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Sedans Audi A4 2009 Audi A4
337 messages, Last post on Nov 20, 2009 at 2:22 PM
You are in the Audi A4 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: fglamser (Mar 31, 2009 6:24 am)
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Replying to: s0l0 (Apr 02, 2009 4:19 pm) As far as driving experience, there is no sense of shifting, only changing RPM in response to current demands. On the A4 you may choose an economy or power priority by selecting D or S with the gearshift handle. |
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I have driven the A4 2.0T quattro and the A6 3.0t quattro--all 2009. I find the interior of the A6 to be much more roomy and nicer, but the A4 was a little disappointing with the 4 banger--and it sounds like a 4 banger, which for me is a problem. So my question is: will I like the A4 3.2 with Prestige, Nav, etc.??? Also has anyone compared the B&O audio in the A4 to the Bose in the A6? Thanks
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Replying to: art234 (Apr 09, 2009 12:56 pm) I opted for the sports package despite it being very stiff. It still was less harsh than my 2006 M35X. Audi has an adjustable suspension called drive select. I have heard good things. Audi forums audiforums and audi-forums dot com are both worth reading. I have not heard the B&O system but the buzz is great. My wife's 3.2 is up in June. Next week we go to look at a new one and if I try a B&O I will let you know. We may well buy the 3.2 and have it certified for the 100,000 mile Audi warranty. 2.9% and a deal much less than the residual on the lease. If you buy the B&O on the Prestige package it has a much lower lease residual than the Premium Plus. Add drive select and you are way up there $$$. I always have doubts about the longevity of turbo engines. They may he better now though. Did you test drive the Caddy CTS? I did not but you are being thorough. I would be curious to hear your impressions. Owners I spoke to love them. Look at one with sports, 4 wheel, direct injection. My company leases for me so I did not consider a purchase. Other wise I would have. Maybe you can grind down the Caddy purchase price and have a third party do the lease. As a practical matter low auto lease money factors must be subsidized by the manufacturer. Their true cost of their money is tied to commercial paper rates. High residuals are also a distortion. The prices of the luxury cars are inflated to make room for these manipulations.
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Replying to: art234 (Apr 09, 2009 12:56 pm) The interior of the 2009 felt like coming home to a 2005 A6. Now, I have driven 05 to 08 A6's, and sat in the new 09 A6 3.0T. The size difference (wheelbase is about 1" longer on the A6) is very minimal. The width of the A6 does contribute to a slightly more spacious feeling. Behind the wheel, the A6 does have a longer hood, but it is also nose heavy and it tends to plow through the twisties, at least compared to the new A4. The sound of the supercharged engine and even the 3.2 that I had are nearly as sweet as the the Audi 4.2 V8. The 2.0T at full cry sounds very good -- perhaps something akin to a Porsche (sortof). At part throttle, the A4's sound is either very muted or merely OK. The thing is smooth, smooth, smooth, even though it doesn't have the sweet sounds many of us want. Equipped with Prestige, ADS, sport package, wood, power sunshades and in tiptronic form, the A4 runs just slightly south of $50,000 without the upgraded paint (mine is white). My outgoing A6 was $53,286. The lease payment is virtually identical, but the A4 has a 50,000 mile lease and the A6 was 45,000 -- both came with maintenance (an option these days). The performance of the new A4 is even better than my 1995 S6 and my 1997 A8. I love it. The rear biased torsen and better weight distribution contribute to a more engaging driving experience than my outgoing A6. The A4 has moved up the luxury scale considerably this year. It is, as I noted, "almost" a 2005 A6 -- missing only the ambient lighting of the A6. But I have the in dash 6 disk CD player rather than the one in the '05 which was in the glove box. Overall these cars are more alike than different -- but oh that Supercharged V6 -- and the driving dynamics of the A4 show the chassis of the current A6, even with that super supercharged motivator, is in need of a refreshening. If you want more lux content -- the A6 wins and the V6 is fantastic (according to all I have read it is like the V8, which I have driven.) If you want a bit more modern performance luxury car and can justify $50 grand for an A4, well it is an obvious choice. You can't loose with either one of these. |
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Thanks for the comments. I am still confused. I drove the A4 3.2 the other day and liked it. I am waiting for leasing numbers on the 2.0, which was fine other than the fact that the engine sounds like a Toyota...I would expect with a $6000 plus price difference the numbers would be more realistic for the 2.0. The biggest thing for me right now is the electronics. The Audi electronics are a little behind the times--no hard drive, and no nav traffic. I could live without that, but I am putting this A4 up against the Acura TL now and the TL is slightly ahead. The main advantage of the Audi here is the trunk space and overall handling, but again, it's very close. That said, I am wondering about the B&O stereo vs. the Acura ELS package, which is VERY impressive. I heard a B&O in the A5 and was not impressed--does anyone know if the A4 B&O is tuned differently than the coupe? The rear was almost muted..... I'll keep you all posted, but again, I can't WAIT to be rid of my M35x. I am actually returning it 3 months early and just paying off the lease I hate it and the dealership so much....but that's another story which was covered in the Infiniti threads. Happy Eastover, everyone.
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Replying to: art234 (Apr 12, 2009 5:53 am) Audio is a personal taste. You have three months left so take your time. Listen to each. No doubt the Japanese cars give more bang for the buck and less service issues. I opted for Audi for the fold down rear seats and good looks. Sirius vs XM. I am more of a CNBC/Howard 100/50s oldies guy on the car radio so the B&O is not for me. My wife's 2007 A4 3.2 has the Premium Plus radio and the sound is better than the M35X 14 speaker BOSE with DVD. BOSE is B.S. Your M must be worse than mine was to eat 3-months rent. A call to Pepe Infiniti in White Plains would be worth it. I think Tom was the service manager. VW/Audi are SOB's on the minor dings on lease termination I am learning re the Jetta. Their inspector much have be trained in Ingolstadt at headquarters.. Pluses & minuses. Enjoy the holiday. Matzoh is allot more fattening than it tastes. Barry
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Replying to: barryend (Apr 12, 2009 7:24 am) Are the rear view mirrors (inside and out) on the A4 electrochromatic (dimming)? Are the outside mirrors heated? Thanks And yes Barry, my M is horrible--drivetrain issues they can't fix, and interior buzzing noises due to that where the service manager told me to "turn my radio up". The sooner I am away from that car the better off I will be. Pepe is way to far for me--I am on Long Island.
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I am starting to lose patience here....by the time Audi finally gets them, I might as well hold out til the end of the year and get their closeout end of the year sale...this is getting ridiculous! I just. can't. drive. an automatic.....(yawn)..... |
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Replying to: art234 (Apr 12, 2009 7:46 am) The outside mirrors are heated and the right mirror auto dips when the car is put into reverse. The B&O system, for my tastes is the best factory system ever -- however, the Acura DVD Audio (if you can find any discs) is fantastic. The 2010 Audis will have the HDD and the 3G electronics -- which will pretty much just make them catch up with the Japanese. I have the 2009 which, other than the backup camera, is identical to my 2005 A6's -- everything works and works well. It is not as modern as the Acura or Infiniti systems -- I also have the blind spot warning system which I thought was going to be a nothin' -- it really is a something and I am glad I have it. The time, NOW, is passed to order a 2009 A4 -- so, ordering now will get you the upgraded electronics you may want, based on your post. You'll also likely get some economy boosts too with the start stop system Audi has announced for the upcoming year. |
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