spindlewood

To summarize my understanding -
When needing extra clearance for snow

• If traction is not an issue and driving under 15mph (e.g. navigating my un-plowed road to get to the main plowed road) then Lift / Off Road gives the most clearance and Allroad is next.
• If driving above 15 mph (e.g. paved roads), Allroad is the best mode.

SQ5 Ride height (with Air Suspension):
Dynamic - 6.4 in.
Comfort / Auto - 7 in
Allroad - 8.2" (without Air Suspension, this is the setting for comfort and auto)
Lift / Off Road - 9in - Note: when over 15 mph, the car automatically lowers back to 7"

GreenMachineQ52020

Hi All,

Similar to this winter driving thread. My 2020 Audi -Q5 Premium has not been performing well on even slightly icy/snowy conditions. I had all season tires on it early this winter and it was fishtailing on me in not-s0-horrible winter conditions doing anything around 25 mph or more and the steering wheel feedback has been considerable. I changed to new snow tires and they have helped, but i still get some serious fishtailing doing more than 30 mph. If i am on pure/fresh snow, not too much of an issue, but on anything ......and i mean anything with some ice or patchy...........the fishtailing and feedback continues to happen. I had a 2017 audi Q3 last season with no snow tires and the car drove great to be honest and I know this behvior i am seeing now isnt normal, as i have friends driving around in the same Breckenridge, CO terrain with similar sized or smaller cars and there is no issue at all..........espcially if they have winter tires. The Q5 is alligned and recently Audi and non-audi inspected for basic issues, so no apparent issues there. I am wondering if there is a configuration or something that would help with this issue. I have played around with off road/comfort/dynamic config settings and a few other configs, but nothing has been the remedy/solution. Audi Dealer didn't know what to make of it either so reaching out to this group

ribeye

Get In your car and Drive east until you hit I 75 or I 95. then go south until you see this sign.
I did that in 2018 and have not had a problem with driving in snow since then.

A4Audi4Fun

Fishtailing might suggest you are on the throttle too much or providing too much steering input - slow and steady is the key with everything in winter conditions; keep things in balance as much as possible. Lots of practice with braking and turning while in an empty snow covered parking lot can help you understand what is happening with your vehicle. The Q5 is heavier than the Q3 so I would have thought you would find that much more planted. World of difference of course between all-season and winter tires in terms of improved driving performance as well in ice/snow conditions.

siren001

This past weekend SQ5 Michelin Pilot AS4, All ROAD, with ESD off, and downhill assist turned on. Going through 1-2feet of show the SQ5 handled it nicely. Yes it will tire spin when you stomp on it, but if you take it slow and accelerate slowly it will not spin.

RCPrato

@GreenMachineQ52020 have you tried turning the Stability Control off while driving in the snow to see if there is a difference and how the car drives? It is one of the buttons under heat control that has car with squiggly lines.
It's a long shop but maybe stability control is not working properly.

Herut

As far as I know, using the "Winter" mode on a vehicle is recommended since it optimizes the car's traction control and stability systems for these conditions. However, I'd check the vehicle's manual for specific recommendations. I also know that some people go to specialized driving schools that offer winter driving courses, that include handling slippery road conditions. I'm thinking about calling the texas driving school customer service (I learned to drive there) and asking whether they have schools in other states.

Wires

When you say "all season tires" which make/model? A lot of these vehicles come with full summer tires which have zero snow ice traction.