I first got into Audi Quattros when I found my '87 Honda Accord to be absolutely atrocious in the snows I get in the hilly Western PA area I live in. I bought the '90 Audi Coupe Quattro used to try to improve winter traction. Well, I got won over to Audi Quattros after this. Both the Coupe and the present A4 Avant have been fabulous snow cars.

Since I wanted the best snow traction, I got separate wheels for 4 snow tires on both vehicles. This is experiences with both cars and snow tire combos.

1) Coupe: This had a set of Gislaved Norfrosts in 185/70X15 size (stock summer tires were 205/60X15) installed. All I can say is snow traction was fabulous. The only times I had trouble was when the snow was too deep for the car's ground clearance; so long as it wasn't too deep for the underbody, car pulled like a mountain goat. This included going uphill through about 13" of unplowed snow.

2) Avant: With the goood luck I had in the Coupe (put 132K miles on it), I replaced it with the Avant. I compromised between winter and summer driving, however, and bought the Sports suspension. I knew it would reduce traction in heavy snow due to the reduced ground clearance, but I figured for the vast majority of driving I do I would enjoy it more than the stock suspension. I bought a set of 15" takeoff wheels and four Nokian Haakapellittas in 195/65X15 (would have liked 185/70, but they didn't have them). I chose the Nokians due to several posters and others indicating their excellent snow traction - many have mentioned the Bridgestone Blizzaks as being the tops, but I have heard several folks mentioning that performance drops off very rapidly as they wear. I had not heard that about the Nokians, and did not experience it with the Gislaved unitl they were over 1/2 worn.

We did not get that much bad weather in the winter of '98'-'99, but early January was vicious. Got a few good snows. To me, I did not feel I had the security I used to feel in the Coupe. Avant felt to be slipping /sliding more than the Coupe. However, I never got close to getting stuck. Now, I attribute the poorer A4 performance to a couple of factors:

- Lower ground clearance of the Avant (by about 1")

- Wider tread of the 195/65 Nokians vs. the 185/70 Gislaved. I have always heard, and still believe, that what is needed for best snow traction is a narrow, long footprint. The 195/65 goes the wrong direction in comparison with the 185/70.

- Avant is about 2-300 lbs heavier, and has another 50 ft-lbs or torque more than the Coupe, both in the direction to decrease snow traction.

Recommendations? To me, you won't go wrong with either of these above tires. I would recommend going with 15" wheels and no wider than 185/70 or 195/65 tires for optimum snow traction.

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