Can someone explain

[gandanick]

In a conversation at college with a friend, i just realised that Audi builds 4x4 Taction ( Quattro ) or front wheel drive only!... WOW i just got impressed!

But BMW in the most of its vehicles has rear wheel drive!
I got surprised because two of my favourite affordable cars are Audi A5 2.0 TDI Coupe and BMW 320d E92, the BMW is rear wheel drive and the Audi is front wheel drive.
What are the main diferences between them?

[Simon said EAT DUST PLAYER_1 !]

Do you prefer to hit the next tree head-on in an Audi ("understeer")
or with the side of your head first ("oversteer")?.

Fundamentally different chassis-plattforms, as well. Traditionally Audi had it's in-line engines mounted completely in front of the front axle as well as longitudinally. With more recent generations they managed to situate it further back ever so slightly, pulling part of the engine's weight back with it. End result: slightly less-pronounced understeer. Today's Audis should feel quite different from those of old.
Also: not all Quattros are made equal (although the marketing-department will want you to believe just that).

BMW has always built cars with more optimum balance in mind... ...until they became too big to fail and began to call themselves a "premium brand". So the overall focus of their cars shifted a bit. And hence the spiritual successor of the early 6-cylinder 3-series is called 2-series, now.

Again: American upmarket buyers today are completely sold on the (sometimes false) promises of AWD, hence BMW had to engineer their chassis-design to allow for the front part of their drive-train to actually fit. So even if you buy a rwd-car, the chassis balance gets compromised somewhat... ...except of course that one niche-model being designed without worrying about driven front wheels.

Likewise, American customers really like a V8-engine. Guess what made them put a V8 in the E92 "M3"?

[(ง︡'-'︠)ง Hor Hay J]

FWD Audi = rebadged VW.

[gandanick]

Originally posted by Simon said DIE ♥♥♥♥♥!:

Do you prefer to hit the next tree head-on in an Audi ("understeer")
or with the side of your head first ("oversteer")?.

Fundamentally different chassis-plattforms, as well. Traditionally Audi had it's in-line engines mounted completely in front of the front axle as well as longitudinally. With more recent generations they managed to situate it further back ever so slightly, pulling part of the engine's weight back with it. End result: slightly less-pronounced understeer. Today's Audis should feel quite different from those of old.
Also: not all Quattros are made equal (although the marketing-department will want you to believe just that).

BMW has always built cars with more optimum balance in mind... ...until they became too big to fail and began to call themselves a "premium brand". So the overall focus of their cars shifted a bit. And hence the spiritual successor of the early 6-cylinder 3-series is called 2-series, now.

Again: American upmarket buyers today are completely sold on the (sometimes false) promises of AWD, hence BMW had to engineer their chassis-design to allow for the front part of their drive-train to actually fit. So even if you buy a rwd-car, the chassis balance gets compromised somewhat... ...except of course that one niche-model being designed without worrying about driven front wheels.

Likewise, American customers really like a V8-engine. Guess what made them put a V8 in the E92 "M3"?

Originally posted by Jay D:

FWD Audi = rebadged VW.

clearful ! thanks!

[ivor_bign]

just one small question, why do you aspire to drive a diesel? both those cars you mentioned come with a pretty powerful petrol engine.

im not having a go, its a serious question and i ask cos i worry that if the youth of today dream about driving crappy diesel or eco cars (instead of the F40 most of us older guys used to dream about driving one day) then it means most of the cars built in around 10 to 15 years time will be able to drive across the country on a thimble of fuel but cant pull the skin off a rice pudding.

and that bothers me.

[gandanick]

Originally posted by ivor_bign:

just one small question, why do you aspire to drive a diesel? both those cars you mentioned come with a pretty powerful petrol engine.

im not having a go, its a serious question and i ask cos i worry that if the youth of today dream about driving crappy diesel or eco cars (instead of the F40 most of us older guys used to dream about driving one day) then it means most of the cars built in around 10 to 15 years time will be able to drive across the country on a thimble of fuel but cant pull the skin off a rice pudding.

and that bothers me.

Hello, i'm in Portugal, i know both of these cars have pretty powerful engines, but Petrol costs 1,45€ per Liter and Diesel is around 1,09€ per Liter.
Thats why i need to go Eco, of course, if i could afford Petrol, i would drive the F40 and a murciélago, which are both at the top of my favourites' car list.
Did i miss something from your idea?
My english is not the best, sorry for it.

[ivor_bign]

purely a financial decision then. question answered. jolly good. thanks.

and stop appologising for 'your english'. most of the people you are apologising to can only speak 1 language, which kind of makes us the stupid ones.

[gandanick]

It's okay!

[gandanick]

Originally posted by ivor_bign:

purely a financial decision then. question answered. jolly good. thanks.

and stop appologising for 'your english'. most of the people you are apologising to can only speak 1 language, which kind of makes us the stupid ones.

I own a Honda civic 8th generation 1.4 100cv, petrol engine, very economic and a Ford fiesta 1.4 80cv also petrol engine.
The honda punches 5,4 - 5,8 L/100
The ford makes 7 - 8 L/100.
They also have the same torque Honda 110 N/m and the Ford 120 N/m.
I think the biggest difference for such consumption are the valves. Honda has 8 valves, 2 per cylinder and the Ford goes with 16, 4 per cylinder.
The Ford is more powerful, and accelerates better than the Honda, however it doesn't go above 185 km/h.

I also got impressed when i noticed the honda had 8 valves.

[Alien Identity]

I am in Australia, and untill a few years ago the Government here subsidised Diesel fuel, so the price per liter was cheaper than Petrol. This was done to encourage industry and transport to expand. But a few years ago the subsidy was revoked, and many diesel vehicle owners were affected badly. Now tha average price of Diesel is more per liter than unleaded petrol, although a liter of Diesel does has a higher energy content than a liter of unleaded Petrol.