A4 2.0T Multi Sline - first thoughts after 1500km

[XM640]

Happy new year all.

The new A4 finally arrived just prior xmas and some may be interested in my first thoughts.

Likes:

Refinement - a true luxury sports sedan which is smooth, quiet and comfortable.
S-line enhancements with xenons - subtely but noticeably lifts the interior and exterior.
Sports suspension - handles well for a bum dragger and rides surprisingly well on those 18's.
Quality - everything from paint to plastics to design, the integrity of which is evident everytime I shut a door (with a solid but muted 'thunk').
Performance - will not exactly shred my licence but runs away from other cars at will and easily conquers mountain climbs.
Fuel economy - so far got 7.4l/100km (38mpg) on the open road with aircon, and averaged 8.9l/100km (32 mpg) around town, all of which should improve with more km's.

Have to say that much of the above is due in no small part to the multitronic gearbox but ....

Dislikes (read as minor quibbles):

Multitronic - can engage sharply when taking off, the electronic mapping is too conservative (ie. for economy) when left in 'D' and too aggresive when used in 'S' (revs to redline with little provication).
Multitronic (manual mode) - eight is too many gears to play with, does not operate as smoothly or directly as hoped.
Stereo - is very good for standard kit but should have got B&O.
Towbar - I need one, have ordered one, but it must be gold plated as is a very expensive option.

And that the missus wants to drive the car all the time.

Thanx, very informative site with excellent contributions and of which made my 4 1/2 month wait for this car a little more bearable.

[jamesalex]

Im thinking of the Avant model manual myself. Im guessing the Multi box limits the performance a little but would have thought 200+bhp would have made its self better known?? The only other option would be the 3.0tdi which is going to push the cost up a lot!!

[XM640]

Im thinking of the Avant model manual myself. Im guessing the Multi box limits the performance a little but would have thought 200+bhp would have made its self better known?? The only other option would be the 3.0tdi which is going to push the cost up a lot!!

Mine is the 180bhp version of the 2.0T (In Oz the 211bhp version is reserved for the Q). Nonetheless I suggest that if anything the Multi can help to extract the best from the motor, both for performance and economy.

My quibble is with it's default 'mapping' in D which is extremely economy focused - it literally chuggs around town with very few revs (1000 - 1500 rpm) and needs a good kick in the guts to accelerate quickly, say to sprint into a gap in traffic.

In S mode I am very satisfied with the performance, but find the 'mapping' is too aggresive around town holding onto the lower 'gears' and readily runs to near redline even on part throttle.

S'pose I need something in between and hope that the Multi will learn this. Still, remain impressed with the Multi's overall refinement, something all passengers have remarked on thus far.

[Kj5cott]

I cannot comment on the petrol Multotronic as have the diesel which I find brilliant in D. Being a diesel the revs are low anyway and you cannot feel the car change gear at all and is very refined. In S the gear changes are very much more noticeable, if floored, the revs got to the limiter every time. The munal does say to expect this as it is extracting the maximum performance from the engine and transmisson.

All in all it is ecconomic in D but knowing when you floor it in S you are getting the maximum power is nice to know. This is my first auto gearbox and would not go back to a manual box and really impressed thus far.

Cheers

Kevin

[StanA4]

I also got my B8 2.0T (180bhp) Multi just before Christmas and just made my first 1000km. Very impressed with the Multi - the comfort combined with 16's is exceptional. I don't find it passive at all in D - reacts instantly, great on city sprints. City fuel consumption is around 10l/100km - that's with a lot of traffic though. I have not yet tried it in S - have been told by the dealer to run it in the first 1000km and not exceed 3500 rpm.

One trip on the highway - stuck on 2100 rpm with 134 km/h (fixed it on the cruise control) and surprisingly for me around 2500 rpm on 170 km/h.

Overall very very satisfied wih car - still get trilled when I step in as if it's the first time.

[jameskyriakou]

Just ticked over the 1000K mark on my 2.7TDI and the refinement from the multi is sublime. Even in D, if the pedal is floored past the "resistance" point is accellerated with full power and revs!

Only problem I have is the steering seems to drift to the left. Have asked the dealer to take a look at it and realign the steering for me.

Too right with the missus wanting the car all the time. I don't hear the end of it!

Jimbo