Wet Snow + Quattro?

[ryan_sn]

Ok well I may be over exaggerating JUST a little bit, but its currently snowing hard over here (about 5-6cm on the side streets), and not just normal snow but that heavy wet stuff thats perfect for snowball fights. Anyways leaving my friends house tonight I decided out of curiosity to see how far I could get up my friends driveway that is a little bit steeper than the norm. I stopped at the base of the driveway and drove up, but to my surprise did not get more than 1-2 feet before the car froze. I could hear the front wheels sending the power to the rear, and I could see the rear wheels spinning like an aerobics class. Now even though i've got new winter tires I got to thinking that wet snow is heavy, and when you pack that stuff up hard, it turns into a thin layer of ice. What really struck me though, is that my Subaru never had that problem. I've been able to get up steeper gradients in heavy wet snow without issue, but for some reason the Audi can't[:/]

[mkunert]

Was your Subaru a manual?

[viceprp]

I had Blizzak's that had no tred left (literally my finger nail barely caught when going across the tire) and I live on a steep mountain. I never had a problem getting up. I was driving through 6 inches of unplowed snow. I have the B5 which has to esp and I'm a manual.

[Tanner]

I'm thinking that there was a layer of ice under whatever snow that was still on the ground, given the temperature change today here in Ontario.

[WasGTIguy]

What really struck me though, is that my Subaru never had that problem. I've been able to get up steeper gradients in heavy wet snow without issue, but for some reason the Audi can't[:/]

Unless you drive the subie and Audi back to back(mirrored conditions), it's not comparable. Chnaces are the subie wouldn't have made it either. Its not 5wd, it's only 4wd like the Audi. You were lmited by traction.

[inphamous_A4]

what kind of winter tires ryan_sn ??

[mjmssline]

I’m located in Upstate New York (Rochester) My Manual B7 S-Line is driving like I have chains on it. (235/40/18 Dunlop 3d winter Sports) I only use ESP on the expressways and turn it off otherwise. Cant rant enough about this car in the snow with good dedicated snows on, you should rule the road. Thats if the snows not getting to deep.

[vajking]

Come on. I just drove like 500-600m through 25cm of slush ice with my Golf IV fwd. And it's lowered 55mm front/back...

[freeflow]

tire pressure too low?? with snow like that you wanna increase by about 2-3psi so that it tears through the ice down to the pavement.

With deep, soft-packed powdery snow, the opposite is true.