M3 Touring vs RS4 Avant: The Ultimate Winter Test

This AWD showdown between Audi Quattro and BMW xDrive might surprise you.

Photo by: YouTube

By: Christopher Smith

Dec 22, 2024 at 12:00pm ET

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Despite how things look, this test of winter tires and all-wheel drive systems is purely scientific. Ignore the sideways action and 500-hp engines. This video from the Tyre Reviews YouTube channel featuring an Audi RS4 Avant and a BMW M3 Touring getting fantastically sideways is for educational purposes only.

In the spirit of learning, you should know each car was fitted with Pirelli P-Zero winter tires in the same 275/35-19 size. The BMW has a slight power advantage at 503 horsepower, versus 444 hp for the Audi, but the RS4 is a bit lighter. Considering the surface for this comparison is decidedly slippery, being a porker might actually help the BMW.

The first half of the video is dedicated to old-fashioned drag racing. Tests are conducted on both snow and ice, with traction control systems on and off, and the winner is ... inconclusive. With all the assists on, the BMW has a slight advantage. In sport modes with traction control dialed back, the Audi is better. And with everything off, it's nothing but spinning wheels.

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Handing comparisons, however, reveal key differences in the way Audi and BMW execute their all-wheel-drive systems. The M3 Touring proves to be a handful, albeit a tail-happy handful that requires considerable input to be fast. Meanwhile in the Audi, the Quattro system is more point-and-shoot, sending the car around corners in a tidier fashion. Ironically, the cars returned identical lap times once everything was averaged out—even with multiple drivers going out in numerous sessions.

So which all-wheel-drive system is better? After careful scientific study, the conclusion depends entirely on how sideways you want to be. It's a tough job, but someone had to do it.