How Long Before The Newness Wears Off?

[RichardCranium]

I've had my B8 for just over 3 months now and have to admit my obsession with the car has wained somewhat. Of course I still love driving it, but the constant cleaning, wiping and roaring at the kids about where they put their feet has stopped suddenly. I did wash it this morning and hoovered it yesterday, but that was the first time in ages.

The weather hasn't helped, but even so, I cant really be bothered!

Anyone else like this or should I be shackled to a lampost and flogged within an inch of my life!!

[mkc]

Im still at the stage where I am offering to drive everywhere (instead of using the Mrs'), checking if we need milk so I can nip to the shops, buying fuel even before the light comes on so I can go and pay for it and look out of the windows whilst queing up thinking "thats mine"!

I guess it depends on how much of a petrolhead you are and whats going on in your life so that the car falls down the peckin' order in whats important or at the front of your mind.
I dont think that your feelings are anything unusual, its a car for fecks sake after all. I love driving mine and enjoy getting up and going to work now. But now that my two year old has kicked her shoes all over the back of my leather and used a combe to scratch the piano black inlays on the way home tonight and dropped a biscuit that had been sucked on for 30 minutes in the carpet I am beginning to feel like you!

Despite all the excitment of people on here waiting for them to arrive, picking them up, taking photos (me included)etc it is after all a car and a mass produced one. You dont need flogging!

[RichardCranium]

dont get me wrong... i'm a petrol head through and through, and love cars. The A4 is without a shadow, the best car i've ever had. But after a while, i just cant be ar$ed to clean it. You're right about priorities though. May be i'd spend more time looking after it, if I sod all else to do. As you say, its a car after all, and a company one at that!

[StephA4]

It would probably make things a lot easier if the sun decided to stay out once in a while.

Nothing better than having a gleaming car and taking a bit of pride in your efforts.

But after the umpteenth wash in the space of a few weeks I know exactly how you feel!!! :zx11:

[Samurai1466]

Same here, 3 months later I'm not so fussed about weekly cleaning, every two weeks is where I am now.

[Red 2]

I am a modest petrolhead,like my A4 a lot, waited 6 months for it (yes, I am that launch retail customer) pored over the brochures, devoured the magazine reviews and savoured the delivery and that wonderful novelty of a brand new car, a launch car at that.

I've had mine for almost 6 months and we'll keep ours within the family so a long relationship is expected. I still like my A4 but the obsession with avoiding a dirty car has worn off to be replaced by...whisper it... that happy feeling when my 5 yr old daughter has sussed out the MMI and the rear seat controls and nicknamed the car...'Arnie' if you want to know!:biglaugh:

Tis a family car, now has crumbs in inaccesible places and she always manages to kick the dash. Yes, I clean it every week if I can but, more than anything, it is THE family car and will no doubt end up with sand from Cornwall permanently in the boot and at sometime, a sticky finger stubborn mark from small people. But whilst the novelty of being an 'new' A4 driver has worn off (quite a lot of us about now), the memories associated with the car will now pile up and that IMPO makes a family car truly special!

And the A4 is a great family car....so IMHO enjoy the novelty but when it wears off, just enjoy it as a car doing superbly what it was designed to do!:)

[Raoul_Duke]

You're all getting me down here :) I'm picking mine up on Wednesday night but I already know that I'll be doing that 'one last look' thing as I walk into the house for the first few months and then gradually it'll just become another car.

Nothing better than that novelty new car feeling, one good thing about the B8 A4, I still don't see a lot of them on the roads compared to say the BMW and even fewer 58 plates ... once they become more common, the novelty will probably wear off.

[Plife]

Everyone is different. I have a bit of OCD when it comes to my car, and regardless of what it was it gets washed virtually every week. The only difference with me is sometimes it is just a quick wash and sometimes it is quite a few hours!

[ryan427]

Newness lasted about two weeks... just popped out for some fish n chips and kerbed one of my alloys... :-(

Silly isn't it, it's got a few small scratches on one of the wheels and it's completely changed how I feel about it. I'm still loving it to bits but can see it being driven a bit harder now rather than being molly coddled.

Ryan

[RichardCranium]

Today i drove from Warwick (overnighter last night) to Welwyn Garden City, and then to home in Yorkshire. Enjoyed every minute of it. Even the bits stuck in traffic on the A1.

Car is filty again and covered in flies, but i dont care:biglaugh:

[Kojak]

Thought this post was about the taughtness of all the controls and the smell of newness when I saw the title.

But as it's more about the OCD related to must drive/must clean/must look at it out of the living room window... I can still contribute in both aspects!

Mine is an 8000 mls, November 58 SE Avant that is new to me by almost a week.
Still smells totally new because of the strong leather from the seats and everything is tight like 500ml demonstrators. :aargh4:

Despite overnight rain once or twice it's still glistening on the outside as well. Minor brake dust on the wheels so that was it...I cracked.

Went and gave 'er indoors Focus the works!! Washed, detailed and polished it blacked the plastic and rubber including the wheels. :1zhelp:

Yes nurse i'm ready for my next behaviour jab.

[Bratty]

But surely it is exactly that! the "smell" of newness!

Its when mates jump in your car and remark "Jeesus, have you been transporting cheese on bulk today?", that maybe the newby feeling has rubbed off. Or if you have resorted to the Halfords vanilla Air Freshener!

Thats the Advantage of Leather it hides the "carry-out" smells;)!

Dunk

[pitch3110]

Ditto with OCD here.
Cleaning it a the time. I use a chemical guys product on the carpets and when it has been in the sun a bit, volia it smells like new again.

Detaling is something I enjoy and is never a chore

Pitch