Quattro or not

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Steve-L

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I have been thinking of changing my car to an A3 2.0T S Line but am not sure whether to go for the FWD or quattro option.
My previous LCR with Revo was a bit of a nightmare from launch with 260BHP going through the front wheels, bearing in mind I would probably Revo the A3 will I have the same problem or does the FWD A3 get the power down better than the LCR ? Also is the in gear acceleration better on the FWD than the quattro ?
Finally looking at the Revo website an A3 2.0T revo'd has higher BHP and torque figures than my current 3.2L so does the 2.0T have better performance then the 3.2 V6 ?

cheers
 
If you plan to remap beyond 250hp I recommend going for quattro as power will be put down effectively... Also safer on damp/wet roads.

Drawbacks are some like increase in fuel consumption and of course there's another thing to service/break...

Pedro
 
Advantages: safer handling in all conditions, no wheelspin / torque steer

Disadvantages: heavier, less mpg, higher servicing costs

I'm happy with my choice :yes:
 
audi upgrades
test drive both and see. I took a Golf Gti out and it was awful for slip. My A3 seems to be just fine.
 
d3fy said:
test drive both and see. I took a Golf Gti out and it was awful for slip. My A3 seems to be just fine.
Click to expand...
what is bluefinned
 
RobA3 said:
what is bluefinned
Click to expand...

It's the tradename for a version of engine remap carried out by Superchips, it allows 'switchability' between standard and performance maps using the 'Bluefin' handset..

I have it on my 2.0TDI and absolutely love it! :icon_thumright:

More info here: http://www.mybluefin.co.uk/
 
To be honest I don't think there's a lot of advantages for most of us in either performance or every day handling on urban roads. Quattro is better in the wet when you're really laying it on or for putting the power down especially if you have a remap so its more for the few fun driving moments than typical every day driving.

There is an increase in fuel consumption due to the extra weight and there is also a loss of boot space (the floor is higher) so check that out if it is important to you. For me choosing Quattro was really an emotional decision - I liked the idea of having quattro.


Oh yeah, and I was real pleased to have it a week last thursday.
 
RoadRunner said it all! Only if you're truly a sportscar freak or if you live in snowy area.
However, looks like you like to hammer down the throtlle, so only with quattro, there'll be no spin...
Of course it has! The sound is worse, and there's less torque in some areas of the revrange, but it's a lighter engine, with less understeer.
I would love to have a V6, but these cars have little weight saving, with few light materials, and they understeer in the limit. The front is heavy, goes all over the place, the car is heavy, it looses a lot of the potencial they could have. I prefer to rev a V6 to a 2.0 TFSI, but there are other aspects to consider.
If you go fast just in a straight line, or in speedways, it's not worth it.
 
I would say if you can afford the extra fuel get quattro, cos imho thats the only real downside. Yes you lose abit of boot space and yes the car is heavier, but the handling and safety of quattro more than makes up for it I reckon. Oh yeah, the cost of it is the other downside :/
 
agreed - I have never owned a front wheel drive car and don't think I ever will. Yeah, Yeah the quattro is front most of the time blah, blah but its not the same. For me it will only ever be 4 wheel drive or rear.
 
i think some combinations are not available - just before i recently bought my used a3 i was looking at new...couldnt get a 2.0 tdi s-line with dsg and quattro. You either had to have dsg or quattro for that particular car. Quattro and dsg were available together on more powerfull models i think. Also its a cost issue, i think the quattro was a higher insurance group, add to that servicing, mpg and the car itself is more expensive....sometimes you have to trade of what you want and what you really need. I only get snow in caridff for about 1 week every year and there isnt so much power in mine that the front wheels cant cope properly for the rest of the year.
The more powerfull the car the more important quattro would be to me....and then less so the dsg box.
 
audi upgrades
A3simon said:
I dont understand why people buy Audis without quattro
Click to expand...

I didn't, would have liked quattro, but from a tax perspective they are much more expensive, quattro = higher list price & emmissions

:mad:
 
I tried to specify my S3 with front wheel drive but... guess what comes with quattro!! ...What a ******!

Pedro
 
Diablo is right.
When I got my A3 (March 2006) there was no model available that provided both Quattro and DSG, except by taking the 3.2 engine.
 
Left my LCR for a quattro. Nice car,2 litre fsi, will be better when remapped. Funds needed.
 
killbill said:
I didn't, would have liked quattro, but from a tax perspective they are much more expensive, quattro = higher list price & emmissions
Click to expand...
Agreed. The increase in tax due to the list price and higher emissions would equate to an extra £38 per month for me which just wasn't enough to justify the occasional advantages that Quattro would offer.

Other valid reasons for not having it include lower mpg, reduced boot space and the inability to combine with DSG on anything other than the 3.2.
 
1210tech said:
exactly, surely quattro is the essence of an audi!

i've always thought that if you buy an audi without quattro you might as well just buy a vw or some other front wheel drive marque
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Thats what i mean Audi and quattro go hand in hand i test drove a gti when i looked at new cars and the audi won hands down
 
A3simon said:
Thats what i mean Audi and quattro go hand in hand i test drove a gti when i looked at new cars and the audi won hands down
Click to expand...
Well if you want to be pedantic, Audi and the Torsen-diff quattro system go hand in hand, not the Haldex used on the A3. It was the Torsen system which they pioneered in rallying and on which the reputation of quattro was built.

Might sound petty but frankly, so does your attitude that any Audi without quattro is a waste of time.
 
Where did i say a non quattro was a waste of time. All i mean is FOR ME i wouldnt buy one without it
 
You said:
I dont understand why people buy Audis without quattro
Click to expand...
Which, to me at least, basically reads as "Audis without quattro are pointless"
 
Well, being more serious, I think I would only buy quattro if I really needed it or if the car I spec only came with quattro which, for me it is yes for both questions...

I would not spec it for every Audi though, I I was going to order a 2.0TDI I would probably go for front wheel drive only, it is more than enough...

Pedro
 
The biggest mistake I made was not having my A3 with Quattro, I love the car, but with the bluefin, anything but dry whether and it is crap.

But I do put some of this down to tyres, which I am loking to rectify this week. But next time round Quattro all the way.
 
Quattro / DSG (S Tronic) appear mutually exclusive and identically priced. In response to Diablo636 the insurance groups for the 2WD v. Quattro are identical for the TFSI (15E) and TDI (13E). The big cost difference is the extra weight and increased drivetrain friction of the Quattro, leading to reduced mpg and increased emissions. The potential gain is lack of wheelspin / torque steer, plus improved handling - but these may be marginal depending on conditions / driving style.

Horses for courses . . . .
 
In all seriousness, if I was getting a 2.0T and mapping it up to 230-240bhp then I think Quattro would have serious advantages. With the 170 diesel I currently have, yes I can light the fronts up in first gear but beyond that there's more than enough traction.
 
A3simon, it does sound as though you are almost implying that to have a 'proper audi' it should be a quattro. And to say that if you were going to buy fwd car then you should buy something else is a daft. I didnt want a golf or any other marque. Why would i need to stump up extra cash to buy a quattro version that is only really usefull when either driving on the limit or when the weather is incredibly bad. Which is about 5%-10% of the time i would use the car. The other 90% of the time fwd only is perfectly fine.
The only benefit quattro would be to me is for bragging rights......
Ive no need to do that my car is only fwd but beautifully built, looks fantastic and already handles perfectly well. On a more sensible and realistic note it would be better to say that if you have one of the more powerful audi models quattro does become a benefit and some would say essential, especially for putting down over 200bhp.
To imply its a waste of time/money to buy a non quattro audi is daft, would you recommend audi fits all its 1.6 models with quattro to make them into a proper audi ??......i think not the brand has much broader and in depth appeal than just a clever 4wd system. Its about quality, class, looks, reliability etc etc. Quattro is a great product for audi but it isnt the main reason for buying into the brand. (Will get off my box now.....sorry got a bit carried away.)
 
To be honest, as our A3 is actually my wifes car, she see's Quattro as a total waste of time and money as she never ever uses the car hard enough to the point where Quattro would be a benefit.

On the flip side, I love to go out and anjoy the car properly and would see Quattro as a major benefit, and my wife see;s my view point.

So what I am trying to say is Quattro is a benefit for some and not others. Either way any Audi whether 4wd or fwd are brilliant with individula benefits for both.
 
trims said:
Quattro / DSG (S Tronic) appear mutually exclusive and identically priced. . . .
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Which is why we went for the 3.2! OK, it is a bit nose-heavy and can be thirsty but Audi just won't let you have everything! :sorry:
 
manual quattro definately!

bit of RWD action and you will be able to use all that power once you remap it :D
 
Really wished I'd gone the Quattro route with my TDI 170, for that extra security and traction in wet/damp conditions.

Damp road and quick get away off a roundabout equals wheel spin/traction control in 1st, 2nd and 3rd. In the dry its absolutely fine and drives superbly, its just those damp roads and a huge dallop of torque that causes problems (oh and my right foot!!).
 
I had a choice when I ordered.
A: Manual/quattro
B: DSG/2wd

Guess which one I wish I'd gone for ?

I'll give you a clue....it's A.
 
I think the main advantage of quattro is almost no wheel spin when setting off from a junction when the roads are wet. That's were I personally like the benefit it gives. Our Golf Gti Anni (180bhp) has real trouble getting the power down in the wet, even when setting off only slightly quickly from a junction.

The other benefit of the quattro is acceleration out of bends in the wet, power-on understeer is reduced because power is going to all 4 wheels. It still happens, because that how Audi's are setup, but its less.

When I was recently considering what car to buy next, I wasn't that bothered about leaving quattro behind, until the next soaking-wet day. Then I realised that I'd been totally stupid in even considering moving away from the system. It just makes so much sense. You can drive just as quickly in the wet or dry. But if thats not what you want from a car, then you'll be fine with FWD.

All depends what you want and how you drive really.

AL
 
AL_B said:
You can drive just as quickly in the wet or dry.
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Steady.
Your traction grip may be better,but your cornering and braking grip won't be any better.
Quattro doesn't make your tyres magic or defy the laws of physics !
There isn't a car in the world that can be driven just as quickly in the wet as it can in the dry.
 
bowfer said:
I had a choice when I ordered.
A: Manual/quattro
B: DSG/2wd

Guess which one I wish I'd gone for ?

I'll give you a clue....it's A.
Click to expand...

Why's that, then, Bowfer? ;)
 
Mine is absolutelt amazing with the haldex controller on sport. Its like a rear wheel drive car now to drive you can actually feel the rear coming round on you which makes driving much more rewarding. I suppose i prefer the quattro as i always drive to enjoy myself i dont have to commute to work and im only home 3 months out of the year so i want to enjoy driving my car and FWD really doesnt make for enjoyable driving.

Although give me 2 wheels anyday of the week wet or dry by far the most enjoyable mode of transport. Plus you can ride a bike the same come rain or shine. Where as the limits of any car are easily found in the wet
 
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