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Video: Audi Q5 versus BMW X3 four-wheel drive system test

By Brett Davis |

Two cars, both in the same small to medium size four-wheel drive category. Both cars offer their own advanced all-wheel drive system; the BMW X3 with xDrive, and the Audi Q5 with its Audi Quattro system. What’s better?

Keep in mind both of the cars had traction control settings switched off as this was more of a test to distinguish the difference between the centre differential slip and overall four-wheel drive torque split capabilities.

The specially made four-wheel drive jig was also set up to place high demand on the front and then rear wheels, isolating the two under power.

Before Audi fans get too upset though, it’s imperative that we mention this was a BMW promotion… and the ramp was setup by BMW. Still, it’s interesting.


 

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=503133181 Brayden Cresswell

    Interesting stuff still wouldn’t take either of them off road

  • Jazrod

    WOAH, the X3 owned the Q5! I also noticed the X3 is significantly bigger . . .

    • Al Juraj

      The new X3 is now nearly the size of the original X5. It has grown to make way to the smaller X1.

  • Alex

    Pretty obvious the Audio has an open centre diff and relies on TC to distribute power. Nothing wrong with that, whats the point of this vid? To prove BMW use an LSD centre (like subaru) and that audi have used an open centre? Yey.

  • Karl

    Agreed. Good reason not to buy an SUV.

    • Karl

      That comment was in response to Brayden Cresswell.

  • gearboxdawg

    OK… I like to see how BMX X3 will perform if Audi had their own ramp setup. Nice to see some independent testing and verification :P

  • noober

    there are a couple of videos on the web showing comparisons like this.
    I bought a subaru outback not because I want to take it offroad but because I get into a few situations where you want all four wheels pushing, perhaps like the video test. These are generally slow speed situations like muddy carparks, grassed areas etc. I also live on a farm, so it is different to the toorak tractor brigade.
    Given these cars are urban focussed, it would be good to see how the 4wd system copes on road with traction and control.

  • svd

    Are the AWD drive systems for both vehicles by Haldex?
    The ECU that controls them would be to the Haldex customers specs eg BMW, Audi, and other companies which use this system such as Ford, Volvo etc

  • Kris

    They Just need Clarkson to drive up it…. POWER!!!

  • ALien

    I thought girls were only meant to model with the cars :O

    • Al Juraj

      But they’re German girls, which means they’re better drivers than most Aussie blokes.

  • Devil666

    This is essentially the same setup Mercedes Benz used against every other SUV maker back in 2002 to demonstrate the ML’s offroad superiority, notably the X5 failed the test. Good to see BMW went back to the drawing board.

    Albeit MB’s ramp was much more impressive, steeper and actually had only one wheel with traction, the other three were impeded by rollers.

    That said, I do have a Q5, and I can vouch for it’s inability offroad. The combination of ESP that cannot be defeated (“Offroad mode only”) and a dual clutch gearbox that is unwilling to engage when no wheels have detectable traction can cause issues for the inexperienced.

  • Reckless1

    As a matter of interest, if you jack one wheel off the ground in a Toytot Landcruser 100 series (and probably other series too) it doesn’t move.

    Yet it’s regarded by some as the best off-road.

    Staged demonstrations like this don’t sway buyers, except perhaps away from the advertiser.

  • Shak

    All i could see was that the tester in the Audi was giving it the beans, which means that either it truly had no traction, or they were just tipping in tto much power. In the BMW, the tester seemed to let the BMW’s torque get it up.

  • Al Juraj

    Why would you turn off traction control when climbing steep grades in the first place?

  • Skeeter

    Note to self, don’t ever take a Q5 into a multi story car park building

  • dryoung10

    Gee… what an amazing competitive comparison by BMW… so impressive. How about next time BMW just animates the Audi falling off a cliff to prove their point. Do you really think BMW would publish a video with their product losing to Audi?