What options are a must?

[Fatbadger]

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum so please be gentle

I'm looking at ordering an Ultra Avant S-Line S-Tronic in the next few weeks. I'm driving myself crazy going through the Configurator on what options to go for.

So far I have heated seats (the wife's only must have), folding mirrors, AMI, storage pack, reversing camera, colour DIS.

What have you gone for and why and what was a must have?

Thanks in advance

Steve

[sbaffi]

Hello...I guess it's a very personal thing and it depends not only on you thirst for gadgets, but on your driving style as well. Let's not forget your budget.

I got an automatic so I could get the ACC but I usually take long trips and for me it is a very important gadget to have. I also got 4-zone clima and with passengers and kids often in the rear you might want to consider the front and rear heated seats. Adaptive lights as a minimum, I would have gotten LED as I read here on this forum they are a thing of beauty.

Did not go for the AMI because I have all my music loaded on a SD card - 2500 songs - and I can live without the album images being displayed.

I did not choose comfort or sport seats with memory, I was afraid I would regret it but as it turned out the standard seats are comfy enough for myself, wife and dog.

MMI 3G and Bluetooth high are great too. Rear camera I think is a must and I added the Park Assist.

Next one I will add the Head Up Display for sure.

[Mark 2805]

I included the Tech Pack on my allroad which gives an upgrade on the Sat Nav, larger screen, phone prep high with Audi connect and includes 2 of the things you already want in colour DIS and AMI. Privacy Glass and Blinds for the kids to block out sun. Lighting package- a low cost option that i have specced on all my audi's and finally a tow bar for carrying bikes.Storage pack comes as standard on an allroad.

All of these were must haves for me. It really depends on what you want/need. Also don't pay for Lifeshine if offered by the dealer. I got a full Gtechniq package from a local detailer for less than the cost of lifeshine. 1 Stage correction on paintwork, C1 and 2 coats of Exo on paintwork, C4 on trim, C5 on Wheels, G1 on glass. Then internally, L1 on leather, I1 on fabric and C6 on dash. The best possible protection inside and out on a new car. PM me if interested in his details, he is based in St Neots so not a million miles from you.

Hope this helps. What colour are you thinking of going for?

[johnsimcox]

"Must" for ownership pleasure or "Must" in terms of maximising resale value? Options like Reversing Camera and Storage Pack will probably add little or no value tot he car when it comes to trade it in, hover they may be options that make the car that little bit more special to you to own. Having owned a virtually stock SE (only option is AMI) for 2 years the only option I would definitely add next time would be the Tech Pack (now Audi have sorted out the Bluetooth/in-dash SIM issues) Main reason for this would be to get better (live) traffic information compared to the standard navigation systems use of TMC. Tech Pack gives you Colour DIS as part of the deal. 4 zone AC looks much better (Digital temp displays) and I would agree if you go for that pay the small amount extra for the rear heated seats as you are having the front ones.

Be aware thee is a facelift coming and depending on when you order it may affect your ability to get certain options if the build date for your car is close to the cut over date. As yet no one knows when the facelift will arrive but the A7 one is already announced and first deliveries are in the last quarter of this year. I notice too that the cost of the Tech Pack on the new A7 is a few hundred pounds more that it was on the old one but now includes Head Up Display and would expect this to follow through to the A6 when it is announced.

[sbaffi]

"Must" for ownership pleasure or "Must" in terms of maximising resale value? Options like Reversing Camera and Storage Pack will probably add little or no value tot he car when it comes to trade it in, hover they may be options that make the car that little bit more special to you to own. Having owned a virtually stock SE (only option is AMI) for 2 years the only option I would definitely add next time would be the Tech Pack (now Audi have sorted out the Bluetooth/in-dash SIM issues) Main reason for this would be to get better (live) traffic information compared to the standard navigation systems use of TMC. Tech Pack gives you Colour DIS as part of the deal. 4 zone AC looks much better (Digital temp displays) and I would agree if you go for that pay the small amount extra for the rear heated seats as you are having the front ones.

Be aware thee is a facelift coming and depending on when you order it may affect your ability to get certain options if the build date for your car is close to the cut over date. As yet no one knows when the facelift will arrive but the A7 one is already announced and first deliveries are in the last quarter of this year. I notice too that the cost of the Tech Pack on the new A7 is a few hundred pounds more that it was on the old one but now includes Head Up Display and would expect this to follow through to the A6 when it is announced.

IMHO you should get a balance between the two...If a car matters just as a mean of transportation from A to B and as for its retail value, what's the point?

[johnsimcox]

IMHO you should get a balance between the two...If a car matters just as a mean of transportation from A to B and as for its retail value, what's the point?

Quite agree, as the owner of a new car one of the luxuries is the ability to spec it how you want. I only made the point as the OP was asking what were "best" and there are at least two interpretations of what that might mean and thus the advice

[sbaffi]

Quite agree, as the owner of a new car one of the luxuries is the ability to spec it how you want. I only made the point as the OP was asking what were "best" and there are at least two interpretations of what that might mean and thus the advice

Yes got that and agree, he needs to consider all the angles. Just making the point some options are treasure for one and useless trash for another. I sold my C6 to a couple and the wife was very interested because of the parking camera - my retrofit - as she was afraid without she would hit something given the size of the car. The ACC was another retrofit that generated interest and helped making a good sale. In retrospective, all the other retrofits (MMI 3G, Bose, TPMS and Adaptive Xenons) did.

Too subjective anyway, I think I spent hours playing with the Audi configurator before stepping into the dealership

[retired99]

Specify options because you want them, not with an eye to resale.

Some options will make the car easier to sell. Some could even add a few pounds to the price you get, more so in a private sale I suspect, but the extra will be considerably less than the price paid for the option(s).

Looking at leasing rates options you pay pretty much the full cost of the options over the lease period.

If you're concerned about minimizing depreciation go for a standard spec.

Even 'packaged' options such as BE spec are worth little come resale. The depreciation figures for BE spec are are worse than Se or S Line equivalents.

[Fatbadger]

Thanks everyone for your input, keep it coming.

Just as an addition to what I've said already, I love my tech and I have an IPhone 5s which is a company paid for phone. Can I use this for Google Map services etc, if I went for the Tech Pack?

I will be looking for a PCP deal and plan to keep the car for some time, but I do want to take my time and spec it for what I need/want, I'm not overly fussed about resale, but I do want to keep costs down.

Can anyone recommend a dealer in Hertfordshire for a great PCP deal as I'd love to buy close to home?

I think I shall go for the Grey, Grey or even the Grey. Seriously though it will more than likely be the Daytona.

Mark, thanks for the info, one of my good friends is in the Dent Repair business and he knows the guys at Gtechniq personally. I've used the products on a couple of my cars and they are awesome. I cannot remember the names/codes for them but I think the G1 and Exo are they ones I've used and they are brilliant. I've been a test mule for him, we applied 2 coats of Exo before we went to Le Mans last year and there were noticeably less bugs then everyone else's cars, plus the finish is like glass. This is probably why Force India have just partnered with them, but that's a whole different story.

[retired99]

Thanks everyone for your input, keep it coming.

Just as an addition to what I've said already, I love my tech and I have an IPhone 5s which is a company paid for phone. Can I use this for Google Map services etc, if I went for the Tech Pack?

.

Short answer: No.

If you want to use your own phone for Google Map, traffic etc. you need an RSAP capable phone. Apple do not support RSAP (Remote Sim Access( Bluetooth) Profile)and it's a dwindling no of other manufacturers who support it. In practice it's almost an obsolete technology.

You would need to get a SIM to put in the car to access these services. There are a few threads on here discussing various options / costs for doing this.