Quattro Option Advice

[roadrunner]

Hi Guys,

About to order a new A3 2.0 TDI 170 Sport but am a bit indecisive on whether to pay the extra and go for the Quattro version. I'm S/East based so most of my motoring is urban or semi-urban. Am an A3 driver at the moment so I know that the FWD versin already has a lot of grip.

Thoughts and advice most welcome.

Thanks.

 

[Olly_K]

If you think that the FWD version has a lot of grip, the quattro will be out of this world. You would get more power loss through the 4WD system but I would recommend going the quattro route. Any way you can test drive both before you buy to see for yourself ?

 

[d3fy]

You need to test drive them both and then decide, also if you fancy having the 170 chipped at some stage, then go Quattro

 

[dummi]

quattro is way more fun and is a completely different car.

 

[Vertigo1]

Bear in mind you also lose a bit of boot space with Quattro, if this is important to you.

 

[d3fy]

and that means height, the boot is the same, except the floor is higher

 

[marriedblonde]

Hmmm tough one. I had a R32 before my FWD A3 and it was brilliant fun but...

Most of the time the quattro cars are running as FWD just carrying a lot of weight.

If you spend your life competing in the traffic light grand prix then go for quattro.

Driving it is completely than FWD you have to remember when pressing on the quattor system is only effective if you keep the power on!

I decided against it for the audi.

J.

 

[dummi]

quattro in the bigger audi's is much better the permanent kind , married blond has it spot on.

 

[Vertigo1]

Yep the A3, like the TT, uses the Haldex system rather than the Torsen used on the larger models. Some people consider only Torsen to be "proper" Quattro.

In its favour however, Haldex can be reprogrammed to divert more of the power to the rear wheels and even Porsche are looking into the system for the next 911, so it can't be all bad

 

[mikep]

Comparing the FWD and Quattro A3s I remap on a regualr basis, I'd go for the Quattro, because of the way it puts power down, especially on the country roads. I didn't get it on mine because DSG was more important to me, but if I could have had both I'd have jumped at it.

 

[Steve-L]

EIP sell a Haldex controller which creates a more permanent 4WD effect.

http://www.eiptuning.com/ecomm/proddetail.php?prod=HEX-HPP&cat=1

 

[god_thats_quick]

Great the moaning over haldex happens even on an Audi Forum... it is not better or worse than the Torsen system, just different - In my opinion anyway (and getting even better on the newer cars where they use more of the functionality of the V2 controller).

To the original question, the Haldex 4WD is a HUGE improvement over the FWD car in the real (miserable rainy, ****** roads, British) world in my opinion, it makes more of the power more use more of the time, however as the others have said it's doing nothing if you are not using the power.

 

[marriedblonde]

Great the moaning over haldex happens even on an Audi Forum... it is not better or worse than the Torsen system, just different - In my opinion anyway (and getting even better on the newer cars where they use more of the functionality of the V2 controller).

To the original question, the Haldex 4WD is a HUGE improvement over the FWD car in the real (miserable rainy, ****** roads, British) world in my opinion, it makes more of the power more use more of the time, however as the others have said it's doing nothing if you are not using the power.

We're not really moaning about the haldex system, I merely pointed out the car's run most of the time as a FWD.

You say the haldex car is a HUGE improvement in the real world but don;t explain how. How is so much better? Is it faster, is it safer? How exactley?

I've had it and returned back to FWD, I drive the same roads and don't feel like I have missed out not having the AWD. My Tdi covers the same stretch of B-road as my r32 did with less bhp, smaller brakes. Ok I can't nail it out of the T-junctions with the same gusto but I can live with that.

If I lived up north then I would reconsider and go for Quattro again, but that would be due to worse weather, snow and ice etc, if we where talking about a more powerful car than I would consider it.

For the average driver FWd is safer to drive as well.

J.

 

[roadrunner]

THANK YOU.

I really appreciate all the info and advice you guys have been kind enough to provide. In my ignorance I never realised that I would lose boot space nor did I realise that the Quattro on the S3 was not an 'always on' system. I will go test drive one but whereas I was leaning toward the Quattro option I am now leaning away from it. Which brings another option and another thread into play… Tiptronic!

Thanks again

 

[marriedblonde]

THANK YOU.

I really appreciate all the info and advice you guys have been kind enough to provide. In my ignorance I never realised that I would lose boot space nor did I realise that the Quattro on the S3 was not an 'always on' system. I will go test drive one but whereas I was leaning toward the Quattro option I am now leaning away from it. Which brings another option and another thread into play… Tiptronic!

Thanks again

Go and test drive one would be my advice before discounting it all together.
It is quite entertaining and feeling the car squirm as power transfer front to back is a little wierd at first. You may feel it suits your needs better than FWD.

J.

 

[TDI-line]

Why don't you go for the S-line pack instead.

 

[co55ie]

i tried both types back to back and went for the Quattro.

Seemed to handle and resist understeer better than the FWD version. The ESP wasnt anywere near as intrusive either.

The generation 2 haldex system is not the best method of AWD on the planet by a very long way but its definitely better than FWD. As has been said you can get a controller for about £500 that allows you to adjust and setup the ratio split between the front and rear wheels

If you intend to remap or modify the car then definitley go down the quattro route especially with all the low down torque a turbo diesel has

 

[RobB]

I have a 3.2 and love the quattro set up, but drove a 2.0TDI 140 fwd for about 3k miles before. I found the unintentional spin that I got from the front wheels in 1st and 2nd very frustrating. Not always when booting it (!), but often in the wet as the turbo kicked in, pulling out of junctions. I get minimal spin in my 3.2 even when trying. go for the Q if you can.

Re boot space, the 3dr version reduction makes for a very small boot in my opinion. The A3 doesn't have the biggest anyway but I found the lack of depth in the boot with quattro more frustrating than I expected (think one medium suitcase and a few squashy bags and you are done). The Sportback quattro version is also smaller but the boot starts off being a bit bigger.

Decide with a test drive.

 

[marriedblonde]

If they are that unruly how on earth do i manage with a 140tdi which is Revo'd? Yes you can wheel spin if you keep your foot planted but I could get my AWD R32 to spin in the wet in first and second if I did the same!!!

 

[Eeef]

It always amuses me when people think a car doesn't handle, perform, because they can make the wheels spin. wtf? So any time a car can spin its wheels it's crap?

If that's the basis I'd never by a Ferarri if i was you...

 

[Amchlolor]

I don't think quattro is a necessity unless you have a lot more power,or you drive in snow.

 

[RobB]

It always amuses me when people think a car doesn't handle, perform, because they can make the wheels spin. wtf? So any time a car can spin its wheels it's crap?

If that's the basis I'd never by a Ferarri if i was you...

Eh? Anybody can make a car's wheel spin and I was not trying to make the point that a car is only good if it doesn't spin. I actually thought the performance of the tdi 140 was very good - re handling - it was a standard version, it was a lot more comfortable than my Sline, but with a bit more roll in the corners.

It's simply that I found that the power in the tdi is like a switch at low revs and really does cut in rather than being progressive, especially if you are trying to accelerate quite quickly in the low gears. It's this cutting in with a bucket of torque, in the wet, that I found frustrating. Having driven a 3.2Q before (the tdi was a loaner for a few months in between cars) and then again in my new 3.2 afterwards, I much prefer the characteristics of 4wd (applied when it is needed).

I won't be buying a Ferarri irrespective of spin!

 

[roadrunner]

Test drove the 2.0TDI 170 (FWD) this morning and was super impressed. Loadsa poke and a lot of fun. It seems a lot quicker, a lot smoother and quieter than the 140 version.

Admittedly the lanes were a bit greasy this morning but I reckon it would benefit from having AWD. They didn't have a Quattro to test drive but I think I'll probably go that route. Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[duncangoncalves]

I've just ordered an 2.0tdi (170) quattro s-line and I never realized that there where two seperate Q systems am I silly in thinking that I will get less tyre wear with this system, I currently have a 140 tdi sport and was wondering if the Q would suck much power out of the 170 my dealer never had a Q 170 for test drive only had a sport back FWD the only drive I've had of a Q was a loan car from Audi on a A4 avant 1.8t and that was good!