Audi VS Subaru: Who Really Makes the Best All-Wheel Drive Vehicles?

Have owned both and much prefer Subaru for all round go anywhere never give it a second thought vehicle. Audi has more panache of course but Subaru much more functional and dependable.

Subaru is like Naomi Watts...is the cute girl that is smart, socially responsible, and dependable. Will do the dishes, take out the trash, camping...etc.

Audi is like Christie Brinkley...beautiful, but why the hell has there been 5 husbands! good to fuck around with but to demanding and won't do the dirty work and constantly need maintaince ....

Catch and release, Audi. Long-term, SUBARU!

I'm new to AWD with my 2015 Audi Q5 3.0 TDI, and I love it! In reduced traction surfaces like deep snow, it positively shines. The AWD is full time and fully automatic, and in the Q5's case, it's tuned towards safety with a (default) 60/40 rear/front bias, which mechanically shifts traction to available wheels by as much as to the 80% rear or 70% front. Electronic Differential Lock (the use of ABS and traction control) also distributes traction left-right. Other AWD systems might be tuned more towards sportiness with more of a rear wheel bias, like Porsche's.

In my personal, informal, and 100% unscientific tests, I found that when I deliberately induced loss of traction in a corner or sweeper, rather than letting off the throttle and counter steering (in which the rear end still might swing around producing oversteer), if I just steer my vehicle in the desired direction and keep throttle constant, or even apply a little more throttle, the vehicle tracks perfectly, though it might drift outwards of the turn. You can't circumvent physics. Audi's AWD (called Quattro) can even redirect traction to one wheel while the other three spin freely, such as on ice or ramp and rollers in a demo*.

All in all, Audi's AWD is great, and legendary for good reason.

And that brings me to Subaru. Subaru got into AWD in a time (40 years ago compared to Audi's 30) when there was no feasible way to electronically compensate for traction differences. Subaru addressed this designing an entirely mechanical AWD system. They had to go to engineering extremes to make it work right, using equal length drive arms (symmetrical drive shafts) to each wheel in order to eliminate torque steer. The result is an all-mechanical, ultra-reliable, relatively simple, fully automatic AWD system that does the right thing as traction gets poor or when it changes under various conditions. Subaru, too, is legendary for their AWD!

I'm not prepared to argue which AWD system is "better," but I will say that I'm more impressed with Subaru's approach of exploiting engineering acumen and using pure physics and mechanicals to address the problem rather than employing electronics to address what the mechanical aspects could not. There's just less stuff that needs maintenance and which can fail.

Audi and Subaru's AWD systems are both noteworthy, but Subaru deserves extra credit for their approach, and for what they've achieved with such engineering elegance and simplicity. It's especially impressive that you can get Subaru's legendary AWD for a price that's a lot lower than Audi's.


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*If you search the web (YouTube) for AWD demo videos, you'll find several that compare Audi's Quattro to BMW's. They've been staged and rigged (by BMW) to mislead the viewer into believing Audi Quattro is overhyped and doesn't measure up. This is an example...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvqQuC_8VrM

...Notice how the Audi's driver varies the throttle when the front wheels are on

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on the ramp and rollers, at times giving it lots of throttle. Similarly, when the rear wheels are on the rollers, she lets off the throttle and puts on the brakes just as the AWD is sorting itself out, or she'll apply throttle suddenly for a brief time to induce wheel spin and then brake. To get Quattro to work as it *normally* does, simply leave all traction control settings ON (their default, they're turned off in the BMW video) and gradually and steadily apply throttle. This Audi demo video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at9MBPhpJAQ

...shows how the same AWD system behaves when you DON'T deliberately defeat it.

Again - this is comparing Apples to Oranges. The two companies simply do not compete in the same price ranges. Given the extra money of an AUDI - Subaru could probably make electronic controls for its AWD system and still have money left over.

Subaru - there's a reason if you goto Utah, Colorado, Vermont, Upstate NY, New Hamshire, and Massachusetts why you see so many Subaru's...they are just fantastic, durable, mountain-goat like vehicles.

Some Subarus use a bit of oil, however. Audi's (especially the 2.0T) also use a ton of oil.

Best thing about them, traction aside, is that they have flat 4 and 6 engines that sound just like a 911.

I do not like Subarus at all, but I think they easily are a better choice than an Audi. Subaru has quality, durability, and reliability that Audi can only dream of.

Subaru, if you aren't so conscious about your looks

5 Audis and not one has let me down in the snow yet

AUDI = Always Unimpressed Driving It.

Got to be Subaru. I once saw a video of comparison between a Volvo Cross Country Wagon and a Subaru Outback going up a steep hill. The Volvo did not make it up. The Subaru did.