Finally got to drive my s4 in the snow

[moophone]

So I've been waiting for snow ever since I put on my azor 18x8 replicas + Alpin PA4 to see how it compares to the range rover.. short answer, I think this car crushes the Range Rover in terms of fun in the snow, as well as braking (duh), and acceleration. No kidding.

About 15cm down, fluffy snow. Drove my wife to work, then spent the last half hour trying to get it stuck (fail.) This vid is an example of a hill (its taller than it looks) where someone with a crossover (FWD) couldn't make it up. I decided that would be a good place to try. I'm also dropped like 1.5". Nuts.

I would definitely not recommend deep snow tires for this car, you'd be giving up way too much when there is no snow.

So much fun and feel very confident taking this car anywhere now (except over frozen icy shit where its so low)

[S4NJ]

"It's tooooo easy". man, you shoulda floored it up that hill. No balls.


Sent from my iPad using Tap,Tap,Tapatalk

[moophone]

Wasn't necessary, and would imply it needed it to get over the hill. I wanted to test what it can do under normal conditions where someone else was stuck.

Future video tho ;)

[xtremepsionic]

Crushes the RR? What's that.

Yeah, the S4 is great in the snow. I find that it feels less grippy in the corners than my M3, just because it's so much easier to gain speed before the corners!

[moose_head]

Crushes the RR? What's that.

Wanted to say Rolls Royce :) , but it probably means Range Rover.

[Dr GP]

Ground clearance would be my biggest concern

[Senseless]

Wipers are icing up pretty bad.

[roadawg]

You probably won't be able to get it stuck unless you high side it, or approach 15 + inches of sitting snow. Even then it prob won't stop it totally.

I only have all seasons and it's super easy. Tricky part is do not get over confident and try to turn/brake. You will slide into a curb like any other car.

[ENV²]

I remember driving my car in 14 inches of unplowed snow with the Vredesteins on it. Unstoppable

[Hofahome]

My wife's MDX crushes my S4 in the snow. We both have Blizzaks. Don't get me wrong the S4 is still very good (although it's a snowplow since I am lowered) but my god her's is like a tank. I have driven around other cars/SUVs that were stuck on I-70 in the mountains during a blizzard like it was nothing. Now if I could just get rid of that power beak and give it more power.

[moophone]

Range Rover

Crushes the RR? What's that.

Yeah, the S4 is great in the snow. I find that it feels less grippy in the corners than my M3, just because it's so much easier to gain speed before the corners!

[SDV325]

Try a Subaru with the same tires...

The S4 is good but with the slight bias to the rear wheels the back end kicks out too much for my liking. The GC8 i built was truly epic fun, with only 180hp its much more controllable even without traction control.

[moophone]

yup. I'm picking up winter blades today.. the oem ones are good in the summer but are useless for winter

Wipers are icing up pretty bad.

[pdqgp]

The S4 is good but with the slight bias to the rear wheels the back end kicks out too much for my liking.

Leave nanny controls on and put it in comfort mode. With TC, Stability control and the power then shifting via AWD it shouldn't kick the back end out much if at all.

[jzinckgra]

My A4 does this pretty quickly as well. Only way to prevent it is use defrost at full fan speed. Kinda annoying.

[Acejam]

Leave nanny controls on and put it in comfort mode. With TC, Stability control and the power then shifting via AWD it shouldn't kick the back end out much if at all.

I have to agree with the other guy - on my 2014 with TC/Stability/comfort turned on the rear is definitely easy to kick out, then you hear that weird shuddering noise of TC killing power and tucking the rear back in.

[moophone]

Are Aliens trying to send me a message?

[xtremepsionic]

Try a Subaru with the same tires...

The S4 is good but with the slight bias to the rear wheels the back end kicks out too much for my liking. The GC8 i built was truly epic fun, with only 180hp its much more controllable even without traction control.

Interesting thought. I had a 07 wrx before with proper winter tires and i sold it because it understeers too much on snow. Drove 6 years in snow with a e46 m3 after that, and this is the first year in the s4.

I find the s4 to be damn near perfect, sport differential set to dynamic and it's pretty loose, diff in auto gives great traction and stability.

I guess we're all used to different levels of oversteer, no right or wrong. Personally I love the feeling of the car on the limit of adhesion.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

[SouthernBoy]

My 2016 S4 will never intentionally see the snow. She'll remain a garage queen when snow, sleet, or ice may happen into my area. My 2004 Acura TL enjoyed the same treatment.

[blackfunk]

My 2016 S4 will never intentionally see the snow. She'll remain a garage queen when snow, sleet, or ice may happen into my area. My 2004 Acura TL enjoyed the same treatment.

So you'll take the Lambo out instead? LOL, stop it man. Its an Audi it WILL no matter what you do lose value year over year. You won't get more money for it when you sell it because its never been driven in the rain or snow. Drive the damn thing.

[StealthBlackA4]

My 2016 S4 will never intentionally see the snow. She'll remain a garage queen when snow, sleet, or ice may happen into my area. My 2004 Acura TL enjoyed the same treatment.

Hey!! So I'm not the only one with an Audi that's a garage queen! High Five!

[Starman2112]

FACT: 10 out 10 Garage Queens love to put on the hooker snow boots and do donuts around m3s.

[Moto One]

My only real concern with the S4 is snow pack in the wheel wells. On a over night trip to Colo. (Many years ago in our 1984 4000s) driving in snow all the way I cooked a set of snows. But then a 900+ mile Sub Zero jaunt, the car was only surprised once on glazed hard pack. Then again with our Sierra Cement, Iv been stuck in less then 2" just spinning wheels.

Mark

[pdqgp]

So you'll take the Lambo out instead? LOL, stop it man. Its an Audi it WILL no matter what you do lose value year over year. You won't get more money for it when you sell it because its never been driven in the rain or snow. Drive the damn thing.

^^ this. It's just a car. It's a sedan not a Gulf livery Ford GT or anything special.

My son laughs that I like to take my S4 out rain and soon to be snow. IMO that's when it really shines.

I had a CTS-V and a very nicely done up one next to me this week on a cold 38* day with damp roads. He couldn't hook up to save his life. Props for sounding good and trying though. I eased into the gas the first light. The next light however I did a full bore launch control take off from a mere 3k. Spun enough to twist the back end just a bit but she straightened out with ease and left him 1/2 mile back. I never saw him after that but I was grinning

The S4 is a car that can be enjoyed full-on nearly 100% of the time.

[fillyo]

Love driving in the snow, this is my first winter with the S4 and snow tires (last year had a 335i with winters). I also have the Alzor reps with LM-60s, this thing is incredible in the snow. Only thing I worry about is clearance, especially if its a heavy thick big icy block in the middle of the road, don't want to damage the front end.

[pdqgp]

Only thing I worry about is clearance, especially if its a heavy thick big icy block in the middle of the road, don't want to damage the front end.

I worry more about Ohio pot holes! I have a separate summer set up and use the Stock 19" peelers and LM32's for winter. Still would hate to damage a tire/wheel though.

[=Law=]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GREYTRACK]

Drove my car in the snow for the first time with Continental DWS06 and was pleasantly surprised how good they were. I guess anything is better than the summer tires my rotors came with. Lol

[hotleadsingergu]

My only real concern with the S4 is snow pack in the wheel wells. On a over night trip to Colo. (Many years ago in our 1984 4000s) driving in snow all the way I cooked a set of snows. But then a 900+ mile Sub Zero jaunt, the car was only surprised once on glazed hard pack. Then again with our Sierra Cement, Iv been stuck in less then 2" just spinning wheels.

Mark

Don't worry about it. You're talking about a 32 year-old car. It's akin to comparing an F150 with a bed cover to an RV with built-in jacuzzi. You can drive through half a foot of snow all day long and it won't bother the car at all. The cars today are designed to not pack snow into the wheel wells so tight that it would cause problems.

[waxxonMTL]

I'm curious how it is driving a dropped car in the snow.. ?? do you think it will end up being a problem down the road ? fluffy snow is fine, but i can see heavy snow damaging the front bumper for exemple ?

[SouthernBoy]

So you'll take the Lambo out instead? LOL, stop it man. Its an Audi it WILL no matter what you do lose value year over year. You won't get more money for it when you sell it because its never been driven in the rain or snow. Drive the damn thing.

Sorry, ain't gonna happen... for three reasons. 1) It has summer tires. It seems Audi, in their infinite wisdom, elected to shoe this car with 'H' rated A/S tires if you decide to get all seasons in lieu of the summer shoes. But doing so means that Audi sets the speed limiter to 130 MPH. Not wanting this, I went with the summer tires which are not recommended to run when temperatures fall below 45 degrees F. And definitely not in snow. 2) My driving machines don't see snow... period. Nor do they see parking lots with tight spaces or valet lots or anything I don't like. That's why I have a truck. 3) It's my property. I'll decide what I do with it.

[SouthernBoy]

Hey!! So I'm not the only one with an Audi that's a garage queen! High Five!

Yep, you got it. That's what my garage is for; my and my wife's cars.

[SouthernBoy]

^^ this. It's just a car. It's a sedan not a Gulf livery Ford GT or anything special.

My son laughs that I like to take my S4 out rain and soon to be snow. IMO that's when it really shines.

I had a CTS-V and a very nicely done up one next to me this week on a cold 38* day with damp roads. He couldn't hook up to save his life. Props for sounding good and trying though. I eased into the gas the first light. The next light however I did a full bore launch control take off from a mere 3k. Spun enough to twist the back end just a bit but she straightened out with ease and left him 1/2 mile back. I never saw him after that but I was grinning

The S4 is a car that can be enjoyed full-on nearly 100% of the time.

I've driven in snowy winters for 50 years (1964 was the first year) so I am comfortable doing this. It's not me I worry about... it's others. Our area is so transient that we get a lot of people who just have problems when we get snow. Since cars don't heal, I prefer to protect mine by leaving it at home where it's safe.

Besides I'm a Southern boy. I don't like snow, don't like the cold, and would rather I never see either one of these again (perhaps someday I can get down further south where I won't see anymore of this).

[blackfunk]

Sorry, ain't gonna happen... for three reasons. 1) It has summer tires. It seems Audi, in their infinite wisdom, elected to shoe this car with 'H' rated A/S tires if you decide to get all seasons in lieu of the summer shoes. But doing so means that Audi sets the speed limiter to 130 MPH. Not wanting this, I went with the summer tires which are not recommended to run when temperatures fall below 45 degrees F. And definitely not in snow. 2) My driving machines don't see snow... period. Nor do they see parking lots with tight spaces or valet lots or anything I don't like. That's why I have a truck. 3) It's my property. I'll decide what I do with it.

Lotta rules for that car man. When I was a kid my dad always used to tell me 'Son, a car is a tool. You use it as such. Do you fall in love with a hammer? No. So why fall in love with a car?' I laugh now because I can clearly hear him saying it. LOL. Listen I can't tell you what to do with your property, obviously - but whats gonna happen if you get into a fender bender or such? The value in the car is in its usage, not using it isn't getting much value out of it.

Clearly we have a difference of opinions but I'm just sharing my side, not trying to pick a fight with you.

[SouthernBoy]

Lotta rules for that car man. When I was a kid my dad always used to tell me 'Son, a car is a tool. You use it as such. Do you fall in love with a hammer? No. So why fall in love with a car?' I laugh now because I can clearly hear him saying it. LOL. Listen I can't tell you what to do with your property, obviously - but whats gonna happen if you get into a fender bender or such? The value in the car is in its usage, not using it isn't getting much value out of it.

Clearly we have a difference of opinions but I'm just sharing my side, not trying to pick a fight with you.

It's a matter of property and a measure of pride, I suppose. I've always been this way and every gearhead I have know was the same way with their street machines. It's just how we think. I find that most people think of cars like washing machines. They are no more than a point A to point B device. I'm not like that. And I am anal has hell about what's mine, be it my house, my driving machine, or most anything I own.

"..not trying to pick a fight with you."
Never thought you were. That would be ignorant in my book, since we don't know each other. We just happen to have a different approach to the subject.

[Reddington]

I subscribed to this same philosophy at one point with our viper and then our challenger SRT8. Never again will I purchase a car and not drive it whenever the hell I want. Obviously a viper is going no where in the snow. But we babied that car to death - chance of rain, stays covered in the garage. I drove the challenger a bit more but wish I had driven it more.

[Moto One]

Don't worry about it. You're talking about a 32 year-old car. It's akin to comparing an F150 with a bed cover to an RV with built-in jacuzzi. You can drive through half a foot of snow all day long and it won't bother the car at all. The cars today are designed to not pack snow into the wheel wells so tight that it would cause problems.

I wish I had pic's form Christmas Eve drive home from the valley, the wheel wells on our B8 S4 were packed and it did like the driveway transition, and don't ever think that a tall vehicle can conquer 6 inch of old pack spring snow or the set up plow berm. I'v been stopped more then once by it with both our old allroads, Suburban,and Range Rover. Then fresh dry powder is a a different story, just keep believing all the 4X4 tv commercials. I'v been involved with making them, and that after edit look really good. What you don't see is the PA's digging out the stuck subject vehicles.

Mark