ALF_A4
13-08-2009, 12:30 PM
Hello people, I'm keeping the Audi, so I thought I'd introduce myself as I'm likely to be bothering you lot now, not the Alfa lot ;). I have a B7 A4 2.0T S-Line Avant (FWD) which I originally bought for my wife last spring, only her back did not get on with the low seating position (not something that came up on the test drive) so she is still in her old Focus as nothing else seems to do for her dodgy back. Unfortunately I bought at exactly the wrong time prices-wise, so held on to the car and ran it alternately with my lightly modded 156 GTA (LSD and FSD's - see my reviews at http://www.auto-journals.com/journals/Alfa%20Romeo?model=156&journal=49 ).
I came to respect, if not especially love, the Audi during that time but a recent enforced job change has seen me doing around 35-45k miles a year, which is likely to continue, so I've sold the Alfa and am keeping the A4 as my car. Dodgy ride quality aside, it is a really good for what I now do - lots of long journeys! I've been at least matching the claimed 36 mpg, which has been a surprise, and goes some way to making up for compromising with a 4-pot turbo. I generally only go for 6+ cylinder NA petrol cars (I buy engines more than I buy cars, ignoring my track/race cars my last three cars going back 10 years were all V6's) but the 2.0T engine is pretty smooth and clean-revving for a 4-pot turbo, the build quality of the car is superb, plus it is decently refined on the motorway.
So it is here to stay - I am very likely to fit Koni FSD's on the standard springs as they transformed the Alfa. An LSD would be going too far for something used mostly on the motorway, and despite being FWD it has great traction as standard, but I might go for a front strut brace as I have also found them very handy in the past - and great value. Besides that the car desperately needs better audio since I'm in there so much - I think an amp and some upgrade speakers on the standard Concert head unit should be fine. Anyone know of any standard-fit upgrade speakers? Can you retro-fit Bose or is it a ripoff like their home hifi?
Chipping tempts me somewhat as following the GTA the car does not feel at all quick to me - I'll never make it pull like a train from idle and scream to the redline sounding like a Ferrari like the GTA did, but some more oomph would be great - maybe another 30 or 40 horses - if it doesn't wreck the economy and low-rev tractability. Any advice on these or similar mods would be appreciated!
I came to respect, if not especially love, the Audi during that time but a recent enforced job change has seen me doing around 35-45k miles a year, which is likely to continue, so I've sold the Alfa and am keeping the A4 as my car. Dodgy ride quality aside, it is a really good for what I now do - lots of long journeys! I've been at least matching the claimed 36 mpg, which has been a surprise, and goes some way to making up for compromising with a 4-pot turbo. I generally only go for 6+ cylinder NA petrol cars (I buy engines more than I buy cars, ignoring my track/race cars my last three cars going back 10 years were all V6's) but the 2.0T engine is pretty smooth and clean-revving for a 4-pot turbo, the build quality of the car is superb, plus it is decently refined on the motorway.
So it is here to stay - I am very likely to fit Koni FSD's on the standard springs as they transformed the Alfa. An LSD would be going too far for something used mostly on the motorway, and despite being FWD it has great traction as standard, but I might go for a front strut brace as I have also found them very handy in the past - and great value. Besides that the car desperately needs better audio since I'm in there so much - I think an amp and some upgrade speakers on the standard Concert head unit should be fine. Anyone know of any standard-fit upgrade speakers? Can you retro-fit Bose or is it a ripoff like their home hifi?
Chipping tempts me somewhat as following the GTA the car does not feel at all quick to me - I'll never make it pull like a train from idle and scream to the redline sounding like a Ferrari like the GTA did, but some more oomph would be great - maybe another 30 or 40 horses - if it doesn't wreck the economy and low-rev tractability. Any advice on these or similar mods would be appreciated!