McBride's right. You'll also find that your computer's avg mpg will become more accurate as the engine begins to break in more.
I just passed 10,000 yesterday. I happened to have my digital camera with me, so I took a picture of 9,999 and then of 10,000. No one amuses me like...me.
What's kind of fun to try, is to gas up right next to an interstate on-ramp, zero all the counting doo-dads, and then get up to speed and set the cruise. I like to see how high the avg mpg will go. I've gotten it to read 39.5 once. That's at 56mph for about 20 miles.
I'm loving this car more and more. It seems that just in the past few weeks, the motor has loosened up even more, breathes better, I don't know, but the car is spinning up to speed very nicely under aggressive acceleration. It's nice.
yep, the santorin blue. everyone at work loves the color, and I think it looks awesome.
this car is a blast to drive. period.
the MPG is right. when acceleration heavily, you're using lots of fuel, hence the 9 MPG. when coasting, very little fuel is being used. hence the 100 MPG. when it's all averaged out, you get in the 20's. i've seen as high as 111 MPG...don't i wish1!!
1000 miles seems so far away! just going to take it easy for now...
btw, any suggestions for winter tires? i have the sport package and word is that they're aweful in snow. i'm looking for something cheap.
Picked up my new 2001 A4(quattro/tip last week. Considered buying a 2002 subaru outback sedan H6 3.0. I drove that car at lunchtime and my thought was "this is a nice car but it doesn't seem as powerful as they claim and it's also kinda funny looking." On the way home from work I stopped at the Audi dealer and test drove one of their last 2001 A4's. My thought when I was driving the A4 was "I must buy this car." I found the look, finish, and performance to be superior. I also considered waiting for the 2002 A4. I decided not to wait because though I've never seen the 2002 A4 in person, I really do like the look of the 2001 A4. I also considered the reliability issue of a car model that's been around for a few years versus a brand new model. I do have a few questions for everyone. 1. What is the difference between (EDL)electronic differential lock and electronic stability program(ESP) From reading the owner's manual, I couldn't really tell the difference except that EDL operates below 50MPH. 2 The owner's manual also says that oil changes should occur every ten thousand miles. Do A4 owners actually wait that long. What are the benefits of using regular motor oil vs. synthetic oil. 3. I plan on commuting in this car appx. 350-400 miles per week, primarily on the freeway without much stop and go traffic. I want to keep this car as long as I can. Are there any A4 owners out there with over 100,000 miles on their cars. 4. What is the difference between the 2001 A4 and the 2001.5 A4
Congrats on the purchase. Questions to your answers:
1. EDL is there so that it can slows down the spin on one or more wheels by comparing speeds on different wheels. Also it can help you dig out of snow or mud even at extreme conditions when only 1 tire got traction. ESP works by looking at yaw rates, speed, and uses ABS brakes to selectively brake the tires which have lost traction during hard cornering or travelling over wet pavements.
2. 1st oil change happens at 5k miles and 2nd one at 10k and then every 10k. I almost got to 10k on mine now and i plan to see how the oil behaves at around 15k. If it looks bad then i'll change it b4 20k. Synthetic provides more protection at tough engine speeds and temps and it lubes faster (gets around engine parts easier).
3. Can't answer that.....hehe I want mine to be under 10k all the time.
4. 2001.5 has Convenience pkg as a $500 option pkg if you have Quattro, got side Aluminum door sills that says Audi, an additional suspension brace up front (although not sure on this one), new 17" sports rims for the sports pkg, and that's pretty much it. Got any things to add guys?
but I have to get some sleep so I'll just quickly say a few things...
ummm, how about that "third visor" *laughs hysterically* --didn't we discuss that a few months ago? And isn't the Convenience pkg/Premium pkg called the "Celebration" pkg in the '01.5s?
Okay, the prices for the 2002 are now being given out by AoA according to someone over on Vortex. I guess he called and they gave him the prices. As some of the participants in the thread responded, it looks as if the prices are a lot more reasonable than first expected. My dealer says that they don't expect the cars for another 3 to 4 weeks. 'k, here's the thread ...hope this link works: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=115324
I finally had my 5,000 mile/6 month service done. *argh* it's 6 months old but only has 1,700 miles on it! I decided to take it back to the dealer where I purchased it from instead of doing it myself or at least taking it to a private mechanic as I was originally considering because of the issues Mike (mmcbride1) was having. Also, I called AoA and they told me that if I didn't have it done by an authorized dealer that it could void my warranty if any warranty issues came up in the future. I know that I could probably fight that in court for I believe that all you have to do is prove that the maintenance was done as per factory specifications. But why take the chance or go through that hassle. My service loaner was a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V8 engine and considering that the dealership is about 100 miles away, I ended up using about $16 worth of gas for it and probably close to that for my own car (400 miles ...a round trip for both cars). So with the cost of the Mobil 1 added in, the total cost was over $50 and that doesn't take into acccount my time; 6+ hours of driving for the two days. Oh well, it was kind of fun and the dealer you bought it from usually treats you better ...especially noting that the two local dealers are "big city" dealerships and the one that I bought it from is a small town dealer that tends to be more "down home."
Greg-- Congratulations on your new ride! ...but sadly to say, we're going to be on different sides here for I'm a Msfan. Go Mariners!
It's too bad there isn't an effective topic search here on Edmunds because everything that Greg asked we've discussed somewhere on this forum in the last 6 months. Pat?? ...how about it?
Okay, I'll try to respond to some of the other posts I missed later.
A belated welcome to you! Would have posted sooner but didn't know you were from Illinois! Am very curious about your experiences with McGrath Audi. Our salesman was top notch, but now is gone. Once you purchase a car though you only deal with the service dept. Haven't had to use them yet, just crossed the 4k barrier and bought ours in mid July. We drive a lot. Let me know how it goes at McGrath for service and if you are unhappy where you go next. BTW they told me 1st service was at 10k?! All of the posts I see talk about 1st service at 5k. Did I miss something? Or misinformed? Only 3 issues with car since new. Found set screw on front floor passenger side. Saved screw for dealer. Left/right headlights are not aimed same distance. Washer spray was not aimed right. Did a temporary fix for washer spray found on Audiworld site. Will talk with service though about all during 1st visit. We haven't had as much difficulty shifting with the new car as some have indicated. We seem to be able to control it pretty well so it doesn't chatter in first gear. We have stalled it a couple times. The 1st to 2nd gear change has improved since we first got the car, although it doesn't help going from a Grand Vitara 5spd. to the Audi every day. Two totally different clutch interactions, and the Suzuki has a notchy shifter. I have tried all sorts of methods to launch from a stoplight for speed only and have found that revving a little and releasing the clutch quickly works best. Dragging it out is horrible, and if you don't have the revs high enough and release the car will jerk wildly. Starting to work on the heel and toe. Have to hit the Sheridan Road ravines off Tower Rd. soon. Lots of nice driving for anyone from Illinois take Sheridan Rd. from about Evanston north to about Lake Forest. Can't beat it especially with fall coming. Found a neat feature by accident maybe. If you as the driver close your door and arm the alarm but the passengers are not out but their doors are already open, when the last passenger closes their door all the locks should lock and the alarm will engage. Let me know if this works on anyone elses car or if I'm crazy. Hope everyone is enjoying their ride, I know my wife and I are! Brian
I could not agree more that we need a way to search within a discussion. The Search feature is useless for finding a subject previously discussed within a topic. I am told that this is on a list of things that desperately need to be addressed, but I have no time-frame for a resolution.
Meanwhile, hang in here. We understand the aggravation, and feel it also!
My dealer just called to tell me my new 2002 A4 Quatro will cost $29,225. Here's the breakdown:
. $26,650 for the base 1.8T 5 speed manual Quatro . $1000 for the Sunroof . $650 for the Bose sound system . $350 for the premium pkg: . Auto dimming mirrors . Built in compass . Automatic garage door opener, etc. . $575 Destination charge
The car should arrive by the end of October. They're expecting to get their 1.8T and 3.0 demos by mid month.
I own a 2001.5 A4 Quattro with the sport package and 17" wheels. I am going to need snow tires (of course). When I ask for Tirerack.com's winter package recommendation for this car, it suggests tires at 195/65QR15. When I choose tires manually, it lists tires at 205/ 60 QR 15 . I'm wondering why. Sorry for the newbie question.
John-- I believe either will work just fine although the 195/65-15s will be more effective in the snow because of the taller profile and narrower width. the 205/60-15s are the standard size for the stock A4 and will also be fine in a snow tire application but not quite as effective. I know several S4 owners who use the 195/65-15 with steel wheels for snow but IMO they sure look "funny" on the car. *lol*
Ken-- no metallic paint? ...but yup, the prices you gave lined up exactly with the post over on Vortex and I'm glad you gave the destination charge, he mistakenly thought that it was included. He's posted an update: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=115324. I'd definitely want Xenons now, though. I can hardly wait for your impressions of the car.
Thanks for posting the info guys. I can get more info on the cars this Sunday so if y'all can shoot me some more questions if you have them.
Scirocco, maybe that's the most miles you put on your A4 in the shortest time since you bought it.....200 miles roundtrip eh? Man that's a long drive to have service :> But I'm glad they treat you alright there.
I miss my A4.....I'm driving a rental Volvo V70 wagon again for my business trip. Gonna have my 10k service done next week.
Oh by the way audibon, the 1st service is at 5k. The 2nd service is at 10k, and then it's every 10k. About driving on Sheridan, yeah if we can organize a drive with a bunch of Audi's that'll be awesome.
I have been reading the posts here for quite a while. You guys are very classy, helpful, and insightful. I have learned a lot of stuff since I've been here. I am looking at getting a 2002 A4 1.8TMSX(maybe Q too, I don't know yet...winter isn't all that bad here in Portland, Oregon). Just checked out the prices from the links you guys put up and found out that the base prices for each models are not bad at all. In fact I was quite shocked at first. But then when I was looking at the options. I was like...
According to the price list, price will quickly increase if you want to load the baby up with a lot of goodies. ie. It will cost a grand for just the moonroof(which is not too bad itself except when you compare that with the 2001 model...) Basically there is a price increase unless you get a strip down version.
However, I truly believe that all is worth while. I haven't test driven the car yet but from the appearence of it I already like it. I am sure it's a thrill to drive. Reliability might become a potential issue tho(compared to my Corolla.) I guess it should be OK if I don't chip it. Have fun posting and it's so nice to see all these posts by the great people around...
Ken: Congratulations on the soon arrival ! I was tempted to order an A4 a few months ago, but was reluctant because I was afraid that I would have no negotiating room regarding the price. Were you able to get a break on MSRP at all? Has anyone seen the invoice prices yet? I know the dealer needs to make a profit, but I don't feel like financing his winter vacation either.
No, I've had no fantasies about negotiating down the price on a brand new model car. I know my local dealership is a high overhead kind of place (quality everything and everyone) so I don't begrudge their making a few bucks on this one. I purchased my last A4 half way through the model year and got ~$2K off, so I'll look at the two cars as averaging $1K off per car. The real issue will center around how they treat my trade-in. If I start to get upset and feel I'm being ripped off, chances are I'll just bow out and buy a Range Rover Freelander in December. We'll see.
No Rocco, no metallic paint. Actually, I wanted another pearlescent white (I still get lots of compliments on that color) but just couldn't justify the additional $1,200. So, the car I've ordered is amulet red with beige interior. Wish me luck on the trade-in.
It won't be long before the first frost and snow fall (ahh!) thus I was wondering what Audi owners in the snow belt regions were doing to their cars in terms of putting on a coat of wax ect. to protect it from the harsh elements.
Well, I just gave my car 0W-30 Mobil 1 and I'll crank up the heated seats...
Seriously, I've got the all-season tires, so I don't plan on getting snows and all I do is make sure I wash the car at least once every few weeks to get all the road grime and crap off it. That's it for my winter preparation. That and putting a jacket, gloves, boots and a ski cap in my trunk. Never know when you're going to get stuck or stranded.
Mike-- You ain't gonna git stuck, you got quattro! *winks*
brian-- I'm not in the snow belt but I may put on a coat of Zaino here in a few weeks which I should have left-over from another car. We get more rain than snow so thankfully I don't have to worry about the harsh elements.
Ken-- I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll get a good trade-in figure for your old A4. But a Freelander? wow! I've never been a real Land Rover fan but the Freelander does sound quite interesting. The pictures I've seen are impressive. Didn't Ford buy the Land Rover company last year? *uh oh* ...well, maybe not, that might be a plus I suppose.
D.J.-- I haven't seen any invoice prices yet but I'm assuming that they shouldn't be that much different correspondingly to the old model. I'd have to guess that no real discounts will be given during the first few months of the introductory period ...although I think I read where some who pre-ordered or locked in a position on the first incoming cars, negotiated a $1,000 above invoice "sight-unseen" on the actual invoice figure. That sounds like an excellent deal considering that I paid $1,400 over for my '01 in March.
Vince-- Welcome! You aren't related to Billy are you? *lol* ...just noticed that you had the same last name. But yeah, once you put a few options on the car, it can become quite pricey. If you did want a "stripped down" model, you'd have to special order it for cars coming into dealer stock will have some options no matter what. Wait a sec, I take that back ...I do remember seeing a totally stripped down '01.0 1.8T on the dealer's lot when I was shopping for mine but it did have a Tip tranny and metallic paint ...no other options, not even the Celebration pkg. because it was an '01.0. And you're right, reliability won't be "Toyotaesque" but we're all keeping our fingers crossed that our individual cars will be trouble free. And definitely get quattro even though you're in Portland. You guys actually get more snow than we do here in the Puget Sound region and we don't even get any non-quattro models shipped here unless special ordered (this pertains to the entire Audi line ...all cars shipped here are quattro). I believe it's the same for your area too. Now this might change for the 2002 A4 because of the new CVT transmission. Audi is really showcasing the new CVT A4 so I wouldn't be surprised if they started shipping non-quattro CVT models to the Pacific Northwest.
Billy-- *lol* yeah, that was the first time I was really able to get it out on the open road and run it at 80-85 mph for a sustained period ...I would have liked to have run it up a little faster but there were numerous radar out on both mornings I was a little nervous even at 80. 10k service already? *sheesh* I guess I do have some catching up to do! Oh, I had the dealer vag-out the locks so that they auto-lock at 10 mph but I now notice that when I arm the locks with my remote, the chirp doesn't sound and the lights don't blink anymore. Is this related or did they just screw up? The lights will blink when I unlock though.
Brian (audibon)-- Isn't the right headlight supposed to be aimed slightly higher than the left? ...or appear that way? I read where this is normal and correct especially with projectors and multi-reflectors ...something about being able to illuminate signs, etc. on the right shoulder. I know on both my vehicles it appears that way ...the right beam appears just-a-hair higher than the left one (in the step-pattern).
Pat-- Thanx for the comments. I'm glad to hear that Edmunds is considering a remedy to the situation.
Karen-- Relating to your post of September 30 to Jeff, I forgot to mention that Consumer Reports does rate the Passat 1.8T more reliable than the Passat 2.8. So I guess this could be interpreted that the older models of the A4 1.8T should be at least "better than average," right?
One question for anybody who can comment: The AoA site lists one of the features of the 2001 A4 as having "...white and red illuminated backlit instrument cluster with automatic brightness control." I don't recall seeing anything in the owner's manual that describes the instrument lighting as being self-dimming or having the ability of automatically adjusting the lighting intensity. Is this just a mis-print?
Louie and Tim-- good to hear that you're having as much fun driving your cars as the rest of us! ...and playing with that damn trip computer! *lol* I don't think I'd buy another car without a trip computer!
Well, I am not related to Billy although we are having the same last name...hehe. Yes. I noticed that luxury vehicles seldom come to the lot stripped down. However, if you want to order a stripped down one, the dealership won't give you a break on the price. Am I right about this?
No matter what, I am not going to order one of those bare boners. I want a manual with at least xenon, moonroof, and metallic paint. These should be pretty commonly installed options. Hmm...I have got to test drive the CVT ones.
I am not sure how bad the winter usually is in the Puget Sound region. But over these several years there just wasn't many icy or snowy days in Portland that I could remember. Of course that doesn't mean the winter won't get nasty on down the road. I get used to driving my chained Corolla when it snows. If it gets really bad, I could always hide and work at home. Having Quattro is wonderful and it not only works well on snow but also on rain and when hard driving is performed. I will think about this. Overall, it's a $1700 decision.
What's up with the Celebration package for 2002? Maybe I missed it but I haven't seen this pkg mentioned anywhere? Is it gone and getting broken down separately to be sold by each part?
Vince-- Yeah, it's not offered for 2002.0 I believe the Celebration pkg. was introduced for the 2001.5 models probably to give a price break to move sales during the second half of the model year (and maybe even because of the end of the model run). No point in offering it at the beginning of the model year and especially at the start of a new model line.
Yes, the CVT sounds interesting but I'm a die hard manual tranny guy so I'd probably not even consider it. Also, as you may know, the CVT won't be offered with quattro. I know what you're talking about when you wonder if quattro is worth the $1,700. What swayed me is the several people that told me that you can easily make up the price difference in the resale value. I did some research on this and sure enough, non-quattro Audis did depreciate faster and have far less resale value than quattro ones ...almost to the point of making up the initial price ...especially in non-quattro areas like ours. Now I don't know if this will hold true for the CVT FWD or not ...they might be highly in demand.
And yeah, it seems like everytime we get a forecast of a threat of snow here in the Seattle are, it never develops and you folks in Portland end up getting a foot. You also get a lot more ice storms and freezing rain than we do. *yuk*
Good point about the Passat 1.8T being rated more reliable than the 2.8. In fact, that was one of the factors that convinced me to buy the A4 1.8T; wish I'd remembered to mention it in the Sept. 30 post.
I do love this car -- and am so glad it has Quattro. Some jerk was tailgating me on some winding, hilly roads the other day; I just tapped the car down to third gear and stepped on it -- and was SO far ahead of him, SO fast. heh heh heh
BTW, did your parents end up getting an Accord? That might not be a bad choice: Did you see where Consumer Reports slammed reliability of the A6?
When I looked at the A4's over a year ago, I was convinced that if I ever bought one, it would have the sport suspension. I have heard that the "new" standard suspension now has the same handling as the previous sport suspension. So would having sport on a 2002 be overkill? Would it be too harsh of a ride or even better handling? Obviously it is difficult to judge without the new models in yet, but I was hoping that perhaps someone who attended a recent Audi event and had been able to drive the new models could comment on this.
Now that my A4 is sitting cold for a week.....I'm glad I'm home and drive it again after stuck in the Volvo V70 for a week.
Anyhow......scirocco, no, I'm not related to Vince.....just by chance we have the same last name :> But hey, Vince, you can be related to US if you get an A4 :>
If I were you, I wouldn't get a stripped down A4. Resale value is going to hurt IF you can even sell it. So your conclusion of getting one with xenon, metallic paint and sunroof is absolutely correct. One thing about Quattro though.....after doing the Audi Quattro Challenge, I wouldn't even think about getting an Audi without Quattro. Handling is so much better with the AWD system and they made me believe that I cannot do all those crazy maneuvers that day without AWD. So yeah it's useful in the snow, but it's also great on dry pavement. Plus like Scirocco said, resale value is retained for Quattro so it's not a bad investment. Yeah I don't believe there's a Celebration pkg for 2002 cars. One reason is like others said, Audi wants to get rid of the 2001.5 cars. Another reason is, the Celebration pkg is only available with Quattro equipped cars, and Audi is "celebrating" 20 years of Quattro by offering the "celebration" pkg. That's where the name comes from.
Ready2, I agree with Mike that I wouldn't do anything special to the car other than the oil and a few supplies in the trunk. We do have Roadside assistance but you know, if the weather is bad enough to get a Quattro to be stuck, there're must be tons of calls to AAA for tow trucks and I don't want to be frozen to death in the car.
I was looking at those acceleration numbers on the CVT, manual and automatic 2002's on AoA's website and the CVT got the same acceleration 0-60 numbers on non-Quattro equipped cars. Amazing. Now when Audi comes up with cars equipped with both CVT AND Quattro .....it'll be a blast.
Hehe Karen, watch out now.....the downshift and pull away thing is addictive :>
Varig, I test drove the 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro with the optional 17" wheel sports pkg and I can tell ya, the suspension is DEFINITELY harder than the 2001 sports pkg A4's. The parking lot they let us test drove in got tons of expansion cracks. We can feel the cracks but yet it's not hurting our backs. The car feels like it's turning on tracks and bodyroll is VERY minimal. I would also like to test drive a non-sports 2002 model to see if it's as awesome as the sports 2001 model, like AoA suggested.
Thanks for the info about the 2002 sport suspension. So can I infer from your comments that you thought it was an improvement over the 2001 suspension? Let's assume that the 2002 non-sport is like the 2001 sport version. If you were buying a 2002 model would you get the sport version ? Hope that made sense ;-)
During the last week, I've driven a 2002 1.8Tq manual and tiptronic and I much prefer the tiptronic over the 5 speed. Of course the tiptronic drive was longer and I got to open it up, which is why I previously ordered a multitronic. The manual drive was around town with the saleman. However, for the tiptronic drive I was given the key and told to have a ball since they know where I live. Not since I totalled my pontiac in high school, have I pushed a car like that. It was great to see and feel the car push back. The only negatives I felt, were a.) giving the car back and b.) the car had the premium package which I didn't order and now I want it, plus I'm thinking of changing from Ming Blue to Black. So far each test drive has been better than the last. I hope the multitronic test drive holds true to this pattern.
Varig, yes, if I were in the market for a 2002 A4, I will definitely get the sports pkg with the awesome looking 17" rims and suspension. No doubt about it.
Today I went to the Fall Drive through Wisconsin organized by Lakes Region Quattro Club.....we went to the International Auto in Milwaukee, WI and they did a fantastic job to keep us busy including the drive and had the 2002 A4 1.8T Quattro manual and a 2002 A6 3.0 Quattro in the showroom. Here's the breakdown of the specific A4 they had in the showroom:
2002 A4 1.8T Quattro MT5 (Manual Tranny 5-spd) Denim Blue (awesome color)
Base Price: $26,650 Denim Blue Pearl Effect: $450 Platinum Interior: No Charge 5-speed Manual Transmission: No Charge Glass Sunroof (w/Power, Tilt, Slide): $1,000 Heated Front and Rear Seats: $525 16-inch 5-spoke Cast Alloy Wheels: $450 Premium Pkg (Homelink, exterior auto dim mirrors, interior auto dim mirrors w/compass): $350 Perforated Leatherette Upholstery: No Charge Destination Charge: $575
Grand Total: $30,000
Things in particular that's interesting: - heated seats can be purchased separately from the cold weather package, which is good for me since I need the heated seats but don't need the ski sack that comes with the cold weather pkg - ESP is standard - 6-disk in-dash CD player is standard (drooling....) - Gas mileage for 5-spd tranny dropped to 21 City/29 Highway - Footwell lighting for rear passengers (dandy) - Rear cup holders (how come ours don't have those?) - Dual-zone climate control.....how wonderful - 4-way power lumbar....but still manual height adjustment, and the troubling knob that controls the seatback incline - Rear legroom did increase by a little bit....but don't expect a huge increase. It's still tight back there. - The number of interior buttons/controls seems doubled. I bet 2002 owners will need to STUDY the manual for like 2 days before they can use everything in the car. Definitely more gadgets. - The trunk lid has improved by one million percent. It's not a big knob that you need to push....it's more like a light touch and the trunk lid will electrically pop up slightly. With minimal lifting pressure (not like ours that we need to wrestle) it can be lifted and opened completely. And with a slight push the trunk comes down and locks effortlessly. My girlfriend has been complaining the trunk lid and I'm sure she won't do that in the 2002 model. - Styling....well it gets easier in my eyes but still....I wouldn't trade mine for it - This car is more or less the same as mine minus the Bose and add on the standard stuff like ESP and options like heated rear seats. Will I pay for this 2002? Yes if I can get a similar deal on my 2001, probably won't if I need to pay MSRP.
That dealer already got about 10 new A4's in the lot....dunno if they're available to be purchased or not. I've also seen my local Audi dealer having customers test driving a silver 2002 3.0Q. Maybe I'll stop by and take a 1.8T for a test drive :>
That's valuable information. Be sure to post your impressions of that test drive..... of both a 1.8T and a 3.0 (I won't be spending the $$ for the 3.0, the 1.8T is already more than I want to spend, but I'd like to know what I'm missing).
Have you bought or shopped for a 3-Series BMW, C-Class Mercedes, Jaguar X-Type or other small sports sedan since Sept 11? If so, your comments are of great interest. Please get in touch with me via jfallon@edmunds.com.
Does anybody know of a way to find out what model and year a part will fit based on the audi part #. The dealers seem to only be able to tell me a part # if I know the part. Who knows what the part # 4B1 863 691K goes to it may also finish with 90G soul. They are black floor mats. Also does Audi C5 mean anything to anybody. Thanks for your expertise.
thinking about taking the plunge on a 2002 A4. love the new styling, attracted to the quattro and the car has a nice luxury-to-price ratio.
however i'm a little spooked by talk of A4 reliability problems. nothing major like the transmission dropping out, but a lot of "nickel and dime" stuff like door locks breaking, windows not going up and down, rattles, etc. i've heard this first hand and from reputable sources like jd power.
i guess i'm a little spoiled. my acura has been basically gas-and-go since i bought it nine years ago and i don't think i spent a cumulative $1,000 on repairs until after i hit 100G on the odometer.
and by saving money on repairs, this purchase will be a buy and not a lease.
and in case you're wondering, yes, i've looked at the acura 3.2tl type s. yeah, it's got the reliability and options package. but it ain't no head turner. but that's an issue for a differnt message board!
Varig, sure I'll do that. You know, you can also go test drive the new A4's.....they should be in the showroom as we speak.
Danielp1, I guess you can try call Clair Parts Express (www.clairparts.com). They are a Boston dealership and they are pretty good at selling or ordering OEM parts. I got my exhaust tips over there and has been a great help.
Drack43, well I agree the Audi is no Honda reliability, but it's not that far behind. I owned a 96 Honda Accord and drove it for 120k miles before I traded it in for the A4. Only spent $600 on unexpected fixes on the Accord. I foresee I'll spend more on the Audi, but like they said, German cars got souls. Japanese cars get you from Point A to Point B. German cars let you know how to get from Point A to Point B. Frankly I don't know how I can get used to going back to Japanese cars again, although honestly if the Audi costs way too much to maintain after the 50k mile mark, it has to go and I'm sure it'll be a sad moment. For now, I'm taking it in for my 10k maintenance tomorrow after owning the car for 7.5 months without problems.....ok the passenger vent is broken and needs replacement, but that's free. No mechanical problems at all for the 1.8T engine.
This is the first I've heard that they've hit the dealerships. Last I spoke to the local dealership, a comment was made that they didn't know when the new models would arrive and that they may even be held at port until the current inventory had drained. I am wary of car salesmen. Maybe he wanted to make it appear that supplies may be limited. So I don't want to give the impression that I'm too eager if you know what I mean.
Drack43, I'd like to suggest you not drive the A4 Quatro. Like the rest of us, you'll probably get caught up in what a great car it is, you'll decide you can't live without it, you'll buy one, then you'll spend the next 49,999 miles worrying about how it's going to be once you cross that line into non-warranty land. Further exacerbating the issue, you'll discover an inability to just leave the car parked. Before you know it you'll discover that you've racked up more miles than you ever dreamed you would in a really short period of time. I know just where you're coming from. My 2000 A4 1.8T Quatro now has 39,600 miles on it. I just can't handle all the worry anymore. Although the car has been trouble-free, it's bound to start breaking any day now. So ... What's my solution? Well I've ordered a 2002 replacement. Hopefully I'll take possession by the end of this month and then I can place the old worry cycle back into fresh restart. This could happen to you Mr. Drack43. You could find yourself in the same vicious cycle. Don't drive it, stick with your Acura. It may be a bit bland, but consider the peace of mind that goes with the knowledge that your car has a reputation for being really reliable.
I have a almost two year old A4 with 27K miles and have had absolutely no problems,minor or otherwise. It is kind of strange to me that you spent so little on the maintenance of your Acura. I had a '97 3.2TL prior to this and the "scheduled maintenance" recommended by Honda cost a fortune at the dealerships, almost $200/7.5K miles and 300-500/15K miles depending on the car.
Andy -- For what it's worth, I made the switch to a 2001.5 A4 1.8T (Quattro) after 12 years and 116k miles of driving a hassle-free Acura Integra. Like you, I had some concerns about whether the Audi would be as reliable as the Acura. The Acura was actually the second one I'd owned, and both had been remarkably trouble-free. (My most recent Acura needed a new clutch around 85k miles, but that seemed reasonable.) My main complaint with the Acura was that routine maintenance was pretty expensive. (I can't cite specifics because I gave the paperwork to the new owner, but I'm thinking that ~$300/$350 was typical.) By comparison, my husband's Infiniti G20 has been remarkably inexpensive to maintain.
Anyway, I've had the A4 since mid-July and have put 2500 miles on it. The only problem that has surfaced to this point is a rattle in the passenger door. By comparison, I had similar problems early on with both Acuras -- but ultimately was really glad that I'd gotten both of those cars. Obviously I hope the same is the case with this car; if it develops lots of problems, it'll be the one and only Audi I'll ever buy. I love the car so far, though.
For what it's worth, I thoroughly researched the A4 for about a year and decided that the 1.8Ts in recent model years seemed to have decent reliability records. If I were in the market for a 2002 A4, I'd probably opt for the 1.8T engine because of its proven track record (even though the 3.0 engine does sound intriguing). Anyway, just my 2 cents' worth....
In a few days, I'll be taking my A4 in for it's eighth routine maintenance (so far these haven't cost me anything). Now, if I were to keep the car beyond it's tenth scheduled maintenance I would be expected to start paying for the service out of my own pocket.
Now, I presume that's what you're talking about here. Once the warranty period is up on the Acura, it starts costing $300 to $350 per visit, right? Tell you what I'll do, when I bring my car in next week, I'll check and see what these visits will cost from Audi and then report back.
i know that feeling now. I've had my 01 1.8T for week now and I am looking for every chance to drive I can find. Even with premium fuel, it's costing less to fill up than my old PAthfinder (ugh! what was i thinking?!?!?). So far, I've noticed one small rattle from the rear driver's side door. Nothing major. The speakers can't seem to handle the bass when set above about 60%. It's non-Bose, and I was wondering if anyone else noticed the "thud" and distortion in the speakers. Easy fix though...couple 3-way 6.5"'s in the rear and some new front speakers and i'll be golden.
The sport package was a GREAT decision. I haven't made the tires squeal yet...but i'm still breaking it in :-)
May wish for quattro in a couple months, but DC winters are very tame.
Nobody ever considers an Audi until they sit in one. Sold me. "Chicks dig the long ball."
Has anyone else put a turbo timer on their A4? I was told by a tuner that you really need a timer when running a turbo. I'm willing to spend the $100 to extend my car's life.
Ken -- Right, that's exactly what I meant: Once the warranty period was up, it often cost me roughly $300/$350 for regularly scheduled maintenance on the Acura, even when the car wasn't having any problems.
Varig, I bet that salesman was trying to make you feel that the new 2002 A4's won't show up soon and you got to go with the existing 2001.5's. Just ignore him.....I've seen new A4's in 3 separate dealers in the Milwaukee and Chicago area, and that's just because I stopped at those 3 dealerships for a variety of reasons.
Ken, LOL, I love that "Can't stop Drivin" thread. I told myself right after selling my 5-yr old Accord with 120k miles that I gotta stop putting on so many miles on my A4. Well, 10k in 7.5 months, which put me at 16k per year. Still high, but lower than 24k miles/yr in the Accord. Can Audi do 4yr/unlimited mileage on the warranty/free maintenance? :>
Tim, about that turbotimer, ask that question over at Audiworld (www.audiworld.com). A lot of guys over there have turbo timers and they can give you some insight on them. I wouldn't mind to have one of those but AoA might say, geez you just void the warranty on the turbos cuz you tap in and see what's your boost LOL. Just kidding. About that Bass in the stereo, have you tried to tune the "hidden equalizer" settings? It helped in my Bose system, and it should help in non-Bose systems as well.
Just wanted see how you and your car are doing, and let you know what's been going on with mine.
After a few minor fixes early-on, mine's been excellent except my ongoing problem of exhaust smell entering the cabin on moderate to hard acceleration, which is extremely annoying. Our area rep made a special trip here to spend the day with my car in an attempt to arrive at a logical explanation and cause, but as luck (or fate) would have it, he had a head cold and couldn't smell anything. The dealership did every test imaginable including a thorough engine check, body vents, checking for seal leaks around the trunk, etc, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, the problem continues. It's not chipped, but I contacted APR about it and was told exactly what the problem is (from their experience), but the powers that be at Audi are choosing to ignore it.
I like this body style and was considering buying the car after the lease is up, but definitely not with this problem. My area rep wants to give it another try when he's in better health, so I'm planning to arrange another meeting. If nothing can or won't be done, I'll check out the new body style when available at my dealer. If all is well with the 2002, I'll probably go with another Audi the following year. If the new body style doesn't excite me, I'll be looking for another vehicle make at lease end. From what I've seen, by the time my lease is up, there should be some interesting choices available among several manufacturers.
Let me know what you've been up to and how your car's doing.
OK I'm back with my car after the 10k oil change. Y'all should know what they did to it last time at 5k (claimed they had used my Mobil1 which they didn't). Well this time, I put 4.3 quarts of oil (5 bottles with 4 bottles full and 1 bottle with 0.3 qt in it) on the passenger seat and put a Post-it on the steering wheel telling them to use my oil. Well, when I got my car back, there was 1 bottle of UNOPENED Mobil1 sitting on the passenger seat. Well let me do the math. 4.3-1=3.3 qt.....WHAT??? They used 3.3qt instead of 3.7qt? I haven't checked the oil level yet (it was getting dark and can't find a level spot) but I will do it today after work. Those clowns.....I hope they didn't just throw away 3.3 qt of Mobil1 (4 bottles) and put in the Castro dino oil in the engine.
By the way, although there is no free 15k service, I planned to do what my buddy did and go in and have an oil change and a new filter at 15k. Our dealership offers free oil drain and fill if we bring our own oil, and the cost is only $10 for the new filter. The good thing is, I'm sure they'll put in my oil at 15k since they can't charge me (or Audi) for the oil.
Oh, and I got a 2001.5 CACTUS GREEN A4 1.8T as a loaner yesterday. It's a Tip, Quattro, got the winter and celebration pkgs. It even got less miles than my own car (only 5.5k miles). I guess cactus green cars are harder to sell than silver ones :> Did multiple full throttle launches (hehe) and I'm pretty surprised at what it can do.....got a 19mpg fuel economy reading....and that's 75% highway, 25% city :>
Based on your experiences so far, I wouldn't be too sure about the 15k oil change being done properly. I think they would have charged Audi for the oil at your previous scheduled service whether they used your oil or not. Sounds more like incompetence to me and I wouldn't put much faith in them in the future. I hope it works out okay though. I would feel very frustrated if it happened to me.
Yup you are absolutely correct.....well the first time after they screwed up, I went back and watched them (right next to my car) to see they put the Mobil1 in. I am thinking next time I should also do the same thing and not just drop off the car and let them mess with it. The thing is, I like dropping it off and getting a loaner so I can try out different cars with different engine/tranny. My buddy drives an A4 2.8 and he got an A6 as a loaner.....now I would like to try that as well.
Why do the Audi service depts. have to be so incompetent? I thought the salesmand and F&I guy were both very smart and knowledgeable. Not so for service.
Mike, thanks for understanding. Well guys, guess what. I followed exactly what the manual said.....warmed the oil after driving for like 15 min, found a level spot, turned off the engine, waited for a few minutes. The oil mark is right on the crosshedge.....completely don't understand. Maybe they haven't even changed my filter so there's some leftover oil in it and the engine doesn't need that much oil??? Or maybe the techs really fill it slowly so they stopped right when the right amount of oil was filled? Or maybe they just put Castrol in and took my Mobil1.
Davking, reason why I put 4.3 qt on the seat is because that's the quantity of oil I have. The manual has the figure 4.3qt for the oil capacity, but we all know that's not right. It's just a coincidence that I have 4.3 qt there cuz they put in 3.7 qt last time. And I expected to have 2 bottles of partially filled oil bottles. It wouldn't make them have a false image that I want to use the 0.3 qt in that bottle but not to open a new bottle, right?
Michael, I saw a similar 3.0 Quattro with the stuff you described here in Chicago for $38k too. Beautiful Dolphin Grey exterior, but I still like the Denim Blue color.
Billy-- I'm with David, I don't understand why you left 4 new bottles and one 1/3 full bottle with them. What instructions did you put on your post-it note? ...it might have been a bit confusing to them if you left 4.3 qt and then in your note told them to put in 3.7 qt. But it's not the worse they could have done: the important thing is that they didn't overfill. They actually may have been more competent in that they put in just enough oil to satisfy the requirements as they could have been checking the level as they were filling. They probably felt good that they could leave you with a full bottle and if it was a little less than what you wanted then you could always add more yourself. I'm just taking the other side ...who knows if this is the scenario or not *lol* ...IMO, I'd stop short of calling them incompetent. My main concern when I had mine done was for them not to overfill. I also put on my note that I wanted all four bottles back (three empty and one 1/3 full). Now I don't know if that did any good because they could still have stolen my Mobil 1 by putting it in another container but at least they were aware that I was vigilant that I wanted my own Mobil 1 used. I also scratched a date and initials on the old filter so that I could confirm that it had actually been changed. My complaint was that they didn't clean thoroughly under the filter because I found some residual dripping on my garage floor the day after I got the car back. I checked both the filter and the drain plug for leaking but found both were drip free but noticed the dripping was coming from the old oil spilling out as the filter was being changed that was left on the engine ledge and the plastic protector under the engine. I figured they could have at least wiped up that residual oil before returning the car to me ...afterall, they excellently cleaned both the exterior and interior and even left a mint (I was actually impressed when I saw that *lol*) and a neatly folded plastic trash bag on the console. But maybe you should just change it yourself for 15k? ...I think I'll do that on my intermediate changes.
Karen-- right, I got a few comments on that A6 reliability issue but I gotta run so I'll be back with more on that. :-b
Billy -- I agree with Rocco, I think. Maybe you should start trusting them a little. The TSB says to put in a half liter less than capacity, then run engine to warm it up to 160 degrees, then shut it off, wait 3 minutes and check oil level -- topping up as necessary to reach max. mark. Maybe that's what they did. Is it possible capacity varies across individual engines? Seems like a wierd hypothesis.
Rocco -- I always have that drip when the oil in my Mitsubishi truck is changed. But I didn't with the Audi. Hooray.
Comments
I just passed 10,000 yesterday. I happened to have my digital camera with me, so I took a picture of 9,999 and then of 10,000. No one amuses me like...me.
What's kind of fun to try, is to gas up right next to an interstate on-ramp, zero all the counting doo-dads, and then get up to speed and set the cruise. I like to see how high the avg mpg will go. I've gotten it to read 39.5 once. That's at 56mph for about 20 miles.
I'm loving this car more and more. It seems that just in the past few weeks, the motor has loosened up even more, breathes better, I don't know, but the car is spinning up to speed very nicely under aggressive acceleration. It's nice.
this car is a blast to drive. period.
the MPG is right. when acceleration heavily, you're using lots of fuel, hence the 9 MPG. when coasting, very little fuel is being used. hence the 100 MPG. when it's all averaged out, you get in the 20's. i've seen as high as 111 MPG...don't i wish1!!
1000 miles seems so far away! just going to take it easy for now...
btw, any suggestions for winter tires? i have the sport package and word is that they're aweful in snow. i'm looking for something cheap.
1. What is the difference between (EDL)electronic differential lock and electronic stability program(ESP) From reading the owner's manual, I couldn't really tell the difference except that EDL operates below 50MPH.
2 The owner's manual also says that oil changes should occur every ten thousand miles. Do A4 owners actually wait that long. What are the benefits of using regular motor oil vs. synthetic oil.
3. I plan on commuting in this car appx. 350-400 miles per week, primarily on the freeway without much stop and go traffic. I want to keep this car as long as I can. Are there any A4 owners out there with over 100,000 miles on their cars.
4. What is the difference between the 2001 A4 and the 2001.5 A4
thanks all asfan1(Oakland A's fan)
1. EDL is there so that it can slows down the spin on one or more wheels by comparing speeds on different wheels. Also it can help you dig out of snow or mud even at extreme conditions when only 1 tire got traction. ESP works by looking at yaw rates, speed, and uses ABS brakes to selectively brake the tires which have lost traction during hard cornering or travelling over wet pavements.
2. 1st oil change happens at 5k miles and 2nd one at 10k and then every 10k. I almost got to 10k on mine now and i plan to see how the oil behaves at around 15k. If it looks bad then i'll change it b4 20k. Synthetic provides more protection at tough engine speeds and temps and it lubes faster (gets around engine parts easier).
3. Can't answer that.....hehe I want mine to be under 10k all the time.
4. 2001.5 has Convenience pkg as a $500 option pkg if you have Quattro, got side Aluminum door sills that says Audi, an additional suspension brace up front (although not sure on this one), new 17" sports rims for the sports pkg, and that's pretty much it. Got any things to add guys?
Billy
ummm, how about that "third visor" *laughs hysterically* --didn't we discuss that a few months ago? And isn't the Convenience pkg/Premium pkg called the "Celebration" pkg in the '01.5s?
Okay, the prices for the 2002 are now being given out by AoA according to someone over on Vortex. I guess he called and they gave him the prices. As some of the participants in the thread responded, it looks as if the prices are a lot more reasonable than first expected. My dealer says that they don't expect the cars for another 3 to 4 weeks. 'k, here's the thread ...hope this link works: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=115324
I finally had my 5,000 mile/6 month service done. *argh* it's 6 months old but only has 1,700 miles on it! I decided to take it back to the dealer where I purchased it from instead of doing it myself or at least taking it to a private mechanic as I was originally considering because of the issues Mike (mmcbride1) was having. Also, I called AoA and they told me that if I didn't have it done by an authorized dealer that it could void my warranty if any warranty issues came up in the future. I know that I could probably fight that in court for I believe that all you have to do is prove that the maintenance was done as per factory specifications. But why take the chance or go through that hassle. My service loaner was a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V8 engine and considering that the dealership is about 100 miles away, I ended up using about $16 worth of gas for it and probably close to that for my own car (400 miles ...a round trip for both cars). So with the cost of the Mobil 1 added in, the total cost was over $50 and that doesn't take into acccount my time; 6+ hours of driving for the two days. Oh well, it was kind of fun and the dealer you bought it from usually treats you better ...especially noting that the two local dealers are "big city" dealerships and the one that I bought it from is a small town dealer that tends to be more "down home."
Greg-- Congratulations on your new ride! ...but sadly to say, we're going to be on different sides here for I'm a Msfan. Go Mariners!
It's too bad there isn't an effective topic search here on Edmunds because everything that Greg asked we've discussed somewhere on this forum in the last 6 months. Pat?? ...how about it?
Okay, I'll try to respond to some of the other posts I missed later.
--'rocco
BTW they told me 1st service was at 10k?! All of the posts I see talk about 1st service at 5k. Did I miss something? Or misinformed?
Only 3 issues with car since new. Found set screw on front floor passenger side. Saved screw for dealer. Left/right headlights are not aimed same distance. Washer spray was not aimed right. Did a temporary fix for washer spray found on Audiworld site. Will talk with service though about all during 1st visit.
We haven't had as much difficulty shifting with the new car as some have indicated. We seem to be able to control it pretty well so it doesn't chatter in first gear. We have stalled it a couple times. The 1st to 2nd gear change has improved since we first got the car, although it doesn't help going from a Grand Vitara 5spd. to the Audi every day. Two totally different clutch interactions, and the Suzuki has a notchy shifter. I have tried all sorts of methods to launch from a stoplight for speed only and have found that revving a little and releasing the clutch quickly works best. Dragging it out is horrible, and if you don't have the revs high enough and release the car will jerk wildly. Starting to work on the heel and toe. Have to hit the Sheridan Road ravines off Tower Rd. soon. Lots of nice driving for anyone from Illinois take Sheridan Rd. from about Evanston north to about Lake Forest. Can't beat it especially with fall coming.
Found a neat feature by accident maybe. If you as the driver close your door and arm the alarm but the passengers are not out but their doors are already open, when the last passenger closes their door all the locks should lock and the alarm will engage. Let me know if this works on anyone elses car or if I'm crazy. Hope everyone is enjoying their ride, I know my wife and I are!
Brian
Meanwhile, hang in here. We understand the aggravation, and feel it also!
Thanks.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
. $26,650 for the base 1.8T 5 speed manual Quatro
. $1000 for the Sunroof
. $650 for the Bose sound system
. $350 for the premium pkg:
. Auto dimming mirrors
. Built in compass
. Automatic garage door opener, etc.
. $575 Destination charge
The car should arrive by the end of October. They're expecting to get their 1.8T and 3.0 demos by mid month.
I own a 2001.5 A4 Quattro with the sport package and 17" wheels. I am going to need snow tires (of course). When I ask for Tirerack.com's winter package recommendation for this car, it suggests tires at 195/65QR15. When I choose tires manually, it lists tires at 205/ 60 QR 15 . I'm wondering why. Sorry for the newbie question.
Ken-- no metallic paint? ...but yup, the prices you gave lined up exactly with the post over on Vortex and I'm glad you gave the destination charge, he mistakenly thought that it was included. He's posted an update: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=115324. I'd definitely want Xenons now, though. I can hardly wait for your impressions of the car.
--'rocco
Scirocco, maybe that's the most miles you put on your A4 in the shortest time since you bought it.....200 miles roundtrip eh? Man that's a long drive to have service :> But I'm glad they treat you alright there.
I miss my A4.....I'm driving a rental Volvo V70 wagon again for my business trip. Gonna have my 10k service done next week.
Oh by the way audibon, the 1st service is at 5k. The 2nd service is at 10k, and then it's every 10k. About driving on Sheridan, yeah if we can organize a drive with a bunch of Audi's that'll be awesome.
Billy
According to the price list, price will quickly increase if you want to load the baby up with a lot of goodies. ie. It will cost a grand for just the moonroof(which is not too bad itself except when you compare that with the 2001 model...) Basically there is a price increase unless you get a strip down version.
However, I truly believe that all is worth while. I haven't test driven the car yet but from the appearence of it I already like it. I am sure it's a thrill to drive. Reliability might become a potential issue tho(compared to my Corolla.) I guess it should be OK if I don't chip it.
Have fun posting and it's so nice to see all these posts by the great people around...
vince
I was tempted to order an A4 a few months ago, but was reluctant because I was afraid that I would have no negotiating room regarding the price.
Were you able to get a break on MSRP at all?
Has anyone seen the invoice prices yet? I know the dealer needs to make a profit, but I don't feel like financing his winter vacation either.
No Rocco, no metallic paint. Actually, I wanted another pearlescent white (I still get lots of compliments on that color) but just couldn't justify the additional $1,200. So, the car I've ordered is amulet red with beige interior. Wish me luck on the trade-in.
Seriously, I've got the all-season tires, so I don't plan on getting snows and all I do is make sure I wash the car at least once every few weeks to get all the road grime and crap off it. That's it for my winter preparation. That and putting a jacket, gloves, boots and a ski cap in my trunk. Never know when you're going to get stuck or stranded.
brian-- I'm not in the snow belt but I may put on a coat of Zaino here in a few weeks which I should have left-over from another car. We get more rain than snow so thankfully I don't have to worry about the harsh elements.
Ken-- I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll get a good trade-in figure for your old A4. But a Freelander? wow! I've never been a real Land Rover fan but the Freelander does sound quite interesting. The pictures I've seen are impressive. Didn't Ford buy the Land Rover company last year? *uh oh* ...well, maybe not, that might be a plus I suppose.
D.J.-- I haven't seen any invoice prices yet but I'm assuming that they shouldn't be that much different correspondingly to the old model. I'd have to guess that no real discounts will be given during the first few months of the introductory period ...although I think I read where some who pre-ordered or locked in a position on the first incoming cars, negotiated a $1,000 above invoice "sight-unseen" on the actual invoice figure. That sounds like an excellent deal considering that I paid $1,400 over for my '01 in March.
Vince-- Welcome! You aren't related to Billy are you? *lol* ...just noticed that you had the same last name. But yeah, once you put a few options on the car, it can become quite pricey. If you did want a "stripped down" model, you'd have to special order it for cars coming into dealer stock will have some options no matter what. Wait a sec, I take that back ...I do remember seeing a totally stripped down '01.0 1.8T on the dealer's lot when I was shopping for mine but it did have a Tip tranny and metallic paint ...no other options, not even the Celebration pkg. because it was an '01.0. And you're right, reliability won't be "Toyotaesque" but we're all keeping our fingers crossed that our individual cars will be trouble free. And definitely get quattro even though you're in Portland. You guys actually get more snow than we do here in the Puget Sound region and we don't even get any non-quattro models shipped here unless special ordered (this pertains to the entire Audi line ...all cars shipped here are quattro). I believe it's the same for your area too. Now this might change for the 2002 A4 because of the new CVT transmission. Audi is really showcasing the new CVT A4 so I wouldn't be surprised if they started shipping non-quattro CVT models to the Pacific Northwest.
Billy-- *lol* yeah, that was the first time I was really able to get it out on the open road and run it at 80-85 mph for a sustained period ...I would have liked to have run it up a little faster but there were numerous radar out on both mornings
Brian (audibon)-- Isn't the right headlight supposed to be aimed slightly higher than the left? ...or appear that way? I read where this is normal and correct especially with projectors and multi-reflectors ...something about being able to illuminate signs, etc. on the right shoulder. I know on both my vehicles it appears that way ...the right beam appears just-a-hair higher than the left one (in the step-pattern).
Pat-- Thanx for the comments. I'm glad to hear that Edmunds is considering a remedy to the situation.
Karen-- Relating to your post of September 30 to Jeff, I forgot to mention that Consumer Reports does rate the Passat 1.8T more reliable than the Passat 2.8. So I guess this could be interpreted that the older models of the A4 1.8T should be at least "better than average," right?
One question for anybody who can comment: The AoA site lists one of the features of the 2001 A4 as having "...white and red illuminated backlit instrument cluster with automatic brightness control." I don't recall seeing anything in the owner's manual that describes the instrument lighting as being self-dimming or having the ability of automatically adjusting the lighting intensity. Is this just a mis-print?
--'rocco
--'rocco
No matter what, I am not going to order one of those bare boners. I want a manual with at least xenon, moonroof, and metallic paint. These should be pretty commonly installed options. Hmm...I have got to test drive the CVT ones.
I am not sure how bad the winter usually is in the Puget Sound region. But over these several years there just wasn't many icy or snowy days in Portland that I could remember. Of course that doesn't mean the winter won't get nasty on down the road. I get used to driving my chained Corolla when it snows. If it gets really bad, I could always hide and work at home. Having Quattro is wonderful and it not only works well on snow but also on rain and when hard driving is performed. I will think about this. Overall, it's a $1700 decision.
What's up with the Celebration package for 2002? Maybe I missed it but I haven't seen this pkg mentioned anywhere? Is it gone and getting broken down separately to be sold by each part?
vince...8o)
Yes, the CVT sounds interesting but I'm a die hard manual tranny guy so I'd probably not even consider it. Also, as you may know, the CVT won't be offered with quattro. I know what you're talking about when you wonder if quattro is worth the $1,700. What swayed me is the several people that told me that you can easily make up the price difference in the resale value. I did some research on this and sure enough, non-quattro Audis did depreciate faster and have far less resale value than quattro ones ...almost to the point of making up the initial price ...especially in non-quattro areas like ours. Now I don't know if this will hold true for the CVT FWD or not ...they might be highly in demand.
And yeah, it seems like everytime we get a forecast of a threat of snow here in the Seattle are, it never develops and you folks in Portland end up getting a foot. You also get a lot more ice storms and freezing rain than we do. *yuk*
--'rocco
I do love this car -- and am so glad it has Quattro. Some jerk was tailgating me on some winding, hilly roads the other day; I just tapped the car down to third gear and stepped on it -- and was SO far ahead of him, SO fast. heh heh heh
BTW, did your parents end up getting an Accord? That might not be a bad choice: Did you see where Consumer Reports slammed reliability of the A6?
Anyhow......scirocco, no, I'm not related to Vince.....just by chance we have the same last name :> But hey, Vince, you can be related to US if you get an A4 :>
If I were you, I wouldn't get a stripped down A4. Resale value is going to hurt IF you can even sell it. So your conclusion of getting one with xenon, metallic paint and sunroof is absolutely correct. One thing about Quattro though.....after doing the Audi Quattro Challenge, I wouldn't even think about getting an Audi without Quattro. Handling is so much better with the AWD system and they made me believe that I cannot do all those crazy maneuvers that day without AWD. So yeah it's useful in the snow, but it's also great on dry pavement. Plus like Scirocco said, resale value is retained for Quattro so it's not a bad investment. Yeah I don't believe there's a Celebration pkg for 2002 cars. One reason is like others said, Audi wants to get rid of the 2001.5 cars. Another reason is, the Celebration pkg is only available with Quattro equipped cars, and Audi is "celebrating" 20 years of Quattro by offering the "celebration" pkg. That's where the name comes from.
Ready2, I agree with Mike that I wouldn't do anything special to the car other than the oil and a few supplies in the trunk. We do have Roadside assistance but you know, if the weather is bad enough to get a Quattro to be stuck, there're must be tons of calls to AAA for tow trucks and I don't want to be frozen to death in the car.
I was looking at those acceleration numbers on the CVT, manual and automatic 2002's on AoA's website and the CVT got the same acceleration 0-60 numbers on non-Quattro equipped cars. Amazing. Now when Audi comes up with cars equipped with both CVT AND Quattro .....it'll be a blast.
Hehe Karen, watch out now.....the downshift and pull away thing is addictive :>
Varig, I test drove the 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro with the optional 17" wheel sports pkg and I can tell ya, the suspension is DEFINITELY harder than the 2001 sports pkg A4's. The parking lot they let us test drove in got tons of expansion cracks. We can feel the cracks but yet it's not hurting our backs. The car feels like it's turning on tracks and bodyroll is VERY minimal. I would also like to test drive a non-sports 2002 model to see if it's as awesome as the sports 2001 model, like AoA suggested.
Billy
Hope that made sense ;-)
Today I went to the Fall Drive through Wisconsin organized by Lakes Region Quattro Club.....we went to the International Auto in Milwaukee, WI and they did a fantastic job to keep us busy including the drive and had the 2002 A4 1.8T Quattro manual and a 2002 A6 3.0 Quattro in the showroom. Here's the breakdown of the specific A4 they had in the showroom:
2002 A4 1.8T Quattro MT5 (Manual Tranny 5-spd)
Denim Blue (awesome color)
Base Price: $26,650
Denim Blue Pearl Effect: $450
Platinum Interior: No Charge
5-speed Manual Transmission: No Charge
Glass Sunroof (w/Power, Tilt, Slide): $1,000
Heated Front and Rear Seats: $525
16-inch 5-spoke Cast Alloy Wheels: $450
Premium Pkg (Homelink, exterior auto dim mirrors, interior auto dim mirrors w/compass): $350
Perforated Leatherette Upholstery: No Charge
Destination Charge: $575
Grand Total: $30,000
Things in particular that's interesting:
- heated seats can be purchased separately from the cold weather package, which is good for me since I need the heated seats but don't need the ski sack that comes with the cold weather pkg
- ESP is standard
- 6-disk in-dash CD player is standard (drooling....)
- Gas mileage for 5-spd tranny dropped to 21 City/29 Highway
- Footwell lighting for rear passengers (dandy)
- Rear cup holders (how come ours don't have those?)
- Dual-zone climate control.....how wonderful
- 4-way power lumbar....but still manual height adjustment, and the troubling knob that controls the seatback incline
- Rear legroom did increase by a little bit....but don't expect a huge increase. It's still tight back there.
- The number of interior buttons/controls seems doubled. I bet 2002 owners will need to STUDY the manual for like 2 days before they can use everything in the car. Definitely more gadgets.
- The trunk lid has improved by one million percent. It's not a big knob that you need to push....it's more like a light touch and the trunk lid will electrically pop up slightly. With minimal lifting pressure (not like ours that we need to wrestle) it can be lifted and opened completely. And with a slight push the trunk comes down and locks effortlessly. My girlfriend has been complaining the trunk lid and I'm sure she won't do that in the 2002 model.
- Styling....well it gets easier in my eyes but still....I wouldn't trade mine for it
- This car is more or less the same as mine minus the Bose and add on the standard stuff like ESP and options like heated rear seats. Will I pay for this 2002? Yes if I can get a similar deal on my 2001, probably won't if I need to pay MSRP.
That dealer already got about 10 new A4's in the lot....dunno if they're available to be purchased or not. I've also seen my local Audi dealer having customers test driving a silver 2002 3.0Q. Maybe I'll stop by and take a 1.8T for a test drive :>
Billy
Have you bought or shopped for a 3-Series BMW, C-Class Mercedes, Jaguar X-Type or other small sports sedan since Sept 11? If so, your comments are of great interest. Please get in touch with me via jfallon@edmunds.com.
You may also drop by the Smart Shopper discussion at this link to respond: prlady1 "Talk to the Press" Oct 8, 2001 1:48pmThanks as always,
Jonathan Welsh
The Wall Street Journal
however i'm a little spooked by talk of A4 reliability problems. nothing major like the transmission dropping out, but a lot of "nickel and dime" stuff like door locks breaking, windows not going up and down, rattles, etc. i've heard this first hand and from reputable sources like jd power.
i guess i'm a little spoiled. my acura has been basically gas-and-go since i bought it nine years ago and i don't think i spent a cumulative $1,000 on repairs until after i hit 100G on the odometer.
and by saving money on repairs, this purchase will be a buy and not a lease.
and in case you're wondering, yes, i've looked at the acura 3.2tl type s. yeah, it's got the reliability and options package. but it ain't no head turner. but that's an issue for a differnt message board!
looking forward to your candid comments...
Danielp1, I guess you can try call Clair Parts Express (www.clairparts.com). They are a Boston dealership and they are pretty good at selling or ordering OEM parts. I got my exhaust tips over there and has been a great help.
Drack43, well I agree the Audi is no Honda reliability, but it's not that far behind. I owned a 96 Honda Accord and drove it for 120k miles before I traded it in for the A4. Only spent $600 on unexpected fixes on the Accord. I foresee I'll spend more on the Audi, but like they said, German cars got souls. Japanese cars get you from Point A to Point B. German cars let you know how to get from Point A to Point B. Frankly I don't know how I can get used to going back to Japanese cars again, although honestly if the Audi costs way too much to maintain after the 50k mile mark, it has to go and I'm sure it'll be a sad moment. For now, I'm taking it in for my 10k maintenance tomorrow after owning the car for 7.5 months without problems.....ok the passenger vent is broken and needs replacement, but that's free. No mechanical problems at all for the 1.8T engine.
Billy
It is kind of strange to me that you spent so little on the maintenance of your Acura. I had a '97 3.2TL prior to this and the "scheduled maintenance" recommended by Honda cost a fortune at the dealerships, almost $200/7.5K miles and 300-500/15K miles depending on the car.
Anyway, I've had the A4 since mid-July and have put 2500 miles on it. The only problem that has surfaced to this point is a rattle in the passenger door. By comparison, I had similar problems early on with both Acuras -- but ultimately was really glad that I'd gotten both of those cars. Obviously I hope the same is the case with this car; if it develops lots of problems, it'll be the one and only Audi I'll ever buy. I love the car so far, though.
For what it's worth, I thoroughly researched the A4 for about a year and decided that the 1.8Ts in recent model years seemed to have decent reliability records. If I were in the market for a 2002 A4, I'd probably opt for the 1.8T engine because of its proven track record (even though the 3.0 engine does sound intriguing). Anyway, just my 2 cents' worth....
Now, I presume that's what you're talking about here. Once the warranty period is up on the Acura, it starts costing $300 to $350 per visit, right? Tell you what I'll do, when I bring my car in next week, I'll check and see what these visits will cost from Audi and then report back.
So far, I've noticed one small rattle from the rear driver's side door. Nothing major.
The speakers can't seem to handle the bass when set above about 60%. It's non-Bose, and I was wondering if anyone else noticed the "thud" and distortion in the speakers. Easy fix though...couple 3-way 6.5"'s in the rear and some new front speakers and i'll be golden.
The sport package was a GREAT decision. I haven't made the tires squeal yet...but i'm still breaking it in :-)
May wish for quattro in a couple months, but DC winters are very tame.
Nobody ever considers an Audi until they sit in one. Sold me.
"Chicks dig the long ball."
Has anyone else put a turbo timer on their A4? I was told by a tuner that you really need a timer when running a turbo. I'm willing to spend the $100 to extend my car's life.
Ken, LOL, I love that "Can't stop Drivin" thread. I told myself right after selling my 5-yr old Accord with 120k miles that I gotta stop putting on so many miles on my A4. Well, 10k in 7.5 months, which put me at 16k per year. Still high, but lower than 24k miles/yr in the Accord. Can Audi do 4yr/unlimited mileage on the warranty/free maintenance? :>
Tim, about that turbotimer, ask that question over at Audiworld (www.audiworld.com). A lot of guys over there have turbo timers and they can give you some insight on them. I wouldn't mind to have one of those but AoA might say, geez you just void the warranty on the turbos cuz you tap in and see what's your boost LOL. Just kidding. About that Bass in the stereo, have you tried to tune the "hidden equalizer" settings? It helped in my Bose system, and it should help in non-Bose systems as well.
Billy
After a few minor fixes early-on, mine's been excellent except my ongoing problem of exhaust smell entering the cabin on moderate to hard acceleration, which is extremely annoying. Our area rep made a special trip here to spend the day with my car in an attempt to arrive at a logical explanation and cause, but as luck (or fate) would have it, he had a head cold and couldn't smell anything. The dealership did every test imaginable including a thorough engine check, body vents, checking for seal leaks around the trunk, etc, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, the problem continues. It's not chipped, but I contacted APR about it and was told exactly what the problem is (from their experience), but the powers that be at Audi are choosing to ignore it.
I like this body style and was considering buying the car after the lease is up, but definitely not with this problem. My area rep wants to give it another try when he's in better health, so I'm planning to arrange another meeting. If nothing can or won't be done, I'll check out the new body style when available at my dealer. If all is well with the 2002, I'll probably go with another Audi the following year. If the new body style doesn't excite me, I'll be looking for another vehicle make at lease end. From what I've seen, by the time my lease is up, there should be some interesting choices available among several manufacturers.
Let me know what you've been up to and how your car's doing.
DRC4
By the way, although there is no free 15k service, I planned to do what my buddy did and go in and have an oil change and a new filter at 15k. Our dealership offers free oil drain and fill if we bring our own oil, and the cost is only $10 for the new filter. The good thing is, I'm sure they'll put in my oil at 15k since they can't charge me (or Audi) for the oil.
Oh, and I got a 2001.5 CACTUS GREEN A4 1.8T as a loaner yesterday. It's a Tip, Quattro, got the winter and celebration pkgs. It even got less miles than my own car (only 5.5k miles). I guess cactus green cars are harder to sell than silver ones :> Did multiple full throttle launches (hehe) and I'm pretty surprised at what it can do.....got a 19mpg fuel economy reading....and that's 75% highway, 25% city :>
Billy
Why do the Audi service depts. have to be so incompetent? I thought the salesmand and F&I guy were both very smart and knowledgeable. Not so for service.
Davking, reason why I put 4.3 qt on the seat is because that's the quantity of oil I have. The manual has the figure 4.3qt for the oil capacity, but we all know that's not right. It's just a coincidence that I have 4.3 qt there cuz they put in 3.7 qt last time. And I expected to have 2 bottles of partially filled oil bottles. It wouldn't make them have a false image that I want to use the 0.3 qt in that bottle but not to open a new bottle, right?
Michael, I saw a similar 3.0 Quattro with the stuff you described here in Chicago for $38k too. Beautiful Dolphin Grey exterior, but I still like the Denim Blue color.
Billy
Karen-- right, I got a few comments on that A6 reliability issue but I gotta run so I'll be back with more on that. :-b
--'rocco
Rocco -- I always have that drip when the oil in my Mitsubishi truck is changed. But I didn't with the Audi. Hooray.
Dave