Audi A4 2004 and earlier

drod2045 · March 2002

tint is illegal on the front windows in NJ (I live in NJ). But you can always take your car to a gas station and slip the guy there a few bucks to not see it.

cpeterson3 · March 2002

Just wanted to pass along my recent purchasing experience. I was looking to replace a 1995 Saab convertible over the last year. My wife was interested in a TT roadster while I was leaning toward a sedan like the 9-3, 325i, A4 or C240 (we already own a MB ML320). December / January came and with the mild winter here in CT, I decided to check-out the TT as I had looked at all the sedans. I drove the TT 225 and coming off of a non-turbo 900S convert, I was completely blown away. (the salesperson was great because she encouraged me to drive it like it could be and not with a cautious round the mall parking lot attitude) The power and Quattro were an unbelievable combination and I came away sold on the TT. First problem: the cost. I had not made a car payment in 2 years and the idea of a $500 lease payment or $650 loan payment was uncomfortable so I had little faith in finding a car I could mentally afford. I knew the exact car I wanted and the cost of the options etc.

Between NJ, NY, CT and MA I tried about 12 dealers and came away with 7 quotes that I felt were close enough to be fair and accurate but 1 was about $20 less a month and $500 less on the down payment. This perked my curiosity about national programs, margin tolerances, incentives etc. (I settled on leasing because my wife gets bored easily with cars - I will get to the A4 tie in soon)

3 things came-up that changed our model direction. 1) as expected, no dealer wanted my car at anything close to what resembled a sane price. ($4500 - $6500) Yes I understand that what they may get at the auction but knowing they would sell the car with a $2K or more premium just killed me. So I was onto selling it privately which prevented me from purchasing a new car. (wife's ultimatum, must sell before you can buy) 2) we're trying to save for a new house so we came-up with an under $400 target and minimal cash outlay and 3) we have decided to speed-up our family expansion plans so a 2 door was out of the question.

I hemmed and hawed for weeks about what car to get and re-examined the options, cost and availability. The C240 and 325i were far to expensive to lease once we added in our sunroof and heated seats requirement so that left the 9-3 and A4 1.8. As a current Saab owner and with the $4K coming from GM to the dealers, you can lease a loaded 9-3 for a RIDICULOUSLY cheap monthly payment. I mean in New England with the glut of dealers and if you do your bargaining right, you can pay under $300 a month (including tax and 12K miles per year) with only $2000 total out of pocket. That's a lot, I say A LOT of car for that low a price. The 205 hp in the auto is fun and you get leather, sunroof, heated seats, Harmon Kardon stereo - the works. So I settle on the 9-3 when I see the spy-photos of the 2003 model which is completely re-designed and actually has a trunk!! Now I'm reluctant to get into a car that in 4 months will be the old body style so remembering the awesome performance of the TT, I head for the A4.

I do my usual local road testing and model / option review and settle on the car for us: 1.8T (on our budget $5K is a lot just to get leather and a few more ponies when a $500 chip can get you the same off the line juice) Quattro, sunroof, 16" rims and heated seats in black on black. Then I do my usual tri-state / NE phone calls and canvas the same 12 or so dealers and come back with 5 that are relatively close and then 1 (same as before on the TT) who is just glaringly less per month:

$2063 total out of pocket @ $378 per month including CT sales tax and 12K per year miles for 39 months on the exact car except its grey inside - and he says maybe there is a little more room.

One problem, I still own my car and its late January and nobody wants to give me what I want for it. So a few weeks pass trying to sell my car in the local paper and finally I put it on the internet and it sells to someone in NYC for what I want / need. Now it the middle of February and I am ready for my new A4. Problem is the dealership who gave me the great price no longer has the car I want, could trade for one but that would raise the cost. Now I have this great price in my mind and will not settle for a higher amount so I begin to take the price around and everyone turns the other way or doubts my numbers. I even go to the "world's largest Audi dealer" in Greenwich and the salesman says, "listen I think I can help you out. Here's a demo A4 1.8T q with 5K miles, sunroof, heated seats and 16" in black (beige interior which looks terrible with aluminum trim) for $416 a month and $2075 total out of pocket. Good deal huh? What do you say? Should we sign the papers?" I almost fell out of my chair. Its Presidents day so I'm off and I spend the rest of the day on the phone trying to negotiate back to my comfortable price.

I'm driving home with about 20 miles to go and I make 1 last call to a dealership that turns out to be almost in my back-yard but that I had completely discounted because they never advertise and are fairly low-volume and I hit the home-run: '02 A4 1.8T Quattro, sunroof, heated seats and 16" in black on black. "Don't lock the doors! I'll be there in 15 minutes and bring it around front." Just what we wanted but I feared the price. Would I just settle out of desperation?

It took me about 30 minutes and 3 rounds of negotiating but I finally got to mu number:

$2000 TOTAL out of pocket @ $375.16 per month including CT sales and 12K per month miles for 39 months.

Now that's a number I felt I could live with so I signed the paperwork and picked the car-up a few days later and its been 3 weeks of great fun. The turbo spools up with just enough oomph for me and the Quattro is a blast around traffic circles. We drop the seats, slide our snowboards thru and head to VT for the weekends and feel the same sure-footedness around the mountains as our ML 320. Yes you can spend allot less on a car but the build quality, stylish design, new appearance and performance are hard to beat if you can afford it. I will praise my decision to stick with the A4 for a long time to come. We're even thinking the A6 Avant will be the replacement for out ML when its lease is up! Thanks for hanging in there with my novel here but I hope it helped you kill a few minutes.

nyccarguy · March 2002

Congrats on your car. Did you get the 5 speed or Tiptronic? Enjoy your car!

entombed · March 2002

thanks drod2045.
But, I still have a question.
So, you mean I have to give a tip to gas station workers everytime? They gonna call the police or something?
I heard that NJ is not garden state. "Police state". So if that's true, I think I better take off my tint before I go there.

brick22 · March 2002

I loved reading your story, cpeterson! I'm sitting here on my first day of exam week reading my first set of final papers, and yours had all of the suspense and anticlimaxes that kept me turning the I mean scrolling down the page. Not to mention I kept wanting to hear that you liked it and hadn't changed your mind.

I think you said you ended up getting black on black. The black interior looks sharp--but I only saw it on a 3.0 with wood trim. Does it go well with the aluminum? I agree the beige doesn't. I actually got the avant, but nobody seems talkative on that page, so I come here--same car with room for the skis and the dogs, right?

The year before last, when I first started thinking about moving up to a more luxurious yet sporty yet practical car, my first choice was the Saab 9-5 wagon. I still like it, but I was talked out of it--first because of turbo and second because it has no AWD, and every year we end up getting caught somewhere between Utah, Nevada, Canada and Washington in some severe deep blowing snow packed whiteout conditions, so AWD had to be a first consideration. So i'm glad to hear you made the move to Audi and so far without regret.

Tell us all about the interesting moments with your new car as they happen. I'm still waiting for mine on order. Week 3 of I'll let you know how many it takes to get from there to here.

lauk0dg · March 2002

Nice "play-by-play" analysis.....I would also like to add, for future buyers, to buy at the end of a month. Dealerships/salespersons want to make/exceed their quota, and it worked really well for me when I picked up my 01.5 A4 1.8T for $600 over invoice last Feb 28.

And cpetersen3, maybe after the ML320, you want a RS6 Avant with 450hp :> Well, that is, if you think the S6 available now in US which has 340hp is not enough :>

Billy

no3on · March 2002

Hi all, I just ordered a 3.0QM Avant yesterday with xenon, sport package, sunroof with leatherette and my salesman told me that my $1000 deposit is non-refundable because no one would want this car with the leatherette interior if I decided that I didn't want it when it arrives. Is there any truth to this?

finklejag · March 2002

I live in vancouver wa.I bought my car at sunset imports in beaverton oregon.There is only one audi dealership in the portland area.My salesman told me that the cars come into wilmington del,then are put on a train to seattle,then trucked down to portland.Do you live in the seattle area.I know there are three dealers up there.I called larsons autohaus in tacoma to check on prices once.Hope this helps

herr finkle

bluetrane · March 2002

It's really up to the individual dealership (and you) whether or not a deposit is refundable. The dealer is going to do this if a customer orders a car combination that is unusual and is worried that it will sit on the lot if the person who orders it changes their mind. My guess is that many people buying a 3.0 choose it over the 1.8T because of the leather seating, and your dealer thinks it will be a deal-killer if you don't end up buying the car. In my case, I was told that ordering without a sunroof would make the deposit unrefundable. There are some people on AudiWorld who have ordered some rather unorthodox color combos who have sid the same thing. If the deposit bothers you, you can always try another dealer and they may be more acommodating.

brick22 · March 2002

Just had word that my car is in B status--still waiting to hear on build week. Not much to report. The dealer did confirm that cars (bound for the west coast)arrive in Wilmington and travel by rail to Tacoma, then are transported to the dealerships. He did say that later in the year, cars would be arriving in San Diego and then shipped in enclosed trucks to the northwest. Just idle details.

Bluetrane said what I would have said. My dealer said I had ordered a nice combination of options--sunroof, heated seats, 16" wheels, xenon headlights. I guess he meant that combination would be easy enough to sell if i changed my mind. I don't know, though, 3on--from what I can see, there are so few Avants in stock anywhere on the west coast that I would think they'd be up for grabs with nearly any combination of options. Are they easier to come by where you live?

And Finklejag--I must have been in contact with at least 12 dealers up and down the west coast. I didn't quite get to the point of pitting one against the other, but just took the best offer given by the most receptive and least arrogant dealer, which happened to be Roger Jobs in Bellingham. It wasn't just a good offer, the other dealers didn't seem interested in even talking about coming down from MSRP on an Avant. Well, the one in Tacoma offered 500 off MSRP, but Roger Jobs came forth without my asking. There happened to be two avants available at the time I was ready to buy--one in Tacoma and one at University Audi in Seattle, but for me it was worth waiting for a better price. There's also one in stock right now in Bend--supposedly. I'll just be interested to see how prices change by May and June. Gotta run!

no3on · March 2002

To answer your question, I'm not sure. I did see a few of them at 2 different dealers. Don't know if they still have them though.

dej0 · March 2002

Hi Gang,
I ordered my 3.0 A4 in early January, and it is here now. The guy just called me today. Unfortunately, I have an all day meeting tomorrow, and I am not sure about friday. The guy was disapointed that I could not just come tomorrow, but the dealer is 45 minutes away and 1 day's notice is not enough time.
I knew it would be some time when I ordered (I had previously ordered my '97), so I did not stay in contact with my dealer. Still, less than 3 months, so I am not complaining.
They did ask for a $1k deposit at the time. I did not get leather, but I really wanted power seats, which are not available in the 1.8T engine. So I got sports package, xenons and moon roof. Red with the tan interior.

I'll let you know how I like it when I am driving it.

Ned

yoonny · March 2002

Congratulations on your new car. Enjoy it. I also ordered my '97. Was yours an A4? I was wondering if you traded in your car or sold it. How much were you able to get for the car? And how much over invoice did you pay for the new car? I am thinking of changing my car sometime this year. I paid $700 over invoice for my '97. I don't know if I can still get the new A4 at that price if I order.

nyccarguy · March 2002

Congrats on your new A4!

sf10 · March 2002

Just ordered my new A4, being built in Germany. Looked at the BMW 330, didn't like the "stiff" drive. Here's what I got (only 3 options, no leather or roof):

A4 3.0 Quattro
6-speed manual
Sport Package
Xenon Headlights
Bose Premium sound

At 5% tax, metallic paint (i think they all are), i'm going out the door for $34,614

brick22 · March 2002

You sound understatedly excited sf10. Where are you located for a tax rate of 5%--we're taken for 8.6 in the Northwest! In the last week or so, it seems more people are saying they've bought/ordered 3.0s than 1.8Ts--is it the leather, the power seats, the engine, the ride? How did you decide on an order? Was it because they didn't have the options you wanted nearby, or did you get a better price by ordering? We--well at least I'm--all ears on the details.

Did you test drive the BMW 330xi? What exactly didn't you like in comparison? Or hopefully, what did you prefer in the Audi?

nyccarguy · March 2002

I have the same question as Brick22...Where are you located that the tax is only 5%? They get us for 8.25% here in the city! Congrats on ordering your new car. I find it interesting that you cited the stiff ride of the BMW 330i as one of the reasons you opted not to get it. Yet you ordered the Sport Package with your Audi. Was the difference between the Sport Package equipped A4 and 330i that significant?

tim_hooligan · March 2002

Here in Northern Virginia, I only paid 3% tax on the car when I bought it. But don't get too excited...they make up for it with a "personal property tax" where you pay 4.5% (or so) or the value of your cars EVERY YEAR. It used to be much higher, but it's getting phased out. They're gonna get the money out of you in some way or another!
So far, loving my '01 1.8T...has a few quirks, but you get used to it! I wish I could've gotten the same deal on the '02s, but it's a fine car either way you go.

lauk0dg · March 2002

Yeah but you guys don't need to pay state income tax in WA. I would rather do that than paying 6.75% for the taxes on my car, and then 3% on IL state income tax.

To all new A4 owners, welcome to the club! Nice decision and I'm sure you will like your new rides.

Sf10, I think for colors black, white and red, they are non metallic paints and you can save $450 right there. Just a thought.

Billy

khlmdphd · March 2002

I placed my order for a 1.8T Quattro A4 last January and expect to take delivery within the next 2 weeks. Shortly after I placed the order, I test drove the other car that I was seriously considering, the 325i, one more time to reassure myself that I had made the right decision.

The Audi I ordered is coming with the sport package, xenons, sunroof, and heated seats. The BMW that I most recently test drove was similarly equipped including the sport package. The acceleration advantage of the V6 on the 325i was there but only barely noticible. I accelerated through some curves that had a small amount of loose gravel and felt the bimmer slip a little, but immediately regain control when I let off the accelerator. I was reminded of the advantage of Quattro. I realize that the 325xi is an option, but a very costly one at that. Anyway, while performance was nearly comparable, when considering the full package, i. e. getting a six disc in dash CD changer and a tape player v.s. a single CD player, dual zone climate control, head protection air bags and heated seats in the back as well as the front, and a tiny trunk in the Bimmer, and so on... I was reassured that I had made the right decision.

The problem, and the reason that I post this message in search of advice is this: I recently read some glowing reviews of the new Saab 9-5 so I took it out for a spin two nights ago. Let me preface this with the fact that I will very soon become a new dad, and thus, the extra room in the back seat, I speculate, may be a big plus. Anyway, I was very pleasantly surprised with the Saab. Tested the 9-5 2.3t which has 185 h.p. but an amazing 207 ft. lbs. of torque. I drove both a 5 speed manual and their new 5 speed automatic. Another surprise to me, but I actually preferred the automatic in the Saab. I am a die hard manual fan for performance and I love the silky smooth A4 gear box. However, in the Saab, the automatic appear just as quick and was extremely smooth. In terms of handling, while is was not as nimble as the A4 with the sport package, I took a street corner at about 25 mph and the tire screeched a little but the car was sure footed.

So this is where need for advice comes in. The Saab that I drove and can take immediate delivery on is going to cost me $2500 more than the A4 that I ordered. In addition, from a financial standpoint, contrary to my initial thought, my Audi dealer will not refund my $500 deposit if I do not take delivery on my A4, so it actually will cost me $3000 more to get the Saab.

My dilemma is this, the Saab still appears to be a better value. The sticker price on the Saab is just under $38,000. I told the Saab dealer what my situation is with the A4 so knowing that I will definitely take delivery on a new car in the next 2 weeks, he brought the price down to $32,500 ($5500 below sticker, $3000 below invoice, and $1400 below edmunds TMV (Saab has huge dealer holdback thus they can afford to go below invoice, actually a marketing scam)). For the $3000 I am getting a car that is classified with the A6, has a substantially larger back seat, a huge trunk, and leather seats (and when they say buttery soft Saab leather, they mean it, those seats were amazing).

I went into the Saab dealership to once again reassure myself that I was doing the right thing with the Audi, but now I am not so sure. I told the Saab dealer last night that due to the significant price difference, I am almost sure that I am going to stick with the Audi but that I would think about it.

Sorry that this was so long winded but I wanted to give any of you wanting to give advice on this the full picture.

Thanks in advance.

nyccarguy · March 2002

While the Saab is a great deal (I currently lease a 2000 9-3), some things are too good to be true. The value of the Saab will plummet compared to the Audi. The 9-5 is a nice car (I had one as a loaner once) and has been ranked high by JD Power. Saab's reliability record is questionable (I don't know how long you plan on keeping your car) even though I've had NO problems with my car (I lease it). I'd take the Audi.

BTW: WHile Quattro is superior to BMWs AWD system, they are priced the same: $1750.

ct_yank · March 2002

I'm am currently considering leasing an
A4 1.8TQ with similiar options maybe sport package. I also live in CT (Fairfield County).
Sounds like you got a great deal. Which dealership did you end up buying from and who was your salesperson. What were the residual value and money factors on your 39 month lease?

Congrats on the new A4 & good luck.

yoonny · March 2002

Even though I love my friend's 900 turbo's engine and speed, everything else about Saab is a few years behind A4. How can you compare A4's exterior with Saab 9-5's?? The price on Saab may sound attractive but if you add in the dealer holdback and $2,500 cash allowance, the dealer still makes good money. Don't fall for the saleman talk. All Saab models will change soon and the used car values wont's be good. I will take pure German A4 anytime over the fake Swedish ("Ford").

yoonny · March 2002

www.audiworld.com has many posts with leasing prices.

godeacs · March 2002

...uh, hate to tell you, but Saab is a GM product!! You must be confusing them with Volvo.....

audi4lew · March 2002

Have been driving my '02 A4 3.0 Quattro (Tiptronic) for a month now, so I finally feel qualified to post. Overall, I am really pleased with the car. Great ride, tight construction,excellent fit and finish, all the power I need and a great feeling when going around curves -- The quattro grabs whatever's there. Oh, the Bose sound system is aces!

Gripes are minor, but there are some:
1. I agree with a previous poster who noted the limitations of the trip odometer. Audi could have done better. Suggestion: replace the silly "instant MPG" readout, which is useless, with a "miles driven" readout. Knowing that I get 13 MPG going uphill and 45 MPG going downhill does me no good at all.
2. With all that German engineering, they still couldn't find a good place for the second cupholder. In the armrest? Duh!
3. The automatic transmission in the "D" mode seems to decellerate at times (about 3rd gear) if constant pressure is placed on the gas pedal. Fortunately they also have the "S" mode, which goes to higher RPMs before shifting, or the shift-it-yourself option.
4. Maybe it's just me, but the seam on the leather seat hits me in the wrong place, and the seats seem a little hard. The heated seat option is nice, though.
Even with these minor miscues, the A4 is still a jewel. Hope I can say the same after 10,000 miles and my first scheduled service.
Much luck to all in your automotive adventures!

bluetrane · March 2002

Unfortunately, no one but you can decide which car is the best one for you. Rest assured that you won't go wrong with either car, and you will be able to find plenty of people here on Edmunds to support you either way.

My one comment to add is regarding pricing. Everyone looks at rebates and discounts from MSRP and uses that as a measure of how good of a "deal" they are getting. Remember that supply and demand is one of the few laws that is never broken. The only reason for Saab (or anyone else for that matter) to sell a $38k car for $32.5k is that not nearly enough people are buying them at the higher price. I would argue that you are not getting a $38k car for $32.5k, you are getting a $32.5 car at a fair price.

None of this really matters of course. There are few things more subjective than taste in cars; plenty of people look at Daewoos and find love there. If you really like the Saab better then go for it .

This explains why I have steadfastly refused to test drive anything since putting my A4 deposit down

rafsz · March 2002

> Remember that supply and demand is one of the few laws that is never broken.

Very well said.

weijetang · March 2002

My remote can not restore the right mirror position, I can only do it from inside memory button. The dealer had looked into it for 1 week and had changed 2 parts so far still did not fix the problem.

The dealer now say they looked all the brand new A4 in their stock, none worked for right mirror. So they suppose it may just work like that although owner menu say it should work for both.

My question is is there any 2002 A4 3.0 owner which can make the remote restore the right mirror position.

Thanks

Weijie

sf10 · March 2002

Yeah, I'm very psyched; just wanted to see what people thought of the deal. The 5% sales tax is easily in maryland & virginia. Also, if you buy it in delaware, it's no tax. The only thing is, once you register the car in a state with a different tax rate, you get dinged with that higher rate. So if you know friends in a state with 5% tax and you can use that address as a mailing address....

for me, I ordered because I didn't want all the crap that came with the A4's--the sunroof, the leather, the autodimming lights, homelink. i didn't need that stuff, and didn't want to drop $38k for a car with crap I didn't need. If you go to the showroom and ask them to show you a leatherette seat, the difference is imperceptible. It's much cooler in the summer, and much easier to care for. I thought I was sitting in leather, and they told me it was leatherette. so by ordering, I saved money and I paid only for stuff i wanted. besides, you can tell your friends, "yeah, it's leather--ahem--ette."

I chose the 3.0 over the 1.8T just because I wanted something with more zip. the 1.8 is pretty sluggish, especially when you've got nissan altimas & honda accords blowing you away for much less money. i simply thought the A4 ride was luxurious, and the 330 ride was more gritty. the car just felt so much nicer. It feels like more of a car than the 330. And $3k to save isn't too bad either. I think with the A4 sport, the ride isn't gritty like the 330, yet the cornering is much better. also, I've gotten so much flak from people and even journal articles saying that the BMW 3series is a "wannabe" car, but it's a beautiful car no doubt. People have said that the Audi A4 is the "thinking man's car."

tmck · March 2002

SF10. The A4 couldn't possible be the car for you since you refer to sunroof and homelink etc as "crap". Perhaps you meant to say that it doesn't appeal enough to you to spend the money on it. I, personally, would never spend over $20,000 on a new car unless it has a sunroof. I have found that if I don't I get seasonal affective disorder in the early months of the year and refer to things that other's hold dear to their heart as "crap".

lauk0dg · March 2002

For you OLDER A4 body styles out there (96-01.5), do you have any problems opening the trunk lid during cooler to cold weather (under 50F)? Mine sticks like crazy. Basically it won't move by itself (I literally need to lift it open with considerable force) until the lid is over 90 degrees open, which is almost useless. I tried this on my buddy's 01.5 A4 and 01 S4 and both of them will open by themselves slowly, after giving the lids a little lift. The service advisor said it's normal that they don't open by themselves (!!). Does that mean both of my buddies' rides are ABNORMAL?

Please help!!

Thanks, Billy

sf10 · March 2002

well, "crap" is another word for "stuff," as I was using it above. also, i had a sunroof in my last car (it was included), and it used it about 3% of total driving time. There were so few days when it was nice enough to open up. If it was summer, then it would be too hot, I'd have to close it and turn on the AC. If it was winter, no way I'd open it. There are very few days for which the sunroof was useful. So, for more than $1000, for something to use 3% of the time, I said, "forget it."

nyccarguy · March 2002

they offer models with and without sunroofs. People like me will never buy a car without one. People like sf10 don't feel the need for one.

lonestar98 · March 2002

hi,

this is an 3.0, 6 speed avant, but the avant newsgroups said that i should post here as well. just wanted to hear any advice that you folks might have for striking a deal!

thanks!

i want a 3 year 15K/yr lease.
should i expect a mf of .002? how about the residual %? have folks been getting much off the msrp? anything else i should look out for?

many thanks

kk13 · March 2002

You should check on the local laws regarding non-refundable deposits. I left a desposit on my car, but when I asked the dealer what happened if I changed my mind (or there was a problem with the car when I came to pick it up) he said they would have to give back my deposit.

hiflyer · March 2002

Quite frankly, I mostly appreciate a sunroof for the amount of natural light in lets into the car during those many dreary winter days; or any other dreary day of the year for that matter. When the weather is splendid, I just pop it open to enjoy the refreshing air. It's better than a convertible IMHO. Win-Win.

audibon · March 2002

Billy and all other Illinois/Wisconsin Audi owners:
If anyone has had any bad experiences with McGrath Audi in Glenview I would like to hear from you. I welcome both sales and service issues and want to know your problem, was it resolved and do you still go to them for service and would you buy from them. I can be reached at e-mail Brian_Bohnert@Visiontek.com. Thanks in advance for any input you can give.
Brian

swinga7 · March 2002

are audi a4 quattro 1.8t's reliable? I've been looking at them in want ads, ebay, etc. and I've been seeing quite a few that have long lists of replaced engine parts and even replaced engines. all of them are 98+ so I thought that this was rather odd. Are they not reliable or are these just rare incidents that I keep finding?

bluetrane · March 2002

I don't know if I can help you directly, but I can tell you that residual for 12k/3y on a 1.8T Avant was quoted to me as 59%. that my be different for the 3.0 model, and the extra miles will likely affect that as well. Audi's current money factors are .00235 for 3 years and .00245 for longer.

If you go to the "Lease Questions" board in the "Finance and Insurance" area here in the Town Hall, there is an incredibly helpful user named Car_man that has access to this information and usually responds to posts within a day or two. I just used his information quite profitably for me during my recent negotiations. Hope this helps.

Rick

spike66 · March 2002

I am glad that I am not the only one that notices this. I live in MN and have experienced the same thing this winter w/ my '01. When visiting a friend in Texas three weeks ago, I noticed how easy her truck lid opened. Upon returning to MN, during my next service appointment I asked the service dept to replace the lid struts. When I cam back they told me that there was nothing wrong and that this is normal in the winter. I was disappointed, but that is really the only problem I have had in the since I bought it. Otherwise, it is the best and funnest vehicle I have owned!!

imprtlvr · March 2002

From what I've read and seen in other posts, the older 1.8's can have problems, such as the turbo going out. But for the 2001.5 and up model year there was something like 2300 changes made to the Volkswagen/Audi line, including the engines. I've read many posts over on the new Passat page and nobody is having any problems with their Passats with the 1.8 Turbo. Consumer Reports recently named the Passat "best buy" in it's category, and since the A4 is closely related to the Passat it's probably about the same.

lauk0dg · March 2002

Yeah I am convinced that it's the cold weather that slowed down the trunk lid movements. I park mine outside and the other two A4/S4 I tried opening their trunk lids got garages so they are kept nice and warm. Do you keep your car in a garage? If so, is it heated?

However, that's not an excuse.....Audi gotta do something to correct that. Thanks for letting me know I'm not the lone ranger.

Billy

JBaumgart · March 2002

We have a '98.5 2.8Q and have never had any problem with the trunk lid - it pops right up very easily. And we live in Minnesota too.

gymshoe · March 2002

this is a response to some post a few days back.
Even though we in Washington state don't pay state income tax, we get it in the butt for sales tax...which is 8.8%, and in restaurant tax of 9.1%
but that's at least only in the seattle area.

lauk0dg · March 2002

Downtown Chicago sales tax is around 8.75% and last week I noticed the restaurant we dined in charges almost 10% for in restaurant tax. It's happening again yesterday in Chinatown, 10% in restaurant tax. So you guys are lucky in Seattle, especially our gas price was 2nd highest after San Fran.....

Speaking of gas prices.....darn it's creeping up again.....$1.69/gal in the suburbs, $1.79/gal in downtown Chicago for Juice 93.

Billy

drod2045 · March 2002

"thanks drod2045.
But, I still have a question.
So, you mean I have to give a tip to gas station workers everytime? They gonna call the police or something?"

no they wont call the police. You just pay em a little extra. YOu only have to do it once every 2 years. its your choice. plenty of people have "illegal" tint in NJ.

entombed · March 2002

I think you are talking about inspection. right?
So, it's gonna be DMV or other insepction stations not a gas station. huh?

dej0 · March 2002

Hi Gang,
I took delivery of my new A4 3.0Q with sport, 6 speed, sunroof and xenons last friday. It is red with the tan interior. It looks great! Delivery was very pleasant, quick and no delays. We had had some previous problems with the dealer in terms of delays, but nothing wrong on delivery day. In fact, they were more ready than when my wife and I signed for delivery of her new BMW the week before.
The car is great, I was nervous that after driving the bimmer I would not be too excited about it. I had nothing to be nervous about. The Audi 3.0 is more powerful than the 325. The '02 shifting is smoother than my previous '97, but it is not as smooth as the bimmer. This is the only area I feel the Audi is behind the BMW. The radio/CD controls are a little confusing at first. It might be nice to have volume control on the steering wheel. I find the engine note to be very pleasant, more so than the '97 1.8T. I know some people feel that the 3.0 is aneamic compared to what it could be, and they are probably correct. Still, it is a fun drive and I am enjoying it. My wife is sick today, so I had my choice of cars. I did not even occur to me to take the BMW until I got to work, that says it all.

sunroofs: Living in NC, I can use a sun roof many days of the year. Even in the summer I often dump the AC in favor of it. My daughter hated it as a baby, but as a rambunctious 2 year old, she likes it. It is a sunny day here in NC, think I might leave early for a long drive home.

Ned

eaweg · March 2002

Ned,

I took delivery of my 3.0 6spd quattro last week...I have the same sentiments as you do. I love the car...especially here in Charlotte...yesterday was a prime example for great sunroof usage!

Edwin

Audi A4 2004 and earlier

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles