Optional extras - comments / details wanted

[engineermk]

Part of my work role includes being the "fleet manager" for our lease cars. We find lease companies are OK with aftermarket stuff like phone kits, sat/nav, tow bars and ipod adaptors so long as the are professionally installed and don't mark any visible trim (ie no holes in dashboard, but glove box is OK).

[chiefwiggumpi]

Hi Scapegoat

Firstly i would like to say that the black edition is a nice car. I looked at it myself but when i priced up the options i really wanted instead of things like rear tinted windows which i didnt want i found that my sport was cheaper with the options rather than the black edition if that makes sense?!!

Anyway onto your options i can only give my view on two of them as i have opted for them aswell.

Firstly adapative xenons. As people have mentioned theyre great on country foggy dark windy lanes which with the recent weather have proved invaluable. For me i had to buy the adaptive xenons or use the standard halogen DRL. In your case the standard xenons with LED DRL will be fine. The adaptive part works great on country lanes on dark nights watching them adapt to the corner is fun and very clever but im sure the standard xenons would be fine. For me its the brightness of the lights i wanted and now when i drive other cars with halogen headlights im like er are they switched on???!!!! So to sum up for me xenons a definite yes!

Secondly the bluetooth option. I had to do some research myself so heres my experience. When i factory ordered my car last year i ordered "mobile telephone preperation - bluetooth interface" at first. Then i read the brochure again and realised i wasnt going to get the shark fin aerial and the option to buy the cradle to charge the phone. So i changed my order and opted for bluetooth prep low, which means you get the base plate in the arm rest so that you can the buy a cradle for your specific phone model (thats extra with audi dealer £100 i got mine off ebay for £37 only 4 weeks old!). With the cradle you get to charge the phone use the aerial on the roof so better reception and emitting dodgy raidowaves (allegedly!) Its £140 extra for the bluetooth prep low but i think its worth it after ive bought the cradle as i can now make and receive calls with the touch of one button charge my phone and use the roof aerial. So to sum up for me its definitely worth this option. Others will disagree saying you can buy a car charger and plug in the phone but i get to use my voice control to dial numbers and i have to say its very clever aswell!

Hope ive helped any questions feel free to ask!!

[Scapegoat]

Hi Scapegoat

Firstly i would like to say that the black edition is a nice car. I looked at it myself but when i priced up the options i really wanted instead of things like rear tinted windows which i didnt want i found that my sport was cheaper with the options rather than the black edition if that makes sense?!!

Anyway onto your options i can only give my view on two of them as i have opted for them aswell.

Firstly adapative xenons. As people have mentioned theyre great on country foggy dark windy lanes which with the recent weather have proved invaluable. For me i had to buy the adaptive xenons or use the standard halogen DRL. In your case the standard xenons with LED DRL will be fine. The adaptive part works great on country lanes on dark nights watching them adapt to the corner is fun and very clever but im sure the standard xenons would be fine. For me its the brightness of the lights i wanted and now when i drive other cars with halogen headlights im like er are they switched on???!!!! So to sum up for me xenons a definite yes!

Secondly the bluetooth option. I had to do some research myself so heres my experience. When i factory ordered my car last year i ordered "mobile telephone preperation - bluetooth interface" at first. Then i read the brochure again and realised i wasnt going to get the shark fin aerial and the option to buy the cradle to charge the phone. So i changed my order and opted for bluetooth prep low, which means you get the base plate in the arm rest so that you can the buy a cradle for your specific phone model (thats extra with audi dealer £100 i got mine off ebay for £37 only 4 weeks old!). With the cradle you get to charge the phone use the aerial on the roof so better reception and emitting dodgy raidowaves (allegedly!) Its £140 extra for the bluetooth prep low but i think its worth it after ive bought the cradle as i can now make and receive calls with the touch of one button charge my phone and use the roof aerial. So to sum up for me its definitely worth this option. Others will disagree saying you can buy a car charger and plug in the phone but i get to use my voice control to dial numbers and i have to say its very clever aswell!

Hope ive helped any questions feel free to ask!!

Thanks for comments - very welcome.

I tend to get easily carried away when picking optional extras. Most of my driving is on main roads, and all previous cars have been halogen - so I think based on your comments/time to reflect, I'll skip the adaptive and be happy with Xenons as std.

Bluetooth - work phone is a Orange e650 which I doubt I'll get a cradle for, and GF has a nokia one. Also work change phones every year or so so would need other cradles. Will have to settle for the bog standard version - presume all I can do with this from steering wheel is answer and end calls?

[engineermk]

I have the full phone kit but have only ever connected via the bluetooth (no Audi cradle available).

The stering wheel control allow me to answer incomming calls. The phone book is importeed and i can ake outgoing calls using ten steering wheel control to scroll throught the phone book displayed in teh DIS sandwiched between the rev counter and speedo.

[engineermk]

Way, way, above you asked about stand spec heated mirrors. If you builded a car usign the website configurator and then print of a full spec it shows both std kit (that includes heated mirrors) and any options you picked.

[Scapegoat]

I have the full phone kit but have only ever connected via the bluetooth (no Audi cradle available).

The stering wheel control allow me to answer incomming calls. The phone book is importeed and i can ake outgoing calls using ten steering wheel control to scroll throught the phone book displayed in teh DIS sandwiched between the rev counter and speedo.

Thanks.

So the low version allows you to import phonebook and make calls via s/wheel controls.

The cheaper version doesn't?

My work phone/PDA has every contact at work in it (over 4000!) so I'd guess this function will fail the way my current parrot one does due to the size of the phone book.

TBH - the ability to use the phone handsfree and answer / reject calls is probably enough for me. In which case the cheaper version will be fine.