Re: Tribune review

[Michael Williams <daserde@ucla.edu>]

Matt & Jenai decided to speak these words:


>What cars you are comparing your 4KQ to?

I have driven a Coupe GT, 911 C4, Mustang GT, 325eS and iS, 85 735i with 
a 5 speed, 2800CS with sport package...and a couple crappy little cars...
>
>I think this thread has been discussed before.  IMHO the quattro system
>operates as something of a band-aid on most of the Audis.  In other words,
>it makes the cars more secure and stable up to a certain point (particularly
>given the 60/40 balance on the type 44 bodies).  Quattro does not entirely
>make up for low power and weight shifting which many of our cars suffer
>from.

I disagree, have you ever driven a Coupe GT?  That car will outhandle 
many other cars on the road.  Yes it does have a fair amount of 
understeer, but only when you dont drive it correctly.  I have gone very, 
very fast in my old coupe around some turns that would be a challenge for 
some bimmers that you love so much.  And my Q has very little understeer, 
and again, only when i do something wrong, usually it is perfectly 
neutral, or even slight oversteer.  And with the center diff locked, i 
can do things in turns that would make a rear wheel drive owner quiver in 
his boots...Like give it full throttle, or sharp steering inputs, and it 
is a hell of a lot easier to recover than a rear wheel drive car.  I once 
spun out my dads 735 (mentioned above) in the wet,i almost recovered, but 
the thing is a bitch to control sometimes, and it actually makes me 
nervous on the freways when i take a lane change or turn, i feel like the 
car is going to lose traction in the rear all the time...nothing like my 
Q where it encourages me to take those lane changes alot more quickly 
than i should...

And you must remember that past the limit an all wheel drive car will 
almost always be more secure and stable.  A very knowledgealbe auto guy 
that i know once said "If you lose traction or control in a car, you 
better hope that you are a professional driver, or you better have all 
wheel drive, or you are screwed..."  (or somthing to that effect)...

Now that i have driven a Q and several other cars, front and rear wheel 
drive, i have to say that i would not truly feel safe in a car without 
all wheel drive...




Michael Sheridan Williams

My new one: 1985 4000 S Quattro
172,000+ miles, and going like a new car

1985 Coupe GT(for sale, cheap, $1000)
163,000+ miles

http://members.aol.com/daserde2