Which Is The Best Audi Drive Select Mode For Driving In The Snow?

Audi's Drive Select is more than just a traction control system. Depending on the model, Drive Select modes optimize the suspension responsiveness, steering wheel road feel, when the transmission shifts gears, ride height, cruise control, the climate control load on the engine, and even the responsiveness of driver controls including the accelerator, brakes, and steering wheel. 

For driving in the snow, the fuel saving Efficiency and the performance-oriented RS modes will not be of much help. That leaves Auto, Comfort, Dynamic, and Individual, though some top-end vehicles also have suspension-raising modes called Allroad and Lift/Offroad. 

You could be tempted to put it into 'Auto' and let the computers make all the decisions. Audi dealers in Canada recommend Comfort mode. But then, Audi promotes its brand with the Audi Ice Experience in Finland and participation in the Ice Race in Zell am See in Austria, so perhaps there is a case for Dynamic Mode. My experience in getting a license in Austria and both Nordic and Alpine driving lead me to believe that the answer is more complicated than you might think.  

Audi revolutionized rally driving with its all-wheel-drive car, the 'quattro', in 1980, and has maintained a reputation for spirited winter driving. Audi's history also includes a lot of Alpine driving. The company holds its Driving Experience and Ice Experience in western Austria every winter, and its HQ is a two-hour drive from Germany's Alpine border. It's not a stretch to say that the mountains of Austria are as much home to Audi's cars as Bavaria's Autobahn.

Driving in the mountains on snow and ice is something Austrians take seriously. The country's driver education course includes a day-long wet skid pad experience to understand the loss of traction in a safe environment. The written test also includes questions about winter driving. Driving around a corner on snow? Don't answer, 'drive near the dividing line to see through the turn better' as I did. The proper answer in Austria is to slow down to maintain traction and drive near the shoulder. Gear changes should be at low rpms, too. Audi's Comfort Mode is designed with this driving style in mind. 

Dynamic Mode is what enthusiastic drivers expect from Audi.  Dynamic Mode sends more power to the rear wheels of all wheel drive Audis, so you get the fun of rear wheel drive, while enjoying the relative safety of front wheel drive as well. Cars that can adjust the ride height will lower it in Dynamic Mode, which is a problem on unplowed roads. Dynamic Mode also sets gear shifts at higher rpms, which increases the chances of tires slipping, if the traction control will let them. The car tightens the controls and its responses, so driver overcorrection becomes more of a hazard. In Dynamic Mode, the suspension tuning transmits to the steering wheel more of the bumps it encounter, creating more conditions for such an error to occur.

Under most conditions, Dynamic Mode is not the best Drive Select mode for driving in snow. On packed snow and with an experienced driver, though, the ride can be exhilarating.

For cars that have it, Individual Mode accesses the most interesting set of possibilities for the driver, especially for driving in the snow. Individual Mode lets the user set each system in the car separately, allowing you to fine tune the way the car is set up. If unplowed streets or fresh snow is your major problem, increasing ride height is important but you might want to keep the steering at its normal sensitivity. In powder, keeping the gas pedal response at its normal setting can be fine. On the other hand, I have found that conditions with patches of ice or frost heaves requires a steadier hand and reducing both steering and accelerator inputs can help prevent overcorrecting. 

Audi recommends Comfort for general wintry conditions, and there is nothing wrong with that. It would be the default for alpine driving, where there is an emphasis on maintaining traction on the snow. But if you are in a position to take advantage of Audi's focus on providing a high-performance winter driving platform, Individual Mode may be your answer.