Can anyone provide and up to date comparison between Quattro and 4matic?
08-30-2005, 06:25 AM
#1
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Can anyone provide and up to date comparison between Quattro and 4matic?
Can anyone provide and up to date comparison between Quattro and 4matic?
Trying to convince the 'rents to buy an A6 4.2 over an E500 4matic. Don't wanna spark the age old comparo between the two, just the AWD systems.
Did a search and couldnt find anything up to date.
Trying to convince the 'rents to buy an A6 4.2 over an E500 4matic. Don't wanna spark the age old comparo between the two, just the AWD systems.
Did a search and couldnt find anything up to date.
08-30-2005, 06:51 AM
#3
Quattro... based on 25 years of AWD and multi awards....
Its also a MECHANICAL SYSTEM always engaged always AWD.
M/B is an electronic system, filled tith many sensors. 4 matic as 40% front 60% rear.. if there is slippage the brakes engage the slipping wheels so they catch up with the traction wheels.
ABS actuates and the vibrations of the ABS are known, light on the dash light up to say the ESP is activating. Is this an AWD system? or an ESP System?
Quattro, if there is a difference in traction, less power is applied to the slipping wheel untill it catches up and balance is maintained.
The power is controlled not by braking action like the mercedes but by the torque sensing diferential (Torsen) which is a sperior system.
M/B is an electronic system, filled tith many sensors. 4 matic as 40% front 60% rear.. if there is slippage the brakes engage the slipping wheels so they catch up with the traction wheels.
ABS actuates and the vibrations of the ABS are known, light on the dash light up to say the ESP is activating. Is this an AWD system? or an ESP System?
Quattro, if there is a difference in traction, less power is applied to the slipping wheel untill it catches up and balance is maintained.
The power is controlled not by braking action like the mercedes but by the torque sensing diferential (Torsen) which is a sperior system.
08-30-2005, 07:49 AM
#5
Yup. That is the primary difference. QTR IV uses some electronics instead
of a mechanically locking differential at each end, but it's basically the ABS system operating in reverse. Very simple. The real work is done by the Torsen mechanical center diff.
The Mercedes is much like the BMW systems in that they are almost wholly electronic, and traction proportioning is decided by a programmer. If any portion of the system fails, you may be SOL. A malfuntioning QTR system means that the diff at each end of the car reverts to open operation, but the mechanical center diff requires no electronics to function.
Failure of the Torsen diff is almost unheard of. It requires no servicing. When the previous gen 4Matic was driven for extended periods on extremely slippery surfaces (frozen lake), the pump sending power to the front wheels overheated and failed. The car reverted to rwd just when it needed traction most.
The Mercedes is much like the BMW systems in that they are almost wholly electronic, and traction proportioning is decided by a programmer. If any portion of the system fails, you may be SOL. A malfuntioning QTR system means that the diff at each end of the car reverts to open operation, but the mechanical center diff requires no electronics to function.
Failure of the Torsen diff is almost unheard of. It requires no servicing. When the previous gen 4Matic was driven for extended periods on extremely slippery surfaces (frozen lake), the pump sending power to the front wheels overheated and failed. The car reverted to rwd just when it needed traction most.
08-30-2005, 10:37 AM
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I've got both (A6 & E430) and they both work fine. However,
as April correctly points out, 4matic uses brakes to control some of the tracton like BMW. When a wheel spins, the system puts on the brakes. The Mercedes service tech said that they now replace rear brakes more frequently than the fronts. It used to be about 90% of the brake wear was in the front.
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