[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by iceman7

Congratulations again! A nicely written review. All the time I was reading the review, I had a sense of familiarity on what you were writing. It was as if I was reading about my own A4, but with the difference that it had grown up and learned new skills and gotten new features

Many thanks for your kind words, nice to see some deja vu!

I agree with you regarding the design of Audi alloy wheels. There is only ONE design in the Audi stable that I absolutely love - this is the 5-spoke rotor design. Unfortunately it's not available in 17", so an upsize to 18 or 19 is needed. But, I do like the design that your Audi has come with.
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Audi rightly calls the Hankook Ventus as the summer tyre. I had to switch from studded winter tyres to Summer tyres 3 weeks ago. I considered getting the Hankook, but finally settled for the Yokohama BlueEarth AE51. I still think the Hankook's are pretty decent tyres.

I like the 5-spoke concept, but the design on the Premium Plus variant (and also the top-end 'Technology') is somewhat plain jane in my view, as compared to the overall style quotient of the car. Will definitely see if there is a scope to change the alloys sometime later.

On the 'summer' Hankooks, based on the initial 1.5 months or so, I think they are good - silent + grip well. As some other BHPian commented, I need to be watchful in the rains though. Will wait for 1 full cycle of a year or so before I can think of a replacement.

How are the Yokohamas faring, if you can share some views?

There is one thing I don't understand about Audi in India though - Why won't they sell the A4 quattro? I remember seeing a Q2 quattro when I was in Bombay in April, so if the Q2 gets it, why not the A4?

That's a (4.5, actually) million rupee question!
Globally, I think all the 'Crossover/SUVs' get the quattro as a general rule, but not necessarily all the sedans. It's most probably a market linked feature governed by the intended positioning of the car (luxury cruiser for 'A' class in India) + economics (is there a profitable quattro market for luxury, mostly-chauffeur driven sedans in India?).
Doesn't look like Audi will bring the quattro for its sedans in India, atleast in the near future.

Originally Posted by Mustang Sammy

Nice and detailed review of a very well put together car. Your passion for the A4 really shows.

Many thanks for your kind words!

Originally Posted by Zignor

There are two types of reviews for me. One, reviews which give a biased outlook and help you take a judgement. Two, reviews which just make you want to experience the product. This is clearly the latter.
A lot of accolades have already been shared here and I am in complete agreement with them. You have written a wonderful review, so much so that after reading it, I too want an Audi A4.

Many thanks, I am truly humbled reading your kind words!
Please go ahead with the A4, you won't be disappointed!

I have just one noob question though, with all the different driving setups (efficiency, comfort, sporty and dynamic) & steering feedbacks does it sometimes become a question of too much to chose from? Not to mention, one can individually customise these permutations, does it end up complicating the experience?

Actually, I leave it in either the 'Comfort' mode or the 'Auto' mode most of the times. The car takes care of the rest.
The other modes like the efficiency or dynamic or individual (customizable) are simply a matter of choice.

Originally Posted by chaksjr

This is one detailed review! Congratulations on the purchase, wishing you many happy miles with it. You have explained the quirks and features even better than the manufacturer would be able to, really well penned down.

Many thanks, really appreciate!

Originally Posted by Aditya

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

Wow, many thanks Aditya
Really great, and humbled to get this feedback

Originally Posted by sauravpat

It'll be great if you can link this review on the C class Vs 3 series vs A4 thread as well along side my ownership review. This is much more comprehensive and will enrich that thread

Now now, thanks again

[gungax]

A detailed guide to the Audi A4. You have really set the bar high!
Now getting the itch to return back home soon and into my A4.

Congratulations on your new car.

The Audi Brand gets a negative sentiment in India to the extent many don’t consider it a luxury brand and just an expensive re-badged Volkswagen. Your guide gives a new found appreciation for the company and more importantly the A4 sedan.

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

As per Audi, if the driver takes their foot off the accelerator between 55 and 160 km/h, the car can coast with the engine switched off. To activate this coasting, the manual says to select the mode as "Efficiency":

Haven't explicitly experienced this coasting wherein the engine gets cut off and the car runs only on the 12 volt battery.
I have tried all speed combinations etc. till date but never saw the "coasting" word actually appearing anywhere on the MID.

But this start-stop feature is quite irritating on a hot afternoon drive when I stop at a traffic signal. I turn off the feature since the A.C stops working.

Index

My car has aggressive coasting and the engine stops often on highway runs (Comfort and Eco mode). Not sure if its due to my driving style.

The engine start-stop should not stop the engine if the inside temperature has not lowered to the set temperature. It should remain on to keep the car cool.

Although the SA on delivery told me that the car goes back to "Auto" drive mode, I have found that the drive mode remains as per the last mode used when that user switched off the car. If your car has the comfort-key feature, using the second key may reset the drive mode.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by gungax

A detailed guide to the Audi A4. You have really set the bar high!
Now getting the itch to return back home soon and into my A4.
--
Congratulations on your new car.
--
The Audi Brand gets a negative sentiment in India to the extent many don’t consider it a luxury brand and just an expensive re-badged Volkswagen. Your guide gives a new found appreciation for the company and more importantly the A4 sedan.

Many thanks for the generous words, really appreciated!
I remember yours was the first ownership review for the facelift A4 to hit the forum .
I learnt a lot from that.

My car has aggressive coasting and the engine stops often on highway runs (Comfort and Eco mode). Not sure if its due to my driving style.
--
The engine start-stop should not stop the engine if the inside temperature has not lowered to the set temperature. It should remain on to keep the car cool.
--
Although the SA on delivery told me that the car goes back to "Auto" drive mode, I have found that the drive mode remains as per the last mode used when that user switched off the car. If your car has the comfort-key feature, using the second key may reset the drive mode.

On coasting, I feel I need to try out some more combinations to get the exact situation for the car to turn on coasting. I have observed only the recuperation explicitly during gradual braking.

The engine start-stop sometimes has a mind of its own. Even when I have the A.C set to a specific temperature, the auto start-stop can sometimes switch off the engine even without the temp reaching that set value.

I don't have the comfort key, my A4 is the Premium Plus, not the Technology.

[iceman7]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Will definitely see if there is a scope to change the alloys sometime later.

How are the Yokohamas faring, if you can share some views?

I have spent countless hours trawling through websites looking for alloys that will go with my A4. One of them has a nice visualizer which allows you to put the alloy on your car and see how it looks. Sent you a DM with links.

Regarding the Yokohamas - I picked them up for a few reasons:

1. Familiarity with the brand - Both my cars in India run on Yokohamas, and I have been loyal to them for a long time, so there is a sense of familiarity
2. The BluEarth GT that I picked up are rated A for rains, have a noise rating of 71db, and a fuel rating of C

A summer tyre that works well in rains was very important for me. The weather in Estonia is very moody (to put it lightly). It rains even during summer, or at times, through all of summer, so I needed something that could handle rain. The Yoko's had the best rating between them and the Hankook, so for me it was a simple choice.

I have probably done 600 kms on them by now, and the only complaint I have is that they are a bit noisy on cement roads. On tar, they are very quiet. This past weekend I had the chance to test them in the rain for about 130 kms on a highway, and they did very well; so for now I am ignoring the noise they make. I just turn up the volume. I also see better mileage now, but I can't put that to the Yoko's alone. I had the car serviced, and I switched from high-grip studded tyres to summer tyres, so that surely had a role to play.

[sagpatel]

Wonderfully written, almost as good as any of our official reviews. Congratulations!!

Regarding the engine start-stop, I have observed something on my A4 tech.
If we are light on the brake pedal and car comes to a halt, engine does not shut down. However after that if you push the brake pedal slightly more and if onboard computer feels engine can be switched off, it will activate the engine start-stop and engine will shut down. But if the computer feels it is not the time to switch off, you will get a crossed out A sign just below gear indicator.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by iceman7

I have spent countless hours trawling through websites looking for alloys that will go with my A4. One of them has a nice visualizer which allows you to put the alloy on your car and see how it looks. Sent you a DM with links.

Many thanks, that's useful info. Will surely explore that.

Regarding the Yokohamas - I picked them up for a few reasons:
----

Again, thanks a lot for these insights, iceman! Helps with a good perspective.

Originally Posted by sagpatel

Wonderfully written, almost as good as any of our official reviews. Congratulations!!

Many thanks for the kind words! Humbled.

Regarding the engine start-stop, I have observed something on my A4 tech.
If we are light on the brake pedal and car comes to a halt, engine does not shut down. However after that if you push the brake pedal slightly more and if onboard computer feels engine can be switched off, it will activate the engine start-stop and engine will shut down. But if the computer feels it is not the time to switch off, you will get a crossed out A sign just below gear indicator.

You are spot-on.

I have this picture from my MID showing the auto start/stop engaged with the green colored "A" button appearing and the "P" (park) also engaged in green color:-



However, sometimes, I have seen the engine gets switched off even before the car comes to a complete halt.
Extract from the owner's manual to corroborate what I have experienced:-

[RakishRam]

Congrats on the Purchase and what a fantastic review, it is like a handbook for anyone buying or owning an A4. Loved reading it.

Enjoy your drive and keep updating as it eats more miles.

[JoshMachine]

Tyre pressure setting - what do you use?

The online owner's manual suggests the following:



I know the above table states a 201 hp engine (we have the 190 hp) but if I extract the bit for the 225/50 R17 94Y spec , then it says 30 psi at front and 28 psi at rear for a normal load.

Now, if I look at the sticker on the car door, then it suggests the following:



From this, for the 225/50 R17 94Y spec, it says 36 psi at front and 33 at rear for normal load. Additionally, to get a comfort setting, it says 32 psi at front and 29 psi at front.

Q to all current A4 owners - what setting do you use and if there are any changes from the above, what are your observations?

[jkrishnakj]

I checked the sticker in my A6 just now. It’s exactly the same values. I somehow never noticed this. And I normally was filling in 36 all around. Time to change this habit.

[JoshMachine]

Upkeep...and then some more

This being the peak of summer, and given that I needed to travel for work in between, the Audi genuine accessory Four Rings car cover greatly helped to keep the A4 protected from nature's elements:





The car cover is made from breathable and flexible material, and the reinforced edge provides a perfect fit of the cover to highlight the lines of the A4. The material is quite soft to handle, inside out.

When it comes to general upkeep, in the last 8 weeks since we got the car, it has been washed for only 3 times. Not a believer of getting it scrubbed & washed daily. The daily gentle dusting is taken care of the good old Jopasu, both inside & outside with separate dusters.

And if there are some stubborn stains every now & then, then there's the waterless Optimum No Rinse & Wash (ONR, popularly called) to the rescue.

For washing, have taken a AMC with Glosswerkz. Extremely satisfied with the way they have handled my A4. Went for the 3rd wash yesterday.

Overall its a very therapeutic feeling, I must say, to view the car getting cleaned.

First attention to the tyres and the wheel well:



And then from the top:



All external crevices, next:



Watered down, fully:



Foamed all over, next up:



And then washed again:



Gentle wipe with microfibers:



Getting there, one section at a time:



That color, the Terra Grey Metallic, has bowled over many a people:



Another shot, the overhead lights shining away to glory on the bonnet and accentuating those lines:



And finally, that retro, vintage glam look:



Cheers.

[fhdowntheline]

I am wondering how you handle the big car cover. It can become a messy affair having to fold and unfold it, because it would have tons of dust on itself ! I stopped using car covers on my cars years ago because of this.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

I am wondering how you handle the big car cover. It can become a messy affair having to fold and unfold it, because it would have tons of dust on itself ! I stopped using car covers on my cars years ago because of this.

I take help of the friendly neighborhood/society cleaner person for folding & unfolding the car cover.
The Audi car cover material is flexible (cloth-like) and since its kind of reinforced/slightly stiff at corners, makes it relatively easy to quickly fold & unfold along the contours & edges.

[Vidzy]

HELP NEEDED!

I recently was driving from Pune to Karjat and suddenly got this warning message on my instrument cluster. I am attaching the picture. When I gave my car to Audi service pune, they called after inspecting the car( in 3 hours after taking my car) and told me it was the issue due to poor fuel quality. He asked me which fuel did I fill and my answer was Vpower Shell, he was very quick to tell me, DO NOT USE SHELL, we need 95 octane for best performance of our car and burning the fuel properly and told me to use any other fuel from BP or HP but not Shell. He also told me that few of his other clients also encountered the same issue hence the advice he gave about the fuel to be used and the cause of this warning sign.

I am not sure if this IS the actual reason hence seeking advice and help from you guys!

PS: I have posted this on the two Audi A4 ownership threads I know to get quick responses. Mods pls delete or place my post where and how it should be posted. Thanks!

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by Vidzy

HELP NEEDED!
When I gave my car to Audi service pune, they called after inspecting the car( in 3 hours after taking my car) and told me it was the issue due to poor fuel quality. He asked me which fuel did I fill and my answer was Vpower Shell, he was very quick to tell me, DO NOT USE SHELL, we need 95 octane for best performance of our car and burning the fuel properly and told me to use any other fuel from BP or HP but not Shell. He also told me that few of his other clients also encountered the same issue hence the advice he gave about the fuel to be used and the cause of this warning sign.

I am not sure if this IS the actual reason hence seeking advice and help from you guys!

Going by global Audi forums, the "Drive System" fault is attributed to a combination of cylinder misfire and faulty bus communication between the transmission & the ECU. See this for more details.

Now if you dig further, the misfiring in this case itself has various probable causes - worn, improperly installed, and mishandled spark plugs, malfunctioning ignition coils, carbon tracking, faulty spark plug wires and vacuum leaks.
And as for the transmission ECU failure, guess only a software diagnostic/update can help here.

So, while the service advisor may be correct when suggesting to use 95 RON fuel (as recommended by Audi), but I don't think he is entirely correct when he says not to use just Shell. To be precise, he should have said do not use any fuel with less than 95 RON.

Now the V-Power Shell fuel is your 91 octane fuel but with additives, so it is not the 95 one that is recommended by Audi.

You have the XP95 by IOCL or Speed 97 by BPCL to do the job.

As for me, I have been using the regular Shell. Need to switch to the above asap.

And with that, I complete 1000 posts on TBHP

[viXit]

Originally Posted by Vidzy

HELP NEEDED!

PS: I have posted this on the two Audi A4 ownership threads I know to get quick responses. Mods pls delete or place my post where and how it should be posted. Thanks!

Your workshop would have scanned the car system using VCDS cable, (diagnostics) and seen the error codes it threw up.

Pls ask them to send a picture of the laptop screen displaying the errors, that is the only way we can know. Otherwise , buy the vcds cable yourself and scan it.

the error code should be self explanatory.

Pls post the picture of the error codes here if you can get it