Does anyone drive an Audi?

[AmberGretchen]

Hi PSers,

I hope everyone's holidays are off to a lovely start

DH and I kicked ours off by going out and test driving some cars I'm considering to replace my Subaru Impreza (2.5RS, not the WRX) - its been a great car, but I'm hoping for something that is a little more fun to drive and also a little bit of an upgrade on the inside.

After test driving several options, I was really impressed with the Audi A4 - it had a great balance (IMO) of being fun to drive and also having a really lovely interior.

Does anyone here own an Audi? What do you like/not like about it? Any hesitations you might have when/if considering one?

 

[elrohwen]

I don''t personally own one, but I have many friends who own the A4 model. They all love it! My only gripe is that there isn''t much leg room in the backseat, but that''s something I care about as a passenger, but wouldn''t care so much about as a car owner

They handle really well and none of my friends have reported any problems with them.

My only other gripe is that the controls are sometimes a bit strange and not intuitive ... I remember that one friend''s car only had a clock next to the spedometer, not in the middle of the console, so passengers couldn''t see it

. Stuff like that isn''t make or break, but it was kind of unintuitive. The newer models might be an improvement though, so just something to look for.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 11/29/2009 11:46:46 AM
Author: elrohwen
I don''t personally own one, but I have many friends who own the A4 model. They all love it! My only gripe is that there isn''t much leg room in the backseat, but that''s something I care about as a passenger, but wouldn''t care so much about as a car owner

They handle really well and none of my friends have reported any problems with them.


My only other gripe is that the controls are sometimes a bit strange and not intuitive ... I remember that one friend''s car only had a clock next to the spedometer, not in the middle of the console, so passengers couldn''t see it

. Stuff like that isn''t make or break, but it was kind of unintuitive. The newer models might be an improvement though, so just something to look for.

Those are really good points el - definitely important things to look for. I think they have substantially improved both of those factors on the ''09/''10 models - my husband was in the backseat, and said it was the most spacious of any of the cars we test drove (an Infiniti G37, and BMW 135 and 335), so I think the redesign with added space definitely helped.

 

[Mara]

AG we just got an A3 since we needed a new car with 4 doors for the new kid arriving soon...we were bummed to have to give the Mini up and so I researched to find something that was comparable in driving style (sports car-ish) but more practical. The A3 was a natural choice for us.

I have never had an Audi before, but I have a few friends who are FANATICS of them and love them. I also have a few friends who DON'T like them at all. It seems like people either love or hate the brand in my experience. Greg says it's a very German car...some of the controls are definitely a little odd and what they choose to display/show you at times you are like 'why this?'.

People who DO own them and love them told me all one thing.. don't ever let it go off warranty. They are expensive to fix and apparently can have a lot of issues esp with the new smart technology inside the cars (aka bluetooth, satellite radio, the trip computers etc)...so you want to be sure that your visits are covered.

I've been driving the A3 for about 2 weeks now and I really like it....the Audi's are SO easy to drive. The A4 is a great car too, one of my friends has it and loves it. The Quattro is pretty darn powerful and my car has a lot of pick up and go...I would only get one with Quattro.

The two things I don't love about the A3 after having our Mini is that the armrest is like this big block and it always gets in the way when I shift. If you drive auto this won't matter. But the Mini armrest never got in the way of shifting and the Audi one is too high for my arm so it feels weird resting on it. My friend's A4 has the same weird big block and it makes her look awkward while she shifts too.

The other thing is that the A3 doesn't come with automatic headlights. This is mind boggling to me because it has satellite radio, bluetooth, leather is standard etc. I am like you can't put auto headlights in it as standard?? What the heck. That is a given to me. It has taken 2 weeks to retrain myself to turn them on manually after 3 years of having auto. But I think the A4 comes with them standard so maybe ignore this vent.

We went to Audi Stevens Creek, I think you are in SF so you prob wouldn't go there but if you do go to SJ, we loved working with Frank ...he was fabulous!!! He gave us a GREAT deal, the dealerships are really flexible right now, without having to haggle at all, and he was sooo easy to work with, I did 99% of the transaction via email after meeting him once. He had the car we wanted shipped from S. CA in less than a day. We went in to sign and do all the paperwork and was out with the car in 2 hours.

This is long, sorry, but bottom line is so far we are really happy with our pick...we wanted a 4 door that could cart the kid and us around but still had the *zip* of the Mini and the 'fun to drive' element and the Audi has not disappointed us. The turning radius on this car is insane!

 

[bebe]

Our daughter''s boyfriend just took delivery of the new Audi S5 (I thinks that''s the model)
It''s the sexy new 2 door, just a gorgeous car. He loves it, this is his 2nd Audi.

 

[Mara]

Date: 11/29/2009 7:03:22 PM
Author: bebe
Our daughter''s boyfriend just took delivery of the new Audi S5 (I thinks that''s the model)
It''s the sexy new 2 door, just a gorgeous car. He loves it, this is his 2nd Audi.

That IS a sexy car!! We were just admiring one on the road the other day.

 

[DianaBanana]

I''ve had my A3 for 2 years now with no problems at all....I agree about the arm rest thing, it''s a little awkward but I have an auto so it doesn''t hinder shifting for me.

The A5 will be my next car...can''t wait!!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

AmberGretchen - if you''re actually selling your 2.5RS - please let me know! My husband is looking for one to go with our STI!

I''ve owned 2 Audis (a Cabriolet and a TT) both with over 100k miles on them, and I really lucked out with them. If you can find a good VW/Audi mechanic, and you should be able to given where you live now, you''ll have no problem maintaining it for a reasonable amount once it''s out of warranty.

I must say, I love, love, love the A4, and before I bought my VW R32, I was considering A4 Avants. In the end, I decided I didn''t need to go with something SO practical right now, and opted for the R32. I''m loving the new A4s in white and black.

 

[D&T]

I used to own one an A4 back in 2001 for two years, until I traded it in. I really really really loved it. However I also had a friend who owned an A4 but a few years older than mine, Her''s ALWAYS had problems, mine did not. However, I find that I usually like to buy the car design that has been around at least a couple of years so they work out the kinks. usually body style stays around for about four years and then gets revamped.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 11/29/2009 6:01:23 PM
Author: Mara
AG we just got an A3 since we needed a new car with 4 doors for the new kid arriving soon...we were bummed to have to give the Mini up and so I researched to find something that was comparable in driving style (sports car-ish) but more practical. The A3 was a natural choice for us.


I have never had an Audi before, but I have a few friends who are FANATICS of them and love them. I also have a few friends who DON'T like them at all. It seems like people either love or hate the brand in my experience. Greg says it's a very German car...some of the controls are definitely a little odd and what they choose to display/show you at times you are like 'why this?'.


People who DO own them and love them told me all one thing.. don't ever let it go off warranty. They are expensive to fix and apparently can have a lot of issues esp with the new smart technology inside the cars (aka bluetooth, satellite radio, the trip computers etc)...so you want to be sure that your visits are covered.


I've been driving the A3 for about 2 weeks now and I really like it....the Audi's are SO easy to drive. The A4 is a great car too, one of my friends has it and loves it. The Quattro is pretty darn powerful and my car has a lot of pick up and go...I would only get one with Quattro.


The two things I don't love about the A3 after having our Mini is that the armrest is like this big block and it always gets in the way when I shift. If you drive auto this won't matter. But the Mini armrest never got in the way of shifting and the Audi one is too high for my arm so it feels weird resting on it. My friend's A4 has the same weird big block and it makes her look awkward while she shifts too.


The other thing is that the A3 doesn't come with automatic headlights. This is mind boggling to me because it has satellite radio, bluetooth, leather is standard etc. I am like you can't put auto headlights in it as standard?? What the heck. That is a given to me. It has taken 2 weeks to retrain myself to turn them on manually after 3 years of having auto. But I think the A4 comes with them standard so maybe ignore this vent.

We went to Audi Stevens Creek, I think you are in SF so you prob wouldn't go there but if you do go to SJ, we loved working with Frank ...he was fabulous!!! He gave us a GREAT deal, the dealerships are really flexible right now, without having to haggle at all, and he was sooo easy to work with, I did 99% of the transaction via email after meeting him once. He had the car we wanted shipped from S. CA in less than a day. We went in to sign and do all the paperwork and was out with the car in 2 hours.


This is long, sorry, but bottom line is so far we are really happy with our pick...we wanted a 4 door that could cart the kid and us around but still had the *zip* of the Mini and the 'fun to drive' element and the Audi has not disappointed us. The turning radius on this car is insane!

Thanks Mara for the review - I admit I did look at the A3, but for me personally, I prefer the sedan to the hatchback. They do seem like such awesome cars though.

And I'm completely with you on the Quattro - it makes such a huge difference in how the car handles, that's an absolute must for me.

My DH and I are actually in Houston now - we moved out here in September for me to start a new job. But we found a fantastic Audi dealership literally 2 blocks from our apartment - the guy we are working with there is really down to earth, no BS, very knowledgeable about the cars, but no pressure for sales.

I totally agree on wanting something that is practical but also fun to drive - that is super important to me as well, which is why the A4 is so appealing.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 11/29/2009 7:03:22 PM
Author: bebe
Our daughter''s boyfriend just took delivery of the new Audi S5 (I thinks that''s the model)

It''s the sexy new 2 door, just a gorgeous car. He loves it, this is his 2nd Audi.

Probably the A5 - that is a beautiful car

If I had the money I''d go S4 or A5 - maybe in a couple more years

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 11/29/2009 8:24:59 PM
Author: DianaBanana
I''ve had my A3 for 2 years now with no problems at all....I agree about the arm rest thing, it''s a little awkward but I have an auto so it doesn''t hinder shifting for me.


The A5 will be my next car...can''t wait!!

The A5 seems like such an awesome car, doesn''t it??

I probably wouldn''t have the shifter issue since I plan to get an automatic - I drive shift, but DH doesn''t, and even though this is "my" car, we''ll both be driving it a fair amount, since "his" car is a 2-seater convertible - not very practical for groceries, etc...

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 11/29/2009 8:40:14 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier
AmberGretchen - if you''re actually selling your 2.5RS - please let me know! My husband is looking for one to go with our STI!

I''ve owned 2 Audis (a Cabriolet and a TT) both with over 100k miles on them, and I really lucked out with them. If you can find a good VW/Audi mechanic, and you should be able to given where you live now, you''ll have no problem maintaining it for a reasonable amount once it''s out of warranty.


I must say, I love, love, love the A4, and before I bought my VW R32, I was considering A4 Avants. In the end, I decided I didn''t need to go with something SO practical right now, and opted for the R32. I''m loving the new A4s in white and black.

Lauren - I was planning to trade in my 2.5RS, but if your DH is wanting one, I''m happy to see if what I have fits what he is looking for.

I agree with you on the new A4s though - I just think its a really nice looking car, and the interior is incredible

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 11/29/2009 8:54:46 PM
Author: D&T
I used to own one an A4 back in 2001 for two years, until I traded it in. I really really really loved it. However I also had a friend who owned an A4 but a few years older than mine, Her''s ALWAYS had problems, mine did not. However, I find that I usually like to buy the car design that has been around at least a couple of years so they work out the kinks. usually body style stays around for about four years and then gets revamped.

Thanks D&T - that''s good info. I admit I am a bit nervous about the new body design since it came out so recently.

I am going to go back to the dealership, probably this weekend or next, and test drive the ''08 body style with Quattro head to head with the ''09 with Quattro - I test drove an ''08 without the Quattro and slightly preferred the feel of the smaller car around me, but obviously I vastly prefer the interior and the look of the ''09/''10...

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 11/29/2009 9:42:25 PM
Author: AmberGretchen

Date: 11/29/2009 8:40:14 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier
AmberGretchen - if you''re actually selling your 2.5RS - please let me know! My husband is looking for one to go with our STI!

I''ve owned 2 Audis (a Cabriolet and a TT) both with over 100k miles on them, and I really lucked out with them. If you can find a good VW/Audi mechanic, and you should be able to given where you live now, you''ll have no problem maintaining it for a reasonable amount once it''s out of warranty.


I must say, I love, love, love the A4, and before I bought my VW R32, I was considering A4 Avants. In the end, I decided I didn''t need to go with something SO practical right now, and opted for the R32. I''m loving the new A4s in white and black.

Lauren - I was planning to trade in my 2.5RS, but if your DH is wanting one, I''m happy to see if what I have fits what he is looking for.

I agree with you on the new A4s though - I just think its a really nice looking car, and the interior is incredible

Do you have details on the 2.5RS? Is it a coupe? Colour? Miles? Any modifications? Any pics?

W''s been bugging me about buying a 2.5RS forever, but we always miss the ones with any of the specs he''s looking for. I''m down in Houston in the next couple of weeks, too!

 

[ladypirate]

FI had an S4 for years that he loved, but he sold it a couple of years ago. I will ditto Mara that if they go out of warranty they are REALLY expensive to fix. FI had to replace the water pump and axillary water pump and it ended up being around $3,000.

Good luck with your decision! Audis are gorgeous cars!

 

[Cehrabehra]

I want one of these... Audi A6 Avant.

When we were in Europe they were everywhere and on the autobahn, 9/10x the cars passing us were these, some towing trailers and going FAST.

obviously I''m not in the market for a car, but when I get back from China I''m going to try to get my hands on an 09 which will be about 2-3 years old at the time.

I''m not positive the version we saw in europe you can get here, but when I get back I''m researching the heck out of it.

 

[Imdanny]

I owned an A6 2.8q I bought new in 2001 until I sold it last year. I loved it! I think you would loove the A4 quattro if you like Subarus.

Audi is one of the best cars in the world. I personally would rather have an S6 than just about anything else. I''m in the mood for one of the new Mercedes SL''s (I know- fat chance!) but there''s nothing like Audi. Count me as one of the Audi fanatics.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 12/1/2009 12:02:24 AM
Author: Cehrabehra
I want one of these... Audi A6 Avant.


When we were in Europe they were everywhere and on the autobahn, 9/10x the cars passing us were these, some towing trailers and going FAST.


obviously I''m not in the market for a car, but when I get back from China I''m going to try to get my hands on an 09 which will be about 2-3 years old at the time.


I''m not positive the version we saw in europe you can get here, but when I get back I''m researching the heck out of it.

The A6 Avant is darling - I can see why it''d be such a hit in Europe! Your trip to China sounds amazing - I hope everything goes as smoothly as can be hoped

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 12/1/2009 2:02:13 AM
Author: Imdanny
I owned an A6 2.8q I bought new in 2001 until I sold it last year. I loved it! I think you would loove the A4 quattro if you like Subarus.


Audi is one of the best cars in the world. I personally would rather have an S6 than just about anything else. I''m in the mood for one of the new Mercedes SL''s (I know- fat chance!) but there''s nothing like Audi. Count me as one of the Audi fanatics.

Thanks danny - appreciate the vote of confidence. I think you are spot on about the Subaru/Audi Quattro similarities - I think that''s why I liked the Audi so much. Even though the Bimmer I test drove had more horses under the hood, and better torque (though not by much), the Audi just felt more solid to me on the road, like my Subaru, only way more responsive and light on its feet

 

[AmberGretchen]

OK, so I just wanted to come back and update and say - happy Christmas and Chanukah to me, we pulled the trigger on the new A4, and picked it up at the dealership yesterday, and it is amazing!!

I''m still a little in shock over spending so much money, but couldn''t be happier with the car.

And since it wouldn''t be PS without pics, I''ll add them here:

 

[AmberGretchen]

Here''s the beautiful back:

 

[AmberGretchen]

The front (also a good portrayal of what the color looks like IRL):

 

[AmberGretchen]

And finally, the inside (LOVE the interior on this car!!):

 

[D&T]

Congrats! Its a beautiful car. My A4 Quattro was one of my favorite vehicle! I now have a subaru but I miss the audi somedays.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 12/23/2009 5:28:05 PM
Author: D&T
Congrats! Its a beautiful car. My A4 Quattro was one of my favorite vehicle! I now have a subaru but I miss the audi somedays.

Thank you - I loved my Subaru too, but I''m already head over heels for this car

 

[joflier]

Beautiful car!!!! I love the color. I know a couple people that have had A4''s and they have been very happy with them.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 12/23/2009 6:01:46 PM
Author: joflier
Beautiful car!!!! I love the color. I know a couple people that have had A4''s and they have been very happy with them.

Thanks joflier! I''ve always had silver cars before this, but something about the metallic navy on this car in particular really struck me, so I was very glad the dealer was able to find one in that color with the options I wanted

 

[meresal]

Amber, It is GORGEOUS!!!! Happy Holidays to you indeed!!!!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 12/23/2009 6:47:29 PM
Author: meresal
Amber, It is GORGEOUS!!!! Happy Holidays to you indeed!!!!

Thanks meresal!! We really must try to have a Houston GTG now that DH and I are settled in a little bit