Winter Fuel Blend/Mix/Formula, affects performance?

[francis_a]

Hi!
I apologize beforehand for this question as it's my first winter with both my A4s so still getting used to the cars' behavior. Both cars are identical with 1.8T, Q and Tip. Most of the differences are:

Avant - 04; 16k, non-CPO
Sedan - 05; 45k; CPO

Both my wife and I noticed a change in performance or overall behavior of the engine and/or the transmission. Beginning this week, the tranny seems to be holding on to gears much longer than normal while driving in "D", sort of like a mode between "D" and "S". There are times where it also seems to hesitate between 2nd and 3rd.

Overall, it just seems that the cars got a little slower than it used to and most of all, the mileage is going down the drain.

Ambient temps have dropped into the 30s in my area but we've noticed these even in the 40s or 50s.

Are these changes expected on winter fuel blend? We both get gas from the same station (Irving) and am thinking of going to Shell and load one up with V-Power to see if there's any difference.

Or is there something else amiss? Which I think is not likely considering it happened to both cars.

Thanks in advance

[ScaryGary]

i've noticed with any automatic that has been in my family, and the two that I've owned (one being a tiptronic A4) that colder weather lends to more power. (probably obvious to you)....

With more power, automatic transmissions can shift into the next gear earlier because of more power at lower RPM.

This change in shift timing might alter your perception of the length of time you are actually in that gear, simply because you are in that gear at a different time than expected.

I know that my car drives completely different between day time and night time driving because of the power differences associated with air temps.

Just something to think about.

It may be that you and the wife are going through a seasonal mood change and your driving is reflecting that simultaneously.