what you'll get. Same system used on Volvo XC70. Works fine in my Volvo. Was better in the snow - but this was probably due to tyres. Drove to Switzerland and back in a week over half term and averaged 45mpg (2.4 diesel) so don't think that there is much of a fuel penalty other than the extra 60kg that the 4wd gubbins weighs.
V6s have a torsen centre diff and are permanent "mechanical" 4 wheel drive. If you're looking at a 2.5 / 2.7 / 3.0 TDI this is what you'll get. I don't take my RS4 off road so can't comment on how it performs in a muddy field but it was fine in the snow in January.
4 cylinder engines have the Haldex system which is electronically controlled, so basically part time 4 wheel drive. If you're looking at a 1.9 or 2.0 TDI this is what you'll get. Same system used on Volvo XC70. Works fine in my Volvo. Was better in the snow - but this was probably due to tyres. Drove to Switzerland and back in a week over half term and averaged 45mpg (2.4 diesel) so don't think that there is much of a fuel penalty other than the extra 60kg that the 4wd gubbins weighs.
Edited by duncansaunders on Monday 8th March 17:19
duncansaunders said:
A4 Quattro systems come in two variants:
I am 99.9% sure the A4 is torsen only and the A3& other transverse VAG cars are haldex. ie all A4's are haldex regardless of engine. A3's are all haldex.Outback/A6 . Thequattros are OK on non tarmac but were made to be road cars and are pretty low, stiff sprung. The Allroad is the exception a lot higher up and will fair a lot better. The outbacks are good in both thus popular with the farming community. How about a Skoda Scout, octavia 4x4, they sit a bit higher, my borhters octavia 4x4 has a big metal sump guard and snow tyres and has been faultless in the highlands all winter...
Edited by istoo on Monday 8th March 19:00
duncansaunders said:
A4 Quattro systems come in two variants:
V6s have a torsen centre diff and are permanent "mechanical" 4 wheel drive. If you're looking at a 2.5 / 2.7 / 3.0 TDI this is what you'll get. I don't take my RS4 off road so can't comment on how it performs in a muddy field but it was fine in the snow in January.
4 cylinder engines have the Haldex system which is electronically controlled, so basically part time 4 wheel drive. If you're looking at a 1.9 or 2.0 TDI this is what you'll get. Same system used on Volvo XC70. Works fine in my Volvo. Was better in the snow - but this was probably due to tyres. Drove to Switzerland and back in a week over half term and averaged 45mpg (2.4 diesel) so don't think that there is much of a fuel penalty other than the extra 60kg that the 4wd gubbins weighs.
That's interesting - thanks V6s have a torsen centre diff and are permanent "mechanical" 4 wheel drive. If you're looking at a 2.5 / 2.7 / 3.0 TDI this is what you'll get. I don't take my RS4 off road so can't comment on how it performs in a muddy field but it was fine in the snow in January.
4 cylinder engines have the Haldex system which is electronically controlled, so basically part time 4 wheel drive. If you're looking at a 1.9 or 2.0 TDI this is what you'll get. Same system used on Volvo XC70. Works fine in my Volvo. Was better in the snow - but this was probably due to tyres. Drove to Switzerland and back in a week over half term and averaged 45mpg (2.4 diesel) so don't think that there is much of a fuel penalty other than the extra 60kg that the 4wd gubbins weighs.
Edited by duncansaunders on Monday 8th March 17:19
ideally it'd be a V6 if I get a choice. And 60kg isn't much on a car that size anyway - its less than the OH weighs!smithrs2 said:
A6 not a haldex too?
You should know better! Rule of thumb, if the engine is inline its a torsen, if its transverse its a haldex. All quattros were torsen until the A3 came along, the A3 is a smaller bay and the engines are tranverse so the Haldex setup was adopted. A4,5,6 & 8 are all torsen. Q7 is but i dont know abotu the Q5...
Anyway wandering off topic, the Torsen is Torque Sensing centre diff which mechanically moves the power around. If you want an Audi to go offroad i would look at an allroad. as the rest are not good on the ground clearance front. Outback has great clearance and the boxer engine for low CoG makes it perfect for uneven ground. Its not so much the drivetrain thats the issue but the tyre/suspension setup and ride height will make greater improvements.
I am hoping those who work with them will provide verbatum info here.
going back to the OP, I live in rural Grampian and have had quattros for years now. I go mountain biking regular, have dogs and always in fields/ tracks/ forestry/ paths and I have never (touch wood) been stuck yet. Wander way off the B roads up uneven srufaces and just look at the terrain to see if its passable. its now Land Rover but its certainly more than capable for that type of terrain. I was up at my folks in the arse end of nowhere highlands over xmas and managed to get about no problem in the quattro, up to my aunties croft etc. To back up the quattro usage, of the dozen or so folk i ride with there are 8 quattros (including smithrs2 who should have known the haldex issue!!!)
My 80 quattro was probably the best all round, purely as it had small tyres, good clearance. Only comment on the A4 is the back seats arent roomy if you have kids or adults in the back.
quattros generally just give you lots of grip in virtually any surface/condition. Makes it a reassuring drive as such. Only answer is to take one for a drive as ultimately its a personal choice.
My 80 quattro was probably the best all round, purely as it had small tyres, good clearance. Only comment on the A4 is the back seats arent roomy if you have kids or adults in the back.
quattros generally just give you lots of grip in virtually any surface/condition. Makes it a reassuring drive as such. Only answer is to take one for a drive as ultimately its a personal choice.
I'm gonna have to agree with Istoo on this one. Driven a quattro for about 6 years now in various models from 200 Turbo, 80, RS2, S2, 100, and A6. Only time i got really stuck was over the B974 on the Carin'O'Mount road my A6 bottomed out due to the snow being so bloody deep.
If you not convinced there is a vid(yootuube) of an 90 quattro acting like a snow plough, at speed, and a Subaru is following in it's tracks!
OH!!! they are also lots of fun off of wet roundabout's
If you not convinced there is a vid(yootuube) of an 90 quattro acting like a snow plough, at speed, and a Subaru is following in it's tracks!
OH!!! they are also lots of fun off of wet roundabout's
Have Audi mucked around with our beloved gearbox now, for the newer longitudinal installations? I was looking a cutaway of I think the new S4 or may have been S5 and it looked like the drive is carried forward to the front wheels with another little prop shaft, unlike the classic 01e configuration.
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