How did you find the trip down that ski road?

Vermont? I ski the Rockies with two wheel drive. (Though I take Audi if I want a little fun on the way)

Your little rant is exactly why I point out this problem.

You sound like the typical irresponsible awd driver who has no idea what he's doing.

The most important fact missing from your tirade is the obvious point that your Audi has the same stopping capability and steering capability as all those other cars you passed. For everyone living in Vermont's sake I hope you are Tommi Makinen. From your apparent grasp of vehicle dynamics I'd guess you're not.

PS "every" manufacturer? Driven a 911 lately? Ever?

 

Lolzzz. You call me irresponsible - but can't have an XFR and have to get rid of your S4 because you would lose your license? Irony? Do I have fun on roads, yes, but probably at a lot slower speeds than it sounds like you do. That is why I built a track car - and use it at the track. It's my right to drive however I want, so long as I don't put others at risk. That is what tracks are for, not the street.

The trip down the hill was great; I got down the same way I went up - with all four wheels providing traction. I can't say the same for the people stuck on the other side of the hill.

911 - parents have had one version or another for the last dozen years. I have spent my fair share of time behind the wheel. Modern 911's understeer, unlike snap liftoff oversteer of the old days (have driven the older ones too including a 993 turbo and others much older). Sure, they can lift off oversteer and they do, more than most other cars. I find the 911/boxster to be one of the most responsive to brake/throttle inputs mid-turn. But ultimately, with smooth throttle application, they still understeer (unless you mash it, of course).

BTW, congrats on the new car. I just don't like being told all wheel drive is dangerous and people don't know how to drive with it.

 

Although it is true that 911 suffered from lift off oversteer they also suffered from all the other possible varieties of oversteer. They were just a badly engineered design and remain so.


This is just too funny. Gotta stop.

 

Congratulations. That's the one I'd want if it drove and handled well in all conditions. My biggest winter challenge with 2 wheel drive in snow is getting out of my driveway, and up a steep hill to the main road. AWD daily drivers since 2004 has made that a non-issue...and worth every penny.

We'll look forward to your future driving impressions!

Bruce

 

If you drive in Canadian winters this is THE awd car to have. Apart from 100 kg extra weight the awd system is entirely unobtrusive until you get on the slippery stuff, then it really shines.

Watch the video from the Quebec launch:

http://www.xfforum.co.uk/threads/114...ut-certain-awd

Second post, click the on the video and not the URL link.

The American journalist is hopeless. I particularly liked the Quebecois instructor drolly recommending the journo use both hands to steer the car (he badly needed a different pair of hands and a more sensitive right foot, but, there you go).

 

Have to agree with you on this. My biggest challenge has been the steep hill I live on, and a few I have encountered this winter that I could not get any traction on with the XF SC with winter tires. It was a bit "touch and go" driving through the hilly Fingerlakes region of NYS a few weeks ago during a winter storm. Luckly the temperature was just above freezing. A few steep hills without guardrails changes your outlook on not having AWD in a hurry.

 

The beauty of this Jaguar system is you give up nothing other than the weight penalty to preserve the rwd feel of the car. It is eerie how intuitive it all is. Brilliant system. I'm totally sold on it. I wouldn't dream of buying it unless I drove so much in severe winter conditions.

I'm also pretty much giving up on summer tires because I can't use them. For summer I'm using high performance all seasons. That's why I'm buying the awd XF. The only reason to buy the awd is six months of winter. If I had only three months to deal with I would stick with rwd.

 

You say "For summer I'm using high performance all seasons" Could that mean perhaps the Michelin Pilot Super Sport ?

 

The Supersport is a summer only tire, perfect for California. I have PS2 on my Audi. Trouble is, our summer is a bit like Denver. June, July and August are generally snow free and warm enough to get summer tires properly hooked up. Most of the rest of our "summer" I need cold weather grip you can only get from an all season. At least, I'm coming to that conclusion. So I fit full on winters from October to May and now intend to fit all seasons to all my cars for "summer" use. Michelin's Pilot A/S would work but likely I would go with Continental's DWS. Of course, now I'll have to wear out a new set of Conti Procontacts on my new XF....

 

I had the Conti DWS on my MazdaSpeed 3 before I made the move to the Jag. While the cars are very different a few things:

1. The DWS is dead quiet when new
2. The DWS is very noisy when the tread is down to 40% or so...one of the louder tires I've ever had when worn...yet one of the quietest when new...odd.
3. Rounded treadblock corners are more progressive on failure but lightened the steering feel a great deal over a squarer Bridgestone summer tread. This effect will probably be reduced on the wider tire when compared to the 225 width tire I used.
4. A Cobb modified Speed three has a not much weight and a pretty good bit of power, I may have used it quite a bit but compared to other all-seasons I've used despite their realtively high wear rating (over 500 if I remember right) the tires wear fairly quickly.
5. Winter grip was excellent when new, and like the noise rose, it faded quickly...the S rating marker was worn, but the W was still there...and that really was the end of good snow traction.

If you're going to be pretty tender with the XF I'd say the tires would be great, the only downside may be steering feel and wear rate on the heavier car.

If you get a little fire in the belly every once in a while...errr...ummm...I wouldn't do it.

I'm likely to go Michelin when the time comes...

Oh...and the rim protector wasn't thick enough for the fitment on the Mazda.

Not trying to say they aren't good tires, very compliant and quiet when new. I was very impressed, they just dropped off quicker than most other tires I've owned and I'm talking 50% tread, not bald.