4Motion In The Snow For First Time

[Carbon Goodies]

Well we've had a good 6" of snow around here in the last week (It's gone now though).

Anyway I took the 4Motion out in the snow for the first time and I was absolutely blown away by how good it was. I'm still on summer tyres and it never missed a beat. I found it to be very predictable and I really had to try to get it to lose traction to find it's limits.

I had an Evo 5 and this is so much better in the snow.

Why don't they have the 4Motion available after the MK5 over here? It's awesome.

[th3_f15t]

From the factory, 4motion was only available on the R32 and a diesel model when the mk5 was new. A few people I've seen have retro fitted it to a mk5 though, it's becoming a more done thing now R32's are starting to find their way to the special farm where cars go at the end of their days.

[GrayMK5GTI]

4Motion is great for traction in the snow, its not going to stop you sliding down a hill into a wall though 

FWD with winter tyres is supposed to be much better than a 4WD with summer tyres (check out the videos on YouTube) - this is for traction and braking 

For the majority of people, lugging round the heavy 4wd running gear and spinning a prop shaft constantly for 363 days a year more than necessary is why most of us drive FWD cars.

Anyone that wants a 4Motion GTI could buy the A3 2.0 TFSI Quattro or the S3 

[th3_f15t]

I think the 4motion has potential for people running big power, although I'm sure Pikey would disagree and call them wimps...

[GrayMK5GTI]

I think the 4motion has potential for people running big power, although I'm sure Pikey would disagree and call them wimps...

Goes without saying for people chasing big power, for everybody else a set of winter tyres is a better prospect

[Panthera]

I miss having a car with AWD as my last three cars had it - it gave me a better sense of control, felt safer and confidence to really attack a corner and/or road (b road) compared to my GTi. 

The only benefit to AWD in the snow is taking of from a standstill or going up hill, that not to say its any harder in a FWD car and maybe a RWD with a few bags of sand in the boot, its just easier. 

But also the added benefit is that when its wet you can still drive almost as fast as in the dry, compared to a FWD car where you have to slow down more so.  just my opinion though.

[Carbon Goodies]

Well I bought the car used as it was the best option at the time, although it was the best option by a mile, it just happened to be a 4Motion.

Once trying it in the snow though, I was very surprised how well it did. While other cars were really struggling getting up hills, the Golf just didn't miss a beat, it was just like wet conditions.

[Beattie]

I also own a 4motion mk5. I can vouch for the snow and how good it is. Wouldn't change it for anything else in the mk5 range. Although my rear ECU happened to go faulty and had to renew that. Small price of £742 just for the part from VW and for all it looks like.. So I hope you don't have this problem down the line.

[Skornogr4phy]

Snow driving is one of the few areas where young people tend to be less likely to have a crash than older drivers. Sure your 4 ton Landrover (of which my father owns one...) might get up to speed faster, but a young chap in a 900kg Fiat Punto with skinny tyres is going to stop in a much shorter difference. That's where winter tyres come into their own. They help you go and stop faster. 4wd just helps you go faster.