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But until some real pictures come out, no one knows.
I have a few questions about accessories, since I can't even begin to fathom all the dials and displays on the dash yet. Would appreciate any advice:
1. car does not have a sunroof. I'm considering adding one. Bad or OK idea? If so, who, what brands, etc.
2. is there some thing that might snap in where the cargo cover thing is which would act as a dog barrier, to keep my Belgian Shepard in the way way back and off the seats?
3. Do I need/want a bra on the front? If so what brand, where do I get it, etc.
4. I know it's pathetic to ask about cup holders in a German car, but I don't see any, or if the little flip up things down on the center console are all that there are, can I retrofit the center console in any way?
Thanks,
Bill
Can I get a chip for a V6, A4 and what will it do to the car...it already has 190hp, I test drove the V6 and it wasn't as quick as I expected.
Can I expect that a chip would make a significant difference? Would it compromise the car in any way? Thanks!
I have an A4 2.8 and love it! I have to admit for the first 3,000 miles or so it wasn't very quick, but as I put on the mileage (at 5,000 miles now), it has loosened up considerably, and the pickup and gas mileage have increased considerably. I can keep up with the best of them. If you are getting a five speed you should be in great shape. If you are getting the tiptronic, like I have, it is much quicker in the tiptronic mode as you have more control of the revs.
I hope I have been helpful. Good luck!
your first service have been worked out.
Were they able to satisfy you eventually?
You might also want to check out Topic # 408 in Edmunds sports car forum, especially the posts by the host, Mr Shiftright. Although he's admitted to being a large reptilian creature chained up in somebody's basement, he seems to know an awful lot about cars.
You do realize that not for much more with the options you indicated above that you can get a brand new 1.8.
As far as color is concerned, although I think black is nice, it is very hard to keep clean. Unless you want to make a project out of cleaning your car, the silver is the better choice. I have silver and it very rarely looks dirty.
Unfortunately, all dealers in my area had only manuals available for test drives, and therefore, I could not evaluate comparatively.
I have a Y2K 2.8 with tiptronic and initially, it was a little slow, but now with 5,000 miles on the car, it has loosened up considerably, and the pickup and go is great. It is not a muscle car, but I guess if you are looking at an A4 that is not your intention to begin with. It is plenty fast, and in the tiptronic mode, very responsive and fun to use. I would definitely get it. It's the best of all worlds.
An A4 = sport + luxury. If you want a car that is more on the sporty side, *definetly* get the 5 speed. If you want something more on the luxury side and you don't always like shifting then a Tip may be appropriate.
You have a difficult situation since you have to pay for the Tip anyway. I have a '00 2.8 5speed. If I had to do it over I would still get the 5 speed even if I had to pay for the Tip. The manual just suits my needs better. I highly recommend that you find a Tip to test drive before you take delivery. After you drive both, there should be no doubt in your mind which is best for you.
-mike
IMO, the Subie GT gets you fairly close to the performance of the A4 for less money, but you give up a lot on amenities.
I am very close to making a decision, however,I am in need of performance, I love the way Audi looks, but will either of these cars inspire me or impress me.....chipped or not.
Keep in mind that I have only test driven 2 cars
1.1998 A4 1.8
2.1999 a4 2.8 QUATTRO
Neither one of these cars impressed me trmendously. Thanks for any help.
Throw in a KKK K04 turbo to replace the K03 and you can then get to 225HP or more, like in the TT. Then you will leave 2.8's behind by a fair margin.
The S4 is significantly more expensive than the '99 2.8Q. You're looking at $43K or so.
http://AutoGear.come.to
Comments? Opinions on this package/pricing?
I've read this topic for quite awhile, but I'm wondering if there is anything I should be paying special attention to? Problem areas?
If I buy, I'd like to keep it for awhile -- any notion if it would make sense to extend the warranty to 100,000 mi. and 7 years with another warranty company ... or would the premium be so steep you think it would just be extravagant?
Thanks.
Take care.
Joe W.
Seeing as you're warranteed until 75,000, it will cost you upwards of $1-2,000 for maybe another two year's warranty. It might pay for itself, but I would probably wait to see if the car is problematic before I would pay for an extended warranty at that price for maybe one to two more years. I am going to get an extended warranty on my A4 even though the car has been rock solid for the past seven months, but I will be paying for four years at the same price you will be paying for 1-2 years. Warrantybynet seems to be the most reasonable one at about $1,000, but I believe it only goes to 6 years/100,000 miles. Research into it because some of the companies are charging alot of money for the same warranty you will get with warranbynet.
Tiltboy
There is a definite difference in ride, suspension and interior between the Passat and A4. I test drove both extensively before I purchased my A4. My brother has the Passat and even though it is a very nice car, he wishes he had sprung for the A4. Test drive both. You will come to your own conclusions. If you don't need the large trunk or backseat in the Passat, the A4 is the way to go.
Since a lot of people here talk about how the V6 is not fast enough, I decided to shed some light on your heads.
The V6 is not supposed to be fast, it is supposed to be smooth. You want fast, spend 38 grand on as S4, wich isn't that much more, if you put all the standard equip. it has on a 2.8.
The VW GTI (1.8T) is faster than the GTI GLX (2.8 VR6) as it is and if you get the late TT turbo kit (225 hp) it'll be a lot faster, but not nearly as smooth.
And for those people who ask what's the difference between the Passat and the Audis, just ask yourself this: do you want to see a big VW logo or the four rings on the steering wheel? Passat 4Motion has the same Quattro as do the A4 and A6.
There was also some guy comparing A4 and Impreza. Drive 1.8T vs 2.5RS. You'll see the difference. 1.8T is a luxury car that is fun to drive with handsome interior and a lot of cupholders. The Impreza's glass is a bit too close to your head for comfort and has tacky interior. 2.5RS also has a lot lower center of gravity and stiffer ride.
Impreza is a supercar, that has been chewing 'real' supercars since 1994. From my point of view: you can buy the A4 and keep it until you get old, or you can get the 2.5RS and live now. If the 2.5RS is not fast is not fast enough, wait a little for the Turbo and the devilish WRX. Comparing Impreza to A4 is like comparing M3 to Trans-Am WS06 packaging with some bad [non-permissible content removed] chip. M3 - "...Latest of the German engineering...True supercar..." blah-blah-blah... The Trans-Am is faster anyway.
Although I have never posted before, I have been reading all these posts for quite some time. Thank you all for your helpful posts! This site is great.
I am still in complete dilemma; I can't decide between an A4 or Acura TL. However, at a nearby dealer, I found a Black 1.8T with all the options and the Ecru interior that I want, and since finding a car with color and options of my choice was not easy, I think I should seriously consider buying this. However, I read that you people think that Black color is difficult to maintain. Exactly how bad is Black?
Unfortunately I don't have a garage and my car will be parked outside all the time. Is this too bad for a black car? Are automatic car washes not good enough to keep it clean, or are they actually harmful to the finish of the car?
Thank you in advance for any helpful responses.
I am sure if you chip the A4 1.8, it could be just as fast as the Acura. My husband actually wanted to get another A4 instead of the Acura, but I couldn't see have two of the same car, and wanted something different to alternate driving.
The A4 has been fantastic. I look forward to driving it every day, and like it more every time I drive it. We have owned it for a little over six months, and have had the Acura for only two weeks so it is really hard to give a full comparison, but I have to admit the NAV system in the Acura is unbelievable. It is so accurate that it is hard to believe the technology out there. If getting the NAV system is important to you, the Acura is your best bet. The NAV system on the Audi is nowhere as easy to use as the Acura, plus the Acura has the entire continental US on one DVD disk.
I hope I helped and didn't make you more confused!
Most people who own black cars say even though it requires more maintenance, they wouldn't choose any other color.
I have three cars: a black, a white, and a (Ford) green. The white is a piece of cake to take care of, even if it is a little anonymous. The green actually isn't bad either, cleans up pretty easily and wears a little bit of dust and dirt without too much fuss. But the black shows everything -- and I don't mean you have to look. Inside of an hour, parked at this time of year near oak trees, it can go from a glistening show stopper to a grungy, dull pig. Which is fine because the black one is my toy so I like to putter on it -- including washing at least twice a week, more in pollen and dust time.
It's also a trick to keep black from spotting, streaking, scratching and haloing as you clean. Certainly it can be done without any treatment near as fancy as indicated on some of the maintenance topics here at Edmund's, but it is still a frequent time robber. Again, not a problem for someone who doesn't care too much about the sharpness of the ride, but I doubt that's you turbojet, or you wouldn't have asked.
As a general rule (not trying to start a fight here;) light colors are easiest to maintain -- white, silver, gold, beige, etc. Greens and reds, even in dark colors aren't too bad. Blues seem a little worse for some reason. And black is a couple steps worse than even navy, etc.
Take care.
Joe W.
I guess I will have to order 2001 A4, (and then I will probably get Silver color).
Thanks anyway for your responses.
You are making a great choice! Good luck!
I) Is it a good time to get better deal on a 2000 A4. He has been tol by the dealer that 2001 A4's are coming in
2) Is there any difference between A4 1.8 T models for 2000 and 2001
3) What is the price most of the people have paid/ he should pay for A4?
4) Is there any option he should choose with the base A4 1.8
Btw I was able to find lots of Passat Vs Car X topics and A4 vs car X topics but no
A4 vs Passat topics ??? Your help is appreciated .
As far as changes on the 2001 A4's, the body style is not changing, the warranty is changing to 4 yrs./50,000 miles with free maintenance-instead of 3 yrs./50,000 miles as it is right now. The side curtain airbags will be standard and I am sure I am leaving out a few other things. The price of the 1.8 will go up a few hundred dollars, but the purchasers of the 2.8 will be in for a surprise if they want a 5 spd. Apparently the 2.8 will only be made with automatics, unless you special order a 5 spd. There will be a price increase to reflect this of $1200, which won't be a big deal to people who want the automatics, as that is a little more than they would pay now, but the 5 spd. 2.8 people will still have to pay the $1200, regardless of the fact that they are getting a 5 spd. In essence, they will be paying for an automatic they don't want.
I think the extra year's maintenance on the warranty is worth it alone to wait for the 2001. I would have probably waited if I had known this.
Good luck!
One more question ...Since he is going for an A4 without Qtr option , does it make more sense to buy a Passat ? I haven't driven a Passat 1.8 so I really don't know how both FWD cars compares!!!
Again, he really needs to drive both cars back to back, as the FWD version of both cars will be very different. The A4 is much more tossable and fun to drive in AWD and FWD versions. The Passat is fun to drive in a family car sort of way. He can't go wrong with either, although the Audi has a warranty twice as long as the VW, has a much nicer interior MHO, and is much more agile.
BTW, if you want more information go to www.audiworld.com and look up under "search" in the A4 forum, and there is plenty of information regarding the A4 vs. the Passat. All you need to do is put in the word Passat and you should come up with lots of information comparing these two cars.
Good luck!
Turning to colors I'm thinking of the dark blue. Any thoughts out there about this choice?
My only other choice was 3.2 TL. However, I really wanted a manual transmission, and the "sportshift" did not satisfy my craving for manual transmission, after many test drives. Although I love the TL, this was a deciding factor against it.
Its funny to think that for around $30K, there is no other nice car with manual transmission!
Until we see what Audi does, I rarely go by the dealer.
I plan to get cloth! No leather. Why? Simple personal preference. But, would this choice leave me with the only non-leathered 2.8? = hard to sell down the road??
TIA!
Jeff
I'm sorry to hear that the dealer said that some
S4s are coming back with blown turbos. Don't let
anyone bs you with "all cars have problems" and "no car is pefect." Look at the record of catastrophic engine failure with the 1.8T. A better place to get Audi information is www.audiworld.com
If you deduct the $450 for metallic paint and ? for the sports package and deduct $141 for the sports steering wheel that I had to pay for (that I believe is going to be standard in 2001), we come out to about the same price. In Northern California, you are not going to get a better price.
Good luck!
P.S. - I also got silver. Great color!
Thanks.
Thanks.