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Comments
I ordered my Avant 2.8Q the first week of May and took delivery last Wednesday (Philadelphia area). So I'd guess you're just a few days away from that important call from the dealer. I posted my initial reactions on the Avant board (which appears to be going stale). You will definitely be pleased after the long wait. Also I had heard that the cars also come in through Houston and Boston.
-Barry
I just wonder whether I should have waited for the 2002 especially after reading keninplacitas' post. I also may have paid $500 to a $1000 more, but I guess over four years that isn't going to be a big deal($26,500-close to Edmund's TMV). I will definitely be replacing before the warranty is up. I love the 4 yr/50,000mile warranty. Peace of mind.
They don't have the MSR Prices on the 2002 A4 yet but I fully expect to again be in a position where it will be very difficult to 'deal' with my car dealer.
By the way, the dealers have 2002 A4 color samples and fabric swatches to select from now.
My dealer, by the way, heard that there are 2002 A4s that are already in port in the U.S. but are on some kind of 'hold' status.
Unless the A4 has a reputation for being out of stock all the time - is this the case?
You can check the details and the spec on www.audi.co.uk for the european model range.
Turbo boost, wheels that grip curves.
A winding road: yahoo!
He then tells me to follow him and leads me to the back to the service department. As we're going he says that they have an A4 here. We get to the back, and he asks some of the service guys were it is, but they say it just left. He ask when it's due back and they don't know. He then tracks down the service advisor and quizzes him, and while I didn't here this conversation the result is that the A4 is not available for now. I didn't ask any further questions about when it would be back or whatever because for one I'm pessimistic by nature and had trouble believing it was there. I kept wondering was this all an elaborate charade, but since I have AudiWorld photos of an '02 A4 supposedly from Boulder, CO, it's not that big a leap that there could be one here too.
Add to that the fact that I was told that there would be one here around the 19th for training, and I could not come up with a good reason for deception. So in other words I missed seeing the new A4 by what appears to be a half hour.
I like the timing of the car's arrival because there are 2 statistical periods when you can get a good deal on a car. The first is during model close out and the second is leading up to and right after Christmas. Plus when you factor in that some of the car's initial car lust should be winding down, St. Nick could be bringing me a late xmas present.
The VR6 engine will get a boost to 201 horses in the Golf GTI and Jetta.
Is Audi getting the same boosts in horses? If not what is VW doing? Nothing like having your more sedate models besting your more luxurious and sporty models.
Clivedavies, I thought the new A4 has already been selling in UK or Europe for like a year now, right? Dunno how close the European and the US models will be. However I noticed one thing that needs to be changed.....the "caved in" area for the license plate on the trunk. It's a longitudinal area for the European plates, but here in US we have more square plates. We will see how that goes.
Nitpicker, geez Karen, you must be loving your A4 so much :> Which is understandable, everytime when I get rental cars for my business trips I so much look forward to get back to Chicago and jump in my A4 :>
Binyan, I dunno how valid that salesguy was telling ya about their new A4 there. You know, they can be so full of it. I forgot where you live, but here in Chicago nobody has reported any sightings yet. I would assume they will send a few cars here cuz of the extensive 7-strong Audi dealerships here. I will, however, see an actual new A4 and drive one in the Audi Quattro Challenge here in Chicago on Sept 8. If you can wait another 3 weeks before then, I can post some pictures here cuz i'm sure I'll take tons of them there.
Shawn325i, yes you read right. VW just screwed up in trying to make the VW's more luxurious and powerful. In another twist, they will put a W8 engine in a new Passat that will pump more horses than all the engines in the new A4's. The published figures for the new 2002 Audi's are still 170hp for the 1.8T engine and pumped up 3.0 V6 engine that puts out 220hp. However, I have heard creditable sources saying the 1.8T engines actually put out 180hp in all Model Year 2001 engines in the A4, Jetta, New Beetle and GTI's.
7870 miles and counting.....still flawless and runs like a champ.
Billy
I guess this was one of the reasons why I picked the 325i over the A4, VW is bringing their models more upstream while bringing the Audi lineup more downstream. I wished they wouldn't do that!!
Nah, the fault is with Audi and their desire to make an engine, put it in a line of cars and then the only difference is the software version in the ECU. They really don't have a leg to stand on when the aftermarketers do it better. Audi had first shot and missed. Now the 2nd rumors seems credible too, because Audi sees all the money their losing due to chipping. So the simplest thing for them to do with no real work on their part is to certify several of the chip makers and slap an Audi approved logo on the chip. Audi will get a cut of every chip sold, plus money fron the chip makers being in the certification program, and car buyers won't void their warrantties.
The 1.8 is already on UK roads and the 3.0 auto is being built now. RHD 3.0 Quattro Manual (stick shift) starts next month (so the dealer tells me).
So I have to wait!till October.
Looks good in dolphin grey and denim blue!
Well I dunno how true it will be for Audi to authorize chip manufacturers. Rather, I would think there's a higher chance that Audi will come out with their OWN chip. Why not take in the whole profit margin instead of separating it between themselves and the chip tuners? Also Audi can condemn the other chips as "illegal" and will void the warranties for people who install the "other" chips. Of course the next step will be claiming their own Audi chips as the only legal chip and will NOT void the warranties.
Billy
"Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) networks the ABS, EBD, ASR and EDL system components, by comparing actual driving data from sensors with reference data. ensures greater stability at all speeds, by braking individual wheels as required and overriding the engine management system" (Audi UK Brochure)
All 3.0 litre A4's in the UK are available as quattro only, although in Europe there is a 3.0 litre fwd only.
The VW's may be increasing in power, but they don't have the handling properties of the A4.
Yesterday as I was driving, I tried some higher speed manuevers and tried to kick the rear end out a bit in attempt to see what the ESP would do. I didn't notice anything strange going on. My question is: does the light on the dash activate when the ESP starts to contol the loss of stability? ...how does one know when it is actually doing its intended work? I know that an indicator on the dash lights when I turn the ESP switch off but when it's on does the same light activate when the system starts "doing its thing?"
Karen-- Thanks for your posts over on the Forester board! We think alike in a lot of areas. :-p ...I guess I'm a nitpicker at heart also *lol* Now, as far as the ratings go: I rate the Forester a 5 and the A4 a 9 on a scale of one to ten. Initially, I probably would have rated the A4 about 7 but the more I drive it the higher rating it gets... who knows, in time I may even rate it a 10! As for the Forester, I think it may just go in the opposite direction... the more I drive it the more I find things to complain about. Having driven both cars this week-end, as Ken said before, there's no use in even comparing these "apples and oranges." The A4 just feels good when driving it... I mean, you just want to keep driving it. You hesitate just a bit when getting home because you just want to stay out and drive it a little more. Well, I guess everyone here knows the feeling. The Forester, on-the-other-hand, just doesn't feel "right" for some reason. I just don't feel one with it. It feels cheap ...although functional and relatively well made, it just doesn't have the substance or the refinement of the A4. Let's face it, the Forester is a typical Japanese econo-car ...nicely put together and probably very reliable but just doesn't have any character as far as I'm concerned. I look at the dash controls, the instrumentation lighting, the cupholders (of all things!), the feel of the switches and different controls and it's definitely NO A4!!! I hear and feel the sound of the engine and it's definitely NO 1.8T!!! (feel the sound?? *lol* well, you get my drift). That annoying drivetrain lash is so characteristic of an econo-car ...the A4's drivetrain is as smooth as silk! ...how lovely that is!!! I'm so glad I didn't buy a WRX because I'm sure that it would give me the same impressions. The message boards I've read on the WRX's drivetrain lash really make me cringe but those owners are so enthralled with all that power that it doesn't seem make that much difference to them that it is jerky and unrefined power --they just want that raw power! Oh man, how I love my A4! ...and it's only an '01, just imagine how much praise I'd heap on the '02 if I ever got the chance to drive one of those! No, I'm really satisfied with my '01 and hope to get many satisfying miles out of it. Karen, you made the right decision! You might have been happy with a Forester but you'd miss out on this very unique feeling of being an owner of an Audi! I don't think you'd even have the urge to write haiku about a Forester after having driven your A4! *lol* Now, about those headlights: yeah, I too poured over the archives at Audiworld and several other BMW and MB messages boards and probably found the same type of inconsistencies and confusing details that you found. I also did some research on HID and Xenon lighting in various publications. I'll still give you some sites you can look at if you'd like but I don't know how much good it would do you at this point. My conclusion is that it is of course better to convert entirely to Xenon and to do it right. I've read many problems (as you probably have too) when people try to cut corners in the conversion. Actually, some of the stories were pretty horrifying. Of course, the cost of doing the conversion correctly may be out of the question. Just as anything else, it's better to order the car with the option than later trying to add it. I found that out when seeing how much it would cost to convert everything over to the sport package configuration. It's at least twice as much to do it afterward. I'll continue to do some research on non-Xenon alternatives because I'd like to do something about the Forester's headlights because they sure look dim when comparing them to the Xenons in the A4. But if it will make you feel any better, the fancy new Passats and the A6s without the Premium package have the exact same headlight configuration as you do. Even the standard BMW halogen projectors look pretty pathetic. But anyway, I'll still keep in touch with anything new that I may find.
--'rocco
Scirocco, I guess you can wait until winter when you can test your ESP out.....I would think you can see it at work then. Oh by the way, I guess you (or we all) are spoiled by the A4 in terms of driving excitement and refinements. I was driving a Volvo V70 wagon with all the goodies and I was like, geez it's nice but I'd rather drive my A4. I don't know what I can drive to make me feel that the other vehicle is better than my A4.....probably an A8 or an Allroad??
Lintoronto, USD$37,000 for a 2002 A4 3.0? That'll be a little increase over a similarly well-equipped 2001 A4 2.8. I remembered seeing a sticker price of $35-36k for a fully loaded 2001 A4 2.8, so it's not too much if Audi is only asking for $1-2k more than the 2001 model with all the additional stuff. Thanks for the info.
Billy
(US$ at 1.41 to the GBP)
3.0 Quattro £24,840 (about US35,000)
2.5 TDI Quattro £24,345 (US34,325)
1.8T Quattro £21,210 (US30,000)
1.9TDI £19,895 (US28,000)
1.8T £19,810 (US28,000)
2.0 £18,640 (US26,200)
Last year we would have paid £28,000 (US40,000) for a 2.8 Quattro so Audi has lowered UK prices and improved the spec.
Mmcbride, I think so far all we've heard are rumors. Haven't seen anything official yet, but I will definitely ask at the Quattro Challenge next month and let y'all know.
Billy
The 3.0 Quattro basic price (before VAT and the above) id £20,587.23 (US$29,000).
If you want auto that will cost you a further £1,400.
I got an extra 6.5% discount by negotiating with the dealer.
Billy-- I thought you said that the more miles you pile on the less brake dust you have? Man, it seems like you shouldn't have any brake dust at all now considering how much you like to drive that thing! ;p ...I finally have past the 1,500 mile mark!
I gotta ask this question again: I'm coming up on 6 months. Do I have to go in for my 5,000 mile service ("5,000 miles/6 months, which ever occurs first) even thought I have only 1,500 miles on the car to keep the warranty in tact?
--'rocco
Billy -- From time to time you've mentioned the rental cars you get on business trips. Have you ever gotten a rental that you were pleasantly surprised with? And along that same line: Did you ever expect a rental car to be pretty good and end up being really disappointed in it?
Ian -- Yeah, I think you have to be covered in brake dust to qualify for this forum. I end up washing my rims about every 300 or so miles. So far it's a labor of love, but I might not feel that way when the temperature is around 40 and I'm trying to ward off frostbite just to keep my wheels clean.
Besides the above mentioned options, the car has sport package, sunroof, Concert audio system (Bose, 6 disk CD changer), trip computer and heated seats. I got it for $16,735 + TTL.
Hope the ownership experience will be as pleasant as the one I had with my '91 Acura Legend (hardly any problems, never been stranded, etc...).
Karen, well I would say I didn't expect much from the Ford Escape but it amazed me....from the interior to the fuel economy, to the ease of driving this SUV-sized vehicle even it has a higher center of gravity. The one that I thought I hit the jackpot but in fact a piece of crap.....I'd say it's the Ford Mustang. Engine wise it's ok (the lowest 190hp one), but handling is just terribly wrong. Way too overrated and it doesn't feel as "planted" to the ground as an A4. Taking it fast around a curve and you better work on driving during oversteering. Visibility out of the cabin is bad because of the height of the instrument panel. That said, almost NONE of the rental cars of Ford, GM or Chrysler are exciting to drive. One time I got a Mazda Protege and it's even more exciting to drive than boring Tauruses, Grand Am's or Intrepids. Of course the last one, the Volvo V70 wagon, was a gem to drive, although I'd hope it has the turbocharged engine in it.....amenities inside were very nice though.....I heard in Florida, you can actually rent FWD A4's from Enterprise.....wouldn't be a bad idea but it'd be awesome if they're Quattros.....then you can cruise on the beaches at Daytona Beach.....
Billy
Zach-- Yeah, that's what I have in mind. I've already checked into the Mintex. I just hesitate in throwing away perfectly good brake pads ...but if it means saving myself hours of dusting my wheels, then maybe it's worth it!
Karen-- Maybe I'm just being too nitpicky *smirks* but I just may be giving the Forester an unfair evaluation. Like I've said, I'd probably be relatively impressed with it had I not already been driving the A4. As Billy said, it (our A4s) spoils us into thinking that nothing else compares. And no, *lol* I'm not thinking of getting rid of it (quite yet)! I sometimes think that I should have just bought a small Toyota pick-up or something. The Forester is really a lot smaller than I thought it was and I don't really know if it's going to accommodate the cargo that I might want to haul in it. As far as alternatives if I had to do it all over again, maybe the Escape/Tribute especially when reading what Billy had to say about the Escape ...I really like (both) their looks. But the reason I chose the Forester is that, no matter what, it offered the most bang-for-the-buck in that it had most of the things and possessed most of the features I was looking for with a price that seemed pretty reasonable. For the same price, the Escape/Tribute wouldn't have offered as much as the Forester not to mention the reliability factor ...same and be said about the Liberty. The Rav4 was pricy and even smaller than the Forester. Another thing going for the Forester is that it is structurally safe and has a far less chance of tipping than any of its competitors. So maybe, with all things considered, the Forester is the best choice I could have made. *has a slight puzzled look*
And *lol* yeah, I'm embarrassed about how few miles I have on the A4 considering how much I like driving it. I've only gone out on relatively short stints aside from occasionally driving it to work. The longest trip was actually home from the dealer which was about 100 miles away. I gotta go out and drive it more! Even though I make it a point to warm the engine and give it substantial revs when I do have it out, I should get it out on the highway for a long drive one of these days in order to burn the impurities out of the engine. I'm cognizant that I'm doing it harm by just doing city driving and not really giving the engine time to get hot for a long period. Okay, I'm going to have to work on that... I'm ready!! *smiles*
--'rocco
I've read some posts about the aftermarket xenons that they aim kinda high even people adjusted the aiming screws. Sounds like without the auto levelling they can be dangerous to other motorists. I'm still hitting myself for not getting stock xenons.....
Billy
So let's see, do we get a discount when we upgrade to a Lamborghini??
By the way, for brakes, I agree with what you guys said.....guys in AW auto-X and stuff like that and yeah the way they work their brakes, they will definitely feel the difference. For our application it might mean the same or slightly more brake pressure to achieve the same braking power. My only concern is, some guys were mentioning they have the "wet braking" issue.....meaning the braking power was significanly less when they apply the same pressure and brake in the rain.....I haven't experienced that in the rain but I don't know if that might happen if we use Mintex pads.....
NOTE: If I remember correctly, it was the removal of Asbestos from brake pads that resulted in the need to live with those irritating side effects from the new materials in order to experience equivelent stopping power.