Following on from the 4wd VS winter tyre video last year, where everyone told me I was an idiot for using a BMW and that I should have used an Audi for AWD systems, I thought it would try and prove to the world that there wasn't much difference in the systems anymore. Hopefully, this video will help any future Quattro VS XDrive arguments :) You can find me on insta here for plenty more car and tyre fun: instagram.com/jonathan__Benson/

I live in a tropical country, what the hell am i doing here..

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the effort gone into making this video! 👏👏👏

Props for the same wheels/tires, but a big no no for Audi TDI/Diesel vs BMW i/Gasoline. One has a lot of Power on low revs, the other on high revs. Would have been so much more comparable if you had the 2.0tdi vs the 320d or 2.0tfsi vs 320i ... Otherwise very fair test. From my experience (living uphill in switzerland, owned audi, bmw, merc and skoda) Audi and Bmw are nearly identical - while the bmw is more rwd layout vs. more fwd on the audi side. Merc's 4matic was disappointing (W211, R6, E320cdi) and with the skoda i got stuck couple of times.

It’s also important to know how the systems work. This version of quattro uses a torsen center differential while the bmw uses an actimax transfer case. The center differential when the grip is equal sends a percentage to the front and the rest to the rear like 40% front /60% rear. If the front has zero grip it cannot send any torque to the rear, but in that case the esc will apply brakes on the front tires and that way power will be transferred to the rear. However, while driving on snow, the grip front vs rear is similar for same weight. The front is heavier on audi but but because the rear still has grip the torsen can send more power to the front. Whith the actimax xdrive things are very different. The rear is permanently connected to the gearbox output so whenever it is grip it will always push. There is no center differential but instead a transfer case. The front is connected to the gearbox output through a set of clutches. There is a preload value, so the cutch will slip only when the clutch limit is reached that is 40% gearbox output torque. Below the limit both axles will have more power than required. When that happens the computer squeezes the clutches for more grip up to locking the front 100%. On hill climbing the car relies more on the rear tires which always have grip. Basically to make an xdrive you take a RWD car and connect the front though a set of clutches. The problem is the clutches can overheat wear when there is clutch slip so that is when the front wheels rotate at a different speed than the rear. Bmw can also modify the software to make it completely RWD when you don’t want to cause any wear to the clutches or it can fully lock the front also it will not cause wear anymore. In RWD mode is also more fun and much less wear for snow drifts. That is available on m5 but there is aftermarket software for other models. Locking the front can be done by software except bmw doesn’t want it. By doing that it will behave like a 4x4 with locked center differential

FINALLY A TEST WITH SAME TYRES! OMG Am I dreaming?

We need carwow to be involved. So more cars can be tested

There's something magical in a british person reviewing cars with proper steering wheel side during the winter.

It should be noted though. On the Audi if the engine is mounted longitudinal it uses a completely different quattro system than the transverse mounted engines. The transverse system is not the quattro setup that made Audi famous, it uses a system closer to the Golf R and R32. I bring this up because the A4 can have either one depending on the engine you get. The OG quattro was 100% mechanical and sent power to the tire with the most traction simply by the gearing. I am not sure if it is still like this today. I do know the V8 S4 was still using that setup.

I couldn’t see anyone conduct this test better.

Conclusion: Audi and BMW have pretty comparable AWD systems, but an experienced driver with the right equipment is superior to electronic traction control.

My guess for the uphill battle is that Xdrive has a rear bias and quattro has a front bias. The rear bias would have a slight advantage in scenarios with more load in the rear.

This is excellent! I hope you can do even more cars in this type of test, like Volvo, Skoda, Subaru or Tesla (maybe this winter, if the situations allow it)

Audi doesn't have the 'propper' Quattro, it has something called Quattro Ultra which is pretty much a Haldex system, meaning it's not permanent AWD anymore. Only the V6 models get the permanent Quattro with Torsen differential.

whomever says "go" will get the jump

Great test buddy! I appreciate the fact that you paid attention to car power, wheel/tyre size and tyre type, which are big variables in these tests! Well done!💪👍

really detailed comparison of differently tuned ESCs and RWD vs FWD biased 4x4 systems, more than a comparison between brands. well done again!

I have the 5 series X drive and my buddy has an Audi Quattro. Exactly like the ones in the video. And when we race im always ahead for most of the race up until about 75% of the way through and he passes me every time. So yeah I’d say these tests are pretty accurate

I would like to see 4matic too

A buddy of mine owned his S4 and his 335ix at the same time, and he hated the X-Drive system for every day driving. He said it was twitchy at lower speeds and accelerating. His experience made him state the Audi was more driver friendly and overall easier to drive and more stable and predictable in the snow. He said the BMW was awesome for power sliding in the snow though. He lives in northern Alberta, quality winter tires are necessary up there. Same Nokian winter tires on both his cars...

One big stand-out is that even when you try to match things, pure luck with reaction, surface etc can make a big difference between cars that are basically equal

The car tester is always jumping the start in all three cars 😂😂

I love that you guys tested the vehicles with the same tires on all cars! Great job mate. I'm looking forward to seeing more tests.

Excellent video. It seemed on the hill start test though that the Op was always driving the Audi. That can make a huge difference as to how the driver inputs the initial torque applied through the throttle. What this video comes down to is buy the brand that you like and you won't go wrong.

Honestly seems like splitting hairs between all 3, in normal winter driving they all work incredibly well. Fan boy arguments aside, predictably comes down to preference of which you’d like and for me it depends on year as they constantly leap frog each other with improvements which is great

You forgot to swap drivers for uphill driving.

Did quite a bit of snow mountain climbing last year with my Bmw X1 with performance winter tire and winter wheel (narrower and heavier) in dynamic driver mode (traction semi off), it absolutely owned the roads. Even in sealed off mountains, I had zero problem climbing and have some controlled sideway fun too when I felt like it. The only problem is rear brake wearing off faster as the result of the semi active traction. Great job BMW!

you guys do have very cool videos ! THE WORLD CLASS of how you are doing test and I love your natural sound of speaking to the audience ! No fireworks just flesh and interesting facts make your channel simply be best! Thank You for your effort and reliability

FINALLY a test with same Tyres! Thanks

To be honest, I was born in the tropics and some time ago I moved to Canada and this is the 1st time I see anyone performing a winter system/tire/you-name-it test by LEVELING THE FIELD WITH THE SAME SET OF WINTER TIRES! Kudos!!!!

Great video; thanks for getting as many variables as possible under control!

Amazing video as always. Finally a proper fair test ! - thank you :)

All systems are good and probably more than what an average person needs! Just get the car you like :)

Perfect video , finally a channel doing properly the tests using same tires, many trials and different drivers!Well done!

Audi won acceleration due to the huge torque advantage of almost 150nm

Some nice testing there but there are so many variables in reality that doing a really comprehensive test would be very difficult. I had an F30 BMW 330D with X-Drive and it's an excellent system. I was out in the snow on summer tyres (stupid I know but I had no choice) and it was going up hills (although only just) that other AWD vehicles were sliding back down. In fact the only time I got stuck was simply due to the sheer depth of snow and lack of ground clearance that it bogged me down. However, I now have an Audi S4 B8.5 and it has the Torsen 4WD centre diff and Torque Vectoring via the brake system (will lock up an individual wheel to somewhat simulate a front/rear LSD) and it's insane, almost unearthly how much grip this thing has. I've not had it out in the snow yet, but even in the heaviest of rain this thing is scary good and married with the brake wash system results in a very confident ride in torrential downpours. Regardless of how much I respect the proper Quattro system, it's worth noting that many of the Audi cars now have the non-permanent Haldex system. But despite this, I would never knock X-Drive as it is a fantastic system and more than capable beyond my expectations.

This is so awesome. I would really love to see how 4WD can keep up with newer AWD Tech. I also like to see braking in a corner as well. My bet AWD to win as I don’t see any new tech for 4wd for on road handling (I could be wrong).

Thank you for the hard work. It's very hard to find someone on UKposts doing winter tire reviews.

_1:00__ "the third reason this should be better than the rest is: 'I don't care who wins. I'm a tyre tester, not a car tester.'" - TR_ ...and after that, I sub'ed

Great review! It is awesome that you normalized the tires. That makes it a relevant and fair test. The original Audi Quattro system was purely mechanical and very competent. The new Quattro systems vary quite a bit from model to model, but none the less the original should have a leg up on the others.

Note that not all Audi A4 of the (featured in this video) B9 generation have Quattro AWD system with a Torsen differential. I believe the 3.0 TDI model has Torsen but lower trims have Quattro Ultra which has an electronically controlled clutch pack for the center differential which can disengage completely, while the old-fashioned Quattro has Torsen - a purely mechanical contraption that always keeps both output shafts spinning but adjusts power transfer ratio between them. The way Audi was oscillating at 8:36 did not look like Quattro to me but I'm no expert.

Huge respect for the testing. Really great that you normalised tyres and wheels sizes, noted the power and weight differences and accounted for them when interpreting the results, swapped drivers, did multiple runs etc, honestly I have big expectations for your future content now :P I would be interested to see how they compare to Subaru which are known for their AWD too, but mamma mia I know it was probably very hard to organise BMW vs Audi already. Keep up with the good work

Wow, that's the best test I've seen! Thank You!

Best test i've seen so far , no bias, same tires etc... Good Job guys

Nice to see that every car has same power and tyres , great comparision !

Great review. Would be cool to use timing equipment in all three cars for the acceleration tests as well just to have a bit more data to compare (ie: off the line acceleration 60' vs trap speed, etc.)

Tyrereview you’re my hero! Thank you for comparing same tires with different AWD! A first for UKposts.

Astonishing amount of work went into making the comparison test, so thank you very much for going that far to get the truth :)

With host HHR there will be a 0.3-0.5 second delay. When he says ‘go’, the people with the other radios will be hearing it with roughly half a second delay.

Great test, honest review! Wish there were more like these on UKposts.

what a well done test! The effort that's gone into this is amazing and appreciated, as an Audi fan im kind of upset how the other companies have caught up in terms of awd systems but good on those other companies

When it comes to winter driving, the all wheel drive and electronics are helpful. But at the end of the day, to effectively drive in bad winter conditions it mostly comes down to skill. Practice, practice, practice!

The BMW is extremely under-torqued compared to other cars here, its almost 40% down... in a fair torque to torque scenario, I'd say the Audi and BMW are probably going to tie more times than not

Audi and de Jag are diesels.. why tf is BMW a petrol then? Make it equal pls

You need to use the “Dynamic Traction control” for the “systems on” run in the BMW as that is BMW’s answer for the best safety/performance. It makes a huge difference because the normal “systems on” setting is for the conservative drivers.

I've just done a grass Autotest in my S1 and noticed how much intervention the ESC system provides even when switched off. However, if you press the ESC off button for longer, it turns the system off another level. It still intervenes but only at high steering angles.

Thanks so much for your efforts, great video. Please more, maybe x5 vs Cayenne 😎

Great test! I very much appreciate the effort put in this video. Well done, guys! Audi power!!!

I dont have a car..I dont have tyres.. Still I love watching your videos :D

Lovely test!! I drive a F30 320d 135kW RWD, dream of a car! A friend of mine drives an Audi A4 and last winter we had massive snowfall and he thought his Quatro let me see his tale all the time. Well I proved him wrong, all systems off and the BMW was such a peach to handle even driving away from him! We had lots of fun but he couldn't get it why the Beemer was that more quicker... hehe. Thanks for having fun in the name of science whilst making this great vid!!

I saw this a while ago but I don't remember if I commented. BMW has the intermediate step between electronics on and off, called - dynamic traction control which (as I am sure you know) lets you spin the wheels a little at lower speeds.

I think you should have tested an Audi with the permanent quattro system, instead of the quattro ultra, which is haldex based. That's why we can see the BMW winning on the hill climb test - it has rear wheel bias, compared to the Audi, which is front wheel biased.

Well this is a perfect test video man keep it up :)

Well done for doing this test

Amazing Video, with such a great make of creation and effort. No wonder it sounds honest and trusty.

This is great, thanks a lot for it! Personally, I've a feeling that the 1980s Audis happened to be somewhat less of a compromise and provide better show handling than more recent models of the same brand. The purely mechanical central torsen differential seems to distribute power in a quite predictable way. Would be fun to see one of those in a similar test, to see how it would perform, and whether this impression is correct or rather my imagination.

What a fantastic video! I live in Finland and ”the winter is coming” so these videos that you make about AWD systems and snowy conditions are absolutely marvelous! I hope to see more of your videos. Btw Nokian Tyres are the best northern tyres that you can buy (if you ask me).

Very interesting love the video learn the quite a few things too ❤️

Thanks for this test. It clearly shows that "Audi Quatro" is not something different; it is a good AWD system, yet it can be compared to others. Some people think that Quatro is the ultimate system and there are no competitors... :D

Thanks for your content in 2019!👍👍👍

well done, for the first proper test in history, clap clap

I think they are very similar but the engines make a big difference. The Audi if it's like my 2013, builds peak torque at 1800rpm while I assume the BMW builds it later/more gradually. Also you absolutely can turn off all the Audi's traction control. Just hold the tc button. It's like that In a lot of cars

Great video!!! Maybe the best comparison. Could you add other 4wd systems to compare? Toyota, Honda, Acura, Mercedes, Subaru, Porsche, Genesis

Great review. Thanks! Note that BMW has a special mode for winter driving which doesn't cut power, it basically works like a locking diff and a tuned down stability control together, allowing for wheel spin, moderate drift angle.

THIS is how a proper comparison is done!! Much appreciated, thank you!

I have a year 2012 Q5 2.0 TDI, I am the first owner. The Quattro performance especially on snowy & icy roads is unbeliavable. Of couse, the high quality winter tires is a must even on this vehicle. I can climb any hills even on icy roads and heavy snow without any issues. It makes you feel so confident at high speeds on sharp winding roads with an amazing handling performace. I feel so lucky to own this vehicle and I will never own anything other than an Audi Quattro in the future when I sell my Q5.

Fun! Good info too and I like watching how the cars responded.

i agree with you on the snow handling on the bmw.... the electronics on the BMW are quite annoying... however, turn them off (or for those of us like me, that have sport +), the BMW becomes crazy amazing fun to drive on snow.... :) whenever it snows, sport + mode just gives you the exact balance you need to lay power down to regain control of your vehicle.....

Great test. We want more snow tests like this between the three leading German brands. :) Maybe a comparison of Japanese awd with German awd models.

Very great comparison, nice video maybe next time it is possible to test the bmw xdrive vs Hyundai htrack As I know the system is the same but programmed by 2 very different manufecture! Would be very nice to see who takes the best of it!👍

finally a test done properly!

Another pointless age old argument solved by the tyre geek. Thank You, good sir!

Finally someone gets it. The same tires and matching power makes the competition equal

Great video thank you!

I'm am a BMW man, but I like all three brands, finally a decent and fair measured test with some equality thrown in, good job.

@2:45 I can see that Audi is in front... Am I wrong?

So, from observations from this and other 'test' videos my humble conclusion is, that they are ~the same in straight lines. The difference is the tiny start moment, when you actually start moving every attempt: better start = winner it's simple math: when: X is moving 1km/h Y is moving 0km/h X goes ~3cm further distance during 1st miliseconds when: X is moving 2km/h Y is moving 1km/h X goes 3cm AGAIN during next miliseconds... etc... When you get grip - it's pretty similar to me.

I've had a 328xi and now a 328i. The xi was awesome in the snow. I like that the nannies actually turn off. The new one has only been in snow once but it did fine, I definitely was more cautious though.

Haldex vs torsen next video please 🙂

Such a lovely video , waiting for subaru's 4wheeldrive , 4matic and 4motion , maybe exacly same tests.

Since 2012 I had been driving a BMW X5 diesel. Bought an Audi S7 in 2019 and have been enjoying it for ski trips ever since. We still own the X5 but it's been relegated as a daily driver for our college-aged son

* Great video! Thanks for sharing. It all depends on the TYRES!*

Would like to see a MB 4Matic and a Subaru Legacy GT in the test as well.

Huge history mistake - Audi didn't invent AWD. Quattro was introduced years after some other awd systems. However Audi did popularize it in passenger cars.

Aaaaand finaly, i love your chanel!!!! Big hugs from Germany

For most people who have to occasionally drive on snow in the mountains, all that matters is the ability to get the car moving from a stop when on a snow or ice covered slope. This avoids a lot of embarrassment if there are vehicles behind or the nightmare of having to put snow chains on. From the film the Jaguar did best.

Great test! Would have been interesting to see some lap times on the BMW with the DTC half off, that setting allows for a surprising amount of wheel spin and slip on snow while still remaining fairly safe, and is good for less experienced drivers who want to learn how the car handles over the limit.

As a Finn I must say, that this was a pretty decent real life test of everyday winter driving. As a Finn I would give extra points to the off the line take off (you want to get your car going). As a Finn I would also give exra points to the hill climb test (thats where you get stuck like we saw here). As a Finn I would be interested in the cars ability to STOP. As a Finn I have ZERO interest for the slippery surface drag race test.

Great test, I was kind of happy that BMW won the uphill test & the Jaguar won the handing as a Audi owner.

What would be really useful, now that we're past midsummer and Winter Is Coming, would be a look at snow chains/socks, whether they grip better than snow tyres, and maybe whether summer tyres and a set of chains would be a useful compromise up here in Scotland. And perhaps the benefits of having chains on two or four wheels.