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Eben-- Congratulations! 500 miles in a week? *thumbs up* :-p Here is what I wrote on post #1446 and Dennis, Mark and Mike had similar opinions expressed in later posts: ..."regarding the "high clutch" issue: yup, VW/Audis have always had clutches with high engagement points. I remember asking the dealer to adjust the clutch so it would engage lower on my Scirocco when it was new but they advised against it... something about it being the way the VW engineers designed it and if they adjusted it so that it wouldn't be within the factory tolerances/specifications, it could void the warranty if I should have clutch problems later on. So when I got the A4, I didn't even bother asking about it. It is really difficult for me to adjust to the high engagement point because my last few cars have been Japanese. Toyotas are known for the super smooth clutches and the 4Runner I owned had a clutch engagement that was as smooth as butter--I've never driven a vehicle that has such a silky smooth clutch. On my A4, I just can't get it to engage, starting from a stop, as smoothly as I could on my previous cars. It's not quite a "chatter" but it just doesn't engage in first gear with the smoothness that I'd like. Maybe after I drive it a few more thousand miles, I'll get a better "feel" for it, lol (Billy, I finally broke the 1,000 mile barrier! yay!) Keep in mind that I'm a long time manual transmission user and I still can't quite adjust to this Audi clutch! *argh!*"
As for snow tires for 17" rims, the choices are few, very few. More choices with 16" and even more with 15" ...read what Joel said a few posts ago: JBaumgart Jul 23, 2001 2:38pm and what I said a few posts later: "Joel-- I agree completely with taller and narrower being better in snow. But I have a friend with an S4 and one with an A4 Sport pkg and both went with 16's for snows. Neither considered 15's (wouldn't even fit on an S4) and 16's were a good compromise (coming from 17's) for the profile was higher and the tread width slightly narrower than their standard tires. Since both vehicles have slightly lower suspensions, 15's would've looked ridiculous and the 16's offered both decent looks and better over-all performance/handling on dry pavement over the 15's. In a place like MN where snow is on the ground for most of the winter, then yes, I guess 15's would be a better choice. For me with my non-sport set-up (*waaah*), I'm obviously going to get 15's for snow change-overs (if I do it at all) and eventually upgrade to 16's for everyday use." At any rate, you'd be far better off buying a combo, dedicated tire and wheel for winter, so you could do the winter change-over yourself ...plus, you'd have less of a chance damaging those beautiful 17" sport rims in the winter conditions --just my $0.02.
--'rocco
This is my first post here, but I've read the last 4-5 weeks' messages. I'm considering to upgrade from the Jetta (I also have a Firebird) to an Audi, and would like to have some advice from you, guys. I have the following offers from various dealers (Baltimore area):
1) 1999 A4 2.8Q, 21,000 miles, $25000 plus one year free extended warranty (not BTB)
2) 2001 A4 1.8T FWD, new, $24,000 (leatherette, celebration package)
3) 2001 A4 1.8T Q, new, $750 above invoice
I'm leaning toward the first choice (one owner, in Boston, clean, w/ leather heated seats; they are offering $2000 more for my current car then any other place have) but then I have to buy an extended warranty for about $2000. Also, the first one is an unusual color, slate, which is not even on the list of available colors at any year. What would you guys do, and why? Any advice will be greatly appreciated! How about the color, did anyone ever hear of A4s in slate? I'm also thinking if I should get the Q at all, since we don't usually get much snow or ice here.
Thanks,
Zoltan
If you drive a quatro long enough, you grow to appreciate it for all kinds of reasons. Rain, gravel, mud, large puddles, snow (light snow is often harder to drive in than deep snow)and just normal road holding ability are just some of the reasons. Resale value is another factor to consider (everybody wants a Quatro).
If it were me making that decision, I would go for the newest Quatro. They've made some nice improvements over the past few years. For instance, compare the look of the gauges at night on the '99 with the '01.
Nuf said. Good luck in your decision.
In the 2001 MY, you get an extra 20 hp. And Quattro really enhances handling, even in everyday driving.
Just my $.02....
Some other impressions in the first 500 miles:
Good stuff -- solid construction/no rattles or squeaks; precise handling; comfortable, supportive sport seats; Tiptronic. After many years of driving a stick, I wasn't sure how I'd like the Tip. Although it's not as fun as a manual, it's far more fun and more responsive than a standard automatic; it's a nice compromise for anybody who likes driving a stick but who needs or wants an auto tranny for whatever reason.
Disappointments -- head rests (front and back) feel like they jut out a tad too far; arm rest is too far back when I get the driver's seat positioned where I need it (which is pretty far forward); stock headlights are pretty anemic (wish I'd gotten Xenons), although the high beams are impressive.
Despite the little disappointments, I'm still so glad I got this car. Can't remember ever before just driving around and SMILING.
Karen, the mileage calculator is not accurate during the break-in period, due to the fact that the engine is still breaking in and the engine parts are still working together to find the best fit. I can tell ya that right now at 6500 miles, the mileage calculator is far more accurate than when it was at 500 miles. About that headrest, you can push it back in additional to raising or lowering it. I agree with the headlights.....should have gotten the Xenons but as I said, I picked my car from the dealer's lot to save on waiting time and $$ (dealer won't cut me a great deal if I order). Oh well, gotta buy those aftermarket Xenon system I guess.
I guess my complaint is that you can't turn the A/C on when the temperature is not that warm. This feature will come in handy this past week as it's humid but temp stays around 75. Wanna take the moisture out, but don't wanna drive at a temp of 68 (when the computer finally thinks it's a good temp to turn the A/C on).
Other than that, enjoying every single problem free mile after 6500 miles.
Billy
Karen-- I'm more surprised that you got 26.6 mpg on your first fill-up and only 16.2 on your second. Oh wait, I guess that's about an average of 21.4. Yah, I don't know if what Billy said has anything to do with the accuracy of the calculation of the trip computer itself but definitely has an influence on the actual mpg. I've just been doing an eye-ball calculation on the few fill-ups that I've done so far but now you've got me curious. I'll have to calculate it accurately on my next fill-up to see exactly what mpg I'm getting and how it compares with the trip computer. Ummmm, wanna trade your sport seats for my Xenons??? lol, although I'm not as disappointed with the Xenons as I was when I first got the car, they're still not as bright or as impressive as as those on a Bimmer or MB or TL. btw, the Forester has just arrived at the dealer and they told me that I could pick it up next week but now I'm sort of having second thoughts again... I should just be getting a small used pick-up --*shakes head* two new cars in the same year doesn't make too much sense.
Billy-- Can't you just put the climate control in the "cool" mode? ...I know that I've done that several times when I want to have more/faster cooling than the automatic setting allows. I then adjust the fan speed manually. I haven't played around with mine that much yet but it sure seems that you should be able to have the a/c running at any time, no matter what the outside temperature may be.
--'rocco
Either way, I plan on purchasing a A4
Hehe 2 new cars in a year.....you lucky sonofa.
Either way, I plan on purchasing a A4
My previous car was a WV GTI VR6- Not sure what engine your Jetta has, but I love the VR6. It has taken a little getting used to - the 1.8T, which makes the car feel under powered at times. At this stage, I am still a bigger fan of the 6 cyl compared to the 4w/T. But what you gain with quattro truly makes up for any power compromise. I like the Q for general beasting and fast turns - it really is unbelievable.
Let us know what you do.
By the way, I think you'll like the Forester. You'll have to keep us posted ... let us know how much you're driving the Forester vs. how much you're driving the A4. Also, weren't you considering also getting a Japanese car? What were you considering?
My Average MPG indicator holds a pretty constant 28.4 MPG in overall driving at this elevation. That's matched pretty closely to my actual gas use calculations. Remember, there are two MPG selections, there's the MPG for the current situation, and there's average MPG. I've never had an average MPG of less than 23 or 24. I guess I'd see maybe 16.5 if I reset the average MPG just before driving the road up to Sandia Crest and then reading it again at the summit.
Speaking of that very winding highway up to the Crest, That is the one road where I make significant use of the gearbox and appreciate the Quatro and Sport Package to the max. It takes that road as if the car was on rails (Okay, so I do sometimes like to revert back to the 'kid' in me).
I had over 10,000 miles on my car before discovering that the headrests tilt forward or back. That discovery turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Much more comfortable to drive now.
As far as Xenon's are concerned, they're great for the driver who has them, but not so great for the driver approaching from the opposite direction. I don't have them but I wish my present ones weren't quite so courteous to the oncoming driver. It's as if they had a shade over the top of them. You see well directly in front of you, but not so well farther ahead unless you're using high beams.
Sorry to be so verbal here; just got carried away I guess. Sure do love this car though.
Claydj!! Thanks for your input, too! I had a '95 2.0 Jetta, not much power there. I also test drove a '00 Jetta GLS VR6 this morning and I really liked it! This car has 17,000 miles on it and sells at $17,900. I kinda agree with you that the 1.8T feels somewhat under powered, but it will probably still handle 99% of all traffic situations well enough. Also, I currently drive a Firebird Formula, so I guess I'm kinda spoiled power-wise. However, I agree with keninplacitas on that the need for this kind of thrill is probably gone, so I'd appreciate the luxury and power of an Audi more than a sportscar. The Jetta payments would put less strain on my vallet though, so I'll have to think about this really hard during the weekend.
The Jetta TownHall board is, however, full of complaints about the '00 Jettas, all kinds of trouble seem to appear in these cars. This is going to be one very hard decision.
Zoltan
flo-- So how come you decided against the 325Ci and decided to go with an A4? Value wise, it's the right decision! *thumbs up* Although I'd rather have a Bimmer, I just couldn't pass up the VALUE that the A4 represents. Let us know how it progresses.
Billy-- Yeah, I know! I just took a quick look at the owner's manual before I had to run for an appointment and it did say something about manually turning on and off the a/c but I didn't quite understand what it was saying. I'll read it later and see if I can make more sense of it... something about "briefly" hitting the on/off button.
Karen-- lol@one of us will be deliriously happy! ...and it sounds like it won't be me Yeah, I don't know why projector headlamps give the impression of not throwing out their beam far enough. As I've said in the past: give me a good multi-reflector halogen! Oh, and Forester = Japanese ...maybe I confused you by calling it a "car." Keep posting your impressions please!
Ken-- You don't have to apologize about being *so verbal* --most of us can never get tired of reading about what others think when it comes to talking about cars! ...I'm sure you've read some of my posts here, lol!
--'rocco
Oh one more complaint (uh oh). The 3 pedals on the floor sit too close to each other. I was wearing a pair of slightly wider shoes today and when I tried to step on the gas pedal I can easily sideswiped the brake pedal. OK maybe it's just my foot. Or maybe this is my first 5-speed I own and I haven't got used to the tighter positioning of pedals.
Oh Scirocco, if you can figure out that A/C thing, I'd appreciate that deeply :>
Billy
Plus the fact that it contains about an 1.5 more inches in the back really sold me. Now I just need to drive it, and if dealers are dealing I will pick one soon after it comes out. The only thing that bothers me is why didn't Audi up the horse in the 1.8t to 180 like the VW Jetta. Also I heard rumor of Audi coming out with their own performance chips, anyone else hear that. I only caught one reference on www.audiworld.com, since I just started researching the A4.
Edmunds did a preview of Audi's CVT on the A6, saying:
"...For example, an A6 3.0 with multitronic actually accelerates better and gets superior fuel economy in comparison to its manual counterpart. It even feels sportier, responding to matting of the throttle with an almost immediate increase in rpm and instantaneous acceleration. And because a CVT can offer a much wider spread of "gears" than a regular transmission, the multitronic's top ratio is much taller, revving the engine 1,700 rpm at 60 mph compared with the manual version's 2,600 rpm. That's why the multitronic gets better fuel economy than the manual. It also means the multitronic-equipped A6 feels much smoother and is significantly quieter at cruising speeds."
source: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/firstdrive/46871/article.html
. A new smoother, rounder A6 kind of look
. A new 220hp 3.0L engine as an option
. CVT for the front wheel drive versions
. ESP for even better handling on curves
. An automatic brake proportioning system
. 45% greater body rigidity
. New suspension systems, front and rear.
. Thicker side windows & better molding providing a quieter ride by 3db or so.
. The car is lighter and uses more aluminum.
. Roughly 2 1/2 inches added to both the length and to the wheelbase.
. A4 Quatro 3.0L engine cars get a 6 speed manual transmission or 5 speed Tiptronics.
. Larger fuel tank
. Dual zone automatic climate control
. 100 Watt 10 speaker (incl subwoofer & center speaker) stereo with in-dash 6 CD changer.
. 17" wheels available with the sport package
. New wheel designs with larger tires for all
. New colors
. New imobilizer (I presume this is anti-theft)
. 4 way power lumbar support
. New cruise control switch (Bravo!)
. Etc.
Apparently, Audi has promised to keep the 2002 prices as close to the 2001 prices as possible. Sure do look forward to taking one of these out for a spin.
Binyan - Yeah I heard about those nasty Jetta built issues. Especially on the paint issue cuz of Mexico's altitude and the paint never gets on correct. About the 2002 A4's, good you like the appearance, but then it's a new model and certainly these 2 things will happen:
1. Dealers won't be negotiating the prices so eagerly as the 2001.5 models.
2. It's a brand new model and it takes time to perfect the glitches (OK it's out in Europe for already a year but little differences between US bound cars and European domestic ones still concern me)
Oh by the way, I have heard numerous creditible sources saying the 2001 A4's actually have 180hp. They wouldn't publish that, cuz Audi doesn't want the TT owners to think they got the same hp as an A4, and it will also hurt the 190hp V6 2.8 model sales. Think about only a 10hp difference (ok tons of torque differences) between the 2 but a premium of $4-5k over the 1.8T.
uafly - Yeah insist on seeing Mike Burden at Schaumburg Audi. Some of the other guys are just plain terrible to deal with. By the way, if you live in Chicago, it'll be an EXCELLENT idea to get Quattro. The resale value is higher and it's safer in the winter. I rarely see A4's here that don't have Quattro. Good luck on the purchase.
tysalpha - CVT is great, just remember it doesn't come in Quattro-equipped cars. ONLY comes in Fronttrak models, for now. About the word "sedan", don't be mistaken as something else like a Dodge Neon SEDAN. This A4 is no ordinary sedan.....it's a SPORTS sedan. It looks like one, and that makes it one stealthy little rocket.
keninplacitas - yup, plus the availability of rear seat heaters (if you take the cold weather pkg). Kinda makes ya run out and trade yours in for a 2002 huh? ONLY if the exterior AND interior look classier and if it doesn't look like a 2001 New Passat from the front.
These new changes surely made BMW nervous.....that's why they now put in stuff like cruise control, automatic climate control, etc as standard on the 325 models.....kinda makes you wondering, why the heck these things used to be options on a BMW???
Billy
However right off the bat the A4 seems to have almost everything I'm really looking for. The interior is better, the cup holders are supposedly larger, more room in the back seat, slightly bigger trunk, more standard safety features, and an automatic (multitronic) that is as good if not better than a manual on acceleration and fuel efficientcy. As far as I'm concerned I only need to chose the color, add a moonroof and get 16" wheels and I'm done.
Wendell-- Yeah, I agree with Billy about the pricing of the 2002's. From what I'm reading, it sounds like they won't be dealing too much on them at introduction. Those that are ordering now give me the impression that they are paying close to MSRP (although the MSRP has yet to be announced). But I'm sure this will vary from dealer to dealer. Another thing that I'm gathering is that they will be "trickling" in and dealers won't have large quantities to sell at introduction. Of course, this is not anyting official, just what I've been reading on the net and various publications... could just be speculation and rumor. In fact, that's exactly what it is! ...LOL. So nevermind
Ken-- stop making me drool, damnit!
Billy-- Nope, couldn't do it. The manual almost makes it sounds like you can turn the a/c on and off but what it is saying is that you can turn the whole "automatic climate control system" off by pressing the "off" button (sheesh, that's self-explanatory!). It does say that you can turn the compressor off by using the "econ" button but that's not answering your original request of being able to turn the a/c on while the automatic controls turn it off once it reaches the temperature that you set. I guess you'll just have to set the temperature down while you take the moisture out of the air and then re-adjust it again.
And Billy-- I think this board is eventually going to transform over to talking about the 2002 model (duh! that's obvious for it is the logical progression) as most of the posts are now addressing the new model. Remember what I said several months ago? I think that we may have to request a thread that just deals with the discussion (problems, questions and general discussion) of our *lowly* old model line because pretty soon we will just become "second class citizens" of this board. *laughs and cries at the same time*
--'rocco
Another article noted that Audi's CVT uses electrically powered clutch packs instead of a torque converter. It says that the variable pulleys are connected by a heavy link-plate chain. They're claiming that it's as quick and efficient as a manual transmission. It also states that it's programmed with six pre-defined ranges managed by a Tiptronic sequential selector giving drivers the option of operating it like a conventional automatic with sport shifter. Assuming this is true, it would seem that Audi has addressed concerns that some have expressed regarding not having direct control over gear selection with CVT. Now, my only concern with CVT would be with regard to reliability. Personally, I'd love to see Audi provide an extended warranty for those who opt for this transmission.
--'rocco
Hey 'rocco, I never said I don't like the "classic" look of our cars' bodystyles. I'm just saying, I don't like mine to be called "Classic A4" and the new ones as "A4"....why don't call ours the "A4" and the new ones as "New A4"? LOL.
As far as the 180hp myth, actually all 1.8T engines found in the New Passat, Jetta, Golf, GTI, TT and A4 put out 180hp even this year 2001. It's just a sales technique used by Audi/VW. Of course nobody can understand why VW puts 180hp on the paper for 2002 and Audi still puts 170hp down. Maybe to boost the 3.0L sales?? (222 vs 170, that will push some potential 1.8T buyers to the 3.0L models)
Billy
P.S. Best wax polish for the A4?
IP
Okay, I don't know how it happened but that hyper-link in the above post should work for those of you who haven't read the article; just click on it.
--'rocco
Billy-- I agree with your CVT analysis. I did read that somewhere ...that CVT works best with lighter vehicles. And ok, I didn't mean that I wanted to call our cars "classic" yet but IMO we need some sort of adjective to differentiate ours from the "new" because most people will just refer to the 2002 model as just an "A4." Sadly, it makes more sense to call our cars the "old A4" and the new ones simply "A4." *weeps*
--'rocco
Thank you so very, very much for for using my name in your comments. To clarify though, Both AudiWorld and AutoWeek were references I used for my 2002 A4 features comments. My attempt was to paraphrase and combine what I read in these articles, not "quote" them directly. There were, though, some instances where substitute wording was not viable. Quite frankly, it's not nice to directly quote other writers without asking permission and then providing reference information.
Ken
--'rocco
p.s. Billy-- maybe we can exchange e-mail addresses to keep in touch.
Karen-- I'll give you a post over on "that" Subaru board... I'd still like to get some of your impressions on your new A4. ...and I'll give you some of my impression on the Forester.