WRX awd versus Audi quattro awd

[Nat]

Compare and contrast the two systems please.

[cavallino333]

Ok well one is made by Subaru in Japan the other is made by Audi in Germany.

[06PearlWRX]

Thats what i was thinking. Is there any real difference between real AWD systems? i mean besides the DCCD and any nifty gadgets like that. I guess they could use different front/rear split %'s.

[cavallino333]

Thats what i was thinking. Is there any real difference between real AWD systems? i mean besides the DCCD and any nifty gadgets like that.

I'm sure theres some major difference I figure I'd just get the ball rolling by starting with the simple differences.

[fasteddie888]

I'm wondering if it's like the 4-motion. Also, if anyone would like to chime in, I was thinking it might be a FWD adapted to AWD depending on engine orientation but I don't know.

[yo vanilla]

audi uses a torsen center differential while subaru uses a viscous type.

p.s. audi TT uses an electronic haldex awd system, not their own quattro design

[farBeyondDriven]

It's really all dependent upon the model...

I'm wondering if it's like the 4-motion. Also, if anyone would like to chime in, I was thinking it might be a FWD adapted to AWD but I don't know.

4Motion and quattro are essentially the same exact system. However, VW's R32, Toureg, Audi's TT and Q7 don't use these.

audi uses a torsen center differential while subaru uses a viscous type.

p.s. audi TT uses an electronic haldex awd system, not their own quattro design

I'm not sure if all quattro systems use the Torsen center diff.

The R32 and TT use the Haldex system, the Toureg and Q7 use a BorgWarner system.

(IIRC)

[JSarv]

Well my Audi 98 A4 Quatro (2.8L) from what I understand uses a torsion front/center/rear differential, it also has permanent stability control thingy (don't know the true name of it) but if you get sideways in the snow or what not, it uses the braking system to brake on certain wheels to straighten the car out, however, if the throttle input increases while sideways this system retreats until throttle input is reduced. This is from experience.

And it spins all four ALL the time, have yet to do a 1/2/3 wheel peel....

[GateWRXING]

Has anyone driven a newer Audi Quattro...and if possible all biases aside...can say which system performs better in the snow....say a 2.0t a4 with snow tires and a WRX with snow tires...I always think my Subie is a beast in the snow but then it sometimes gets fishy around corners....

[Nat]

Has anyone driven a newer Audi Quattro...and if possible all biases aside...can say which system performs better in the snow....say a 2.0t a4 with snow tires and a WRX with snow tires...I always think my Subie is a beast in the snow but then it sometimes gets fishy around corners....

How new is "newer?" I just bought a 2002 A4 and will take delivery today or tomorrow and will find out soon how they compare in situ. The A4 uses 235/40R17 tires v. the 225/40R17 on my Subie though. I would need to buy the same snow tires (Yokohama W.Drive) to make it somewhat consistent I suppose.

[06wrx4me]

Has anyone driven a newer Audi Quattro...and if possible all biases aside...can say which system performs better in the snow....say a 2.0t a4 with snow tires and a WRX with snow tires...I always think my Subie is a beast in the snow but then it sometimes gets fishy around corners....

Gonna be a hard comparison as the Audi is also equipped with traction control on its AWD standard (modulates through the brakes to help gain traction when it is overcome on the AWD system) and the WRX was just made available with traction control in 08.


Worth noting, found this here:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...AATzhYs&show=7

Well everyone is close, but no one is right on.

It is a 50/50 torque split, but using the ESP/ABS 80% of power can be transfered to a single wheel, not axle. Also the torque split only pertains to normal driving conditions. Audi uses a purely mechanical AWD system except for the TT and A3. By using wheel speed sensors the ABS control module automatically reads each individual wheels speed, and then applies the brakes to any wheels traveling faster than another wheel. This effectively changes the power distribution and helps put power to the wheels that are gripping and allows the wheels that are slipping to get traction. Also when cornering the power to each wheel changes because each wheel is traveling on a different arc and therefore at a different speed through the corner. If they didn't change speeds there would be a lot of wheel hop and poor traction.

The TT and A3 have the Haldex clutch that MAIKOO was referring to. It is electronic and not really a true Quattro system. All of the other Quattro models use what is called a Torsen center differential. (Torsen stands for Torque Sensing). This technology was adopted from AWD racing. It is basically a mechanical planetary gear set that is the link between the front and rear axles. All new Audi models (starting with the new body styles) will be getting the 40/60 (40% front/60% rear) torque split introduced in the RS4. The 50/50 split tends to cause understeer during hard cornering, while the 40/60 encourages oversteer (easier to manage). The only difference is in the gearing of the Torsen differential. You could actually make your car have a 40/60 split by swapping Torsens. There are a couple companies that you can buy them from online, but you have to send them the old one because the rebuild them.

I hope I cleared things up and didn't cause too much confusion.

• 3 weeks ago

Source(s):

I am an Audi Technician.
I have been to way too many Audi classes to count.

edit:

How new is "newer?" I just bought a 2002 A4 and will take delivery today or tomorrow and will find out soon how they compare in situ. The A4 uses 235/40R17 tires v. the 225/40R17 on my Subie though. I would need to buy the same snow tires (Yokohama W.Drive) to make it somewhat consistent I suppose.

Your torque split is 50/50. My friend just sold a stage 2 A4 1.8t. Don't bother modding it, you'll unleash the engine compartment gremlins and have perma-CEL's. It is also gonna be an under steering beast because of its Torsen bias even with coilovers and sways. There are a sea of boost tubes/ancillary boost lines on the 1.8t and the IC is way too small from factory.

[mike05STi]

audi uses a torsen center differential while subaru uses a viscous type.

p.s. audi TT uses an electronic haldex awd system, not their own quattro design

Do you mean torsion? Because Torsen is the name of a company who makes differentials.

[06wrx4me]

Do you mean torsion? Because Torsen is the name of a company who makes differentials.

No he means Torsen.

[GateWRXING]

So in Layman's words....?


Does anybody else no the feeling that I am describing when you go around a turn in the snow with your subie. The steering gets lose and it seems as if the car is sliding a bit....its an odd feeling, its happened on both of my wrx's with the same snow tires (wintersportm3s)

that makes me question the awd of the subie sometimes and wonder if this is the way an audi drives in snow....

[Trainrex]

So in Layman's words....?


Does anybody else no the feeling that I am describing when you go around a turn in the snow with your subie. The steering gets lose and it seems as if the car is sliding a bit....its an odd feeling, its happened on both of my wrx's with the same snow tires (wintersportm3s)

In Layman's terms, you're going to fast, and you're sliding.