Audi A4 2004 and earlier

MULAWYER

To answer a few recent questions:

1) Dov: I agree that the Dolphin Gray is a bit blah, but it has the advantage of hiding the ugly gray plastic lowers. However, I'm leaning toward the Denim Blue which IMHO may be the best color offered in the 02 (It looks great in person!).

2) Datadog: I would suggest that you go take another test drive, most people seem to agree that the new A4 handles even better than the old one. Obviously if they didn't prep the car right, that'll have an impact. The A6 is a nice car, but the real question is what you value more. If you want space and luxury, get the A6. If you want a car that, while smaller, is more sporty, go for the A4. As for the 6-speed, I have yet to drive one, but hope to do so in the next few days. I'll keep you posted on my impressions.

3) Jflick: I wouldn't base your decision to buy an A4 on the reliability reports of the A6. Having not looked at the A6, I really couldn't say if they have had problems. My research indicates that the A4 is a very reliable car. Not quite a camry or accord, but very good none-the-less.

hiflyer

"When I drove a 4 motion it paled in comparison to either A4 version."

I assume that you were referring to the difference in the handling between the bigger, softer-sprung Passat vs. the A4, since 4-Motion is simply VW's name for Audi's Quattro system (at least as currently used in NA).

datadog

Hey all, thanks for the input.

I found on the A6 board that the new model will be an '04, so I can buy one now and it will remain current for two years. I usually trade every 3 years anyway. So that mostly negates my concern about driving an outdated car in one year.

Billy - At least as far as MSRP is concerned, the similarly equipped A6 is about 3,750 more than the A4. I assume the A4 is hot right now and they should make better deals on the A6. Is that your thinking? Even if it were that much more, it doesn't seem too bad for a larger car with a nicer interior. Of course the 2.7T is another comparison altogether. I still would like to see the A4 in black before I dismiss the outside appearance. The last three cars I have had are black, but the Audi blues are great too.

nitpicker - thanks for the advice. I need to spend a little more time with the tip. I live in the mountains and the nearest stoplight is over 50 miles away. Lots and lots of twisties and no traffic. In other words, the ideal environment for a manual. I rarely feel the need to be relieved by an automatic unless I am in a city, and as infrequent as that occurs it really doesn't rate much consideration. Since you have an '01 A4, what do you think of the '02's in terms of styling?

MULAWYER, you're right, I just need to spend some more time driving these cars. The main problem is the closest dealer is almost two hours away. But I have just about decided I'm ready for some more room. Let me know if you drive the 6-speed. I'm sure it is a hoot with the 3.0.

audibon

What i meant by that was if you drive a loaded FWD Passat w/V6 and 5spd and compare that car to an A4 w/V6 and a 5 speed versus the Passat and 4motion... It is no contest. A seat of the pants evaluation should tell you that the FWD Passat is fun, the Audi is more FUN because you add the security of quattro and the Passat with 4motion is a DOG! You couldn't pay me to buy that car. Why? My wife and I felt the Tiptronic and the gearing of the car do not match the engine at all. So, even though you can "shift" the car with the Tip it never got out of its way. Handling was not even an issue. Before anyone asks, the day we drove all 3 cars (2 Dealership visits) no salesman was present in any car, my wife and I are both agressive drivers to say the least and we both prefer manual vs. any auto configuration out there. We eventually bought a 1.8T a year later (couldn't justify the extra $ for a V6) and I now feel that it can smoke any 4motion out there. Why doesn't VW offer a 5spd? Don't know. Why are they not going to offer a 5spd or 6spd in the W8 Passat? If you read the specs the 0-60 times for the W8 are great but that is only for the Euro model with manual. I think VW and Audi want more buyers but they don't want Audi buyers going over to VW.
The other main reason I didn't like the Passat was level of finish on the Audi. Again, a very subjective item. We just felt the Audi was nicer inside than the VW. Case in point, push the power lock button in both cars and see what happens. Do this with the engine on or off and the radio on or off and see what you hear. In the Audi you hear nothing, in a VW you hear the usual Clunk! The power locks on Audi are vacuum and on a VW? Solenoid of some type maybe or motor activated? In a Passat 4motion a car that will set you back $33000 we felt this was unacceptable. It is picky but a fact that it would have irritated us to continually be subjected to this clunk. I'm not saying it is a bad car, we just did not care for it. My point was if a buyer doesn't spend the time with a car on a test drive and make several trips in varying conditions then they have no one to blame but themselves if they are not happy. Likewise I wanted to illustrate how much the options add to the base price from Brand to Brand. Our $ going to Audi is our way of saying that that we prefer that car over the Passat.

drew37

A local Audi dealer has "no haggle" prices and they will absolutely not deal on any car. Right now they are offering both the 2002 1.8T and 3.0 A4's at $500 off of MSRP. They want you to believe that this is comparable to deals the other dealers are making. I hate this no haggle baloney because I know I could almost always get a better price with someone willing to deal. This dealer is about 5 minutes from where I live and the next closest is about 45 minutes away. I would really prefer to do business closer to home for the convenience. In general, what are dealers willing to sell 2002 A4's for relative to invoice or MSRP. I would be curious to know other peoples experiences throughout the country on the current A4 prices.

hiflyer

So it was the type of the transmission that was the issue, not so much the drivetrain. It's not too surprising that a manual would be more fun.

Although I agree with you that the Audi has a much nicer looking interior, I never seen much difference in the quality of materials and fit and finish between the A4 and the Passat. In fact, I often marveled at how similar they were. And I never gave much mind to the Passat's clunky door locks, but I have at the thousands I saved over a similarly equipped A4.

There's few right answers when it comes to buying a car. It largely depends on one's priorities. It sounds like you made the right choice for you, so enjoy.

audibon

The way I look at it is I got my trade in paid off even though it had negative equity, bought a brand new car for a decent price and got what I wanted. I figure if I bought a fully loaded Accord EX with V6 I'm in the hole for 26500 and even though as a former owner of 2 Accords there is some loyalty for me to buy a Honda again but they lack a manual with that engine and they lack AWD. So, my choice at the time became more clear. For 2k more I get AWD, a better ride and 4 years 50k warranty and maintenance plan. Something Honda cannot match. Now for your own personal situation you feel that you got the better bargain and I can say that you did. In the end you settled on what was best for your needs. I settled on what was best for my needs and I feel like I got a bargain.
If you ask anyone on this board about their A4 I'm sure that most will say that they got a bargain as well. With the exception of some of us who kick ourselves over Bose, Xenon, Sports suspension and rib each other about our choice of color. But that is another story. Happy motoring.

nitpicker

Gosh, I'm almost afraid to comment on styling 'cause it's so subjective. But since you asked...

I personally prefer the sleeker, sportier lines of the "old" A4. I also like the notched rear end of the older style. The new model is nice, though; to me it looks a bit more stately and substantial and businesslike. Guess it all depends somewhat on what kind of image you prefer.

I think the size of the driver might (underline might) have some bearing one which style the driver prefers. Some people had criticized the old style as being too small/cramped and had complained about using the trunk. I'm 5'1" and feel like my '01 A4 was custom-made for me. Everything in the interior feels like a perfect fit, and I think the trunk is wonderful -- nice and low, easy to use.

Anyway, just my $.02. Let us know what you decide!

MULAWYER

I have not talked to my local dealer about price yet, but over at A4 forum at audiworld (www.audiworld.com) it looks like many peeople have been able to get theirs for around $1500 over INVOICE without too much trouble (although most of the posts I read were for the 1.8T, so the 3.0 may be different). Sounds like you need to take that 45 minute drive!

02a4curt

Geographically, I'm next door to you (Rochester,MN) and just ordered a 1.8 tip, loaded, for $1000 under MSRP or about $1750 over invoice. I may have been able to do a little better, but received what I considered a good deal on my trade-in. Would be interested to hear experiences from anyone that has dealt with Park Place Motor Cars in Rochester, MN. They sell BMW, Audi & Volkswagons.

lauk0dg

Audibon, the reason why certain cars, like the Passat W8 or Accord EX, don't have a manual tranny is because they can't pass the emissions test here in US. Although Europe has tougher industrial emission standards, it has less tough automobile emission standards there than in US. Figure we have a lot more cars per capita than in Europe I guess. It's sad, but true. About why the Passat V6 won't offer a manual.....I think VW doesn't want the A4 V6 buyers to flock to VW instead of buying an Audi, when the V6 engine only puts out 190hp. Now that the 3.0L will make 220hp, if the Passats keep the 2.8L engine, I bet they will get a manual tranny.

About styling, I agree with Karen that our "older" A4's present a more styling line. I don't want to use this word here but it's more SEXY than the new A4. The new A4 is very nice too and looks better than 95% of the cars out there but it just lost the character. That said, I would still pick the 2002 A4 over a 2002 BMW 325i, although I will pick the 2002 BMW 325ci (the coupe) over the 2002 A4.

Billy

godeacs

Are you saying you got an A4, w/Quattro,for only $2K more than an Accord EX-V6? I shopped both and the price difference is more like $6K+ (a fully loaded EX goes for $23K or so). Am I missing something or was the trade-in allowance much better with the Audi?

jtaim

I drove a 2002 A4 1.8T manual w/ quattro yesterday. It had the standard 15" alloys and non-sport suspension.

Coming from a '99 Passat 1.8T manual, I was surprised by how quick the A4 was. It seemed to have less turbo lag, coming off the line very easily. Felt very solid with tight handling and ride. It had none of the float and lean of my Passat. And because of the better sound-proofing, the engine seemed smoother.

Interior was very nice, though back seat room is still snug when the front is adjusted for this 6-footer. The dual-zone climate control is a nice touch, as are the guages which looked nice even midday.

I then went to the BMW dealer to test drive a 325i manual but they didn't have any available.

Compared to my brother's 2000 323i, though, the new A4 is very competitive. As I told him, both cars are good enough that it boils down to personal preferences.

audibon

Well, I am at a loss because everything I type is being misconstrued for something else.
Nitpicker, I don't take things personally but some people apparently do. I don't like being flamed or talked down to like I have no clue about what is going on. The reason I said subjective is the same reason you said subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To each her (or his) own. If that were not the case we would all be driving Yugo's! You say tomatoe, I say tamaatoe!
Billy, I don't buy the whole theory on emissions for some cars having manual and not having manual. It may apply to Europe but what about Honda? The Accord V6 doesn't have stick because Honda doesn't make a manual to handle the Hp and Torque output from that engine. That is B.S. because the Camry has the same size V6 available and they offer it with manual. So, what gives. I agree with you 100% that VW is not offering certain configurations because they don't want to pull away potential buyers and loyal owners from the Audi lineup. VW is walking that fine line right now and having to play their cards close to the vest. As far as styling goes we prefer the 2001 model as well. I also prefer both BMW's over the 2002 A4 and that is only because I didn't want an A4 that looked similar to an A6. Maybe Audi will change the A6 to something different that will set them apart in the next redesign.
Godeacs:According (sorry about the pun) to carsdirect.com a fully loaded Accord EX Sedan with leather (MSRP) is $25,740. Add in license, title and taxes and even in Wisconsin where our sales tax is 5.5% you are at $27,250. Granted you can haggle on it but it still seemed high to me. The Illinois/Wisconsin area is very popular for Accords so demand is pretty good, hence prices here are more locked in. Maybe the prices are different at the dealer but I am pretty sure when I built an Accord at the Honda site it was close to $26500. I may be mistaken and if so apologize. I paid 28500 for our A4. It has no Bose, no Xenon and no sport suspension. Didn't want Bose, didn't think a lower car with sport suspension would be a good idea in a snowy climate (Wisconsin) and could not find Santorin anywhere so we did not concern ourselves with a lack of Xenons once finding an A4 in that color. Like I said in an earlier post the dealer we went to paid off our trade even though we were upside down. We may have been upside down by $1k but it was very interesting to us that one dealer was willing to work with us and another was not. Just thought I would throw in my penny.

audibon

Just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating I checked Honda's site and a 2002 Accord EX V6 Sedan w/leather MSRP is $25,300. Add in $440 Destination, $457 for 3 Accesories that I wanted and $161 in labor to install them. Grand total at this point is $26358. Then you have to add license, title, and sales tax. Happy trails.

keninplacitas

I parked my car (2000 A4) next to the 2002 A4 at the dealership. The only differences that really stood out were the hood on the 2002 standing a little higher with the grill having a couple of more segments, and the deck lid not being inset (it just has a bit more of a conventional look now). What the 2002 A4 did not have was that bulbous deck lid that makes the A6 so distinctive. IMHO, the new A4 has been getting a bad rap by being likened to the A6. I do agree though that the change in the deck lid does take some of that sporty look away from the car (even though it seems to result in more trunk space and seems to make the car look somewhat larger).

By the way, I'd like to thank Audi for changing the controls for the stereo in a manner that makes it easier to use without taking your eyes off the road.

02a4curt

Looking at some pics of 2002 A4's in German showroom (http://y42.photos.yahoo.com/bc/joeorto/lst?.dir=/Audi+A4+Photo's&.src<IMG NAME=) and it looks like some do not have duel exhausts like the 3.0. Will the 2002 1.8 have duel exhausts in US?

02a4curt

Apparently my reference to a web site blocked out the rest of my message. I was referring to that web site showing pictures of 2002 A4's in a German show room without duel exhausts. My question was..does the 2002 1.8 in the US come with duel exhausts?

keninplacitas

One of the first things I looked for on the new 2002 A4 1.8T was the dual exhaust system (some kind of teenage era flashback really wanted them to be there). All the pictures I'd seen had shown them but the photographed cars were all 3.0s. Well, now I've seen the 1.8T and the pipes are there (and they look sharp).

You know, one would expect a few percent horsepower gain would come from this change. I wonder if maybe putting the 1.8T engine into ultra low emission status might have cost some power and maybe the dual exhausts helped in compensating to bring it back.

kk13

The 1.8L has 2 pipes coming out the rear, but it is not a true dual exhaust. The exhaust comes together through a main catalytic converter and then splits as it goes out the back. But, it still looks good. I believe the 3.0L has a true dual exhaust.

02a4curt

I looked under the 3.0 today and it does have two mufflers.

varig

I've finally ended my car search. After trying to decided between the A4 and WRX, I ended up purchasing neither vehicle. Thanks to everyone on this board for your much appreciated input and comments over the past few months.
Earlier this week I eliminated the WRX from my short list. I could not see my self driving this car 2 years from now. I know that all WRX owners are very pleased with their cars, but I decided that it was just not for me.
I liked the exterior looks of the new A4, but the interior has inherited too many Passat genes. I prefer the looks of the "old" interior better than the new.
I've driven the 1.8T and although it drives great, with my driving style, I could not tell that much difference between it and the old generation A4.
Most of the "old" A4 at the local dealership had already been sold and those that remained were not equipped to my liking.
Just for the sake of asking, I inquired about the remaining S4 on the lot. Black with Ebony interior. As it turns out, they were willing to make a deal. I arranged for a test drive. This car had everthing I was looking for. The looks and the power. It shifted better than the 1.8T (clutch not set as high). I was hooked. So I bought it. : - ) . I was reminded of a quote that some had posted a while back. His grandmother had said that she "never regretted her extravagances only her economies". Reflecting on this I realized that I could say the same thing. That made the decision to buy what I wanted that much easier.
Now I will have to work hard at keeping it clean and staying under the speed limit.

What car wax I should use? Zaino or Zymol? What leather treatment? I know that this has been a topic of discussion before, but I never paid too much attention since I was too focused on the car purchase itself.

Thanks for your continued help.

keninplacitas

Wow, great choice varig. The S4 I drove really got the adrenaline going. Does it have the 5 or 6 speed (I don't know if the 6 speed was new on the S4 for 2002, or what)? What color did you get? You must have gotten a pretty good deal. Can you give us a hint at what it cost?

Sorry for all the questions. You just did the thing I've been thinking about ever since I drove one the other day. Unfortunately, I think it would take some wheeler-dealing beyond my capabilities to get the dealer to bring the price down to where it's within my range.

audibon

Well, what a switch from an A4/WRX thought to an S4 purchase. Nice job on getting a deal that worked for you! In addition to kenninplacitas' questions I have a few as well.. Since you said the remaining S4 on the lot am I to infer that it is a 2001 model? How many miles on it when you picked it up? So, the clutch action is different, what do you think of the shifter itself as there are some who say it is rubbbery and doesn't have a positive feel to it?
I would have gone this way had we been able to get one for around 35000 to 38000 (yeah right!?) but realize it would have to have been a used one. The more I read other comments on this board the car that seems more and more interesting is the A6 2.7T or the A6 4.2. The 2.7T has manual so that always tips the scale for me towards that car. I don't care for that round look on the A6 but that engine and larger interior size can make up for the styling in the long run I think..Again, congrats on your new car, now a radar detector may be in order. Happy motoring.

lauk0dg

Varig, congrats on the purchase of your A.....oh no, S4!!! I'm jealous :> I was reading your post for the first paragraph and I was prepared for the "worst"....i.e. you got the S4.....and you did, cuz I know once you test drive an A4, you are hooked on to an Audi. You know what, yesterday I stopped by the local Audi dealership and I saw 8 2002/2001 S4's and 4 2001 A4's and 3 2002 A4's. I was like, dang, maybe I can go in and get a nice trade-in for my A4. Good thing it was Sunday (dealership was close) and I got my gf to yell at me saying I'm an idiot cuz I will lose big time on my car. I know I know, but that pearlescent white S4 is just incredible. I got some friends who got S4's and I didn't dare to ask for a test drive cuz I know I will hook to it :> So how much did you pay for it? below invoice? :> Keninplacitas, I believe all S4's (since 2000) come with 6-speed manual or 5-speed Tiptronic (at no extra charge). Yup I agree with Audibon.....get a radar detector :> Hehe most of us 1.8T guys here don't have real leather so you better ask that question on the S4 board :>

Godeacs, I tend to think A4's are the best kept secrets on the road.....coworkers thought (just like the Passat commercial) I got a billion bucks to buy the A4 but in fact it's not THAT much more expensive than an Accord EX-V6. The MSRP of mine is $29,100 with Convenience, Bose, metallic paint and Winter pkgs and I talked it all the way down to $26,700, LOL, like a few hundred bucks more than the Accord (as Audibon pointed out, Honda isn't that open to deal here in Chicago cuz of high demand for Accords). OK the Accord will have real leather and maybe better reliability, but the Audi comes with standard maintenance for 4yr-50k and Quattro. Easy pick I thought.

Jtaim, yup I agree the choice between an A4 and a 325i really comes down to personal preference if you don't look at the price differences. I like the turbo "kick" on the A4, and I like the exterior styling of the 325ci (coupe). However, when I looked at the price, I was like, that's it, I am buying the Audi. The BMW (similarly equipped) has a MSRP that's almost $5-6k more than the Audi and it doesn't have Quattro (LOL, RWD won't do well in snow). Add in the fact that BMW dealers think they are giving away their whole world if you want to pay $2k below MSRP (the most "generous" dealer here said he will sell it to me for $1k below MSRP). Did the math and "ran" out from the BMW dealership fast.

The 2002 A4's have way too much plastic on the lower body, especially on the rear. LOL, it will definitely show the sweet dual exhaust pipes on both the 1.8T and 3.0. I thank Audi, though, to design the new A4 so it won't look so much like the VW line (on the outside). The new Passat can sometimes be mistaken as the A4 on the side. Now let's hope VW won't just take the 2002 A4 drawings and change a couple of things and give it the Passat nameplate.

Oh Scirocco, found out yesterday about the headlights/alarm for ya. If I turn off the ignition when the low beams are on, it will turn the low beams off but leave the parking lights on. And if I arm the car with them on, unfortunately I was able to arm the car WITH the parking lights on. I didn't leave them on long enough to see if they will shut off automatically. Maybe you can finish that part of the "experiment"??

Billy

bobcatbob

As someone who is considering the new A4, a car that is about 5K more than I would like to spend, I am reminded of the following quote:

"Price is forgotten long after quality endures."

tysalpha

Not trying to split hairs here, but to know if a car has dual exhaust you have to look under the hood. Looking underneath the car and seeing two mufflers just means it has dual resonators. True dual exhaust can only be on V-shaped engines, where each side of the V has it's own independant exhaust system, which is carried out to the back.

Thus, inline engines can't be dual exhaust, and most V6's have the exhaust merged at the manifold, only to be separated before the mufflers.

That being said, having dual resonators is still cooler (and presumably less restrictive) than one.

mmcbride1

That is very true. I had a HS teacher tell me that many years ago and I've never forgotten it.

bobcatbob

I was probably remiss in not noting that AG Spaulding made the above quote. I read it in David Halberstram's book "The Fifties."

Sorry for the omission.

mmcbride1

I love your username.

My wife and I just got a kitten this weekend. His name is Bob Cat.

lauk0dg

Better watch out ..... that kitten might be a REAL Bobcat :>

kk13

tysalpha,

Good point about the dual exhaust. I was thinking V6. That said, the dual pipes are probably more for styling.

mmcbride1

You missed the joke. His first name is Bob and the last name is Cat. Bob Cat.

Maybe it's only funny to me because I'm a dork.

kk13

Yes, that is very funny (yawn....) Just kidding.

scirocco22

hmmmm, I've never given any of my cats a last name, Mike but I like it ...so it's not Bob the cat, eh? ...or is it like Smokey Bear?: "Daaaaaad! --it's not Smokey the Bear, it's Smokey Bear!!!!!"

Well, I noticed that yesterday AudiWorld split their A4 discussion board into two sections: A4 1st Generation ('96-'01) and A4 2nd Generation ('02-). As we discussed here several months ago, should we request to do the same? Obviously, one could choose to participate in either or both forums but it might make it easier for those planning on buying a new A4 to ask questions, etc. separately from those of us who have the dinosaurs and want to discuss our aches and pains, etc. What does everybody think? Would it make some of us feel like "second-class citizens" to have our own forum and not be included in the same group that has almost a totally new car with different design and engineering cues? ...probably doesn't really matter one way or the other but I know we've discussed this in the past and seeing that AudiWorld has separated their forums, I thought I'd just bring it up.

--'rocco

mmcbride1

But Smokeybear isn't a word.

Bobcat is...

I would actually like to keep our forums together. I will visit both if we split, though.

kk13

I think many of the discussions will be relevant to all A4 owners. This will only be a problem for a few months and there is not the volume of posting on this forum. Also, I personally would rather see all info on one place.

fafafooey

Crystal blue metallic. Nice color. Serious question. Too feminine for a guy ?

scirocco22

Drew-- Nah, I'm impressed with that color myself. I'd have a tendency to choose it just because I like the lighter metallics for their ability not to show dirt and blemishes as much as the darker colors. However, I've only seen it on a swatch and on the AudiUK configuration page ...waiting to see one in person.

Kelly-- k, I kind of figured the consensus would be to keep the forum together so I'll drop it. I'm going to try to do more reading and less posting on these forums so I guess it won't mean that much to me.

Mike-- yep, you're right ...don't know what I was thinking --attempting to be humorous but didn't put enough thought into it ...as is usual for me

Billy-- Thanks for checking on that auto-off headlight issue for me. I didn't see it on the list of codes (vag-com) anywhere ...although I believe it would be an excellent feature and one that would not cost the manufacturer much to integrate.

--'rocco

bobcatbob

A Bobcat happens to be the fierce mascot of my alma mater, Ohio University. Basically it looks like a house cat that is on steroids and in a really bad mood.

I, however, am rarely in a bad mode and have never taken steroids.

scirocco22

My high school's mascot was a lynx and my college alma mater's mascot is a wildcat and I'm not even that fond of cats! I don't even know exactly what a wildcat is *lol* ...which is fiercer, a bobcat, lynx or wildcat? ...I'm no zoology major so sorry for being so ignorant. But can we assume that Audis (or Audi owners) and cats have something in common or some affinity? *lol*

--'rocco

oops, I said I wasn't going to post as much anymore... ok, I'll try to keep quiet. :P

varig

Thanks very much. I'm still not used to driving such a nice car. It is definitely a step up from my trusty 15+ year old Japanese car. In fact, I haven't even made it through the owners manual yet. To answer your question, it is a black 2001 S4, ebony interior. It had 160 miles on it when I test drove it. I put about 11 test miles on it and then the dealer put a few more on when they put gas in it and checked it out. I don't really know what a "rubbery" shifter feels like. I know that there is a "spring" to the shifter, something my former car did not have, but I think it shifts smoothly and will only expect it to improve after the car is properly broken in. As I mentioned before, the Audi dealership was not really willing to come down much on the 2002 A4. And although I think the exterior is nice, I personally preferred the interior of the previous generation A4. Since I had already figured that I was going to have to spend close to if not slightly more than $31K to get the A4 equiped the way I wanted, it was not that much more, relatively speaking, to move into the discounted S4 which had all the features I wanted and then some. Of course it drives like nothing else I tried, including a BMW 330xi. It corners like on rails and you can hardly even hear the engine which is quieter than the 1.8T's. I'm actually enjoying the drive to and from work!
Regarding price, I knew the invoice and offered the dealer invoice + $500. That was not accepted, but after some additional negotiation, I still ended up paying < $1K over invoice (not including my trade in). I don't know if this was a "good deal" or not, but frankly, its too late to worry about that now. I'm just going to enjoy the car and hope for good service and reliability. The 4 year/ 50K mi warranty makes me feel a lot better. This is a bold experiment for my normally frugal nature. A few days after buying the car, I spoke to my Dad and asked him if I had gone totally overboard on this car and whether I should have bought something cheaper. He reassured me that this is why I work and that I should enjoy things while I am young. I guess he is right. I've never seen a hearse towing a U-Haul trailer : - )
Let me ask all of you a question. Since the car is black , one of my challenges will be to keep it clean and shiney. An recommendations on products I should use? It's starting to gather dust and I want to clean /wax it soon. What do you think about those clear plastic guards that you can place on the hood for preventing rock chips. Do I just need to reconcile myself to the inevitable and just have plenty of touch up paint around?

Thanks again.

mbnut1

Speaking as a bonifide tightwad, I agree with your Dad. I am 45 now and trust me I don't enjoy cars nearly as much as I did when I was 25. So by all means enjoy the daylights out your new purchase. BTW I went to the Audi dealer this weekend and I was way more impressed with the 2001 S4 than the new A4. It is just so much more cool.

keninplacitas

My salesman called today to let me know that he saved one of the new A4 brochures for me. Needless to say, I traipsed into town and picked it up ... Nice Job Audi ... I was afraid the Audi folks were going to stay with that anemic little greeting card looking thing.

Split off the 2002 A4 into it's own forum? Can't see any reason to do that. There are changes made to the A4s every year, this year maybe a bit more with the 3.0 and CVT, but they're still just evolved A4s. Driving a 2000 1.8T Quatro and then the 2002 equivalent, you really don't detect that much difference. There's more horsepower but the car's heavier. The car's a little larger but it's not something you really notice. The radio/CD is a little nicer, the dual climate control will be appreciated by the spouse or friend, the 17+ gallon gas tank will let you drive a little longer, the slightly different shape will result in both positive and negative comments, but for the most part, these things won't even be be noticed in regular day-to-day driving. Naw, let's just keep it the way it is.

kk13

I actually saw the crystal blue in person (next to the silver) and have to say I preferred the silver. The crystal blue was not as "crisp" and didn't look as sharp. All a matter of taste but I would definitely see it in person before deciding.

audibon

I would like to see the A4 forum remain as one board if possible.
I dropped off my A4 for its first service. Here is what has happened so far. Informed them that I had an Appt. for 4:30, service advisor states he has no Audi Techs, wanted to know who let me set the Appt. for Today blah, blah, blah. Mind you this was scheduled 2 1/2 weeks ago. I point out to the advisor that I was leaving the vehicle and had requested a loaner. Says that is fine, tells me we have none of our cars available but we'll give you a rental and pay for it. I informed him about the washer jets and headlights possibly being misaimed. I left 4 Qts. of Mobil 1 0W30 on the Passenger seat, we'll see how this goes. He typed it on the service ticket but that doesn't mean they'll use it. I will have to have faith. So, I get handed off to a young lady and she tells me I need to give her my Driver's License and a credit card for informational purposes. She asks if I want the additional insurance, refused it. So, I ask her what kind of a vehicle it would be and she says it can be anything. I go to the waiting room and 5 minutes later she appears with the keys to a 2002 Chevy Tahoe.....now this is very ironic as I am planning on getting a Trailblazer XL (w/3rd row seating) when it comes out in the Spring. However, I am not prepared to handle this monster but made the best of it. I'll let everyone know how the rest of the service goes tomorrow when I pick up my car.

raavir

Any body know where to find invoice price for 2001 A4

here is the configuration

2001 A4
color: black
Quattero celebration pack(No Sport pack)
Tiptronic

The dealer is quoting CAD $36,500

raavir

forgot to mention it is A4 1.8T

tysalpha

I haven't seen it in person on the A4 yet, but it looks like it's similar to the Sterling Blue offered on the Chrysler Sebring Convertible (a car which was also on my shopping list for a while). The sterling blue on the Chrysler looks great in bright sunlight, but in cloudy or overcast weather it looks more like a dull light silver (perhaps like KK mentioned on the A4).

After seeing it in person, on the Sebring it definitely looks too feminine for my tastes. But it may not be on the A4, since the A4's more chiseled and a hardtop, etc. I agree I'd definitely see the color in person before deciding on it.

So... anyone have an idea when Audi USA is going to update their site? I'm anxious to know how much over my budget the new A4 will be!

TysAlpha

keninplacitas

I wrote a message to Audi USA asking when they would update to enable the build of a 2002 A4 on the Audi site. They responded with: October 23, 2001 - That's today. I'm going over right now to check.