craigp
20-03-2008, 12:11 AM
Hi Guys!
:beerchug:
... been lurking for a few weeks and have finally got around to registering.
I am very keen to buy the new A4 but am dissapointed with the current engine choices. I very much want the 2.0FSI and am trying hard to wait patiently for this to arrive. Along with all the rumours my dealer has also told me that they are expecting this engine to be announced soon. In the interim I have test driven both the 1.8T and 2.0 diesel but am now considering the 2.7 or even the 3.0 diesel engines.
Anyway, one thing I haven't come across on the various forums is a thread where people report on their test drive experience. I for one would be very interested to hear other people's thoughts (especially on the 2.7 and 3.0 diesel).
I'll start the ball rolling with my very brief thoughts (from a few weeks ago so forgive me for lack of detail).
1.8T
This was the first car I drove and I have to say I was blown away with the quality of the ride from this car. It was the SE model with 17 inch wheels. The steering felt very precise and the cabin was very quiet (altough I didn't go on a motorway or similar so can't speak for high speeds). I personally didn't notice the offset pedals that others have been concerned about (I read about it after the test drive) and was impressed with the very even, smooth delivery of power throughout the range. For me however the overall power was a little short of what I would like. Don't get me wrong though, if you're not a speed freak you should certainly not dismiss this car. It certainly isn't a slouch!
Despite the increase in size it didn't feel in any way "too big" (and I'm currently in a Clio 182!), in fact it maintains a fairly nimble feel. The few bumps felt considerably better than in my wife's A3 too (although hers is the sport model with big wheels I guess).
Overall, this was my first drive in the new A4 and I was very impressed:D ... but for me I wanted a little more power.:Blush2:
2.0 Diesel
Although my interest was primarily in the petrol engine my dealer allowed me to take the diesel model out for a spin too. As explained before my wife has an A3 which I use regularly and thoroughly enjoy driving (this is in fact the main reason why I am buying the A4), so my comparison is to that.
As before the drive was fantastic and I have to agree with reviews I have read that the new diesel is *much* quiter than the old models. More torque early in the range than in the petrol (as expected) but in honesty I was personally more dissapointed with this engine than the petrol. It didn't feel anywhere near as powerful as my wife's A3 and these are meant to be similar engine specs.
Personally speaking if I had to buy one of these on the day, for me it would have been the petrol. If however you are doing lots of miles I can see the attraction of the oil burner.
General points about both cars
I loved the key in the dashboard to start the car! :D
I also hadn't realised that the large colour screen is in all models (i.e. not just in sat-nav models). This is a nice touch and it integrates well with the stereo and even climate control system.
I'd also forgotten about the electronic handbrake. Very nice touch indeed!!
The only problem I encountered with both cars was with the manual gearbox. For some reason I had intermittant problems selecting gears both whilst moving and at standstill. I was concious of the difficulties so was very careful to ensure the clutch was fully depressed but still had the odd problem. Anyone else have any gear selection issues?
Anyway, that's enough for a first post. Hope it is of some use to someone and if anyone else feels like contributing, I for one would be interested! ;)
Craig
{Edit} Just realised I didn't actually state that my wife's car is the A3 2.0TDi (140) Sport 2004
:beerchug:
... been lurking for a few weeks and have finally got around to registering.
I am very keen to buy the new A4 but am dissapointed with the current engine choices. I very much want the 2.0FSI and am trying hard to wait patiently for this to arrive. Along with all the rumours my dealer has also told me that they are expecting this engine to be announced soon. In the interim I have test driven both the 1.8T and 2.0 diesel but am now considering the 2.7 or even the 3.0 diesel engines.
Anyway, one thing I haven't come across on the various forums is a thread where people report on their test drive experience. I for one would be very interested to hear other people's thoughts (especially on the 2.7 and 3.0 diesel).
I'll start the ball rolling with my very brief thoughts (from a few weeks ago so forgive me for lack of detail).
1.8T
This was the first car I drove and I have to say I was blown away with the quality of the ride from this car. It was the SE model with 17 inch wheels. The steering felt very precise and the cabin was very quiet (altough I didn't go on a motorway or similar so can't speak for high speeds). I personally didn't notice the offset pedals that others have been concerned about (I read about it after the test drive) and was impressed with the very even, smooth delivery of power throughout the range. For me however the overall power was a little short of what I would like. Don't get me wrong though, if you're not a speed freak you should certainly not dismiss this car. It certainly isn't a slouch!
Despite the increase in size it didn't feel in any way "too big" (and I'm currently in a Clio 182!), in fact it maintains a fairly nimble feel. The few bumps felt considerably better than in my wife's A3 too (although hers is the sport model with big wheels I guess).
Overall, this was my first drive in the new A4 and I was very impressed:D ... but for me I wanted a little more power.:Blush2:
2.0 Diesel
Although my interest was primarily in the petrol engine my dealer allowed me to take the diesel model out for a spin too. As explained before my wife has an A3 which I use regularly and thoroughly enjoy driving (this is in fact the main reason why I am buying the A4), so my comparison is to that.
As before the drive was fantastic and I have to agree with reviews I have read that the new diesel is *much* quiter than the old models. More torque early in the range than in the petrol (as expected) but in honesty I was personally more dissapointed with this engine than the petrol. It didn't feel anywhere near as powerful as my wife's A3 and these are meant to be similar engine specs.
Personally speaking if I had to buy one of these on the day, for me it would have been the petrol. If however you are doing lots of miles I can see the attraction of the oil burner.
General points about both cars
I loved the key in the dashboard to start the car! :D
I also hadn't realised that the large colour screen is in all models (i.e. not just in sat-nav models). This is a nice touch and it integrates well with the stereo and even climate control system.
I'd also forgotten about the electronic handbrake. Very nice touch indeed!!
The only problem I encountered with both cars was with the manual gearbox. For some reason I had intermittant problems selecting gears both whilst moving and at standstill. I was concious of the difficulties so was very careful to ensure the clutch was fully depressed but still had the odd problem. Anyone else have any gear selection issues?
Anyway, that's enough for a first post. Hope it is of some use to someone and if anyone else feels like contributing, I for one would be interested! ;)
Craig
{Edit} Just realised I didn't actually state that my wife's car is the A3 2.0TDi (140) Sport 2004