ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

The biggest let down for me for th RS5 is no proper manual gearbox option.

If the 7speed dsg bogs down on launches like the some of six speeder DSGs do, then its not my cup of tea. Although in this vid it doesn't appear to bog down much, but its does appear to be rather boring and uninvolving - yawn; Looks about as involving as a playstation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYXKLSftSrc (the disease of the modern performance car IMO). It also apears to slur between shifts like a slushbox in low gears (maybe its in the wrong mode or whatever ).

I'm sure there are some who will agree that the one joy of a AWD car is the abiity to do insanely hard launches from standstill, and the skill/fun involved in getting it right. Although admittedly, its hard on manual equipped AWD VAGs, as most have damper valves on the clutch hydrualics to stop people from side stepping off the pedal (it can be driven around, but takes practice).

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Who gives a toss, it will be owned like every other Audi 5 series by selfish, aggressive ****** !

zip106

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8493/audia4knob2.jpg

alanbell

iTrader: (6)

I dont know one single person who owns a audi 5 series, so i can not comment, are they really like that

zip106

Unfortunately I do!

Chap I know bought one when they first came out and acted like he'd bought THE best car in the world.
Still acts like a cocktard several years later in it and to make it worse has now gone and bought his wife a cab diesel version.

She's a female version of him. A fannytard.

They're the only two I know with an A5.

SPIDERWRX

my 335i is a much safer place to be in than my old blobeye scooby,

4wd is over rated,

SRSport

would it be safer still if the 335i had 4 wheel drive? You cant really compare two totally different cars and put it all down to 2 wheel drive/4 wheels drive.

Nice car by the way.

alanbell

iTrader: (6)

LOL , good forum to say that.

I had a old 535 m sport (56 reg) last winter, myself,my wife and 2 grandchildren stuck in a small amount of snow last winter ,
i said i would never have a over rated bmw again . they do look ok and go ok in the dry , but every one to there own,

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

No, an Impreza is overrated. Don't mix that up (and don't repeat that too loudly in the SN general forum ). I'm guessing you have encountered the nasty snap-oversteer that catches out many a Impreza driver? Or the woeful wash-out understeer? Two horrible traits that only affects Subaru.

Not all AWD cars do that, and it also doesn't mean every other make of AWD car is unsafe.

If BMW made their 535ix in right hand drive, I'd buy one tomorrow. (ix = AWD).

SRSport

Last winter I was in a car park where the exit goes up hill. Im sure you can predict what I am about to say which is that it was snowing and out of 20ish cars 4 got out. All of them were 4x4, 3 land rovers and a mitsubishi thing. One of the Landrovers got out a rope and started offering for a "donation" a tow out of the car park. A queue formed as all the cars waited to be pulled. I got in and as I lined up to drive out the guy approached. The look of surprise was worth every extra penny I spent on fuel that year to see his reaction. Up it went no sweat at all.

Gave the car a pat on the dash.

SRSport

Saying that going down hill in the snow is a lot harder than in my Father in laws focus.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

BMWs are fine in the snow; Just need to be driven in a particular manner: DSC must always be off if stuck. If its automatic, manually engage 2nd gear and use the handbrake to overcome the "engine creep". If its manual; VERY delicate use of the clutch and handbrake will see the car moving again. Then treat the throttle and brakes like it was made of an eggshell.

Never seen either our 325 or 530 stuck. Except when I left the DSC on, turned it off, stopped the free spinning wheel by lightly using the handbrake, and I was moving again. Even drove past a stranded X3 driven by a silly moo with teh DSC still turned on and mashing the throttle (car would move 1ft then stop, move again, then stop ad infinium).

alanbell

iTrader: (6)

shame you were not with us

SRSport

You have a point. You can argue 4wd vs 2wd with all the electric aids but if you have clot behind the wheel, pointless!

Matteeboy

RWD with winter tyres is better in snow than AWD on normal tyres. It's all about the rubber.

SRSport

If all things are equal is awd not better than 2 wheels drive. Good points are being made but its only ever comparing them with another variable, e.g. 2 different cars, better rubber etc.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

A5, S5, RS5 is what I mean, even if it was in BMW parlence, I dont know anyone with one but I have seen so many round here driven really agressively and inconsiderately, its like the normal, inherent Audi attitude, amplified.

Dingdongler

Mate, life is not that straightforward. Go out there and own/drive awd/rwd/fwd cars and you will see their relative merits and downsides. There is no such thing as which car is 'better'. In the same way as your statement about awd cars being 'safer', these are blanket statements that actually mean very little.

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not being confrontational with you but some of the stuff you say makes little sense. You first said that 4wd is safer than 2wd. When I asked you to define 'safer' you couldn't.
Now you ask which is 'better', 2wd or 4wd. If I asked you to define 'better' you probably won't be able to.

alanbell

iTrader: (6)

i see what your saying now, yeh i see that in ALL makes of cars .

SRSport

That was Allan that made that statement but anyway it is often regarded that 4wd is safer than 2wd, rightly or in your opinion wrongly, that was the point I was making. There was little need to start questioning his driving ability. I have been under that impression too and as yet have heard nothing to convince me otherwise, all Ive heard is "there is a lot more to it than just 4wd makes for a safe car". I agree with that but as said before if all other variables are equal why wouldnt 4wd be safer due to increased traction?

Im not a Subaru owner who is desperately fighting the 4wd corner and am more than happy to learn that 4wd is indeed not any safer than 2wd but I am still waiting to hear anything that makes any sense, being asked to prove what I have been led to believe by people much more in the know is not really going to change my mind. To be honest you telling me that you disagree without offering an explanation as to why is not convincing me, especially as you seem to find it difficult to make sense of what I write.

bighead

iTrader: (1)

JUST WAIT TILL ITS SNOW THIS WINTER AND YOU WILL KNOW WHY AWD IS MILES BETTER THAN 2 WD ...by the way i drive a E90 M3......took delivery on 11 dec last year and the car was garaged most of last winter as I could not even park it outside my garage (very small incline )...and when I did use its on the road every tom/dick and harry past me !!!!
Never had this trouble in 8 winters in my P1
so go figure.....its not rocket science

ScoobyDoo555

Same with my Golf GTI - had a few Scoobs and an Audi S4. Both marques had awd/quattro.
Snow was never an issue.

Feckin Golf is fab in the dry and wet, but snow I live in the countryside, so had the snow pretty bad. Car wouldn't go anywhere with an incline (even off my drive!! )

Hey Ho.

SPEN555

You need a set of winter wheels with winter tyres for the M3, swop to them in Nov/Dec and then back to your normal set some march?

bighead

iTrader: (1)

I have exactly just that in my garage waiting to be fitted :wink:.
Its just my two pence worth
re the 2wd vs 4wd debate !!

as I'd said never needed winter tyres on my P1 in 8 winters

tony de wonderful

Speaking of AWD Vs RWD, I'm gonna get rid of my Scoob soon and keep my Skyline GTST.

I just prefer RWD basically I've decided.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

The car industry thinks that front wheel drive with relatively narrow tyres is probably the safest given the lowest common denominator which is the clot behind the wheel!

Mitchy260

I think you made a big mistake there, the TTRS is a gem. Once remapped it is quicker than the R8 and offers genuine supercar performance for very little outlay. It looks stunning, build quality is impressive, it's relatively cheap to run with a 30mpg return and it will hold its value well.

They are releasing it with S-tronic in the next few weeks or so which will make it even more of a gem.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yes, true, I think its because I saw 3 examples in as many days,

Overtake whilst on a push bike by one, close by me at probably 80 mph.

One parked locally obstructing the pavement on a blind bend, watched a family with small kids trying to navigate safely round it.

Another doing that last minute cut in from a coned area, nearly casuing an accident.

SRSport

That is probably true.

stilover

I'm with you there. Took delivery of my 370Z last December (17th) and it sat in my garage for the next couple of months.

Tried to get it out of the Garage (down a cobled lane) a few times, where it got stuck on the slightest bit of snow/ice. One time I thought I wasn't going to get it back in again.

I won't be trying that again this year.