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Comments
For myself, I will try out these stock Goodyear Eagle all-seasons with the 15" rims (I don't have the sports pkg) this winter.....they should perform fine as I didn't have Quattro or winter tires in my Accord. Then when spring comes I am going to get myself a nice set of 17" rims with Dunlop SP5000's (ultra high performance all-seasons) and sell the OEM 15" rims and tires then.
Scotrack, it depends where you live. If snow is ALWAYS a concern, don't get the sports pkg as you WILL need to get an extra set of rims and winter tires, and slightly less ground clearance with the lowered suspension on the sports pkg. Of course if snow is a big concern, you should get Quattro too. I was stuck in a parallel parking spot once in my Accord and should I have my Audi w/Quattro then, I wouldn't be that embarrassed to spend 30 min to dig the snow under the tires and get the car out.
oh ebnk, nice options on the car.....it's pretty much loaded :>
Billy
(click on imagenes)
Also, I'm fed-up with the auto-dimming side mirrors! I've put a piece of tape over the sensor. I just about ran into someone changing lanes because their lights were off. I'd have seen them if the left mirror wasn't dimmed. I can live with the inside mirror dimming but it's really dangerous having the outside mirrors dim, IMO. Does anybody know how to let the inside mirror auto-dim but not the outside mirrors? I'd cut the wires but I'm not sure which one is the heat element wire and which one is the auto-dim wire. I'd really rather not cut any wires because when I go to sell the car, the next person might not mind the side mirrors auto-dimming.
Andrew-- thanx for the posting. Nice article, I think, lol. I can't read Spanish that well although I took a year of it in high school
...or is that article in Portuguese??? *shrugs shoulders*
Billy
By the way just drove past an Audi dealership close by and they have 18 A4's and a whopping 13 S4's.....
Billy
13 S4's??? ...wow, maybe you can make a good deal on a trade-in for one of those!!
BTW, I'm considering a 2002 model. Has anyone heard if the back has anymore legroom. That's why I did not buy the current model. I think I'll go with cloth seats. Sure it does not look as nice as vinylette, but I think it will be more comfortable in long run.
Well I got the Opal leatherette and one thing for sure, they get pretty warm under the sun. Good thing I didn't get the black leatherette. Real leather should be a little better, but not by much. However, the leatherette did fool a lot of my friends thinking that's real leather.
Yup 15 A4 1.8T's, 3 A4 2.8's and 13 S4's in my dealership. Time to dig up some money if I hid them somewhere in the lawn.
Billy
I bought an used 2000 Audi A4 2 months ago, and I'm still every minute of it. However, I do have some concerns about the engine of the car. I've asked around but gotten different answers.
1) After I take my A4 for a spin, am I not suppose to turn off the engine immediately? If so, how long should I keep the car running? I've been keeping that ritual but not sure if it's worth it.
2) Audi recommend us to take our A4 in for a service every 4300 miles. However, I've been told that 3000 miles is the ideal number for a turbo car oil change, and synthetic oil is a must to keep the turbo engine longevity to its maximum.
Does anyone know the "exact" answer to those two questions?
thanks
Yeah I sometimes got that booming problem when my roof is fully open, however, closing it a tick did get rid of the problem. I guess ask the dealer if anything can be done, since it's not a good idea to install those wind deflectors on the sunroof and destroy the beautiful lines on the A4/S4.
Billy
Jonathan-- Billy's advice, again, is right on. I just put it back one "click" ahead of the full open position while driving on the freeway and the "booming" seems to subside. Of course, you're driving a lot faster with that S4 than we are with our A4's, lol *waaaah* ...so maybe that's why it works for us but not for you (??) I did read somewhere over on AW where if you fiddle with that plastic (built-in ...the one that comes standard with the roof) deflector in the front of the roof that it helps but I can't remember how exactly you're supposed to "fiddle" with it. If I have the time, I'll try to go back and see if I can find the post and give you a link.
Anyhow back to the serious stuff. For the 2002 A4's, the V6 engines won't be pumping out 190hp and has a 2.8L displacement. They will actually be 3.0L V6 30valve engines pumping out 222hp. So if you found that a 2.8 is the way to go, you better wait for the 3.0L engines. However, rumors saying that they're behind schedule on producing that engine, and that first year new engine + new model for a car might not be a good idea if those are not Japanese cars LOL. Plus you gotta convince yourself that you like the new bodystyle, which honestly has grown on me a little bit......but still not enough to convince me to get the 2002 instead of the 2001. But hey, you'll be one of the first kids in the block to have a brand spanking new A4.
The one thing to remember about the 1.8T is, you can chip it and get up to 207hp and 246lbft torque for a mere $500, while on a 2.8/3.0 engine, you gotta spend like $3-4k to add a turbocharger to it to make it go faster. Of course with the new 3.0L engine you get the power with the Audi warranty, i.e. if the chipped 1.8T engine gives you trouble, you won't be covered by the warranty if anything helps due to the chipping.
Billy
The new 2002 A4's are 14" longer than the 2001's? You sure? Geez that's one big sedan.
Again the current A4's offer V6 engines since they were here (the old ones got 12v engines, new ones got 30v engines). Only difference is, the 2002's will have 3.0L V6 engines pumping out 222hp while the current 2001's will have 2.8L V6 engines pumping out 190hp.
Billy
Lisa-- Have you considered maybe a 325i? or xi? Like Billy, I would have much preferred a Bimmer if I weren't trying to keep my purchase price down below 30k. I like my A4 and the value it represents but let's face it, a BMW is THE ultimate driving machine! :-)
It was my first trip to the dealership yesterday, and was a bit overwhelmed with the different pricing (and models) for the A4's, A6's and S4's. There are some incentives right now with low APR's so it would almost be cheaper to get an A6 (I think it was down to 2.9 for June and they are talking about carrying it over into July.)
Yes, I am considering the 3-Series as well and hope to test drive a few today (my first trip to the BMW dealer.)
I have been researching the Audi's and Bimmer's for some time, as well as the Lexus ES300 and would like to make a decision before the end of summer so it will be easier to sell my '98 Honda Accord ape V6.
You will get a kick (or maybe not) out of the fact that my new car shopping started with a desire for the RX300, which then turned into the Acura DX. I actually have a deposit down on the DX for fall delivery, but can't make up my mind if I want the SUB or a kick-butt luxury sedan.
Test driving will be the key here, and my main reason for the SUB was because the 4WD comes in handy during our brutal Minnesota winters. I was educated on Quattro yesterday, and understand that Bimmer's have traction control (same as WAD?), so I would still get better winter performance.
Any comments or suggestions would be welcomed! I'll keep you posted.
Lisa
Lisa, mmmmm let's get all those terms correct for ya. In the case of the BMW xi, under normal driving, rear wheels still have the most burden (not 100%) to drive the car forward. Only under extreme conditions will all wheels engage in driving the car. In the case of the Quattro in an Audi, all 4 wheels drive the car at the same time with equal bias under normal driving, and when it senses wheel spin it'll transfer power to the wheels with the most traction.
In the case of most SUV's, UNLESS they specify FULL TIME ALL WHEEL DRIVE, ONLY the front wheels drive the vehicle. These vehicles are often named or branded as 4WD. When the onboard computer senses wheel slip or after you press the button or work the lever that says 4WD, then all four wheels are engaged to work together. They are deceiving that in most systems you NEED to engage the lever or hit the button yourself to get all 4WD, and needless to say in emergency situations you won't have time to hit that button or lever. More deceiving is that, in these 4WD SUV's, it's recommended NOT to have all 4 wheels driving the vehicle at all times. It's recommended to use 4WD ONLY when you go to drive around in a mud pool or pulling your boat out of the water.
Now you see how useful the Quattro system and all other FULL TIME ALL WHEEL DRIVE vehicles are. With ESP in your Audi, you are very safe.
Now comparing the BMW xi and Audi Quattro cars. Read the Edmunds.com review on the BMW 325xi.
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/spin/46587/article.html
It's titled "This Bavarian Motor Doesn't Werk". The editor basically slams a huge rock at this BMW, and read what he recommends.
Bimmers come standard with Traction Control, but you can add this $500 option to your Audi. Looks like you live in Minneapolis (been there in the winter), and I wouldn't drive a bimmer that comes standard with rear wheel drive. Only the xi or the X5 will be on your list if you want a bimmer, even I'll cross the X5 off the list cuz it's an SUV and with high center of gravity it won't do well in curves.
One more selection to your list if the ES 300 is on yours. THe Acura 3.2TL Type S. 260hp for a very nice price. And it's a HOnda too.
Whew I typed too much again, didn't I.....Now for the reward for reading all these. For ANY OF YOU who lives close to Chicago, I got good news for ya. Buddy of mine told me yesterday that Audi is hosting a Quattro Challenge in the Chicago Motor Speedway. A full day of activies such as Cornering Control, Accidence Avoidance, Skid Recovery, Timed AutoCross, Speed Laps and Personal Coaching are all included with a dinner in the famed Field Museum, all for.....you guessed it, FREE. I can't believe it, and to qualify you only need to have a 97 and up Audi and you can bring a guest. But be fast, it's limited to 50 owners for each day on Saturday (9/8) and Sunday (9/9). Click on the following link:
http://www.audiusa.com/myAudi/quattro_challenge/html/set.htm
Billy
Joanathan-- lol, I don't know whay you'd take Billy's advice about "keeping the right foot easy" ...what's the purpose of having an S4 if you're going to do that??? Might as well just have an A4 :P
Lisa-- what's WAD?? lol ...and yah, if they made either the RX300 or the DX with a 5-speed manual, I'd seriously (very seriously!) consider getting one! When you refer to them as SUB's, does that stand for Sports Utility Burner??
HEHE either keep the right foot easy or get a radar detector.....you don't wanna pay the speeding "tax".
Billy
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
I appreciate the education on Audi's and BMW's as up until about a week ago I was convinced I was getting the MDX. I still love the vehicle, but don't know if I need THAT much space.
So, getting back to winter driving....the overall reaction is that Audi's Quattro is superior to BMW?
Today I drove a 330i and it was quite awesome, but have not done any research on that at all, so need to do that. (The salesguy made me believe that BMW is the ulimate driving vehicle and there is nothing that comes close to it.) I drove a 5-speed, which is fun, but again in the winter a 20 minute commute can easily turn into an hour and 20 minutes. No fun then.
If anyone has done some research I'd love to find out what your end result was. The 330 I drove today was loaded and came in around $40K. The 525 with an automatic was just about $1500 more, so I thought that was a better value.
Not sure what I'll spend just yet, but want to make sure that I don't have buyers remorse after a few months.
Now stop picking on me!!
330i:
35,100 invoice
38,500 MSRP
Moon, Sport, Xenon, Lux Package, Steptronic
A4:
34,000 invoice
37,500 MSRP
Moon, Sport, Xenon, Leather, Tiptronic
Most likely prices IMHO:
330i 37,100 (2k over invoice)
A4 34,500 - 35,000 (500 to 1,000 over invoice)
I actually like driving the 330i better due to its better low-end power. I am also concerned that the A4 will take a hit with the impending model change. All that said, the A4 is a great car and I would get a somewhat better deal, also due to the impending model change.
Any thoughts?
Also, what state are you in? I am amazed at the difference in pricing from state to state!
I guess my main concern right now is that the 2k or so in price differential could be blown away pretty rapidly by a fast depreciation of the A4.
I just purchased a light silver 2001 A4, FWD 1.8T, with Celebration package and Sports Package (only had 11 miles on it). I got a really good deal in San Antonio (less than 25K). I would highly recommend Rod East Audi in San Antonio...they will work with you!!! Ask for Donnie.
I decided to go with FWD because this is Texas (we don't get snow, and if it does ice over, everything closes down...lol). I love the car...thanks for the advice SCIROCCO22 and everyone else that gave input...the sports package is definitely worth it.
What about gas? The salesperson told me to put medium grade (around 91 octane) in the car...any recommendations? I thought about the premium stuff, but if I can save money without sacrificing performance (and detonation???), I'll do it. What are you thoughts??
Awesome purchase...no buyer's remorse here!!!!
Scott
Shopshop, for that price on an A4, I'm assuming you are talking about a 2.8? For that price, include the S4 in your list. Yes it's more expensive, but it comes STANDARD with leather, xenon, sport (there's no such thing on an S4, the suspension is already tweaked), and Tiptronics at no extra charge. The S4 comes with 2 turbos so there's not that much lag.
OK Quattro is useful in the winter/snow, but it's also useful when you take a curve by giving you traction on all 4 wheels.
Like fdxboy, I was also considering the 325ci b4 buying the A4 1.8T......a nicely equipped 325ci runs for $35k easy......while the A4 1.8T is $29k MSRP......there's not that much of a power difference between the 325ci and the 1.8T.....OK the BMW got more juice at the high end (high rpm and high speed), but I just LOVE the turbo spooling in the 1.8T. The 1.8T feels faster in city traffic, that's for sure, if you keep the rpm between 2500 and 4000. There might be a bigger power difference between the A4 2.8 and 330i.....so be sure to drive them all......and the S4 if your budget allows you to the $42k MSRP zone, which you should be able to get it at around $39.5k.....250hp and 266lbft of torque in a turbocharged 2.7L engine.
Which brings out the point of turbocharged engines vs normally aspirated engines.....the A4 1.8T engine and S4 engine are turbocharged, the A4 2.8 and all BMW engines are normally aspirated.....which some can argue it should be cheaper to maintain a normally aspirated engine car. As some of you pointed out, the 1.8T engine got numerous awards as one of the "10 Best" engines so that should make us rest easier.
Congrats on the purchase, Scotrick. I like it, another silver :>
Billy
As far as Bimmers' go...I do like them. Although many bimmer owners think that they are the end all be all when it comes to cars. Give me the choice btwn a 330 and a S4...I will take the S4 and the [non-permissible content removed] kicking it will give the 330 everytime.
Hehe just spanked a stock Eclipse (the 4-banger one).....that dude must be thinking what the heck I got under the hood.....NO mods and don't underestimate an Audi :>
Billy
Thanks everyone for the recommendation on which grade of gas to use...out of curiosity, does the A4 1.8T, 5-Speed manual w/ Quattro get the same mpg as the FWD A4 1.8T (5sp manual)??? Someone told me that Quattro burns a little more gas.
Scott
Scott
Scott
Alex-- *thumbs up* ...yah, chosing the Audi over the BMW makes sense as far as getting the most value for the money. That's why I went with an A4. As I've said before, I really think the 3-series Bimmer could be the ultimate car for me but I just couldn't see spending that much for what I was getting; at this point in my life, anyway, lol... maybe someday! I had a friend who used Priceline and recommends it. But he was buying a Toyota where there are a whole bunch of dealers here in this area. Since we only have two Audi dealers in the Seattle metropolitan area, I didn't try it with the Audi. I considered trying it for the Subaru Forester that I'm currently buying but I found a dealer in the area that is selling them at a flat-rate over invoice through their internet department. $500 over invoice sounds really resonable for a 2.8 A4 at this time of year. I think you'll get lots of bidding on it especially if you're in a big metropolitan area like SF where I'm assuming have lots of Audi dealers. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Lisa-- LOL!, sorry, I actually wasn't kidding with my questions in my last post! ...then I remembered that awful spell-check that Edmunds has after Pat mentioned it. I stopped using that long ago, lol. Just a quick thought: If I were in Minneapolis, I'd surely be seriously considering an Audi Quattro over any rwd Bimmer because of your long cold winters. And yes, as Billy explained, IMO, the Quattro is far superior to any awd system out there, especially the BMW's. I bet you could get a real good deal on an A6 right now. By the end of the summer, most of the A4's might be gone but A6's are slower sellers and I don't believe that the new A6 will be out until deep into the end of the year so you might just be able to get a real good deal on an '01 A6 even into the Fall. I'll have more to say on SUV's later, lol. Keep us posted!
--'rocco
Oh yes cars equipped w/Quattro burn more gas, more weight (like a couple of hundred pounds!!) and more energy/friction loss between more moving parts (I'd assume). It also translates into faster 0-60 times.....7.5 sec with FrontTrac manual vs 7.8 sec with Quattro manual. AND you can smoke some tires when you want to with a FrontTrac....LOL. Actually I noticed that Audi (www.audiusa.com) just added a Quattro introduction and FAQ right when you open their website. Go check it out if you wanna learn more about Quattro.
Oh Scirocco, the Audi 1.8T website does list the engine oil at 3.7 quarts.....darn it how come they put in 4.3 quarts in our manuals which I assume is the amount that they put in when the engine is brand new sans oil?
Well, 5,760 happy miles and still cruising too fast. Now let's talk about radar detectors.....
Billy-- Ahhh... that's it! 4.3 for the original factory fill! ...that makes sense. Yeah, I did find that TSB. It's in PFD format in a file on my 'puter. I couldn't quite figure out how to post it here and I couldn't find the post again over on AW from which I originally got it from. So I tried to copy and paste it and guess what? They have an encoded message that shows up when pasted that has a really threatening message about copying, publishing, transferring, etc., that made it sound like they'd prosecute you to "the fullest extent of the law" if they saw that you were reproducing it somewhere without their permission. Sheesh! ...don't understand what the big deal is *looks perplexed* Then I was going to give you the TSB number and now I find that the VW web-site that list all the TSB's is now requiring a password. I think I remember someone over at AW making reference to that but that is so stupid that they are now only making their TSB's available to only service technicians and not the general public. But anyway, yes, the official refill amount is 3.7 qt. with filter change and at the bottom of the TSB there is a warning on the importance of not overfilling and the consequences.
One thing I noticed recently, the amount of brake dust that sticks to the rims is somewhat less than when the car was brand new. Yay!
Billy
LOL, I was just going to say the opposite about the brake dust... I seem to be getting it heavier lately! Maybe it's because I'm starting to drive a little more aggressively now that I'm approaching the end of the break-in period! Man, what a pain it is to wipe off the wheels almost every day! :-(
Congrats on the Forester, BTW. What a perfect duo to have in your garage! I do think you'll appreciate the Forester's utility and reliability; also, IMO, the A4 and Forester are two of the best deals for the dollar among any vehicles. And sounds like you did get a nice deal on both!
Mark