I too would rather be in an accident in a Mercedes than a quattro, other things I don't like about the Volkswagen/Audi quality also, ...

The first (Styre-Puch) 4matic system was computers and clutches, reactive. In '98 it was re-introduced with a much less expensive viscous-locked differential system, which requires a difference in rotational speeds between the driveshafts to increase axle torque/drive, so the problem I found when driving it was the same problem as other viscous-locked and viscous-coupled "AWD" systems: you're already and always slipping some.

Traction control is again reactive: once a wheel loses traction the system will react by slowing the wheel. The problem I've found with these reactive systems is that it might match the rotational speed with the other wheels, but you're already going sideways down the road, ... too late and it's going to hurt. The quattro system never does that.

If the 4matic system has changed again, I'm behind the curve here. If not, my opinion/experience is still that the quattro system will prevent the impact better, which is much preferred to merely surviving it.

I don't think there's any car I'd rather be in than a W140 in a collision though. Even the 6000lb Rolls.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff