This whole summer, you were probably tired of reading how the east coast was hammered by high temperatures, droughts and lack of water to wash our A4s with!
Due to the recent hurricane off the coast of NC/VA, the past week or so we have been hammered with a lot of nonstop Seattle style rain! So, there being rain.. I got a good chance to try out the braking abilities of my A4. FYI, it has the sports package with the 16" 7-spoke wheels w/ Dunlops. The tires have about 8000 miles on them.
Under normal downpour yesterday, while braking to make a left turn at a light, I experienced slidding. This is not taking the turn hard, or speeding through the turn etc... just your normal braking. I think it is because the tires aren't all season, and it scares me that if I had that skid happen during rain... what it will be like if we get snow or ice. I now have to make sure I am not over confident having quattro with rain or snow. Don't get me wrong, the car didn't slide more than a few inches but it does make me wonder about the performance of these tires under light snow or ice. I am in Richmond, VA so I don't expect more than 2-3 inches of snow max! but I do drive to Blacksburg, VA 8-12 inches average, and Green Bay,Wisconsin (where snow is measured in feet!).

Any thoughts....
Dimitri

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99.5 1.8TQMS Apr

When I was considering whether to get a 1.8 A4 with the sports package, the salesman explicitly told me that snow tires will be required come winter. Those Z-rated Dunlops just can't do the job in snow. I liked the handling difference so much I went with the sports package, but at least I have no illusions about winter driving. I credit the salesman for his honesty. And now I know that in the rain some extra care is required too .. but then, isn't it always?

Rick

There are apparently some really good handling H rated snow tires (NOT "all season"). You should look at Michelin Pilot Artics and Dunlop M2s on their web sites (michelin.com and dunloptire.com). Buy a spare set of wheels and mount a set of these to get yourself safely through the winter.

The Tire Rack (tirerack.com) also has ton of information on snow tires.

RPF
still waiting for delivery of 2.8 Avant QMS.......

Quattro makes you go, no stop! My second day with my A4 was April fools day '97 when Greater Boston got 8-12 in of heavy wet snow. With the stock Goodyear RSAs, I headed up a steep hill like a monkey up a tree. This was unnatural and a little scarey because one should not speed in snow. On the way down the hill I stomped on the brakes to test the salesmans statement that "ABS will take care of the rest." After listening to the ABS chatter for ~10 yards with no noticeable reduction in speed I eased off the brakes, ABS disengaged and the car came to a nice easy stop.

It's my understanding that there isn't necessarily any correlation between a tire's performance in rain and snow (any experts out there that can comment?). The Z-rated tires tread and rubber compound won't work well in the snow & cold combo. However I thought that many Z-rated tires are good for wet traction???

Tom
1.8TQMS Silver/Ecru

I too have the sport package on my 99.5 2.8QMS and plan to get new rims and performance snows such as Dunlop M2, Michelin Pilot Alpin or Pirelli 210A. I live in New England and we can get all kinds of slush, ice, snow or rain in the winter and I didn't want to be "stuck" in my Quattro with the wrong tires.

The other debate is narrower 15" vs. 16". I've had experience (scary is the word) for 10 years in a RWD V8 Mustang with snows. Traction sometime wasn't that bad but trying to corner with the 225/60/16 tires was real nasty. They front tires act like plows and just puch the snow instead of turning. But what do you give up in dry handling with the 15" tires?

Mud + Snow -- I think that should be sufficient in most cases.

Before ABS times I learned to engine brake in slippery conditions. What you described was the ABS being too sensitive therefore ineffective. You eased off the brakes and assume you also eased off gas. So you engine braked to a nice stop. Now 4 driven wheels will slow you down faster.

Engine braking occurs immediately when you ease on gas, so there is a slight slowing even before you hit the brakes - in slippery conditions it may be significant.

The dealer should have told you.

dfdfd

I would not recommend it. They were fine for my trips from work to home - a distance of 3.5 miles.

I would never think to use them in the mountains or anywhere that had a distance of 5 miles or longer or on the Interstate.

I am buying snow tires for my sport wheels this fall. You need to get rims and tires for your car.

Reggie

98.5 30vQMS

Living in Southern Cali I was wondering if I can fit chaines on the tires on a car with sport package?

This might be required on trips to the local mountains in the winter.
Anyone who as expereinece with that?

Patrik 99.5 1.8TQMS+APR

The 210A's are H rated snow tires(maybe an ice compound but I can't remember). Anyway, the dry handling is actually quite good. The tires "feel" good, ie. they don't have any nasty handling characteristics that some other snow/ice tires have(I hate Blizzaks). Except for the noise, which isn't bad, most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference unless they pushed the car around a ramp or something where the snows obviously have less traction.

I also agree that narrower snows are better. Wider snows will tend to float on the snow instead of cutting through to where the traction is.

and I agree with you. They are not bad for short trips, but would require too much concentration for a long trip. But with the 3 to 5 storms we get a year it's not a big limitation. If I liked skiing every weekend the snow tires would be on there though.

When it is hot and hasn't rained for a long time, there will be a lot grease and oil build-up on the pavement. When it does begin to rain again, the roads can be very slippery for a while.

You might want to check your tire pressure. If they were low you could have hydroplaned. Since the temps were so high in the east, it is not uncommon for the tires to loose pressure more as the tires will see higher temps. Did you check the tire pressures?

The manual very explicitly states that you cannot use chains (regardless of kind)! Aluminum control arms fail by breaking rather than bending, not fun.