[originalamit]

1) This is for the 2.0 TDI Diesel.
2) Cost : 24,73,000/- ex showroom. Bangalore road tax is Rs 5,24,105 :-(
3) yes, external looks are exactly the same ! there is no specific "corporate edition" logo on it.
4) colors - white outer, beige interior. Silver outer, black interior. There is a black as well but i was not considering that so did not probe.
5) Yes, did extensive TD of BMW 3, Merc C and A4. The GC is good. I drive from Malleshwaram to Sarjapur road daily so if anyone knows bangalore, these are the worst stretches of road we have (probably in the country ). Car does not touch any of the road humps so i am happy.

Meet Girish at Audi. He is a good sales agent. Hope it helps.

Amit

Originally Posted by androdev

@originalamit,

31 OTR with 4 yr warranty + b2b insurance in "bangalore" seem like a good deal. Calls for a visit to Audi Bangalore.

Spec looks pretty decent. I miss sunroof and parking display. Others including folding mirrors no big deal.

Have few questions:

This is for 2.0 TDI?
Could you please give a breakup of the price?
The front and rear lights are exactly same (LED, xenons) as regular A4?
Except sunroof - what else is the external 'clue' to say this is corp-edition?
What colour (ext/interior) options exist in this trim?
Did you TD - how is the ground clearance? Stupid question - but GC is very important in Bangalore!

Thanks.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by originalamit

1) This is for the 2.0 TDI Diesel.
2) Cost : 24,73,000/- ex showroom. Bangalore road tax is Rs 5,24,105 :-(
3) yes, external looks are exactly the same ! there is no specific "corporate edition" logo on it.
4) colors - white outer, beige interior. Silver outer, black interior. There is a black as well but i was not considering that so did not probe.
5) Yes, did extensive TD of BMW 3, Merc C and A4. The GC is good. I drive from Malleshwaram to Sarjapur road daily so if anyone knows bangalore, these are the worst stretches of road we have (probably in the country ). Car does not touch any of the road humps so i am happy.

Meet Girish at Audi. He is a good sales agent. Hope it helps.

Amit

Thanks Amit.

During my research on A4 earlier, I came across lot of concerns regarding the CVT transmission - reliability (most were related to earlier A4 models - but still very very negative ownership experiences) and drivability (not as much as alternatives, esp DSG)

Having a 140BHP engine might be a better option considering it is CVT. All said and done, this is a better package for a family sedan than other options at ~30L OTR in Bangalore.

One more favour: since you have TD'ed 3-series and C-class, it would be good if you could post your observations here.

Thanks.

[originalamit]

Originally Posted by androdev

Thanks Amit.

During my research on A4 earlier, I came across lot of concerns regarding the CVT transmission - reliability (most were related to earlier A4 models - but still very very negative ownership experiences) and drivability (not as much as alternatives, esp DSG)

Having a 140BHP engine might be a better option considering it is CVT. All said and done, this is a better package for a family sedan than other options at ~30L OTR in Bangalore.

One more favour: since you have TD'ed 3-series and C-class, it would be good if you could post your observations here.

Thanks.

First off, my thought process for buying a car (not in any specific order):
1) Should have comfortable rear seats for my family. Long drives should be comfortable for my passengers as well.
2) Should fit my budget of 30L. I did not want to extend beyond this unless it was really justified.
3) Wanted a diesel and an automatic. No compromise here. Should be a great drive experience too !
4) Should not be too basic in features. Dont want to spend 30L and have the same features as a Maruti Alto.
5) I needed to buy a car now (and not wait for any new variants coming up in the near undefined future...)
6) Car should look nice.

So for the BMW 3 series:
1) Corporate edition was within budget
2) Non existent rear seat space.
3) Featureless car - manual seats, leatherette, no MMI etc etc. Too basic.
4) Model up for replacement in Jan
5) Car drive was great.
The BMW guy kept telling me its a great driving experience in a BMW but my daily drive is from home to work and it is about 25kmph avg speed.

For the merc :
1) Poor sales rep response... did not even bother to call back even after i went to the showroom telling them i am ready to buy NOW if they are willing to talk. Since i drove into the showroom in my innova, wearing a Masai Mara Great migration T shirt and my military camoflauge shorts, guess the sales guy thought i was some bum.
2) Price of the car quoted to me was :
C250CDI Pre facelift Elegance - On road 38Lakhs post discounts.
C250CDI BE AvantGarde - On Road 41 lakhs.
3) No TD offered. Promised to get it done the following week, but no calls came thru. I did a TD on my friends C Class

For the Audi (list not in any specific order):
1) Nice rear leg room space
2) Corporate edition had all the features i will need. It is loaded enough for me. Car looks really nice. Xenons and LED are fantastic. MMI is really cool and you can program the car itself using the MMI.
3) Excellent sales staff. The sales guys were very attentive and gave me a great experience. Went all out of the way to impress including keeping showroom open on sunday at 8AM to see the cars and gave me a lot of test drives as and when i wanted.
4) Overall package, features, 4 year warranty, service every 30,000/- km etc etc
5) Great drive in the car. Loved the feel. Terrific engine. The gearbox works very well.

This was my candid rational. Hope it helps.

Amit

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by androdev

One more favour: since you have TD'ed 3-series and C-class, it would be good if you could post your observations here.

Thanks.

Androdev if you are looking for a Laura replacement then rule out the 3 if anyone is going to be using the back seat often. If you do buy the A4 CE then the 16" rims look way too small on the A4, an upgrade to 17" is a must like most cars do.

Also look at the C class, you could get the pre refresh C250cdi with an almost 5l discount.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by originalamit

This was my candid rational. Hope it helps.

Amit

Thanks Amit. That was useful. Ignoring the bad experience from Merc, do they have anything that is in ~30L OTR range? I never got that sense! It seemed like you need to have 40L minimum to buy any C-class with 4yrs warranty and bumper to bumper insurance.

Also what is the space-wheel spec for corp edition A4?

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Androdev if you are looking for a Laura replacement then rule out the 3 if anyone is going to be using the back seat often. If you do buy the A4 CE then the 16" rims look way too small on the A4, an upgrade to 17" is a must like most cars do.

Also look at the C class, you could get the pre refresh C250cdi with an almost 5l discount.

Yes Akshay, was tempted by your 3-series ownership thread but it is time to be less selfish and care for the passengers :-) Somehow I am not sure I will get a feel-good Merc for ~30L in Bangalore.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by androdev

Yes Akshay, was tempted by your 3-series ownership thread but it is time to be less selfish and care for the passengers :-) Somehow I am not sure I will get a feel-good Merc for ~30L in Bangalore.

Even the C200cgi would probably cost around 35 otr in Bangy? Just get the Passat, it fits all your requirements. Powerful car, great ride, good features, high on space.

[originalamit]

-Merc offered the petrol edition Elegance version (C200CGI Pre lift) for about 32 or 33 L on road to my friend. It was a "clearance sale".

Space - wheel spec = do you mean alloy size? that is 16" on the A4

On another note, i know a lot of us get caught up in which car is better to drive? Honestly, this is what i think -
- The difference in drive feel/ comfort between an A4, C or a BMW is almost negligible on a day to day city drive. I test drove all the cars and it was not much of a difference. I would rate all cars as a 95%+ positive feel with each one within a percentage of each other. So, in summary, i went with what the overall package offered as listed in my previous post.

Hope this helps.

Amit

Originally Posted by androdev

Thanks Amit. That was useful. Ignoring the bad experience from Merc, do they have anything that is in ~30L OTR range? I never got that sense! It seemed like you need to have 40L minimum to buy any C-class with 4yrs warranty and bumper to bumper insurance.

Also what is the space-wheel spec for corp edition A4?



Yes Akshay, was tempted by your 3-series ownership thread but it is time to be less selfish and care for the passengers :-) Somehow I am not sure I will get a feel-good Merc for ~30L in Bangalore.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by originalamit

-Merc offered the petrol edition Elegance version (C200CGI Pre lift) for about 32 or 33 L on road to my friend. It was a "clearance sale".

Space - wheel spec = do you mean alloy size? that is 16" on the A4

On another note, i know a lot of us get caught up in which car is better to drive? Honestly, this is what i think -
- The difference in drive feel/ comfort between an A4, C or a BMW is almost negligible on a day to day city drive. I test drove all the cars and it was not much of a difference. I would rate all cars as a 95%+ positive feel with each one within a percentage of each other. So, in summary, i went with what the overall package offered as listed in my previous post.

Hope this helps.

Amit

Thanks Amit. I booked an A4 today - largely thanks to you. And long before I was sure it would be A4 among the top three contenders. I was sitting on the fence and trying to see if I can pick a used car in the next segment.

I am yet to choose the trim and colour - corp edition (they call it business edition) or the standard trim. I wanted black and they say it is not available in business edition. What colour did you pick?

They are willing to offer decent discount on standard trim where as the business edition doesn't have much discount on it (max 60-70K I think) so I am undecided on the trim - just paid the booking amount, will pick the trim/color after a bit of chat with the family.

Here is how I ended up deciding A4 (if it helps anyone)

A4 vs 3:
- A4 is a better family car compared to 3. So 3 is out.

A4 vs C:
- A4 is cheaper than C :-) I prefer the A4's design. I am more scared of Merc maintenance than Audi. Sundaram motors (merc dealer) doesn't give me good vibes. I have seen their workshop while getting my Corsa serviced.

A4 vs Passat/Superb:
- I dropped Passat because the highline only comes in black interiors and it is not that cheap either. And all VW look so same - I still have hard time telling which is which from the front. Superb is a bit too long for self-drive. Wanted a bit of a brand - as ajmat said in his Passat review - the A.S.S facilities will not be that crowded, someone actually might show some respect to the customer (no harm in dreaming, eh?)

What I don't like about A4 but still went ahead:
-A4 has pretty basic engine and transmission (140BHP? + CVT) - I am generally not into power+tranny - so this is good enough.
-NVH could have been better (engine bay is not properly insulated)
-Steering is a bit vague, but the lightness helps for the general A-B commute
-Sunroof is the smaller one (bad bad!)
-No parking display unless you buy WCI
-No USB (but SD card support exists which is actually better for my usage)
-MMI has pretty lame screen size and resolution - but its got the features.
-No driver side glovebox and no parking sticker holder (was very useful in laura)
-ORVMs a bit small?
-No memory seats unless you buy WCI

Did anything really impress me about the A4?
Hmmm.. not really. But it has got everything I wanted in some measure :-) That I can't say for other cars that I have considered.


Should I pick Teak-Brown (you see this in Fiat, BMW) or Black for outside? You can see the teak-brown shade here:
http://forums.audiworld.com/picture....ctureid=233191

[originalamit]

Great decision. you will love the car. My points :
1) I have a new passat as well. Its not the same as driving an Audi...The 2 cars are not in the same class when it comes to the look and feel of it.
2) I bought the white color with the beige trim
3) Yes, i know, car upgrades will keep coming. What we buy today will be a little obsolete tomorrow... but where does this end? We live for today, so i bought for today. What difference does it make if the tail light and headlights are a little modified?
4) No guarantee if the new version will come in a corporate trim and the same pricing. Look at the new C class - i dont see a corporate trim in it.
5) 140 bhp is good enough for me. The passat at 170bhp does not feel very different in city conditions. On the highway...well, the max you can hit on a sustained basis is what? 100kmph? before you brake :-)
6) I followed the exact same logic as you and took the A4
7) Regarding the color - follow you heart :-) You will love the car once you start driving it. Thats a promise.

Originally Posted by androdev

Thanks Amit. I booked an A4 today - largely thanks to you. And long before I was sure it would be A4 among the top three contenders. I was sitting on the fence and trying to see if I can pick a used car in the next segment.

I am yet to choose the trim and colour - corp edition (they call it business edition) or the standard trim. I wanted black and they say it is not available in business edition. What colour did you pick?

They are willing to offer decent discount on standard trim where as the business edition doesn't have much discount on it (max 60-70K I think) so I am undecided on the trim - just paid the booking amount, will pick the trim/color after a bit of chat with the family.

Here is how I ended up deciding A4 (if it helps anyone)

A4 vs 3:
- A4 is a better family car compared to 3. So 3 is out.

A4 vs C:
- A4 is cheaper than C :-) I prefer the A4's design. I am more scared of Merc maintenance than Audi. Sundaram motors (merc dealer) doesn't give me good vibes. I have seen their workshop while getting my Corsa serviced.

A4 vs Passat/Superb:
- I dropped Passat because the highline only comes in black interiors and it is not that cheap either. And all VW look so same - I still have hard time telling which is which from the front. Superb is a bit too long for self-drive. Wanted a bit of a brand - as ajmat said in his Passat review - the A.S.S facilities will not be that crowded, someone actually might show some respect to the customer (no harm in dreaming, eh?)

What I don't like about A4 but still went ahead:
-A4 has pretty basic engine and transmission (140BHP? + CVT) - I am generally not into power+tranny - so this is good enough.
-NVH could have been better (engine bay is not properly insulated)
-Steering is a bit vague, but the lightness helps for the general A-B commute
-Sunroof is the smaller one (bad bad!)
-No parking display unless you buy WCI
-No USB (but SD card support exists which is actually better for my usage)
-MMI has pretty lame screen size and resolution - but its got the features.
-No driver side glovebox and no parking sticker holder (was very useful in laura)
-ORVMs a bit small?
-No memory seats unless you buy WCI

Did anything really impress me about the A4?
Hmmm.. not really. But it has got everything I wanted in some measure :-) That I can't say for other cars that I have considered.


Should I pick Teak-Brown (you see this in Fiat, BMW) or Black for outside? You can see the teak-brown shade here:
http://forums.audiworld.com/picture....ctureid=233191

[originalamit]

I think i just loved the simplicity of the car. It had the best balance mix of everything i wanted and that was good enough for me

Originally Posted by androdev

Did anything really impress me about the A4?
Hmmm.. not really. But it has got everything I wanted in some measure :-) That I can't say for other cars that I have considered.

[anandbhat]

Hey! Androdev!!
Many many congratulations for one Beamer 520D, and second for the A4 booking!
Had been out of this forum for quite a long time, and missed all these...
Very nice report and some wonderful thought process to help others as well.

Cheers,
Anand!

[Berj79]

anyone knows the OTR for the a4 CE in mumbai?

Thanks..

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Berj79

anyone knows the OTR for the a4 CE in mumbai?

Thanks..

I don't know the very exact amount but it's approximately 29 lakhs on road mumbai for individual registration. WCI package must be extra I suppose.

[Berj79]

any idea how much the 2ltr tfsi is for? does the Ce version come with paddle shift?

Thanks..

[i<3turbo]

No A4's come with paddle shifters and i believe the ce edition only comes in a 2.0tdi which is otr for 29 i could be wrong about the price and the model varient it only comes in