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Old 26th August 2021, 14:40   #76
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

I have plans to buy an entry-level luxury car early next year. Before I embark on that journey, I am trying to first figure out which body type to go for - sedan or crossover/SUV?
I intend to take the car for long drives and inevitably some of those roads will have huge craters/potholes/speed breakers. And I don't want to have a heart stopping moment when I encounter those.

I love sedans for the comfort and handling they offer offers crossovers/SUVs. However, I am willing to make the compromise for the above mentioned reason.

So, I would like to know from owners of the A4 and 330i if they are confident of taking their car to outstation trips over unknown roads.

It seems the A4 is a very good all rounder and a jack of all trades and also the most value for money offering in this segment, after discounts. So, I have to decide whether I should go for test drives or should I wait for the Q3/X1?
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Old 26th August 2021, 16:31   #77
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

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Originally Posted by adimicra View Post
It seems the A4 is a very good all rounder and a jack of all trades and also the most value for money offering in this segment, after discounts. So, I have to decide whether I should go for test drives or should I wait for the Q3/X1?
For your needs, I'd say Q3 for sure, it's a compact SUV, great knee and head room in the back, fantastic handling (I was cruising at 80 into a sharp turn, was composed and flat), and has enough practicality for long trips. X1 is also nice but not as good in build quality and interiors, but drives nicer, though harsher.

Stick to Audi for this one, be it Q3 or A4, the A4 though sits a bit too low for my liking, loved the Q3 in that department.
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Old 26th August 2021, 16:53   #78
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

Thanks for your suggestions. I think the Q3 will be a safer option in that sense, just wanted to see if owners can share practical experiences with the A4 because the quoted GC number can be very misleading.

I have a VW Vento and a Honda Jazz (previous gen), both of which have similar wheelbase and theoretical GC numbers but the Vento has much better ground clearance than the Jazz or City, because of the suspension setup or some other reason. And I have not scraped the underbelly of the Vento even once, though it can't be compared with a crossover.

Any idea on the launch date for Q3? I think it makes sense to wait for 6 months after the launch for the discounts to kick in. So, if Audi launches the Q3 in Nov 2021, it might make sense for me to wait till mid-2022 to start enquiries. Let me know if my understanding is correct. As you can see, this will be my first premium/luxury car and I am not sure if I will be buying another one later. So, I might be thinking too much

Last edited by adimicra : 26th August 2021 at 16:54.
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Old 26th August 2021, 23:58   #79
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

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Originally Posted by adimicra View Post
So, I would like to know from owners of the A4 and 330i if they are confident of taking their car to outstation trips over unknown roads.
I have a F30 320d for 6 years now and you just can not take these cars to unknown terrain. The underbelly scrapes with full load and then you have the fear of hydrostatic locks when monsoons come and our roads become an olympic swimming pool.

BMW’s are notorious for runflat issues too, i have other cars in the garage to take out on such days but the A4/330i are not cars you can just take anywhere.

I do not know how good the roads around Hyderabad are but if you are planning a luxury car for outstation trips with family, stick to cars with more ground clearance, ingress/egress would be easy too.There is no match for sedans when the roads are good but practicality takes a bit hit.
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Old 27th August 2021, 00:56   #80
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

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Originally Posted by adimicra View Post
It seems the A4 is a very good all rounder and a jack of all trades and also the most value for money offering in this segment, after discounts. So, I have to decide whether I should go for test drives or should I wait for the Q3/X1?
I hear you perfectly and it makes total sense. You shouldn't have to think twice about taking out and driving your 50L car to your destination.

For this reason, I would suggest to go for the Crossover/SUV. When I drove the X1, it felt very similar to how Polo drove, but with better ride quality and somehow lesser body roll. I didn't think much of it then. But after driving similarly sized regular cars. Eg : Kushaq, Creta, Hector etc. I can now understand that making a Crossover handle like a hatch also takes precise engineering (eg, X1 has a strut brace , in a Crossover Damnit !! ) and I have driven it on dug up and non existent roads and it is surprisingly comfortable even though I'm on stock RFTs. I feel the added practicality of the crossover is worth it and it still preserves a good amount of driving Fun.

Last edited by aah78 : 27th August 2021 at 01:40. Reason: Quote trimmed.
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Old 27th August 2021, 01:07   #81
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

Hi, I have a 330i, in the last 7 months or so- have taken it to Lansdowne, Shimla, Pushkar, Delhi to Ahmedabad, passed farmers protest on Jaipur highway numerous times by navigating through villages with terrible roads - the car has never scraped. Mine is a G20 2020 model, the car doesn’t scrape easily unless you go over a speed breaker or uneven roads at high speeds. I would at the same time agree that they require a certain level of skill to navigate on tough roads, but if you can keep a check on your speeds on such roads.

If your budget is above 60L then I would recommend an X3 since Q3 is not being sold.

And I would never buy the 330i if I felt I couldn’t take it to 95% of the places.

Last edited by aah78 : 27th August 2021 at 01:41. Reason: Typos fixed.
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Old 27th August 2021, 11:32   #82
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

A4/330i are not meant to be taken anywhere on Indian roads, especially with full load (on family trips etc). Bangalore roads and speed breakers are notoriously bad and it might scrape over there, rest of India may be slightly better. This is precisely why why I passed sedans when I was in market and went for Q5. I can recall many trips where I would not have been comfortable driving a German sedan but could do coz of SUV. For Indian speeds and roads, I don't thing Q5/Q3/X1/X3 etc suffer in handling much.
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Old 27th August 2021, 11:48   #83
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

Quote:
Originally Posted by adimicra View Post
I have plans to buy an entry-level luxury car early next year. Before I embark on that journey, I am trying to first figure out which body type to go for - sedan or crossover/SUV?
--------
It seems the A4 is a very good all rounder and a jack of all trades and also the most value for money offering in this segment, after discounts. So, I have to decide whether I should go for test drives or should I wait for the Q3/X1?
I think a lot depends on the kind of roads you have near your town & where you would be travelling to. For example, someone living in Delhi can definitely go for a sedan since roads are generally good in town as well to most of the tourist places. For someone like me in Kolkata, buying a sedan luxury made very less sense. Most of our trips are to the Himalayas and the road leading to it (the famous Kolkata-Siliguri corridor) is not know to be the best. The roads inside the city in Kolkata are not too great and have undulations. Hence I bought the X1 (and also got rid of the RFTs). Having a Duster AWD along with the X1 helps as well as it is a go anywhere car.

So, take in account the road conditions of the places you might venture on & decide whether you want a Sedan or a Crossover. No point regretting not being able to take out your car where you want to.

Cheers,
Pawan
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Old 27th August 2021, 11:54   #84
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

Quote:
Originally Posted by adimicra View Post
I have plans to buy an entry-level luxury car early next year. Before I embark on that journey, I am trying to first figure out which body type to go for - sedan or crossover/SUV?

I intend to take the car for long drives and inevitably some of those roads will have huge craters/potholes/speed breakers. And I don't want to have a heart stopping moment when I encounter those.
From my experience of owning Vento 1.6 TDi and X1 20d, I would suggest you to go for BMW X1 20d eyes closed.

X1 can handle all sorts of bad roads Indian highways can throw at it. Can drive through 250 mm water logging.

You would love the handling it offers and power on tap coming from a Vento.

225 55 R17 RFT can handle all sorts of bumps and potholes. Driven 28,000 kms and never faced issue of side wall cut, burst or bubble.

You can even look at preowned X1 since 20d variant is now limited to just 1 variant top end.

Lastly Audi would remain only petrol portfolio. For highway driven cars you need diesel for torque, efficiency and range DTE.

Luxury Sedans are a strict no on Indian Highways unless you can baby them on bad roads.
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Old 29th August 2021, 10:31   #85
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

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Hi. I picked the A4 technology last week. I’ve been advised to use speed97 only. Can someone throw some light on this pls. Do I stick to it, is it something that Audi says and what happens if I don’t find speed97 every time specially when travelling outside.
No need at all. All modern car's ECU will adjust ignition timing according to the fuel grade. What this MAY (not necessarily always) mean is you may get some 7-8HP less horsepower than top HP mentioned when you floor the paddle. Unless you do that often and care for it, it makes no difference. I put normal petrol in my Audi Q5 all the time and it never made any difference coz ECU adjusts timing accordingly. Google "car and driver does premium fuel make a difference" if you want technicalities.

Please note, it DOES make a difference for racers but not for Audis on Indian roads.
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Old 29th August 2021, 18:56   #86
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

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Originally Posted by OffRoadFun View Post
A4/330i are not meant to be taken anywhere on Indian roads, especially with full load (on family trips etc). Bangalore roads and speed breakers are notoriously bad and it might scrape over there, rest of India may be slightly better. This is precisely why why I passed sedans when I was in market and went for Q5. I can recall many trips where I would not have been comfortable driving a German sedan but could do coz of SUV. For Indian speeds and roads, I don't thing Q5/Q3/X1/X3 etc suffer in handling much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kartikv1 View Post
Hi, I have a 330i, in the last 7 months or so- have taken it to Lansdowne, Shimla, Pushkar, Delhi to Ahmedabad, passed farmers protest on Jaipur highway numerous times by navigating through villages with terrible roads - the car has never scraped.

And I would never buy the 330i if I felt I couldn’t take it to 95% of the places.
Quote:
Originally Posted by agambhandari View Post
I hear you perfectly and it makes total sense. You shouldn't have to think twice about taking out and driving your 50L car to your destination.

For this reason, I would suggest to go for the Crossover/SUV.
Quote:
Originally Posted by el lobo 6061 View Post
From my experience of owning Vento 1.6 TDi and X1 20d, I would suggest you to go for BMW X1 20d eyes closed.

X1 can handle all sorts of bad roads Indian highways can throw at it. Can drive through 250 mm water logging.

.
Thanks to all of you for your responses.
Your responses has really cleared my head and I am pretty sure that I will be going for a luxury crossover for my next car. Looking at my budget and my preference for a new car, I will probably be looking at the X1 and Q3.

Any idea on when the launch can be expected in India?
Also, how much should I budget for purchasing anyone of these 2?
Other option is go for the new Tiguan 5-seater which should be launched pretty soon.

I love petrol cars and considering my usage, I don't think I would like to go for a diesel.
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Old 29th August 2021, 19:59   #87
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

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Originally Posted by adimicra View Post
Any idea on when the launch can be expected in India?
Also, how much should I budget for purchasing anyone of these 2?
Other option is go for the new Tiguan 5-seater which should be launched pretty soon.

I love petrol cars and considering my usage, I don't think I would like to go for a diesel.
I wouldn't recommend touching a new Q3 (2022) or X1 (2022/2023) at launch as they would be priced around GLA levels, but with minimal discounts : making them depreciation disasters once discounts start seeping in.
You should plan to pick up one of these in 2023 ideally, though audi could be quicker to role out the discounts. Factor in cost of extended warranty for any new launch German, and keep in mind that the similarly priced sedan does often have better interior quality.
If the wait is too long, I'd also advise having a look at the Mini Countryman which seems to be a good balance of fun, and practicality.

Regarding crossover vs sedans: we are a sedan based family, though we do have the Tiguan for touring and other practical needs.
While the last few outstation family trips have been done in the Tiguan due to better seat comfort, luggage space, and more carefree driving experience during rains, etc. as it can take the hidden potholes and bumps better; the sedans at home (W205 C, F30 3) have also made these trips without scraping, once out of the city.
In fact, in my experience, the highways aren't as problematic as much as getting in and out of the city is : the last few drives have seen the underbelly scraping the ridiculously large speed breakers on the way to and fro the highway

In case you do go the sedan way, tips as follows:
1) If the previous generation Honda City can cross the breaker, you should be good to go!
2) At times going sideways over a speedbreaker helps!
3) Study the route beforehand. There are many BHPians and enthusiasts who have taken their sedans all over the place. Iliketurtles has driven his lowered F30 328i several times to Goa from Mumbai, Karan567 on a recent Rajasthan road trip had an M5 as part of the convoy, androdev has taken his W221 S350 touring as well. Take tips from recent travellers and study the route. Avoid last minute detours as suggested by Google maps to save a few minutes here and there
4) Travel during daylight hours as much as possible on unfamiliar routes / days with rainy & gloomy weather for best visibility on bumps, potholes, other obstructions.
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Old 29th August 2021, 21:00   #88
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

Quote:
Originally Posted by OffRoadFun View Post
No need at all. All modern car's ECU will adjust ignition timing according to the fuel grade. What this MAY (not necessarily always) mean is you may get some 7-8HP less horsepower than top HP mentioned when you floor the paddle. Unless you do that often and care for it, it makes no difference. I put normal petrol in my Audi Q5 all the time and it never made any difference coz ECU adjusts timing accordingly. Google "car and driver does premium fuel make a difference" if you want technicalities.

Please note, it DOES make a difference for racers but not for Audis on Indian roads.
While this is true to an extent, do note that the new Audi's have min RON recommendation of 95 octane. The reason is that the new Gen3B EA888 engine runs on Miller - Budak cycle vs the known Otto cycle. This needs higher RON fuel.

While the engine will cut power and adjust the timing to account for lower fuel to prevent knocking, we don't know much about this new engine on our fuel.

Hence I would recommend that while Speed97 is not needed atleast go for the new and now standard across most IOCL pumps XP95. XP95 is true 95 RON and is available in almost all metros replacing the Xtrapremium.
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Old 30th August 2021, 07:19   #89
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

Quote:
Originally Posted by adimicra View Post
I have plans to buy an entry-level luxury car early next year. Before I embark on that journey, I am trying to first figure out which body type to go for - sedan or crossover/SUV?
I intend to take the car for long drives and inevitably some of those roads will have huge craters/potholes/speed breakers. And I don't want to have a heart stopping moment when I encounter those.

I love sedans for the comfort and handling they offer offers crossovers/SUVs. However, I am willing to make the compromise for the above mentioned reason.

So, I would like to know from owners of the A4 and 330i if they are confident of taking their car to outstation trips over unknown roads.

It seems the A4 is a very good all rounder and a jack of all trades and also the most value for money offering in this segment, after discounts. So, I have to decide whether I should go for test drives or should I wait for the Q3/X1?
I have a 3rd gen Octavia which is similar in terms of GC to the A4 and I have taken it to all sort of terrains that our country can throw to us. I have done Delhi- Jodhpur-Jaisalmer, Delhi-Bhandavgarh, Delhi-Manali-Rohtang-Sissu-Keylong-Shimla and numerous Delhi-Chandigarh trips and not faced any issues except scraping once or twice on really bad speed breakers. If you are slightly careful where there are no roads and are willing to reduce your speed or navigate through large bumps sideways, you should do just fine. Recently I navigated through farmer protests via Sonipat border and also through Rajasthan-Haryana border through villages with non-existent roads amid heavy rains and deep water logging, but touch wood the car came out unscathed.
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Old 30th August 2021, 19:40   #90
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Re: 2021 Audi A4 launched at Rs. 42.34 lakh

^^

Now, I am again getting confused
The reason I like the A4 is it meets all my requirements and is also within my budget (after price reduction and discounts), but I am only worried about the GC.
Does the A4 come with good underbody protection?

Will the new Q3/X1 cost higher than the A4? I am not sure because I don't have a lot of scope to increase my budget further.
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