JWBLue

Bad weather meaning snow, mud, rain.

equ

While I'm generally a fan of lower, stiffer, wider-tired sportier cars, I'm going to vote a8. Narrower tires help. Soft, long-travel suspension is also good for keeping wheel contact and maintaining traction in adverse conditions.

Victoryroad

Depends on the tire and wheel setup. With the right winter compound tires there is no difference between how Quattro handles slippery conditions in the A8 or S8. One must use different summer and winter wheels/tires. For those who think that all season tires are the answer, all I can say is that they are a compromise so not great in hot weather or when the temperature goes below 40 degrees F. For those who try to drive on summer performance tires in the winter, that on my summer stock Audi 20's are 275mm wide, I say good luck. Summer compound performance tires get very hard at just above freezing temperatures and can be slippery even in dry conditions that are cold. Winter compound tires are a delight in ice and snow, however. I run mine on Audi stock 5-spoke 19" turbo style wheels and are 255 mm wide. Obviously very wide tires are like a sled in the snow and ice. They may not look as nice as the wider summer tire/wheel setups, but they are much safer and have a softer ride. No, they do not handle cornering in the dry as well, but that is a modest trade off IMHO.

Victoryroad

08 A8 sport option has same suspension mapping as S8.

JWBLue

Someone mentioned that the A8 would be better for adverse driving conditions because of more ground clearance and softer suspension.

Does that sound right?

Victoryroad

A8 suspension settings are adjustable and the sport optioned 08 A8 has the same settings as the 08 S8. Winter driving requires the right wheel and tires regardless of the suspension or ground clearance. if the snow is that deep ground clearance of possibly up to 2 more inches makes little difference.

SimonBackman

both use the identical quattro system and AWD without snow tires is almost useless.