I take it that this is a manual transmission? I am also guessing this is a car already on the dealer's lot?
I would consider shooting for a lower price, but I guess it depends on where you live. I may be fortunate to live in a part of the country where Audi's are not as popular (Arizona). I was able to purchase a car similar to the one you describe, except mine has the Sports Package instead of Xenon lights. My purchase price was $25,341. That price includes the destination charge; but tax, license, and a $199 dealer documentation fee were in addition to that.
On the other hand, I have seen somebody post in the "Audi A4 1.8 vs. Nissan Maxima SE" topic that they are being asked to pay close to sticker price out in southern California. Your deal certainly sounds better than that.
If you have time to wait, you might consider factory ordering an A4 without the xenon. I highly recommend the Sports Package, but I wouldn't recommend it for driving in snow or heavy rain due to the fact it has performance tires rather than all-season tires.
You might also check around with other Audi dealers outside your area. I bought my A4 from a dealer over 2 hours away, and I have absolutely no regrets. My local dealer did not stock any FWD models with manual transmissions, and I'm guessing they would have charged me a little more money if they did.
As you can see from my previous post, I definitely think $1000 over invoice is achievable, if it is a car already on the dealer's lot. From my experiences with two different Audi dealers, the sales managers often want to charge a little more money on a factory order versus selling one off their lot.
Again, prices will vary from region to region. If you have trouble getting a good price in Denver, and you're willing to do a road trip, I might be able to help you get a good deal in Arizona. Just post another message in here if you want a contact or two...
I have been ease dropping on this discussion and have loved every sentence of it. You all have help me concretely make up my mind to buy an A4. Well...............I am now the proud owner of a Silver 1.8TQ w/ sport & conv. pkg, purchased for 27,400. I just got it today; Still getting use to not driving a manual, swithched to auto w/ trip, cause I'm stuck in traffic ALOT! Don't know how to porpoerly use auto/trip I'm settling in in front of my fireplace with a cozy little book.....my manual! Many thanks.
Scottsdale Audi had no FWD models with a manual transmission when I purchased my A4 two weeks ago, and Laura (my sales associate) said there wouldn't be any arriving like that for at least a month. I also wasn't too pleased to hear about the high PDI charges at that dealer. I ended up purchasing my A4 from Beaudry Audi in Tucson.
Since you are getting an automatic, that makes the price you were given much more competitive than I originally thought. Now that I look more closely, looks like it is $1040 over factory invoice ($500 + $200 + $340). That is a competitive price.
As a comparison, my A4 had the Premium Package (or is it Convenience Package? Don't remember...) instead of the Celebration Package. Same content, but the Premium Package stickers at $1200 instead of $500. That's because it was built before November 2000. The sticker price on my car was $28,140. My purchase price was $25,341. I don't remember the exact invoice cost, but I think I paid less than $500 over factory invoice. However, I had mentioned that I didn't want to pay for the Premium Package as opposed to the Celebration Package, so the dealer may have been willing to eat the extra cost of the Premium Package.
Again, I think you're getting a pretty good price, but it sounds like you're paying a little bit more than I did, and you're also paying a few hundred dollars for a Xenon light option that you don't really want. (I had considered Xenon lights, but I'm happy enough with the standard lights on this 2001 A4. I also noticed that Kelly Blue Book gives no credit for Xenon lights at trade-in time!)
You might consider calling up Tracy Beaudry, the Internet Sales person, at Beaudry Motors. I believe Beaudry Audi still has quite a few A4's on their lot, and very few (if any) have xenon lights. Tracy gave me that price of $25,341 without any hassle. I told her what I wanted, and she gave me a return email less than 2 hours later with that price quote! I gave it some consideration; talked to Scottsdale Audi one last time; and then went down to Tucson the following weekend to buy it. It seemed like the entire purchase required less than an hour! This was my 2nd purchase from her. I had also purchased an Acura MDX from her last October.
If you're interested in giving Beaudry Motors a chance to give you a better deal, Tracy can be reached at 1-800-461-6744. If you talk to her, please tell her that "Rob G." in Scottsdale referred you to her.
Please place another post in here on your final decision. Good Luck!
Congrats! You'll love the A4...particularly the quattro and sport pkg. Your reason for going with tiptronic is precisely the same as mine. With a bad left knee from a windsurfing mishap a few years ago, riding a clutch for 2 hours in stop-and-go traffic behind major wrecks on I-75 and the Florida Turnpike was getting to be intolerable. The last time it happened on a trip back home to S. Florida, I swore when I got back to Huntsville it was new car time. After returning, I went on a mission to find an automatic that was somewhat fun to drive and a month later got the A4. Like you, I had to get used to driving an automatic and initially kept lunging my left leg for a nonexistent clutch, but after a couple months of no more knee pain, I wasn't missing a 5 speed at all.
Enjoy the new ride! BTW, what interior did you get?
On Thursday night I took delivery on a new Audi A4 1.8T with the Premium Package, sport package, hibiscus red paint, ecru interior (Advance atmosphere) and 5 spd manual. That car is AWESOME. I love it so much! The 5 spd shifts very smoothly with nice, short throws. And the engine has a terrific amount of torque spread across a wide band of RPMs. Passing is a breeze regardless of what gear you're in.
The car is extremely solid and I love the countless features. Additionally, being 6'4" I have a hard time fitting in many cars. After driving almost everything out there, I found the A4 to be extremely comfortable despite having slightly more compact dimensions.
I had been holding out for the new body style, but when I saw it in Motor Trend (I think) I decided against waiting. I love the current design, but just wasn't thrilled with the new one. Additionally, I got a terrific deal from my dealer in Tampa, FL. Just under $500 over invoice plus a $239 admin fee. Unfortunately the car had the premium package versus the celebration making it more expensive, but I just couldn't find another car in that color with the features I wanted that had the celebration. It boggles my mind that Audi isn't offering an incentive of some sort to dealers stuck with old inventory equipped with the premium package. I called numerous dealers and each had the same story; no incentive.
One thing I'm not wild about is the stereo. I tried like the dickens to find a car just like mine but with the Bose unit. AudiWorld.com had a suggestion on how to improve the unit by making simple adjustments to the stereo, and while it has helped some, the unit is still rather inferior to others I've heard.
Otherwise, I feel like the car was a terrific buy. Numerous amenities, excellent warranty and service, very fun to drive, very safe (reportedly), and that gorgeous hibiscus red paint (EVERYONE has either silver or black) sold me. I think I'll go for a drive!
I love to hear about good deals and sounds like you got a very good one indeed. Hibiscus would have been my first choice as well but at the time I got my A4, the only hibiscus the dealer had on the lot was a '99 with an all-clay interior (very bland) and didn't have some of the features I wanted. Melange was second choice and just lucked into that deal. Like you, I prefer to have something different than the predominant silver or black, although they're both gorgeous colors on the A4.
Incentives? Because the A4 is more popular than ever, Audi knows the current model will continue to sell with no problem. Audi enjoyed its best years of sales in '99/'00 and '01 projections are even better. They're riding that popularity and sort of adopting the Honda-istic attitude that whatever they build or color they paint it, it'll sell. Who needs stinking incentives? Achtung!!
I agree with you about the stock Symphony sound system and we've had many discussions about it on the forum. I think a big factor is inferior speaker quality. Some have replaced the stock speakers with higher quality products and said it makes a huge difference. If I weren't leasing, the speakers would have been upgraded long ago.
Good news! Hopefully you're still greatly enjoying your new A4, now that you've had it a few more days!
You did an excellent job of describing my opinions on my own A4. The smooth shifting, the wide power band, and the passing ability. I sometimes think my 2001 1.8T passes other cars more easily than my previous 1999 328i.
I also had mixed feelings about the new 2002 A4 body styling. Even the interior looked a little boring to me compared to the current model. I'm sure the new model would look VERY classy when I see one in person, but I'm not so sure it will look as sporty or as interesting as the existing model. I guess that is all subjective, and I can only take guesses until I see a new model up close and personal.
What helped decide matters for me was that I had a buyer interested in my BMW, and I also was able to get a great deal on my A4. It's very similar to yours, but it has the Bose upgrade on it. It took me awhile to convince myself to pay the extra money for it ($572 invoice/ $650 sticker), but a couple quick comparison tests, along with good advice from equalizer1, helped convince me to go for it. Posts such as yours help convince me that I didn't spend the money needlessly. I'm quite pleased with the sound (for most of my style of listening), but I agree with some people on Audiworld that it lacks powerful bass. As drc4 said, maybe the replacement of a couple speakers might greatly enhance your sound quality?
My dealer said the same thing about the Premium Package versus the Celebration Package. It's amazing that Audi doesn't help the dealers who are stuck with Premium Packages. Because of that issue, I was initially thinking I would order my new A4 rather than take one off the lot. But when I was given an offer of almost $2800 off sticker on a Premium Package model that he had on his lot, how could I refuse? :-)
Since you seem to like Beaudry, I tried giving them a call myself (I'm from out of state -- Utah). The salesman I talked to -- Sean -- was trying to sell me an A4 w/ a Premium Package. When I started asking him about some pricing issues between that car and one w/ the Celebration Package, he "explained" to me that there was a price difference between the two of only "a couple hundred" dollars. Hello? I hope I'm wrong, but from what I remember the difference was more like $500 or $600. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. If I'm right, then either he doesn't know Audis, or he's lying. Either way, I'm not sure I can feel too good about dealing with them. As I said, please let me know if I'm wrong here about the pricing, but until then, I don't think I'll be calling them anymore. And if I'm right, you may want to mention it to them the next time you see them.
Yes, I'm still loving the car! Unfortunately pollen has started to accumulate (I live in FL) so the car isn't quite as clean as it was last week, but I just love it. And it's such a nice thing to drive a car that's ever-so-slightly more unique than the Honda Accord I previously owned.
Cotmc (Rob, I presume), you did the right thing buying the Bose unit. Adjustments described in Audiworld.com have helped my standard unit, but I'm sure to replace the speakers at some point in the near future. Has anyone done this that you know of specifically? If so, what type of speakers work well with the standard unit?
Dan: I don't blame you for being skeptical, but Sean was NOT the person who I talked with when I got my excellent price. He is an excellent person for delivering the car (explaining features, etc), but he's not a good person for discussing pricing! For example, when I first talked to him before I contacted Tracy, his price was almost a full $1000 above the price I got from Tracy. On the other hand, the sales associate at Scottsdale Audi had no idea what the extra speaker was on the driver's door of Bose equipped A4's, but Sean was much more knowledgeable about issues such as these.
Yeah, I agree with you that Sean used some poor judgement in trying to make the price difference sound smaller than it actually is. The sticker price difference between the 2 packages is $700, and the invoice price difference is about $620.
Talk to Tracy Beaudry in their Fleet department. She is very professional, and as you can tell by her last name, she is a VIP there. In case you don't have their 1-800 number, it is (800) 461-6744. She is the one who got me my final price on my A4 purchase, and it only required one phone call. She replied with an email about 2 hours after I had called her. As I said, she came back to me with a price that was about $1000 less than Sean's initial offer. Her price was better than what I expected for a Celebration Package, even though it had the Premium Package. She does NOT try to haggle or "bend" the truth, like most floor salesmen. I've purchased two vehicles from her now (the other being an Acura MDX), and I highly recommend her. You can tell her that Rob G from Scottsdale referred you to her, and that you weren't very pleased with your initial phone call with Sean.
Dan, please place another post in here and let me know how it goes. Obviously, I have confidence in Tracy, as well as Sean and the Audi sales manager there, Gary. If you go talk to Tracy and you are still not pleased with the results, I need to be more careful with my recommendations.
My A4 is the melange metallic. I also liked the hibiscus red, but that color was not available. Actually, among the two dealers in my region, there were only about 3 cars available with stick and FWD. All were down in Tucson. Of those three, only one had the combination of sunroof, sports, and Bose: the melange with ecru/clay that I purchased. I had a sale pending on my BMW, and so I couldn't afford to wait too long for a new A4 to arrive. I initially wasn't too sure I wanted melange, but it grew on me quickly as soon as I purchased it. Both the hibiscus red and melange are not very common around here. I like that!
I'm sorry that I don't know enough about these speakers to be of much help. Some better car audio dealers should have some reference information to help determine possible speaker replacements. You might also post a question on Audiworld.com. The main concern is that you find out which, if any, if your speakers are "active", meaning speakers with built-in amplifiers. I would guess those are trickier to replace. I'm guessing only 2 of your speakers, at the most, would be active. Probably the rear speakers. But that is all just a guess on my part.
Anyone have it or wish they had it? I would prefer it, but the salesman told me that he really only sees it on the S4 and on special orders (I'm looking at an A4 1.8t Q).
I've gotta think that with Quattro, the ESP's value isn't all that high.
Thanks for the info. I did try to call Tracy first and got... her voicemail. Then she called me back later that day and got my voicemail. In the message she suggested I contact Sean. After trying to call her once more and getting her voicemail again, I finally called Sean. I guess I'll try to contact Tracy directly one more time.
Again, thanks for your input. Glad you're enjoying your A4!
Does anybody know when is the last day that you can order your A4? I am driving an A4 myself but my sister wants to get one too. Many of them came with quattro, my sister couldn't find any FWD on the lot. She asked the sales person if she can order it the way she wanted. And the salesperson said its too late to order. Is this true or just a BS????
Shortly after I responded to your post, I wrote an email to Tracy. I explained how Sean tried to sweep the Premium vs. Celebration price issue "under the rug", and that is NOT a good way to build a customer relationship with internet savvy customers. I didn't know you had already exchanged voice mail with her, but hopefully my email will open her eyes and get her to work directly with you. She might have referred you to Sean initially just because she isn't as knowledgeable about Audi as she is with some other manufacturers. She probably didn't know how serious you were about purchasing a new Audi.
Back when I first contacted Tracy about an A4, I had talked to her about the price difference between Premium and Celebration Packages. Unlike Sean's response to you, she acknowledged that it was a significant difference, and she agreed with my numbers. When she got back to me with the price quote, she said they would sacrifice the cost difference in their price to me in order to get me to buy one off their lot (with the Premium Package) rather than ordering one from the factory. In my opinion, Sean should have told you the same thing.
By the way, you can also email Tracy at TBeaudry@beaudrymotors.com or internetsales@beaudrymotors.com.
If Tracy doesn't come through, you might also consider Scottsdale Audi. Someone in one of these forums mentioned buying a new 2001 A4 from Scottsdale Audi at about $1000 over factory invoice. ($500 profit +$200 advertising +$340 PDI is how they priced it out.) That purchase was NOT off the lot. It was a future allocation. Hence, you could probably get a better price if you can buy one off the lot, and I know for sure they've been getting deliveries with Celebration Packages. I talked to 3 different sale associates there, and my favorite one was Laura. I would have given her much more consideration, but that dealer didn't have any FWD with stick shifts, and none were to arrive until mid-March.
I think that is BS, but I don't know for sure. When I discussed ordering one about thirty days ago, nobody ever mentioned I was running close to the 2001 model year cut-off date. If I had placed my order during the 3rd week of January, I would have made March production. For no new orders to be placed now, that would mean the current production would stop around the end of April. Is Audi going to begin the 2002 models that early?
I would talk to the sales manager at that dealership on that question. Bypass the sales associate. There might be a possibility that the sales manager at that particular dealership made a decision to stop ordering 2001 models, but other dealers are still placing orders?
I'm going to be purchasing a new A4 next month. I will be placing a custom order for delivery around July. However, I'm in a dilemma with the new 2002 model due out in Sept. I was having trouble finding out info on the new model.
First the articles I have read say the 2002 1.8T will have 150hp. Is that correct since the 2001 1.8T has 170hp? In addition, except for the body shape and power driver seats are there any other notable differences?
Second if I wait for the new model will the price for the same engine be higher. Does anybody have any insights as to whether there will be some shortages initially, leading dealers to charge a higher price than MSRP.
Any help over the advantages and disadvantages of waiting will be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that I can't get the car before July 2001 and want to have a car by Nov. 2001 at the latest and I am commited to the 1.8T quattro.
sachino: I think you should test drive a 2001.5 facelifted Passat first before even thinking about buying the 2002 A4. Because the dash of the 2002 A4 has the same "chrome rings on the dash",as the facelifted Passat. If you like the new chrome dash,then wait for the 2002 A4. FYI the 2002 A4 1.8T has 170hp with 166 lb/ft torque
I am sure cotmc and drc4 love to drive their A4's at night. Not sure about the 2002's chrome thing!
I'm going to be purchasing a new A4 next month. I will be placing a custom order for delivery around July. However, I'm in a dilemma with the new 2002 model due out in Sept. I was having trouble finding out info on the new model.
First the articles I have read say the 2002 1.8T will have 150hp. Is that correct since the 2001 1.8T has 170hp? In addition, except for the body shape and power driver seats are there any other notable differences?
Second if I wait for the new model will the price for the same engine be higher. Does anybody have any insights as to whether there will be some shortages initially, leading dealers to charge a higher price than MSRP.
Any help over the advantages and disadvantages of waiting will be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that I can't get the car before July 2001 and want to have a car by Nov. 2001 at the latest and I am commited to the 1.8T quattro.
I have a 2000 Lexus ES300 with Vehicle Skid Control which is the equivalent of ESP. When my wife is ready for a new car, we are leaning toward an A4 and we wouldn't consider getting it without ESP. However, we live in Upstate New York (near Syracuse to be specific) where we have already had 140 inches of snow this winter. In my situation, VSC and/or ESP are great. I also have 4 Michelin Arctic Alpin snow tires in the winter to go with my VSC and have had absolutely no trouble. I know that Quattro would be even better, especially for getting up my father-in-law's very steep and icy driveway. Motorweek currently uses a BMW with ESP compared to one without ESP for their weekly safety feature where they used to use an anti-lock brakes demonstration. I have seen many testimonials to the benefits of ESP. However, I doubt ESP is essential for most locations. Furthermore, the local dealer didn't have a single Lexus with VSC even though the cost differential was minimal. I had to special order it and wait 4 1/2 months.
I'm going to be purchasing a new A4 next month. I will be placing a custom order for delivery around July. However, I'm in a dilemma with the new 2002 model due out in Sept. I was having trouble finding out info on the new model.
First the articles I have read say the 2002 1.8T will have 150hp. Is that correct since the 2001 1.8T has 170hp? In addition, except for the body shape and power driver seats are there any other notable differences?
Second if I wait for the new model will the price for the same engine be higher. Does anybody have any insights as to whether there will be some shortages initially, leading dealers to charge a higher price than MSRP.
Any help over the advantages and disadvantages of waiting will be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that I can't get the car before July 2001 and want to have a car by Nov. 2001 at the latest and I am commited to the 1.8T quattro.
im looking to buy a 1997 2.8, or a 1998 1.8 both with quattro and the bose sound upgrade.Anyone have experiance with either of these cars????which wid u suggest?????
I've heard the same thing about the 150hp 2002 1.8T as well. However, the January Automobile magazine says 170hp for the 1.8T and that it is due in July. I haven't been over to Audiworld in a few weeks either, so there may be some updated information there as well.
Rob - Thanks so much for the support and information. I will try Tracy again next week. This afternoon Sean left me a message and I just didn't feel like calling him back -- I'm just not enthused about talking to him anymore. (Bad attitude on my part, I know, but it was snowing like crazy and I wanted to go home!) The longer I wait, though, the less likely I will be getting an A4 this time around. Again, thanks for the info!
I have no doubts as to the benefits of ESP/VSC on a 2WD car. I just wonder what the real benefits are on an AWD car like the A4 Quattro. It's pretty tough to spin an AWD/4WD car in slick conditions - just give it a little gas and you might do a 4 wheel drift, but you won't spin (I've driven 4WD's my whole life in Denver).
Is the power driver seat on 2002 A4 ? Is it going to be on both 1.8t and 3.0 models ? I think the current 1.8t does not have it. We have to order 2.8t to have it. How about passenger seat ? Is there any other additional/reduction fancy features on 2002 ? Thanks.
I can't comment with certainty on the benefits of ESP with an AWD vehicle since I have no direct experience with it. However, I believe I've read posts comparing a Volvo AWD with and without DTSC which is their equivalent and a BMW 325xi with and without ESP that suggested some benefits. Also, in my case ESP can kick in as I'm going around a snowy corner and the car starts to get into an understeer condition which is more prevalent for a FWD car than spinning out. It also works whether the accelerator is being applied or not. I'll know for sure if my wife gets an A4 although she is convinced her 93 Accord has a few more miles left in it.
Tracy sent me another email with some updates, and she says they are providing huge discounts on all their A4 models equipped with the Premium Package. Dan, I don't know if this was communicated to you by Sean, and please consider this "unofficial" second-hand news, but she is telling me she can sell you that A4 you were discussing with Sean for $300 over invoice!
Considering that Audi does not provide any dealer holdbacks, and there are no rebates provided by Audi, that is one heck of an offer, IMO.
Dan: In her email to me, Tracy also expressed her apology for any misunderstandings with Sean. She hopes to still get in touch with you if you are still interested in an A4 purchase.
I read a couple reviews that said the 2002 1.8T model would have 170hp, and another review that mentioned it was at 150hp. I tend to believe 170hp, because:
1) Motor Trend had the article describing it at 150hp, and I don't trust Motor Trend as much as other magazines, such as Automobile or Car&Driver.
2) Motor Trend also said the current 1.8T has 150hp! Oops!
3) Makes no sense for Audi to go back to 150hp for the next model.
Automobile mentioned that the cost for the 2002 A4 models will increase, but I believe it is too soon to know how much more expensive they will be. With both of our local Audi dealers selling 2001 models anywhere from $300 to $1000 over invoice, there's no doubt we will see a major price increase locally for the 2002 models. The sticker price will increase to some degree (maybe $1k?), and the dealers will not be discounting them for awhile. I'm also wondering if they might restructure the options so that certain items will cost more money for the 2002 models?
In my opinion, if you want the best value for the dollar, buy a 2001 model now.
On the other hand, the 2002 model has:
- more passenger space and cargo space - ESP (if I am remembering my facts correctly?) - design characteristics similar to the A6 - a new platform with some suspension improvements - chrome rings on the dash
Since I didn't like the pictures of the new A4 with the A6-like rear end, and I also thought the current suspension is just fine with the sports package, I chose a discounted 2001 model.
If the $300 over invoice figure that cotmc mentioned in post #629 does in fact turn out to be "official", jump on it...that's a h*** of a deal if you're still interested in the car.
In either the January or February issue of Car & Driver magazine, they performed a sport sedan comparison between 2001 models of the BMW 3-series, the Lexus IS300, the new Volvo S60 T-5, the Audi A4 2.8 Quattro, the new Mercedes C240, and the Saab 9-3 SE.
Keep in mind this is the last year before the A4 is redesigned. Also, the 190hp 2.8L engine is no longer considered to be one of the more powerful 6-cylinder engines.
Nevertheless, the A4 still came in 2nd Place, ahead of the new IS300, the S60, and the C240 -- all of which are brand new designs for 2001!
I noticed in our local paper yesterday there were 4 different ads for people trying to sell their new Mercedes C-class sedans. Two C240s and two C320s. Looks like the customer satisfaction on those cars might not be as high as the A4! ;-)
On carconnection.com and some other web sites they have been talking about the coupe and cabriolet versions of the A4. I was just wondering if the coupe is going to be more aggressively styled than the sedan, or is it going to be like the BMW 3-series, where they have all new sheet metal and didn't really change the look at all between sedan and coupe.
tarunn: That sounds like an excellent question to ask at audiworld.com. Usually there are some people in there that enthusiastically track new A4 news and developments.
I am thinking about purchasing a used '98 2.8 quarto. Is there any weak spots in this model that I should be aware of and look for in this car? Is there any easy way to up the horsepower of the 2.8? I see that there is a lot of talk about "chipping the 1.8t". But I have seen very little information about the 2.8 engine. Only some talk of low power at low rpm. Does anyone have one of these that can tell me what kind of mileage I might expect?. This car seems very nice at 44k miles, but I really don't know much about it. I was planning on a 1.8t, but this is supposed to be "more" car and its priced at a 1.8t price. Am I making a mistake? Thank you all for any advise that you can give me on this purchase. On the surface it looks great, but at over $20k I want to know if I might have a surprise waiting for me that I might not like.
I've heard people say the forward-facing child seats fit in A4's, but do the rear-facing infant seats fit? I won't be toting the baby (when we get one) around all the time, but I have to have a car that can work from time to time. Any comments?
I actually removed the baby seat from the back of my car and tried it in the back of an A4 on the dealer's lot. I didn't strap it in or anything. It was just a quick check to see if the seat would fit, and if there was enough clearance for the front guard to swing up out of the way.
Since mine was a forward-facing seat, I can't answer your question directly. If you already have the rear-facing infant seat, you might consider asking your Audi sales associate if you can try a similar experiment on his sales lot.
No baby yet, either. But I know my wife wants one of the ones that snap in & out of the base, so plan on that (we will definitely make sure to check the cars out before buying the seat - we'll do a little baby seat comparo and I'll write up a review for the Edmunds readers).
Not much you can do to the 2.8 engine - chips add, at best, maybe 15HP. The engine has low power below ~2500 RPM, but then pulls very nicely up to the redline at >6000. The 1.8 has good torque from ~2000 up, but starts petering out around 5500. I get around 22-24MPG on my '99 2.8 Avant in hilly California, YMMV. One big differerence between the 2.8 and the 1.8 (especially in '98-'99) is that it the 2.8 is much quieter, and offers leather.
We have an our old rear-facing infant car seat similar to the one you described, but my wife has stored it away somewhere in our garage. Since nobody in this topic seems to have tested an A4 with an infant seat, I could probably locate our old seat and test it out in our new A4. I might not be able to perform this test until this weekend.
Over the past few days I have noticed something very disconcerting about my new two-week old A4 (which despite this concern I continue to love). When I apply light pressure to the brakes that would allow me to slow down just a touch or hold the car still while at a stop, the brake lights don't illuminate. It really concerned me this morning when I could visibly see in the reflection of a bumper on a large Ram pickup that while my brakes were slowing the car down, no lights were illuminated until I pressed harder.
I called the dealer this afternoon to make an appointment and they asked me to please come a couple hours later to inspect the car. We compared it to a new A4 automatic (mine is a 5-spd). You won't believe it! We put the car in drive and held the brakes down enough to prevent the car from moving; no brake lights. We pushed further on the pedal and they illuminated. Now I'm paranoid that I won't be pushing the pedal hard enough to warn drivers of my impending deceleration. Literally the pedal was depressed an inch on both my car and the other A4 before the lights were illuminated.
The service manager promised to call Audi tomorrow to find out about the issue since I expressed how it concerns me. I mean, that pause before illumination could make the difference between that guy behind me hitting his brakes in time not to hit me or not.
Anyway, long story short; has anyone else noticed this problem? Have there been any service bulletins regarding this? Otherwise I am LOVING this car and would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for such a vehicle. Thanks!
Annoying things like that are always a pain and I'm sorry to hear about it, particularly since it's potentially dangerous. Fortunately, my 2000 1.8T tip hasn't had that problem. Sounds like the brake light sensor isn't operating properly or not set correctly. I don't know if those things are adjustable or not. If you haven't already done so, go to the AudiWorld A4 Forum and see if anyone else has experienced this...you may get some helpful information.
Before I start in, I just want to thank everyone for their opinions and advice in advance. I am in the market for a new A4 and figured, rather than read through the 600+ posts, I would just lay out my questions, even though they have all probably been covered already.
I currently have a 97 Golf. Great car, but when I got it, it was pretty much just for me to commute to work with an occasional road rally here or there. well, having recently gotten divorced, I now have to take my two kids (3-1/2 and almost 2) to day-care every day so I would like to get something which is a bit safer and has some creature comforts. Any excuse to buy a new car!
While I would love the S4, $40k is just a bit too rich for me at this time. I have pretty much decided on the 1.8T with the 5-spd (Tiptronic is nice as far as an auto tranny goes, but it's still an automatic!), sport pkg (gotta love 17" wheels!), and preferably the hibiscus red. Not sure which interior, the ambition with ecru leatherette, or advance with ecru. Any opinions on the black and ecru combo?
Also, it would seem that the sound system upgrade is a good choice, as well. And, since I'll be getting quattro (I live in the CT and it's actually snowed a bit this year!), does the ESP help that much?
Well, not sure if I missed anything (probably), but I just want to thank everyone once again for their opinions. Can't wait to go car shopping this weekend!
Can you guys explain the difference between an A4 with the sports suspension and one without it? Is it worth the extra money? Is the ride too stiff if the car is equipped with the sport suspension?
The A4's safety rating is pretty good. There are safer vehicles out there but none I can think of as "cool" or fun to drive as an A4. Considering your location, quattro would be a must and you'd probably be better off going to AudiWorld's A4 Forum to get more first hand experience and opinions about ESP.
Hisbicus red is a great color on the A4 and either interior you mentioned would look excellent. I have the ecru/onyx ambitiion interior in my melange 1.8T and it's very striking and classy, so I'm partial to it. More people comment (favorably) on the interior than any other part of the car. I've seen a hibiscus red with ecru/onyx ambition and it looked rich with the highly contrasting colors. Very striking. The predominantly black ambition interior would seem hard to maintain but it's been absolutely no problem. Whatever the interior, I would suggest getting some good rubber winter floor mats and not necessarily the Audi mats, which are too expensive and don't look that good. I found a high quality, heavy duty set that looks and fits better than the factory mats at K-Mart for $20 (Rally Weatherguard mats #5485, dark grey). If you want to see what the mats look like in the ecru/onyx ambition interior I'd be happy to e-mail you a couple pictures.
Comments
I would consider shooting for a lower price, but I guess it depends on where you live. I may be fortunate to live in a part of the country where Audi's are not as popular (Arizona). I was able to purchase a car similar to the one you describe, except mine has the Sports Package instead of Xenon lights. My purchase price was $25,341. That price includes the destination charge; but tax, license, and a $199 dealer documentation fee were in addition to that.
On the other hand, I have seen somebody post in the "Audi A4 1.8 vs. Nissan Maxima SE" topic that they are being asked to pay close to sticker price out in southern California. Your deal certainly sounds better than that.
If you have time to wait, you might consider factory ordering an A4 without the xenon. I highly recommend the Sports Package, but I wouldn't recommend it for driving in snow or heavy rain due to the fact it has performance tires rather than all-season tires.
You might also check around with other Audi dealers outside your area. I bought my A4 from a dealer over 2 hours away, and I have absolutely no regrets. My local dealer did not stock any FWD models with manual transmissions, and I'm guessing they would have charged me a little more money if they did.
Again, prices will vary from region to region. If you have trouble getting a good price in Denver, and you're willing to do a road trip, I might be able to help you get a good deal in Arizona. Just post another message in here if you want a contact or two...
Many thanks.
Scottsdale Audi had no FWD models with a manual transmission when I purchased my A4 two weeks ago, and Laura (my sales associate) said there wouldn't be any arriving like that for at least a month. I also wasn't too pleased to hear about the high PDI charges at that dealer. I ended up purchasing my A4 from Beaudry Audi in Tucson.
Since you are getting an automatic, that makes the price you were given much more competitive than I originally thought. Now that I look more closely, looks like it is $1040 over factory invoice ($500 + $200 + $340). That is a competitive price.
As a comparison, my A4 had the Premium Package (or is it Convenience Package? Don't remember...) instead of the Celebration Package. Same content, but the Premium Package stickers at $1200 instead of $500. That's because it was built before November 2000. The sticker price on my car was $28,140. My purchase price was $25,341. I don't remember the exact invoice cost, but I think I paid less than $500 over factory invoice. However, I had mentioned that I didn't want to pay for the Premium Package as opposed to the Celebration Package, so the dealer may have been willing to eat the extra cost of the Premium Package.
Again, I think you're getting a pretty good price, but it sounds like you're paying a little bit more than I did, and you're also paying a few hundred dollars for a Xenon light option that you don't really want. (I had considered Xenon lights, but I'm happy enough with the standard lights on this 2001 A4. I also noticed that Kelly Blue Book gives no credit for Xenon lights at trade-in time!)
You might consider calling up Tracy Beaudry, the Internet Sales person, at Beaudry Motors. I believe Beaudry Audi still has quite a few A4's on their lot, and very few (if any) have xenon lights. Tracy gave me that price of $25,341 without any hassle. I told her what I wanted, and she gave me a return email less than 2 hours later with that price quote! I gave it some consideration; talked to Scottsdale Audi one last time; and then went down to Tucson the following weekend to buy it. It seemed like the entire purchase required less than an hour! This was my 2nd purchase from her. I had also purchased an Acura MDX from her last October.
If you're interested in giving Beaudry Motors a chance to give you a better deal, Tracy can be reached at 1-800-461-6744. If you talk to her, please tell her that "Rob G." in Scottsdale referred you to her.
Please place another post in here on your final decision. Good Luck!
Enjoy the new ride! BTW, what interior did you get?
The car is extremely solid and I love the countless features. Additionally, being 6'4" I have a hard time fitting in many cars. After driving almost everything out there, I found the A4 to be extremely comfortable despite having slightly more compact dimensions.
I had been holding out for the new body style, but when I saw it in Motor Trend (I think) I decided against waiting. I love the current design, but just wasn't thrilled with the new one. Additionally, I got a terrific deal from my dealer in Tampa, FL. Just under $500 over invoice plus a $239 admin fee. Unfortunately the car had the premium package versus the celebration making it more expensive, but I just couldn't find another car in that color with the features I wanted that had the celebration. It boggles my mind that Audi isn't offering an incentive of some sort to dealers stuck with old inventory equipped with the premium package. I called numerous dealers and each had the same story; no incentive.
One thing I'm not wild about is the stereo. I tried like the dickens to find a car just like mine but with the Bose unit. AudiWorld.com had a suggestion on how to improve the unit by making simple adjustments to the stereo, and while it has helped some, the unit is still rather inferior to others I've heard.
Otherwise, I feel like the car was a terrific buy. Numerous amenities, excellent warranty and service, very fun to drive, very safe (reportedly), and that gorgeous hibiscus red paint (EVERYONE has either silver or black) sold me. I think I'll go for a drive!
Incentives? Because the A4 is more popular than ever, Audi knows the current model will continue to sell with no problem. Audi enjoyed its best years of sales in '99/'00 and '01 projections are even better. They're riding that popularity and sort of adopting the Honda-istic attitude that whatever they build or color they paint it, it'll sell. Who needs stinking incentives? Achtung!!
I agree with you about the stock Symphony sound system and we've had many discussions about it on the forum. I think a big factor is inferior speaker quality. Some have replaced the stock speakers with higher quality products and said it makes a huge difference. If I weren't leasing, the speakers would have been upgraded long ago.
You got an excellent deal on a great car. Enjoy!
You did an excellent job of describing my opinions on my own A4. The smooth shifting, the wide power band, and the passing ability. I sometimes think my 2001 1.8T passes other cars more easily than my previous 1999 328i.
I also had mixed feelings about the new 2002 A4 body styling. Even the interior looked a little boring to me compared to the current model. I'm sure the new model would look VERY classy when I see one in person, but I'm not so sure it will look as sporty or as interesting as the existing model. I guess that is all subjective, and I can only take guesses until I see a new model up close and personal.
What helped decide matters for me was that I had a buyer interested in my BMW, and I also was able to get a great deal on my A4. It's very similar to yours, but it has the Bose upgrade on it. It took me awhile to convince myself to pay the extra money for it ($572 invoice/ $650 sticker), but a couple quick comparison tests, along with good advice from equalizer1, helped convince me to go for it. Posts such as yours help convince me that I didn't spend the money needlessly. I'm quite pleased with the sound (for most of my style of listening), but I agree with some people on Audiworld that it lacks powerful bass. As drc4 said, maybe the replacement of a couple speakers might greatly enhance your sound quality?
My dealer said the same thing about the Premium Package versus the Celebration Package. It's amazing that Audi doesn't help the dealers who are stuck with Premium Packages. Because of that issue, I was initially thinking I would order my new A4 rather than take one off the lot. But when I was given an offer of almost $2800 off sticker on a Premium Package model that he had on his lot, how could I refuse? :-)
Since you seem to like Beaudry, I tried giving them a call myself (I'm from out of state -- Utah). The salesman I talked to -- Sean -- was trying to sell me an A4 w/ a Premium Package. When I started asking him about some pricing issues between that car and one w/ the Celebration Package, he "explained" to me that there was a price difference between the two of only "a couple hundred" dollars. Hello? I hope I'm wrong, but from what I remember the difference was more like $500 or $600. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. If I'm right, then either he doesn't know Audis, or he's lying. Either way, I'm not sure I can feel too good about dealing with them. As I said, please let me know if I'm wrong here about the pricing, but until then, I don't think I'll be calling them anymore. And if I'm right, you may want to mention it to them the next time you see them.
Thanks for letting me rant...
-Dan
Yes, I'm still loving the car! Unfortunately pollen has started to accumulate (I live in FL) so the car isn't quite as clean as it was last week, but I just love it. And it's such a nice thing to drive a car that's ever-so-slightly more unique than the Honda Accord I previously owned.
Cotmc (Rob, I presume), you did the right thing buying the Bose unit. Adjustments described in Audiworld.com have helped my standard unit, but I'm sure to replace the speakers at some point in the near future. Has anyone done this that you know of specifically? If so, what type of speakers work well with the standard unit?
Cotmc, do you also have the hibiscus red?
Anyway, loving the car! Drive carefully!
Yeah, I agree with you that Sean used some poor judgement in trying to make the price difference sound smaller than it actually is. The sticker price difference between the 2 packages is $700, and the invoice price difference is about $620.
Talk to Tracy Beaudry in their Fleet department. She is very professional, and as you can tell by her last name, she is a VIP there. In case you don't have their 1-800 number, it is (800) 461-6744. She is the one who got me my final price on my A4 purchase, and it only required one phone call. She replied with an email about 2 hours after I had called her. As I said, she came back to me with a price that was about $1000 less than Sean's initial offer. Her price was better than what I expected for a Celebration Package, even though it had the Premium Package. She does NOT try to haggle or "bend" the truth, like most floor salesmen. I've purchased two vehicles from her now (the other being an Acura MDX), and I highly recommend her. You can tell her that Rob G from Scottsdale referred you to her, and that you weren't very pleased with your initial phone call with Sean.
Dan, please place another post in here and let me know how it goes. Obviously, I have confidence in Tracy, as well as Sean and the Audi sales manager there, Gary. If you go talk to Tracy and you are still not pleased with the results, I need to be more careful with my recommendations.
Thanks!
- Rob
I'm sorry that I don't know enough about these speakers to be of much help. Some better car audio dealers should have some reference information to help determine possible speaker replacements. You might also post a question on Audiworld.com. The main concern is that you find out which, if any, if your speakers are "active", meaning speakers with built-in amplifiers. I would guess those are trickier to replace. I'm guessing only 2 of your speakers, at the most, would be active. Probably the rear speakers. But that is all just a guess on my part.
I've gotta think that with Quattro, the ESP's value isn't all that high.
Thanks for the info. I did try to call Tracy first and got... her voicemail. Then she called me back later that day and got my voicemail. In the message she suggested I contact Sean. After trying to call her once more and getting her voicemail again, I finally called Sean. I guess I'll try to contact Tracy directly one more time.
Again, thanks for your input. Glad you're enjoying your A4!
-Dan
Any feed back would be appreciated:)
Back when I first contacted Tracy about an A4, I had talked to her about the price difference between Premium and Celebration Packages. Unlike Sean's response to you, she acknowledged that it was a significant difference, and she agreed with my numbers. When she got back to me with the price quote, she said they would sacrifice the cost difference in their price to me in order to get me to buy one off their lot (with the Premium Package) rather than ordering one from the factory. In my opinion, Sean should have told you the same thing.
By the way, you can also email Tracy at TBeaudry@beaudrymotors.com or internetsales@beaudrymotors.com.
If Tracy doesn't come through, you might also consider Scottsdale Audi. Someone in one of these forums mentioned buying a new 2001 A4 from Scottsdale Audi at about $1000 over factory invoice. ($500 profit +$200 advertising +$340 PDI is how they priced it out.) That purchase was NOT off the lot. It was a future allocation. Hence, you could probably get a better price if you can buy one off the lot, and I know for sure they've been getting deliveries with Celebration Packages. I talked to 3 different sale associates there, and my favorite one was Laura. I would have given her much more consideration, but that dealer didn't have any FWD with stick shifts, and none were to arrive until mid-March.
I would talk to the sales manager at that dealership on that question. Bypass the sales associate. There might be a possibility that the sales manager at that particular dealership made a decision to stop ordering 2001 models, but other dealers are still placing orders?
First the articles I have read say the 2002 1.8T will have 150hp. Is that correct since the 2001 1.8T has 170hp? In addition, except for the body shape and power driver seats are there any other notable differences?
Second if I wait for the new model will the price for the same engine be higher. Does anybody have any insights as to whether there will be some shortages initially, leading dealers to charge a higher price than MSRP.
Any help over the advantages and disadvantages of waiting will be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that I can't get the car before July 2001 and want to have a car by Nov. 2001 at the latest and I am commited to the 1.8T quattro.
Thanks
FYI the 2002 A4 1.8T has 170hp with 166 lb/ft torque
I am sure cotmc and drc4 love to drive their A4's at night. Not sure about the 2002's chrome thing!
First the articles I have read say the 2002 1.8T will have 150hp. Is that correct since the 2001 1.8T has 170hp? In addition, except for the body shape and power driver seats are there any other notable differences?
Second if I wait for the new model will the price for the same engine be higher. Does anybody have any insights as to whether there will be some shortages initially, leading dealers to charge a higher price than MSRP.
Any help over the advantages and disadvantages of waiting will be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that I can't get the car before July 2001 and want to have a car by Nov. 2001 at the latest and I am commited to the 1.8T quattro.
Thanks
First the articles I have read say the 2002 1.8T will have 150hp. Is that correct since the 2001 1.8T has 170hp? In addition, except for the body shape and power driver seats are there any other notable differences?
Second if I wait for the new model will the price for the same engine be higher. Does anybody have any insights as to whether there will be some shortages initially, leading dealers to charge a higher price than MSRP.
Any help over the advantages and disadvantages of waiting will be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that I can't get the car before July 2001 and want to have a car by Nov. 2001 at the latest and I am commited to the 1.8T quattro.
Thanks
Rob - Thanks so much for the support and information. I will try Tracy again next week. This afternoon Sean left me a message and I just didn't feel like calling him back -- I'm just not enthused about talking to him anymore. (Bad attitude on my part, I know, but it was snowing like crazy and I wanted to go home!) The longer I wait, though, the less likely I will be getting an A4 this time around. Again, thanks for the info!
-Dan
Tracy sent me another email with some updates, and she says they are providing huge discounts on all their A4 models equipped with the Premium Package. Dan, I don't know if this was communicated to you by Sean, and please consider this "unofficial" second-hand news, but she is telling me she can sell you that A4 you were discussing with Sean for $300 over invoice!
Considering that Audi does not provide any dealer holdbacks, and there are no rebates provided by Audi, that is one heck of an offer, IMO.
Dan: In her email to me, Tracy also expressed her apology for any misunderstandings with Sean. She hopes to still get in touch with you if you are still interested in an A4 purchase.
1) Motor Trend had the article describing it at 150hp, and I don't trust Motor Trend as much as other magazines, such as Automobile or Car&Driver.
2) Motor Trend also said the current 1.8T has 150hp! Oops!
3) Makes no sense for Audi to go back to 150hp for the next model.
Automobile mentioned that the cost for the 2002 A4 models will increase, but I believe it is too soon to know how much more expensive they will be. With both of our local Audi dealers selling 2001 models anywhere from $300 to $1000 over invoice, there's no doubt we will see a major price increase locally for the 2002 models. The sticker price will increase to some degree (maybe $1k?), and the dealers will not be discounting them for awhile. I'm also wondering if they might restructure the options so that certain items will cost more money for the 2002 models?
In my opinion, if you want the best value for the dollar, buy a 2001 model now.
On the other hand, the 2002 model has:
- more passenger space and cargo space
- ESP (if I am remembering my facts correctly?)
- design characteristics similar to the A6
- a new platform with some suspension improvements
- chrome rings on the dash
Since I didn't like the pictures of the new A4 with the A6-like rear end, and I also thought the current suspension is just fine with the sports package, I chose a discounted 2001 model.
Keep in mind this is the last year before the A4 is redesigned. Also, the 190hp 2.8L engine is no longer considered to be one of the more powerful 6-cylinder engines.
Nevertheless, the A4 still came in 2nd Place, ahead of the new IS300, the S60, and the C240 -- all of which are brand new designs for 2001!
I noticed in our local paper yesterday there were 4 different ads for people trying to sell their new Mercedes C-class sedans. Two C240s and two C320s. Looks like the customer satisfaction on those cars might not be as high as the A4! ;-)
I am thinking about purchasing a used '98 2.8 quarto. Is there any weak spots in this model that I should be aware of and look for in this car? Is there any easy way to up the horsepower of the 2.8? I see that there is a lot of talk about "chipping the 1.8t". But I have seen very little information about the 2.8 engine. Only some talk of low power at low rpm. Does anyone have one of these that can tell me what kind of mileage I might expect?. This car seems very nice at 44k miles, but I really don't know much about it. I was planning on a 1.8t, but this is supposed to be "more" car and its priced at a 1.8t price. Am I making a mistake? Thank you all for any advise that you can give me on this purchase. On the surface it looks great, but at over $20k I want to know if I might have a surprise waiting for me that I might not like.
Thanks again,
gramps47
Since mine was a forward-facing seat, I can't answer your question directly. If you already have the rear-facing infant seat, you might consider asking your Audi sales associate if you can try a similar experiment on his sales lot.
Over the past few days I have noticed something very disconcerting about my new two-week old A4 (which despite this concern I continue to love). When I apply light pressure to the brakes that would allow me to slow down just a touch or hold the car still while at a stop, the brake lights don't illuminate. It really concerned me this morning when I could visibly see in the reflection of a bumper on a large Ram pickup that while my brakes were slowing the car down, no lights were illuminated until I pressed harder.
I called the dealer this afternoon to make an appointment and they asked me to please come a couple hours later to inspect the car. We compared it to a new A4 automatic (mine is a 5-spd). You won't believe it! We put the car in drive and held the brakes down enough to prevent the car from moving; no brake lights. We pushed further on the pedal and they illuminated. Now I'm paranoid that I won't be pushing the pedal hard enough to warn drivers of my impending deceleration. Literally the pedal was depressed an inch on both my car and the other A4 before the lights were illuminated.
The service manager promised to call Audi tomorrow to find out about the issue since I expressed how it concerns me. I mean, that pause before illumination could make the difference between that guy behind me hitting his brakes in time not to hit me or not.
Anyway, long story short; has anyone else noticed this problem? Have there been any service bulletins regarding this? Otherwise I am LOVING this car and would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for such a vehicle. Thanks!
Good luck and be careful!
Before I start in, I just want to thank everyone for their opinions and advice in advance. I am in the market for a new A4 and figured, rather than read through the 600+ posts, I would just lay out my questions, even though they have all probably been covered already.
I currently have a 97 Golf. Great car, but when I got it, it was pretty much just for me to commute to work with an occasional road rally here or there. well, having recently gotten divorced, I now have to take my two kids (3-1/2 and almost 2) to day-care every day so I would like to get something which is a bit safer and has some creature comforts. Any excuse to buy a new car!
While I would love the S4, $40k is just a bit too rich for me at this time. I have pretty much decided on the 1.8T with the 5-spd (Tiptronic is nice as far as an auto tranny goes, but it's still an automatic!), sport pkg (gotta love 17" wheels!), and preferably the hibiscus red. Not sure which interior, the ambition with ecru leatherette, or advance with ecru. Any opinions on the black and ecru combo?
Also, it would seem that the sound system upgrade is a good choice, as well. And, since I'll be getting quattro (I live in the CT and it's actually snowed a bit this year!), does the ESP help that much?
Well, not sure if I missed anything (probably), but I just want to thank everyone once again for their opinions. Can't wait to go car shopping this weekend!
Hisbicus red is a great color on the A4 and either interior you mentioned would look excellent. I have the ecru/onyx ambitiion interior in my melange 1.8T and it's very striking and classy, so I'm partial to it. More people comment (favorably) on the interior than any other part of the car. I've seen a hibiscus red with ecru/onyx ambition and it looked rich with the highly contrasting colors. Very striking. The predominantly black ambition interior would seem hard to maintain but it's been absolutely no problem. Whatever the interior, I would suggest getting some good rubber winter floor mats and not necessarily the Audi mats, which are too expensive and don't look that good. I found a high quality, heavy duty set that looks and fits better than the factory mats at K-Mart for $20 (Rally Weatherguard mats #5485, dark grey). If you want to see what the mats look like in the ecru/onyx ambition interior I'd be happy to e-mail you a couple pictures.
Be interested in what you decide on!