3.0 TDI Just Delivered

[c7trp]

Just my received my new (to me) 58 plate 3.0TDI Sport

Traded in a B6 2.5 TDI Sport Quattro...

First impressions after 80 miles
- The B&O Stereo is fantastic
- MMI is cool!
- The steering is odd - does it add more power assistance a parking speeds?
- The engine is unreal. Near silent, after the tractor like 2.5. The 3.0 is docile in traffic, but apply the loud pedal a little more and it really moves :D
- I can't stop fumbling around the centre console for the handbrake!
- No more thirsty than the 2.5 (although time will tell)

Newcastle Audi have been terrific, giving me what seems like a good package.

As my 4th Audi, the B8 is a familiar thing to be in, but strangely new IYSWIM.

Thanks to all on this forum for the information to help me specify this fantastic machine.

[avant_adam]

Congratulations - I think we have the same car.... meteor grey 3.0 Tdi avant?

I am sure that you'll love it.

How were Newcastle Audi?

[c7trp]

Similar Adam!

Spec is

2008 ('58) A4 B8 Quattro Salon
Metallic Quartz Grey
3.0 TDi Sline (sport chassis?)
6sp Manual
19" 20 spoke BBS split rims
B&O
Black Milano Leather
Heathed leather sports seats
Xenons
DVD NAV
MMI high
Auto head lamps
Auto Wipers
phone prep (on Tuesday)

Newcastle Audi have been very good so far. Car was spotless when delivered, minimum fuss and hassle. TBH bought Audi's from a number of dealers over the years and they've been all OK.

Better sort out a sig with some of that on :)

What sort of mpg to you get?

[avant_adam]

Very nice spec... Don't fancy cleaning those rims but I bet they look fantastic!

My average according to the car is around 38 mpg (which includes touring with bikes on and a 3000 mile jaunt with a roof box on). My calculated figure suggests actual is 34.3 mpg average.

Best mpg so far (calculated) = 40.39 mpg
Worst mpg so far (calculated) = 30.09 mpg

I find that I get around 1mpg better with the "Super" / "Ultimate" / "Excellium" etc fuels. Marginal cost benefit because of extra price but slight performance improvement.

Its a fantastic engine.

[satsu]

- The steering is odd - does it add more power assistance a parking speeds?

When I first got it the steering did seem a bit heavy (compared to my Volvo V50) but I soon got used to it.

It is a great engine. The only weakness is the length of time it takes to warm up that big lump of cast iron, especially on cold days. Not a problem for me as I mostly do longer runs, and average 38-42, depending on how heavy my right foot is feeling that day. :biglaugh:

[ScottyUK]

Servotronic is the name Audi give to the variable weighting and since MY2010 all cars get it.

When I first had it (5.5 years ago on my S4) it took a couple of weeks to get used to and then I literally never noticed it changing. It works well ;)

[c7trp]

Thanks for your comments All!

Done a couple of hundred miles now and getting used to the servotronic steering (cheers Scotty!)

Getting slightly less MPG at 37 according to the DIS, but I am still playing with the loud pedal :D

The wheels are hard to clean - gave them a quick go yesterday and then it rained :(

The engine is much more refined than the old 2.5, and as such doesn't seem as fast, until you look at the speedo!

Do you guys find the torque band is a bit narrower than a 2.5? Coming out of a 50 contraflow and accelerating back to M-Way speeds was very rapid in the 2.5 in 6th gear. The 3.0 pulls OK in 6th, but change down to 5th and its much happier ;) - Lazy I know.

Bought a USB lead from Stockport Audi whilst passing yesterday, and can now play tunes from a cheapo 4Gb memory stick :D

Overall very happy with the car ...

[Pauls898]

Yes I'm doing the same, used my iPod, but because I have so many tracks on my iPod, if for instance I want to play an artest begining with the letter V it takes ages trying to scroll though 100's of ablums :zx11: So want I'm doing now instead is buying a 2.5 inch external HDD hence brought the USB lead and I am going to make 26 folders ie A-Z then put all my ablums in those so it shoiuld make selecting them quicker? Also save not having my iPod left in the car?

On the Sat Nav DVD Plus, why can't you entre the FULL post code? I find this most anoying :confused: My old Kenwood one you could with no problem? Have I got something set wrong here? a setting or something?

[ScottyUK]

[1] If you've so many tracks on your iPod bear in mind that it seems HDD's are limited to 4000 tracks

[2] Postcode - it's the single biggest failing in the Navigation system :(

[Pauls898]

Are they going to provide a firmware upgrade for this shortfall as this is something the car saleman dosn't tell you when your looking at buying the car :zx11: My 6 year old kenwood sat nav used to except full postcodes and therefore was quick to program, non of this faffing around trying to scroll up and down the maps tryingn to find the correct location manually :zx11: seems like a backward step to me!!! otherwise the sat nav works very well once you got the destination entered in correctly.

[Pauls898]

Not heard of this so called 4000 track limitation???? Is that total on the HDD or in one folder thread?, because surely if you have them spread around over several folders its not looking at every track all the time, only the thread your navigating down like you do on windows explorer?

[Hippogriff]

...just jumping on this thread with a few notes, forgive me.

I'm assuming you're not MMI 3G with the AMI with the netting? If you are, though, be aware that 2.5" USB disks do not fit snugly into this netting, 1.8" USB disks do though.
If you have MMI 3G then an attached disk will be limited to 4,000 songs - yet, several people with MMI 2G have said they don't suffer from this 4,000 song limitation.
If you are limited to 4,000 songs (MMI 3G) you might not want to go buy the largest capacity hard disk out there - go for the smallest you can, really... I have a 120GB Samsung S1 - works a treat for me, no real point in getting a 500GB monster dedicated to the car only to find you can't use the space.
You might want to consider another iPod - if so inclined - for an easy life (this is not a recommendations from me - just a statement).
Navigating large collections is the single most disappointing thing about the AMI - however, a quick flick of the MMI dial will get you into "fast search" mode... having a top level "Letter" or "Letter Group" might seem like a good idea but you keep having to press "Go Up", "Go Up", "Go Up" when changing songs, so it is a pain - I have settled (after experimentation) on a single \Artist\Album\Tracks structure... this was after trying \A to D\Artist\Album\Tracks and \Artist - Album\Tracks.
Postcode limitation is super-naff - can't do anything about it; no setting or anything. This is Teutonic Engineering at its worst.
Um, hope that helps and doesn't hinder.

[Hippogriff]

Not heard of this so called 4000 track limitation???? Is that total on the HDD or in one folder thread?, because surely if you have them spread around over several folders its not looking at every track all the time, only the thread your navigating down like you do on windows explorer?

It's only a concern, I am led to believe, if you have MMI 3G.

If you do, then it is... in the manual. It's total 'assets'... .mp3 files count as 1, so do folders.

[Hippogriff]

Are they going to provide a firmware upgrade for this shortfall...

Write a letter to...

Audi UK
Customer Services
Selectapost 29
Sheffield
S97 3FG

...and voice your concerns.

I suppose it's not really fair to expect a Salesman to advertise the shortcomings of his own product that he's trying to sell. It's the customer's job to wheedle this out of them. ;) Being a previous A4 owner (with the RNS-E sat. nav.) I knew it was coming. Still think it's crap... admittedly.

[clive30v]

Very impressed with the 3L tractor. On the audi channel they ran a 3L on a banked track at 146mph an that was 4up!! very tempting when my petrol v6 i have goes to car heaven.:notworthy

[c7trp]

Agreed the Sat-Nav isn't as good as my Tom-Tom :( but at least you don't need to have all that clutter on the windscreen ;)

Sat Nav doesn't warn of safety cameras either...

I think Renault have licensed Tom-Tom for OEM fitment in their cars? Perhaps some other manufacturers should consider this, rather than re-inventing the wheel?

<Optimistic Mode>
You never know there may be a *free* upgrade sometime with full post codes
</Optimistic Mode>

[ScottyUK]

I wish I knew if there'll be a s/w upgrade! Apparently German uses a 5 digit postcode and hence extending isn't their top priority :(