I would personally choose the Passat, but it has alot to do with the fact that I don't find the A4 (2002 anyway) comfortable. The center console intrudes too far for leg room.
The Passat and A4 used to be pretty much on the same platform before 02, but not anymore. Audi's V6 has more power, but the 1.8Ts are about the same.
I would think you would make up the $83 a month in saving maintenance costs for 50K...
Hey all, it's been a while since I've posted on here, but I thought I would run something by everyone.
Between 5-12mph (or so) there is a vibration/rumble/grinding I can feel and hear in the gas pedal, brake pedal, and steering column. This has always been an issue, but the dealer can never find anything. Recently, it started between 25-35mph and 50-60 mph, with even more pronounced effects. I also notice a shudder/hesitation going up a hill in 4th and 5th gear. Also, when I come to a stop, the idle speed dips quickly and nearly stalls when the engine is cold.
My feeling is that there may be a torque converter problem, but I'm not sure. I've thrown the car into Neutral at those speeds, but the problem stays. The dealer is no help, and I was hoping someone here is wise to this!!!
dobber, you were right. dealer pulled the fused to reset the stereo and entered the radio code and it was fine, all in 5 minutes, but still a pain in the butt. I saw your other post about pursuing lemon law. What kind of A4 do you have? how severe have your other problems been? I am curious as I am beginning to think Audi quality may still be in the toilet as it was in the 80's.
Question, ... how can the dealers afford this? Using edmunds and doing some homework I was able to get a 1999 A4 2.8 quattro with only 33,000 miles on it and Audi Certified. It also came with the cold weather package, Bose cd change and sport package, heated leather seats, moonroof, etc. for only $20k.. Yup! $20k exactly. $4k below edmunds TMV for this particular certfied audi. Substantiably less than other dealers. It came with the Audi assured program good for bumper to bumper coverage for 2 years or 100k miles. That was a big seller for me.
Picked it up yesterday, It rocks! Wow! I am dreaming???
I am interested in replacing my rims with a new set. I am considering oettinger RE's (17's) and was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on quality and durability (hopefully they hold up well and do not bend easily--anyone know?) or any other suggestions for rims for a 2001 A4. Also, can anyone suggest a great alternate sport tire besides the pirelli 6000? Also does anyone have any experience with dtm autohaus? (are they an authorized oettinger dealer?)
the brochure states that if you order the OnStar option you get the four-spoke, multi-function, steering wheel (as opposed to the three-spoke). does anyone know if the four-spoke is available as an option w/out having to order OnStar? (i prefer the look & design of the four-spoke)
If you search on Audiworld.com, you will find articles on how some people had retrofited the four spoke or the multifunctioned steering wheel. And I guess, if you pay the dealer enough, they will do that for you too.
I must have missed your post about what happened to your friend with the Passat engine problem.
Brick22 if your lurking on this board I left a message on the winter tires board for you . I wanted to ask how you liked the Goodrich M65 tires now that you had them for awhile. It looks as though you are considering other brands (Nokian) for your Audi. Gene
I recently test drove both the passat(1.8T) and the A4. In both cars, I experienced anonying vibration/roughness during acceleration, even though they are both quite smooth at high speed. Not surprisingly, the A4 has less of this problem than the passat, but still anonying.
I am kind of surprised that not many people here complained about it. Maybe I have been pampered too much by my v6 santa fe? :O
I have On*star in my 2003 Audi (allroad) -- the multi function wheel came with it.
Now I am no shill for On*star, and I had a bunch of problems the first month with On*star. Now, in month four of ownership, I will suggest that On*star is in the same league as all the other "safety" features of the car, and I am pleased that I have it. MSRP was $699, and I got about 8+% off the MSRP, so the cost was "not that bad" -- I also got rear seat airbags and parktronic because I consider them to be safety features too -- as are the ABS+ and ESP systems.
There, my pitch FOR On*star ends -- perhaps it is too expensive, beats me. But if you like the steering wheel, etc, just try to buy one and have it mounted after you get the car. You'll probably be so darn close to the cost of the On*star option that you would be better off $$$ wise just to spring for On*star.
Gened1, my friend's Passat's engine's head was at fault, kinda like my episode except they won't tell her exactly what happened. They at first said some debris got in between the timing belt and the teeth of a coupling and the timing was off just enough to have the pistons touching the valves. At first they claimed the debris was due to an earlier collision fix that my friend wasn't aware because she got it used and the private seller didn't tell her. As a result it won't be covered under the powertrain warranty. But then the VW rep showed up and all of a sudden they changed the story and only said the engine head was faulty and the powertrain warranty will cover the fix. After that she had about 3 incidents of "Check Engine Lights" on solidly and I suspected the work performed by the dealership wasn't first grade and the gaskets were leaking. Another CEL was due to a faulty coupling. All related to quality of the engine head replacement.
FYI, I also had a bad engine head and they blamed it on the valves hitting "something" in the head.
However, I'm still confident about Audi/VW engines as only mine and my friend's engines had issues and I know quite a lot of Audi guys with no problems with their engines.
Javaswing, check this out at AW: http://www.audiworld.com/news/02/110402/content.shtml In short, Audi will offer a 190hp version of the 1.8T engine early this year in UK. Now it didn't mention whether or not it'll come to US, but I wouldn't be surprised if it will. It'll be kinda like the post 2001 B5 A4's with the 170hp 1.8T engines, all the 190hp 1.8T's will have the little red flag at the T to distinguish them from the 170hp 1.8T's in the B6 A4's.
Speaking of which, I just got a solid "Check Engine Light" on. I got a friend who has a VAG tool and the computer says the emission system has an intermittent fault. Won't surprise me as it's very frigid these days in Chicago, maybe the catalyst performance wasn't up to par and the car decides to raise an alarm. I am not that worried and will bring it in Monday for a checkup appointment. Will let y'all know later how that goes.
The reason you notive the vibration/ roughness in the VW/AUDI 1.8T is because like me you are used to a smoother engine. The 2002+ A4 does a better job of filtering out the vibration than the Passat. VW/AUDI has fallen behind the Japanese makes with the lack of use of balancing shafts and chaind driven camshafts in their 4 cylinders.
The reason you notive the vibration/ roughness in the VW/AUDI 1.8T is because like me you are used to a smoother engine. The 2002+ A4 does a better job of filtering out the vibration than the Passat. VW/AUDI has fallen behind the Japanese makes with the lack of use of balancing shafts and chain driven camshafts in their 4 cylinders.
Would there be a bump in power for the V6, perhaps for 2004? The car is no lightweight, and all the new competition, even lesser lights (ie. Accords, Altimas, Maximas), are starting to outgun the A4 in the motor department. I can't see Audi standing pat on this.
I'm about to purchase a new car. I'm considering the 2002 or 2003 A4, since some of my friends have A4's and they said its a better car than the BMW 3 series. I know it has better interior than BMW, but I've heard lots of complaints about quality. Do u think I should go for a bmw instead? If anyone know about both cars, plz let me know.
I'd be willing to bet that for 2004 there will be few changes in the 3.0 normally aspirated V6. It is now in its second season only and Audi, if history is any indication, doesn't seem to move that fast.
In the A4 body, we know that there will be in calendar 2003 (hopefully) a 1.8T 4, a 3.0N 6 (for Normally aspirated) and a 4.2 8 (in the new S4).
Audi has several other technologies coming soon -- and a new 6 -- a 3.2N liter engine (see audiworld for discussion of new 3.2 in upcoming TT).
Having said all this, it should also not shock anyone to see that the 1.8T -- which in spite of some slight criticisms regarding its smoothness -- has a few more tricks up its sleeve. We are now on our third TT and our second 225HP TT. This engine, would be almost a dream come true in an A4 -- IMHO.
The rub is that it would out gun the current V6 in terms of that all important bragging right number Horsepower! The V8 at a rumored 344 HP carries, for many, too much expense. And, without meaning to give too much away from the announcement of the 3.2 V6 over on audiworld, even that engine seems to be only a modest move in the right direction power wise.
Turbocharging the 3.0 or 3.2 -- which knowing Audi, should not be a surprise -- raises even more dilemmas: the 3.0, in turbo guise as a 2.9T in very mild tune puts out 295HP and a like amount of torque at sub 2,000 RPM's which means it can out accelerate a like equipped 4.2 V8. Imagine a mildly agressive state of tune for such an engine: 340HP would not be at all out of the question.
You know, you read CAR, European Car and Car & Driver etc etc and you can be left confused.
We seem to have reached a point of decisions being overwhelmingly made by marketing input, much less so by engineering input.
If enough of us DEMAND upping the HP and torque ante (with our dollars of course) it will be a foregone conclusion, if not next year, then the following year.
One final thought: except for the fact that the 2.7T weighs about as much as the 4.2, this engine in an A4 body (as of the late 2002 S4) would STILL be a fantastic choice. I have the 2.7T in a 6spd allroad -- not at all modded and with 4K miles on it -- and the thing "sprints" to redline in first, second and third gears and has a MFG reported time from 0 - 100kph of 6.8 seconds. The "lowly" A6 2.7T with a 6spd further shaved time off this performance, making it the quickest Audi you could buy from AoA, now that the S4 is no more.
Can there be a bump in power for 2004? Absolutely yes! Who knows for certain IF there will be -- odds are you'll have to wait one more cycle, though.
I just traded a 2000 BMW 3-series for a 2003 A4 when my lease ended.
Both are great cars, very similar. BMW has the edge in raw power/toque (330). The power on the A4 is a bit less linear at lower RPMs. The A4 has a much nicer overall interior and (I feel) exterior package. Better stereo, almost identical handling (3.0 sport, 330 sport). I liked the A4 manual transmission a bit better, its less "loose" and a bit more forgiving, and is 6 vs. 5.
Even at the identical price I would have gone for the A4 this time around, but I'd be happy with either. If the 3-series was fresh off a redesign it might have gone differently, I'm sure the next 'rev' of the 3 will improve the interior and close that gap. Since the A4 is just one year past redesign, its still very fresh on the roads and up-to-date on the tech (6-disc CD, BMW barely manages a 1-disc in-dash).
Part of it also for me is that BMWs are super common in this area, when I had a silver 3 I often ended up parking next to "myself" or walking to the wrong car in a parking lot. A denim blue 2003 A4 does not have that problem. Had the car only a week and already got lots of positive comments, no one here comments on a 3.
If you are mostly concerned about max power off the line and willing to give up a bit on the interior comforts and ergonimics, the BMW is a great car.
My last three cars have been A4 - BMW - A4 so I've been back and forth over that fence a few times.
Maybe wait for the S4 and then get the best performance AND the best package all in one?
...oh hey, Billy! Yeah, I don't get to post much anymore but still try to read the boards when I get the chance.
I finally have hit the 3k mark! *laughs* ...my plans to drive the car more still haven't panned out as I've been extremely busy at work lately. Man, the car's almost 2 years old now and with only 3,000 miles, jeez, that's frustrating.
Adam-- Yeah, shoot me an email if you want my thoughts on Seattle area dealers. It might surprise you to find that you can possibly save some money and get better service by going a few miles out of your way. Brick22 and I have enjoyed our experience at this dealer.
What's up.....geez 3k in 2 years? Let me tell you this, I am almost 30k and it's going to be 2 years old in a month.....It's time for us to trade cars to even out the mileage.
I think you easily be the winner for the Lowest Mileage A4 ever.
Mark, Does the new '03 S4 sedan (coming this summer) with the 4.2 V8 have the same engine that your A6 4.2 had in it? I'm assuming this will be the fastest 0~60 mph production Audi made to date...
I think the 4.2 V8 they are going to use in the new S4 is a short block version of the current V8. The enginneering and mechanical details on how they shoehorned that engine into the A4 body engine bay is interesting.
As I told y'all I got a solid CEL. It went away by itself the day afterwards. I brought it in to the shop this morning and they said it's the "Evac Purge Valve" in the emissions system that's bad. It's on back order and they're expecting it to come in at the end of this week. Let's hope so.
The car drives fine though. But watch out for a mean driver in a charcoal color Dodge Intrepid Enterprise loaner.
So the awesome guys at AudiWorld explained what this Evac Purge Valve is for. There's a charcoal canister capturing the fuel vapor. This canister is periodically being purged to allow the vapor back to the inlet of the air intake and get burnt up in the engine. This valve controls the frequency of purging of the fuel vapor. So yup, it's part of the emissions system.
So yeah, no biggies. A little hassle, but it's not like I got stranded.
3K in TWO years??? My car was bought on 11/3/01 (02 Jetta 1.8T) and I just turned 30K miles on it last night... I commute about 80 miles daily though, so it's all highway.
I just read the new article at Audiworld .com about the S4 and it didn't mention 0~60 mph times. It does sound like this car will "smoke" the A6 2.7T manual!!
The articles which I've read give the "claimed" 0-60 times as 5.6 seconds for the new S4 with 6-speed manual. (?)
Paul-- *looks embarrassed* yep, 3k in two years. I tend to put very little mileage on most cars I've owned. I usually have lines of people bugging me to sell them my cars because they know that they have extremely low mileage and that they are meticulously maintained. With the A4, I was hoping or planning on taking it on a few over-the-road trips but haven't yet done so.
The quickness, a measure of acceleration, of the new S4 is, as noted above greater for the V8 than the V6 turbo. The new car should be up to 1/2 second quicker.
I asked the finance person and they admitted to the 1% add-on. They then offered 3.4% for me. I'm not out to get the best deal, just a fair deal. If you rearrange the numbers, I'm at Edmunds TMV on price w/ 2.9%. Thanks again.
Any of you guys know of a reputable Houston body shop for my 2002 A4? I was in an accident last night and it looks like I will need most of the front end replaced. Everyone is ok though, just wondering if you guys could recommend a place. I left a message with my service advisor at Momentum about it too. expecting a call back on Monday, thanks. josh
I'm getting close to leasing a 2003 A4 Avant 3.0 6-speed. Does Audi leasing offer a 8000-10000 mileage allowance on their lease packages?? Would this reduce my monthly payment??
I know they offer a 10k lease package, not sure about 8k. Payment is lower simply because your residual is higher (less depreciation on the vehicle). Be aware of the additional mileage charge.
I am thinking about buying a 1999 1.8T Q with automatic transmission. Off lease and has 33000 miles. After test drive noticed:
1)front tires significantly less tread than rear. Outside tire treads worn more than inside on both front tires. Tires are goodyear eagles
2)Road noise is noticeably loud for this type of car on highway.
3)Little scratches all over. (car wash?)
4)At start of test drive, heard brakes make a sort of scraping sound like pad on rotor. But less noticeable later.
5)Does the engine normally rev higher than a standard before shifing gears? When on highway and accelerating RPM went between 5 and 6K before shifting. At lower speeds RPM was around 3-4k? (not positive here)
6) All other aspects were very nice. All accessories worked.
The price is good, but wondering about these items. Was this car driven really hard or abused as a lease car? Do the tires give it away or was it just never rotated? Is there an alignment or other problem? Do A4's typically have this road noise in the cabin? Would replacing with better tires help? Are the brakes going? The higher revving normal?
Can anyone give me advice about this car? The price is about 3 to 4 K less than audi dealers are asking.
1) Not unusual. A4's tend to understeer when driven hard and burn up the outer edges of the the front tires.
2) Tire condition / type will make a lot of difference on road noise. I recently put Dunlop A2 Sport on my A4 and it is considerably quieter than before.
3)It's not a new car. My black '98 A4 with 71K miles has lots of little scratches all over it as well.
4)Not unusual, A4 front rotors rust within 30 seconds of being exposed to moisture. I hear this noise evertime I wash my car. Or it has rained the night before. It goes away after a minute or two.
the best off-lease units go into the Audi-Assured Certified Pre-Owned program. These cars cost more but are thoroughly vetted. If this late-model, low-mileage unit isn't certified I'd have it checked out very carefully
I'm joining the discussion after getting an '03 A4 in November. Had a decent sales experience but uncoordinated and indifferent service/parts performance. After 11 years with Lexus dealers I was struck by the lack of quality in the staff at Fletcher Jones dealership in Chicago.
I saw a posting from a month ago about the lack of a compass in the 1.8 mirror and Nav system. The 3.0 has one in the mirror, but there is also one in the Nav system, and I would guess that the Nav system is the same in the 1.8 and the 3.0. You have to go into the system settings and activate the compass. Hope that helps.
I'm enjoying the ride - quiet even at high speed. No defects in the car at 1000 miles. Looking forward to going topless, which will be a fwe months away.
Funny thing, I think I had the same valve go on my '03 1.8T around Christmas and I'm in Chicago too. Probably at about 3000 miles. I can't remember the exact valve name but it sounds too familiar to be a different one. Got the solid check engine light and brought it in. The service guy said that he has seen the valve go on a few other cars too. They had to order the part which took a few days but it has been fine ever since. Sorry about the loaner - they gave me an A6 2.7T which was very fun for a week.
Comments
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
The Passat and A4 used to be pretty much on the same platform before 02, but not anymore. Audi's V6 has more power, but the 1.8Ts are about the same.
I would think you would make up the $83 a month in saving maintenance costs for 50K...
mine went out as well.
that was the least of my problems.
Between 5-12mph (or so) there is a vibration/rumble/grinding I can feel and hear in the gas pedal, brake pedal, and steering column. This has always been an issue, but the dealer can never find anything. Recently, it started between 25-35mph and 50-60 mph, with even more pronounced effects. I also notice a shudder/hesitation going up a hill in 4th and 5th gear. Also, when I come to a stop, the idle speed dips quickly and nearly stalls when the engine is cold.
My feeling is that there may be a torque converter problem, but I'm not sure. I've thrown the car into Neutral at those speeds, but the problem stays. The dealer is no help, and I was hoping someone here is wise to this!!!
Any thoughts?
-tim
Your vibrations sound as if they might a bad tire
(out of balance? out of round? tread separation?)
The near-stalling problem may be a faulty idle switch.
Good luck.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Using edmunds and doing some homework I was able to get a 1999 A4 2.8 quattro with only 33,000 miles on it and Audi Certified. It also came with the cold weather package, Bose cd change and sport package, heated leather seats, moonroof, etc. for only $20k.. Yup! $20k exactly. $4k below edmunds TMV for this particular certfied audi. Substantiably less than other dealers. It came with the Audi assured program good for bumper to bumper coverage for 2 years or 100k miles. That was a big seller for me.
Picked it up yesterday, It rocks! Wow! I am dreaming???
Billy
Brick22 if your lurking on this board I left a message on the winter tires board for you . I wanted to ask how you liked the Goodrich M65 tires now that you had them for awhile. It looks as though you are considering other brands (Nokian) for your Audi.
Gene
a bigger turbo (2.0?) in 2005. Is A4 going to get that earlier, maybe in 2004???
I am kind of surprised that not many people here complained about it. Maybe I have been pampered too much by my v6 santa fe? :O
Now I am no shill for On*star, and I had a bunch of problems the first month with On*star. Now, in month four of ownership, I will suggest that On*star is in the same league as all the other "safety" features of the car, and I am pleased that I have it. MSRP was $699, and I got about 8+% off the MSRP, so the cost was "not that bad" -- I also got rear seat airbags and parktronic because I consider them to be safety features too -- as are the ABS+ and ESP systems.
There, my pitch FOR On*star ends -- perhaps it is too expensive, beats me. But if you like the steering wheel, etc, just try to buy one and have it mounted after you get the car. You'll probably be so darn close to the cost of the On*star option that you would be better off $$$ wise just to spring for On*star.
One opinion, and I'm stickin to it.
FYI, I also had a bad engine head and they blamed it on the valves hitting "something" in the head.
However, I'm still confident about Audi/VW engines as only mine and my friend's engines had issues and I know quite a lot of Audi guys with no problems with their engines.
Javaswing, check this out at AW:
http://www.audiworld.com/news/02/110402/content.shtml
In short, Audi will offer a 190hp version of the 1.8T engine early this year in UK. Now it didn't mention whether or not it'll come to US, but I wouldn't be surprised if it will. It'll be kinda like the post 2001 B5 A4's with the 170hp 1.8T engines, all the 190hp 1.8T's will have the little red flag at the T to distinguish them from the 170hp 1.8T's in the B6 A4's.
Speaking of which, I just got a solid "Check Engine Light" on. I got a friend who has a VAG tool and the computer says the emission system has an intermittent fault. Won't surprise me as it's very frigid these days in Chicago, maybe the catalyst performance wasn't up to par and the car decides to raise an alarm. I am not that worried and will bring it in Monday for a checkup appointment. Will let y'all know later how that goes.
Billy
In the A4 body, we know that there will be in calendar 2003 (hopefully) a 1.8T 4, a 3.0N 6 (for Normally aspirated) and a 4.2 8 (in the new S4).
Audi has several other technologies coming soon -- and a new 6 -- a 3.2N liter engine (see audiworld for discussion of new 3.2 in upcoming TT).
Having said all this, it should also not shock anyone to see that the 1.8T -- which in spite of some slight criticisms regarding its smoothness -- has a few more tricks up its sleeve. We are now on our third TT and our second 225HP TT. This engine, would be almost a dream come true in an A4 -- IMHO.
The rub is that it would out gun the current V6 in terms of that all important bragging right number Horsepower! The V8 at a rumored 344 HP carries, for many, too much expense. And, without meaning to give too much away from the announcement of the 3.2 V6 over on audiworld, even that engine seems to be only a modest move in the right direction power wise.
Turbocharging the 3.0 or 3.2 -- which knowing Audi, should not be a surprise -- raises even more dilemmas: the 3.0, in turbo guise as a 2.9T in very mild tune puts out 295HP and a like amount of torque at sub 2,000 RPM's which means it can out accelerate a like equipped 4.2 V8. Imagine a mildly agressive state of tune for such an engine: 340HP would not be at all out of the question.
You know, you read CAR, European Car and Car & Driver etc etc and you can be left confused.
We seem to have reached a point of decisions being overwhelmingly made by marketing input, much less so by engineering input.
If enough of us DEMAND upping the HP and torque ante (with our dollars of course) it will be a foregone conclusion, if not next year, then the following year.
One final thought: except for the fact that the 2.7T weighs about as much as the 4.2, this engine in an A4 body (as of the late 2002 S4) would STILL be a fantastic choice. I have the 2.7T in a 6spd allroad -- not at all modded and with 4K miles on it -- and the thing "sprints" to redline in first, second and third gears and has a MFG reported time from 0 - 100kph of 6.8 seconds. The "lowly" A6 2.7T with a 6spd further shaved time off this performance, making it the quickest Audi you could buy from AoA, now that the S4 is no more.
Can there be a bump in power for 2004? Absolutely yes! Who knows for certain IF there will be -- odds are you'll have to wait one more cycle, though.
Both are great cars, very similar. BMW has the edge in raw power/toque (330). The power on the A4 is a bit less linear at lower RPMs. The A4 has a much nicer overall interior and (I feel) exterior package. Better stereo, almost identical handling (3.0 sport, 330 sport). I liked the A4 manual transmission a bit better, its less "loose" and a bit more forgiving, and is 6 vs. 5.
Even at the identical price I would have gone for the A4 this time around, but I'd be happy with either. If the 3-series was fresh off a redesign it might have gone differently, I'm sure the next 'rev' of the 3 will improve the interior and close that gap. Since the A4 is just one year past redesign, its still very fresh on the roads and up-to-date on the tech (6-disc CD, BMW barely manages a 1-disc in-dash).
Part of it also for me is that BMWs are super common in this area, when I had a silver 3 I often ended up parking next to "myself" or walking to the wrong car in a parking lot. A denim blue 2003 A4 does not have that problem. Had the car only a week and already got lots of positive comments, no one here comments on a 3.
If you are mostly concerned about max power off the line and willing to give up a bit on the interior comforts and ergonimics, the BMW is a great car.
My last three cars have been A4 - BMW - A4 so I've been back and forth over that fence a few times.
Maybe wait for the S4 and then get the best performance AND the best package all in one?
I finally have hit the 3k mark! *laughs* ...my plans to drive the car more still haven't panned out as I've been extremely busy at work lately. Man, the car's almost 2 years old now and with only 3,000 miles, jeez, that's frustrating.
Adam-- Yeah, shoot me an email if you want my thoughts on Seattle area dealers. It might surprise you to find that you can possibly save some money and get better service by going a few miles out of your way. Brick22 and I have enjoyed our experience at this dealer.
--'rocco
I think you easily be the winner for the Lowest Mileage A4 ever.
Billy
Does the new '03 S4 sedan (coming this summer) with the 4.2 V8 have the same engine that your A6 4.2 had in it? I'm assuming this will be the fastest 0~60 mph production Audi made to date...
The car drives fine though. But watch out for a mean driver in a charcoal color Dodge Intrepid Enterprise loaner.
Billy
So yeah, no biggies. A little hassle, but it's not like I got stranded.
Billy
They are NOT the same, however.
The 4.2 engine I had would not fit under the hood of a "regular" A4, A6 or allroad -- it is too long.
The new 4.2 is shorter. One thing, it has slightly less torque apples to apples than the older 4.2.
In the S4 it has been tuned for both higer torque and HP.
It does sound like this car will "smoke" the A6 2.7T manual!!
Paul-- *looks embarrassed* yep, 3k in two years. I tend to put very little mileage on most cars I've owned. I usually have lines of people bugging me to sell them my cars because they know that they have extremely low mileage and that they are meticulously maintained. With the A4, I was hoping or planning on taking it on a few over-the-road trips but haven't yet done so.
--'rocco
1)front tires significantly less tread than rear. Outside tire treads worn more than inside on both front tires. Tires are goodyear eagles
2)Road noise is noticeably loud for this type of car on highway.
3)Little scratches all over. (car wash?)
4)At start of test drive, heard brakes make a sort of scraping sound like pad on rotor. But less noticeable later.
5)Does the engine normally rev higher than a standard before shifing gears? When on highway and accelerating RPM went between 5 and 6K before shifting. At lower speeds RPM was around 3-4k? (not positive here)
6) All other aspects were very nice. All accessories worked.
The price is good, but wondering about these items. Was this car driven really hard or abused as a lease car? Do the tires give it away or was it just never rotated? Is there an alignment or other problem? Do A4's typically have this road noise in the cabin? Would replacing with better tires help? Are the brakes going? The higher revving normal?
Can anyone give me advice about this car? The price is about 3 to 4 K less than audi dealers are asking.
2) Tire condition / type will make a lot of difference on road noise. I recently put Dunlop A2 Sport on my A4 and it is considerably quieter than before.
3)It's not a new car. My black '98 A4 with 71K miles has lots of little scratches all over it as well.
4)Not unusual, A4 front rotors rust within 30 seconds of being exposed to moisture. I hear this noise evertime I wash my car. Or it has rained the night before. It goes away after a minute or two.
Certified Pre-Owned program. These cars cost more but are thoroughly vetted. If this late-model, low-mileage unit isn't certified I'd have it checked out very carefully
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
My dealer is ready to move. Yeah-what's new?
I saw a posting from a month ago about the lack of a compass in the 1.8 mirror and Nav system. The 3.0 has one in the mirror, but there is also one in the Nav system, and I would guess that the Nav system is the same in the 1.8 and the 3.0. You have to go into the system settings and activate the compass. Hope that helps.
I'm enjoying the ride - quiet even at high speed. No defects in the car at 1000 miles. Looking forward to going topless, which will be a fwe months away.
Rich