Audi A4 2004 and earlier

scirocco22 · October 2001

Pat-- thanx

crud-- You're right ...the Tocatta's spokes do appear to taper a bit toward the center where the '02's almost appear straight or like you said, might actually taper toward the outter edge. Here's a better pic of the '02's from a guy who posts over at AudiWorld: http://forums.audiworld.com/a4gen2/msgs/1647.phtml. Either rim is quite handsome, though. As far as the winter combination goes, as you already know, the narrower the tread width the better. I know two S4 owners who use 15" 195/65s during the winter but they sure don't look like they belong on the car although they get the job done when conditions are snowy and icy.

--'rocco

vicsa4 · October 2001

I absolutely love my 1999 A4, 2.8, 5 speed manual with Quattro. Easily the best car I've ever owned.
However, my lease is up in January and I don't know whether to lease a 2002 A4 with the 1.8 engine, or a 2002 A4 with the 3.0 engine, or simply buy my 1999 Audi and drive it forever.
What would you do...and why??
I'm not seeing enough of an improvement in the 2002s to justify getting a new one.

rickpct · October 2001

Seriously considering a 97/98 A4. Any advice on specific issues to be concerned with? Also, is there an audi enthusiast site where one can review bulletin boards? Thx.

cyberpmg · October 2001

Hi!

Here's some answers on key functions:

1) The key is like the ones found on other Audi models. It has the "switchblade" feature to fold the key into the remote. It has the standard keyless entry feature.

2) There is a button in the middle that unlocks the trunk. After hitting the button, then all you would have to do is lift it open. The trunk will not fully open on it's own.

3) When you lock the car, the lights will flash once followed by a quick chirping sound.

4) Sorry, don't know about the windows. Mine doesn't do that, but that doesn't mean it could be programmed.

Hope this helps! I've now had my 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro for 5 days and have loved every minute of it!

keninplacitas · October 2001

If you go to the top of the page your reading this from you'll find a 'search' window. Just type in the word "Audi" then click Go. There's lots of stuff there. Also, I've found that audiworld.com can be real helpful.

dej0 · October 2001

rickpct,
I have a '97 Audi A4 (1.8T w/ quattro and sport) and I love it. There was a recall this past summer for the electrical system. It actually failed on us while the car was under warranty, but you should make sure it was repaired before you buy. The recall was for '96 and '97, so I guess they fixed it for the '98's. Other than that, it's the usual used car stuff. Audi has the 'certified' pre-owned cars available also, I would feel comfortable buying one of these from a dealer.

Good luck

mmcbride1 · October 2001

Only one way to know for sure. Drive them all. If you don't think the new A4's are worth it, keep your current one. If you love the new one (whether it's a 1.8T or a 3.0), then get it.

YOu won't know until you drive it.

raavir · October 2001

barresa62 · October 2001

raavir · October 2001

can we order vehicle directly from AOA or AOC(Audi of Canada)...

lauk0dg · October 2001

Just curious.....why do you want to order directly from AoA? I don't think you can do that.....plus you don't want to do that even if they allow you to.....you will have minimal bargaining power. Is it because you live very far away from a local dealer? I have heard stories like this guy called this dealership like 500 miles away and they locked in a deal which the dealership actually flies him out and sealed the deal. Maybe you can do the same??

Billy

lauk0dg · October 2001

Dunno if you guys stopped by www.audiusa.com but it's all new now. They put the new A4 and the old S4 under the "A4" family. Quite interesting.

Just ordered my new radar detector through the website.....it's the Valentine One detector. Finally bit the bullet after doing quite a bit of research and ask around. Hope it'll save me sometime :>

btr1 · October 2001

Interested in 2002 A4 Quattro 4 cylinder....
curious if folks like the car, possible price I could get it at....was looking at 4wheel drive Passatt, too expensive and rear seat doesn't fold - I'm assuming this one will. Thanks

zscott1 · October 2001

Passat seat does not fold down. I know the '98's did. Maybe it is an option on the "new passat"

mmcbride1 · October 2001

If I recall correctly, it's only the 4Motion Passat that doesn't get fold down seats. Something to do with adding AWD to the Passat that made it not feasible.

As a side note, I love the fold down seats in my A4. I would not buy a car without them.

scirocco22 · October 2001

gerry-- As far as prices go, the best I've heard so far in cruising several message boards is some guy posting over on AudiWorld who got one for $854 over invoice which is a fantastic price. He's in central New Jersey and claimed he paid in full and is ordering. Others claim that they are paying anywhere from $1,200 over invoice all the way up to MSRP. I suppose it's going to depend on where you are and if the dealership you choose is considered to have a high volume sales department. IMO, if they are a high volume dealership then perhaps they'd tend to give you a better price break just to chalk-up their sales (you know, selling more units and making less profit on each unit sold as opposed to selling less units and making a higher profit on those units). Of course, probably no Audi dealer is really considered "high-volume" compared with other manufacturers like Honda for instance. *heh*

--'rocco

dl7265 · October 2001

Dropped by The Audi Store tonite allthough they were allready closed, i saw about 5 '02 every single one was beige color.

Pricing , a loaded up 3.0QTT was $40,500 funny they also had about 6 '01. S4 for the same price . kinda hard to belive a 3.0 is the same as the 2.7T,

far as styling i kinda like it,allways liked the avant garde look of the A6 , i think the A4 even looks more natuural.

DL

zscott1 · October 2001

Really, I did not know that about 4motion. That is the oddest thing, why would it not. A4's have no problem with rear seats folding down with the Torsen System.

lauk0dg · October 2001

Plus the fact that those S4's are '01.....dealerships would like to get rid of them so you can get a better deal on the S4's than the '02 A4's. It all boils down to your preference to styling (both interior and exterior), preference of naturally aspired V6 or twin-turbo V6 (man it sounds sweet), and if you like more hp :>

Billy

mmcbride1 · October 2001

I don't know if it's true or not, but that's what I heard when I was car shopping. Maybe because the A4 was built with Quattro in mind and the Passat was not.

will52 · October 2001

As to prices on 2002 A4 1.8 T, I shopped at 3 Audi dealerships trying to factory order one for my mother who lives in Florida. Reeves Audi in Tampa originally wanted MSRP, but under prodding went to $2000 profit. Suncoast Audi in Sarasota was willing to do $1500. Up here in Nebraska where I live Stan Olsen Audi in Omaha did $1200 over invoice. As there was a little over $2400 in mark-up over base invoice, I offered $1200 profit and they took it w/o nedotiation. Having now read scirocco 22's post about the guy who got one at $850 over invoice, I wish I'd offered $1000 over invoice. I believe I'd been able to buy at that price, but not at $850. The response from the FL dealers led me to offer a little higher than I should have. So I bought up here in NE...92 days or less on a factory order...salesman at Olsen is Umesh Mehta ( 800 634-3768/stanolsenauto.com )

raavir · October 2001

any body know any websites like carsdirect.com which sell cars online in Canada

02a4curt · October 2001

Which wheel would have better traction in snow - or is it pretty much a draw? Would have liked to have ordered the 17" sport option, but in MN just not practical. So I compromised with the 16", primarily because I thought they might look a "little" better.

fpereira · October 2001

Has anyone tried the "build-your-own" at the Audi web site (www.audiusa.com)? I built a 3.0q with leather and the MSRP didn't seem to reflect the leather... Hmm..

lauk0dg · November 2001

For winter, a tire with a thick sidewall or higher profile (bigger 2nd number) and with a small tread width (smaller 1st number) is the best. That translates to more weight per area of tread. I've heard people using both 15" and 16" pkgs.....both should work fine. Definitely not the 17" winter tire pkgs LOL. So how's the new ride coming along?

Fpereira, LOL, maybe the leather is free. Well can't help you there.....maybe call up AoA at 1-800-FOR-AUDI and ask them to configure it for you?

Billy

02a4curt · November 2001

Ordered two weeks ago..How much longer will depend on dealer finding one with my options at another location or wait for shipment from Germany. Hoping to get it some time around the middle or end of Nov.

datadog · November 2001

I am getting an '02 A6 with the sport package and 17" wheels. I was going to run those with some ultra high performance all-seasons (either dunlop SP5000 or Yokohama AVS db's). Do you really think the size of the wheel makes that much difference if the tread pattern and design is right? I hope not. If so, I may consider just buying some 16's to use in winter and keep summer sports on the 17's.

lauk0dg - i tried to configure the A6 too, and they don't have the package that includes leather and sunroof so it doesn't add up right. But if you use the edmund's pricing tool it adds up right to the dollar.

lauk0dg · November 2001

That's interesting.....how come AoA screwed up in the leather pkgs? Anyhow, I have heard and seen people running Dunlop SP5000's (high performance all-seasons) tires for the whole year and the result is satisfactory. I was planning to get those tires when I get the 17" rims.....uh oh, maybe I need to change my mind?

Billy

brave1heart · November 2001

... have the best all-season performance tire rating on the Rack. I used them on my old Jetta VR6 and they were awesome in snow. With Quattro, you will have ample traction with those. And they are still excellent on dry roads.

datadog · November 2001

If you're interested, there was a serious and lengthy thread on the A6 board discussing winter tires, summer tires, quattro, fwd, rwd and about everything you ever wanted to know about traction. Start with post number 2032.

Part of the reason I am considering another set of wheels is so that I will not have to mount and balance every time I change out the tires. There are no good tire dealers close by.

varig · November 2001

It's getting that time of year to get get winter tires.
Currently have Z-rated tires on 17" wheels.
I do not want to mount snow tires on the wheels, so I need some advice.
Should I get steel or alloy wheels? If I get alloy, should I get them from Audi to match the current set or should I get whatever TireRack is selling?
From what I've read, I should not get 17" wheels for winter tires, rather go down to a 16" or 15".
Last year was the first time I'd bought dedicated winter tires (Blizzaks) and I will NEVER go another winter without the surefooted traction of winter tires. Since I had little choice last year (Blizzaks were the only size that would fit my car), the buying process was simple. This year, I will have many more choices. Any suggestions?
The 1st thing I want in a winter tire is good traction in inclement weather (that's why I'm buying them). Performance is secondary. I've seen that TireRack now has some winter tires that sacrifice some snow handling for better traction on ice. Anyone have any experience with these? I've seen winter "sport" tires advertised too. It mentioned that you sacrifice snow/ice handling for better dry handling. Is the sacrifice almost to the level of an all season tire?

Thanks in advance.

tcasboy · November 2001

Hello, TCASBOY here. I finally pulled the trigger and bought an A4, much to my wife's dismay. I found an 01 1.8T, 5 speed, sport pkg, sport seats, celebration pkg and xenon headlights in Atlanta, GA. I bought it Mon from Nalley Audi in Roswell. I used the dealer locater on the audi website to find dealers and called from Houston to Orlando in my search for an 01 with a manual and cloth seats. My car was built in Nov 2000 and has the 16 inch wheels. So far I am very impressed by with the car. I would recommend the dealer and the internet sales rep as well. I don't know what they'd do on a 2002 because I wasn't looking at those.

raavir · November 2001

How about Ming Blue with Beige(Metalic paint, Sport Package, Sun Roof, Xenons). Any comments or suggessions on this combination, perticulerly about color, What would be the best price for this. Dealer is quoting CAD41,890.

Thanx

audibon · November 2001

Billy:
Now I am wondering if we should have waited until the bitter end to get an A4 or better yet a good price on an S4. The only problem is I still prefer the A4 or S4 in Santorin. I think 2nd choice for the S4 would have been Pelican blue with the blue Alcantara inserts in the front seats. That combo might have been hard to find but a dealer that wants a sale might be willing to do a search for you.
Ultimately, I concur with you the larger size A6 with the 2.7T or 4.2 are the next logical step up. I wish the A6 4.2 came with manual. That would make BMW take notice because it could compete with the 5 series with manual and start a good rivalry with the M5. Can you say S6 sedan? 400hp, 6spd, quattro and all the amenities you can think of thrown in for a lot less than an M5. AOA are you listening? Later.

aegus1 · November 2001

I ordered my Avant (2.8Q, 5spd) with the 17" new style wheels. Based on the buyer remarks on tirerack, I went with the Dunlop Wintersport M2, size 205/55HR-16 on steel wheels (-1 sizing). Alloys would have run $250 more for the package. The H speed rated Blizzak appeared to be just as popular at about $10 more per tire.

I figure I'll save my fancy alloys a from a few scrapes and dings. The H speed rated treads won't be such a drag to drive around on dry pavement. And with real winter tires and Quattro it should be a blast in the white stuff.

And with the $250 I saved, I'd like to get Xpel or Clearmask. Although I can't find an authorized installer in the Philly area.

-Barry

thorsen · November 2001

Let me preface this by saying I don't know much about wheels/tires...I've seen several people mention that they are buying new wheels along with their winter tires, what is the reason for this? My wife and I are probably going to purchase a 2002 A4Q 1.8T (just waiting to see if the national sales tax holiday passes!) and since we live in MN and my wife will be driving this car a lot, I'm also considering buying snow tires. (Granted we can probably get by without them, but I like the added assurance of snow tires.) Do I need to buy new wheels too? (We're looking at the 16" wheels, not the sport option, and I was considering Blizzak LM-22's for winter.)
Thanks!

datadog · November 2001

raavir - I hope that color combination is good, because I have an A6 2.7T coming my way dressed just like it. I've seen the ming blue on an A6 with platinum. I guess I like to torture myself trying to keep dark colors clean, my A4 is black.

I'm going to pick up the new A6 next Wednesday. I'll let you know how it looks. If I don't like it, the dealer will sell me a silver one equipped just like it.

peterpan2 · November 2001

I have seen an A6 in Ming blue/beige. Very nice looking. IMO one of the best color combinations. I will be getting an A4 in Ming blue/beige.

scirocco22 · November 2001

Jon-- Most of us don't have tire mounting equipment at home and even if we did, just think what a hassle it would be to mount and balance all four tires once in the fall and then again in the spring. You could choose to take it to a tire shop and have them mount your snow tires (they would charge you for mounting and balancing for all four tires) but again, you'd have to have them do it two times a year, once when mounting the snow tires and again when dis-mounting them and re-mounting your regular tires. Each time you have a tire mounted on a rim it's recommended to have them re-balanced unless they can line it up exactly in the original position and even then you might notice that balance would be a tad off. Wouldn't it be a lot easier (and probably in the end, cheaper) to have a dedicated wheel and snow tire combination that you could change over yourself at your leisure in the fall and then take them off yourself in the spring? Granted, it still is a bit of a hassle --it's like changing a flat at each four wheel positions but at least you can do it yourself on your own schedule. Balancing would only have to be done once ...when the original mounting takes place. It took me about an hour to do the change-over on my old vehicle and sometimes I'd change over several times during the winter depending on weather condiitions to save wear on the snow tires. Having power (air) assisted tools would aid greatly in the task but I did it manually and didn't think it was that big of a deal. If you put your mind to it and are organized, you can do it in less than an hour ...plus get quite a work-out to boot! :P

--'rocco

ps: Additionally, some people with nice and expensive rims don't want a tire shop handling them with that much mounting and dis-mounting and re-mounting, etc. There's more chance of them getting damaged if not done carefully with all that handling through the seasons.

datadog · November 2001

All good points 'rocco (I assume you have a nice warm garage to do all of this changing). And having two sets especially makes sense if you don't have a competent tire dealer anywhere nearby. The last time I had a local shop mount tires for me they lost two of my center caps. Also, I may opt for 16" wheels for snow and 17" for summer. One problem I had in the snow with my A4 was getting the rims packed with snow and the wheels were off balance until you dug the snow out with your hands. I think it will only be worse with a 17" wheel and a lower profile tire. One more thought - if I stay with two sets of 17"s I would probably run the high-perf all seasons most of the year, and put on the summer tires only for a few months for kicks. They don't last that long anyway.

Does anyone know where to get a 5-spoke like they are putting on the new A4's with the sport package (or maybe that is the standard wheel with the 3.0)? I'm really not crazy about the 17" BBS looking wheels that are coming on my A6 with the sport package. The only place I know to look is tirerack.

lauk0dg · November 2001

Audibon, yesterday when I was at Schaumburg Audi replacing a passenger's side vent (linkage broken), I chatted with the guy who sold me the A4 and we brought a silver S4 with silver alcantara and aluminum mirror housing out for a test drive.....WHAT A RUSH. Salesman took me to a very winding RESIDENTIAL road with a posted 25mph speed limit. Of course I took it to like 45 mph and right at the bottom of the hill, there's a U-turn. So I slowed down, put it in 2nd gear, and power thru the turn. Guess what....salesguy shouted, cops. SLowed down immediately, guess the cop then turned on his radar, but too late. Made the U-turn, going the original way but slower this time, and there's another smokey going slowly just in case I was going fast again. No chance (or excuse) for them to pull me over LOL. BUT that S4 is just incredible. Dealer only has silver and black S4's in the lot, so I guess Santorin might be a harder find. Right off the bat he only wanna takes off $1500 claiming it's a limited production model, blah blah blah. I'm sure if I pursuit, I can get a good trade-in for my car and get the S4. It's a fun car and all, but gotta justify the $13k MSRP leap from my A4 to that S4. Minus the trade-in loss, I could possibly be looking at paying $16k. A little bit too much in this kind of economy I think.

About winter wheels, yeah I agree with what Scirocco said. Plus the fact that winter road conditions are harsh with road salt and dirt to melt the snow/ice and I wouldn't want to put a nice set of summer wheels on that kind of conditions. Geez Scirocco, you switch your wheel/tire setup several times during winter? Oh my, yeah that'll be quite a workout :>

Datadog, I saw an A6 2.7T in the showroom with those BBS looking wheels that comes with the sports pkg. But wait, those are ACTUALLY BBS rims. You can actually buy them from an Audi brochure. They aren't that bad looking, really. I'm sure if you want to buy the A4 2002 17" sport rims (standard only on sports pkg equipped 1.8T and 3.0's, standard 3.0 wheels are 16" and looks similar to the sports wheels, yet different), you can call up Clair and see if the wheel offsets are the same on the A6's.

Billy

raavir · November 2001

thanks guys, decided for ming blue with beige, not able to find good deal so far...

jtraceynj · November 2001

I have a new 2001.5 Audi A4 with the sport package (sport suspension, 17-inch wheels, Pirelli p6000 tires). On the tire it says to inflate to 51 psi. The tire currently reads 31 psi cold (!). What am I not understanding about this process? Surely its not really this far off. I tested the tires with another gauge and got the same reading. I picked up the car 4 weeks ago from the dealer.

lauk0dg · November 2001

I believe the tire pressure reading on the tires means the maximum tire pressure you should put into the tires (guys, am I correct?). I have heard people putting in 35-38psi cuz of the low profile tires. Ask the dealer what it should be.

davking · November 2001

Look inside the fuel filler door. For the lightest load I believe the recommended pressure is 36 front, 34 rear. Tire pressure is more critical on those performance tires than on all-season tires. I've been running 38 front, 36 rear in those tires, with a light load, for interstate highway driving. You might also check out the tire disclaimer regarding the high performance tires on the AoA website.

jtraceynj · November 2001

I'm smelling something now, the last two days, after driving the A4. Can smell it coming in the vents when at a traffic light as well. Not an overpowering smell, but worrisome nonetheless. I don't want my new almost-$30k car smelling.

My wife described the smell as "dust burning." Not rubber, we don't think. Car has 3,000 miles on it.

brave1heart · November 2001

The fuel filler door indicates 32 psi min, 42 psi max. Is the tire pressure supposed to be the same all around because of the Quattro or the fronts should be inflated a little higher because they carry more weight? We do mostly highway driving and do not track the car. Softer handling would be preferable because my wife is 7-months pregnant and she is the primary driver of the A4. Thank you very much for your help in advance.

fpereira · November 2001

Brave, tire pressuresa are not necessarily the same all around; pressure is one of the many parameters used to coax understeer or oversteer out of a car. Most mfrs give pressures that, along with the suspension design, give slight understeer (which is usually safest for non-driving-school types).

On BMWs they give the exact tire pressures to use both front and rear (my car, it's 29 front and 33 rear). This info is (on BMWs) on a sticker on the driver's door pillar, and in the owner's manual, where they give rundowns on the various stock wheels allowed, with the tires and tire pressures that should be used.

cupholder1 · November 2001

Is Audi offering big incentives to the dealers in order to unload the '01 models?

scirocco22 · November 2001

Amory-- Have you looked at Audi's Tocatta rims that crud and I were talking about awhile back? They look similar but not exactly like the '02 A4's 5-spoke rims. http://commerce.audiusa.com/catalog/tocatta.jpg The description for the wheels are in the Audi Collections site: http://commerce.audiusa.com/Search.bok?category=Acc_A6_Perf:Tocatta

Besides Ronal and Tirerack, I've found that Discount Tire has some pretty reasonably priced 5-spoke rims that will fit Audis. http://discounttire.com/dtc/findWheelProducts.do?step=products&productType= WHEEL&sortOrder=Recommendation&wheelRimSize=16&plusSize=OE

Since I can't post a hyper-link that long, copy and paste the entire link into your browser and it should take your right to their A6 product selections.

--'rocco

Audi A4 2004 and earlier

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