[penpavan]

Here are some pictures..

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by penpavan

Here are some pictures..

Thanks Pavan for sharing these pictures of your A4

The Okapi Brown interiors with the flat-bottom steering combination looks stunning, and gives that extra "sportiness" to the whole A4 package inside-out!

I also like the virtual cockpit on offer. How is the in-built navigation? Can you share some feedback and comparo vis-a-vis other real time maps such as GMaps or Apple Maps?

Congrats again on the fabulous buy, wishing you a great ownership!

[JoshMachine]

Pune Bhopal road trip

Time to pen down another road trip, albeit this is kind of Part-2 for a trip that we did earlier. Back in 2019, we had made a chilled out trip from Pune to Bhopal in our beloved Vento, chronicled here.

So with the A4 this time round, we decided to do another winter trip to my wifey's/in-laws' town.

The route planned was different this time round: Pune > Sinnar > Malegaon > Dhule > Indore > Bhopal:-



Stopped for breakfast at Daulat Refreshments, a good, clean place for family with adequate options for food.

Couple of clicks to catch the terrific Terra Grey Metallic color of the A4 against the morning rays:-





Everything seemed fine till we reached Sinnar. As (bad) luck would have it, once we reached the place, there were considerable roadworks and diversions all around with couple of multi-axle truck failures causing a jam and adding to the chaos. And this led to, or rather forced us to take a re-route of sorts.

So, instead of taking this:-



..our (mis)adventure led us via this route:-



..causing a good 45 min-1 hour delay to get back to the earlier main route!

Anyways, from there on, it was smooth sailing all along and we enjoyed the smooth tarmac once we reached MP shores. Here's a dashcam video of the general road conditions, captured in the afternoon:-

https://youtu.be/5CB--NfDD2s

No more fuss for the rest of the day, we managed to cover the distance of almost 825 km with a driving time of 14+ hrs, the A4 clocking a healthy 14.7 km/l for the trip:-



This was my first day-long distance trip in the A4, and as expected, it didn't disappoint in the comfort department. Just cruised along, the super suspension + ergonomic seating + 3-zone air conditioning keeping us cocooned inside the luxurious cabin. No fatigue, whatsoever.

The itinerary at Bhopal was planned in advance. I will try and provide a photologue of the places that we visited.

First up, the majestic Shiva temple at Bhojpur:-



One can gauge the perspective and the size of the shivling via this pic:-





Next up, was the visit to Chintaman Ganesh temple at Sehore:-



The amazing taste of the lip-smacking hing kachori never fails to amaze:-



Next day, we went to the magnificent Chinar Park for an early morning stroll.:-



And also managed to capture the A4 in yet another clean angle:-



A night shot, somewhere near our home:-



Another couple of awesome shots near the Tropic of Cancer line:-





And then, onwards to the revered Sanchi Stupa. The parking is not so great at this heritage site:-



But once inside, the words "peace and tranquility" get a new definition when you stand in awe of the great structures:-









Time to head to one of my all-time favorite destinations in Bhopal, the Tribal Museum:-





If you are in Bhopal even for a day, then you should not miss any opportunity to visit this beautiful place:-





And yesterday, like most folks, we spent some time at home celebrating the onset of the new year:-



So long then folks. Plan to head back to Pune later next week. Hope to have a uneventful return journey back home, will update on the logistics then.

On this note, wishing everyone a happy new year!

The A4 odo now over the 11,000 km mark in approx. 9 months, keeping us happy and cruising along

[JoshMachine]

Pune Bhopal road trip. The route planned: Pune > Sinnar > Malegaon > Dhule > Indore > Bhopal.
--
Hope to have a uneventful return journey back home, will update on the logistics then.

Updates on the return journey and then some more..

For the return Bhopal - Pune trip, instead of diverting to Sinnar right from Malegoan, I went ahead first till Nashik bypass and then went to Sinnar. And this made a world of difference since the roads till Nashik are part of NH-3 and quite good.

So the the actual route was Bhopal > Indore bypass > Dhule > Malegaon > Chandwad > Ojhar > Nashik bypass (there are signages to Pune) > Sinnar > onwards to Pune.

Overall stats for the return journey:-



Differences between the onward & return journeys:-
1). Total driving time was 14.17 hrs for Pune BPL onward journey whereas it was 13.35 hrs for return journey
2). Average speed was 58 km/h for Pune BPL whereas it was 61 km/h for the return journey
3). Average FE was 14.7 km/l for Pune BPL journey whereas it was 15.2 km/l for the return journey

So, overall, taking the Nashik bypass turned out to be a good decision - reached home early (inspite of the dreaded Moshi/Chakan evening traffic) + slight increase in FE + better driving pleasure continued on the NH-3.

Suggested good places for refreshments + bio break on the route:-

1). Daulat refreshments - https://daulat.business.site/.
Location - https://goo.gl/maps/onNXccnrTLdHuYo26

2). The Orchid - https://www.tripadvisor.in/Restauran...harashtra.html.
Location - https://goo.gl/maps/LRg6GPkPcWuRGD1d7

Dashcam video captured in the Khalghat section of MP:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO6xVWV6wRo

..and some pics from the dashcam:-







And with that return journey, I have completed a total of 20 same-day 800+km trips till date! Some with the Dzire, some with Vento and now with the A4 also in the mix. All such long-haul trips give me the utmost satisfaction of being in the driver's seat. Trips done so far include Pune-Bhopal, Pune-Nagpur (pre-Samruddhi expressway days) and Pune-Gujarat routes. The single/common denominator on all of these trips is that we thoroughly enjoy being on these trips.

Penning down some experiences and learnings that I follow on such long-haul same-day trips:-
* Research, and more research - I try to put a lot of effort in finding out the exact detours/ roads/ restaurants with good facilities/ any latest roadworks etc. using this forum and any other sources, talking to friends & family members. Most of my long trips have been done with family in tow, so keeping their comfort in mind is critical.

* Rise, before the sun rises - on the D-Day, I try & start early, like a 4.30 am or a 5 am start. This helps to beat not just the city traffic but also the surrounding suburbs' traffic. I just cannot start my drives in the night after a day-long routine at office!

* Practice makes a man perfect - some may find it funny, but I try & practice waking up at the scheduled times couple days in advance. Helps me somewhat with the bio clock

* Music to, and for the ears - having good music is kind of mandatory. And I keep 2 playlists - one with all possible combinations that we generally listen to and the other comprising those select few fav songs, to listen during those crucial post-lunch or twilight times when the brain needs more than just caffeine.

* Smooth is slow, and slow is fast - No point in trying to break any speed record. I just maintain slow speeds of around 90-110 km/h on the open highways. Just drive along the planned routes smoothly, stop at regular times and you shall reach home without much fatigue and anxiety.

* Its a marathon, and not a sprint - Have learnt that increased or insanely high speed bursts never get you home faster. I try to pace my journey along various sections of the trip.

* Anticipate the unforeseen - On a long trip like this, many a times I have come across diversions, traffic snarls, road-side accidents and what not. Just keep this in the back of my mind that delays like this are bound to happen.

* Good food, good times - we Indians love to travel with cartons of food around, even though we may not consume all of it. So, in come the theplas, fruits, nimbu juices, masala chaas and almost everything that can be packed along! That also saves time when we stop regularly on those tea breaks, you don't have to order the full course.

Enough said, I guess! Hope some of it makes sense to you folks. I am sure other forum members may have few more things to add to this list.

On an ending note, after driving to my heart's content over the last few days, the A4 is now sitting pretty, back in the office parking :-



...almost as if waiting for the next trip to be planned!

[JoshMachine]

Customer experience, redefined: courtesy Audi Pune

The customer touchpoint experience during the purchase of a luxury car is most crucial during the initial test drive, booking, PDI and subsequent delivery process.

It's no secret that I am a big fan of Audi Pune's professional demeanor and courteousness.

For our A4, we were accorded the warmest and most professional welcome at Audi Pune by Senior Sales Consultant Mr. Kedar Rajhans. I have documented the entire positive experience in the initial ownership post, here.

Some wonderful moments from those times:-













The positivity, to our pleasant surprise, didn't stop just at that point. It has continued in the post sales tenure also.
Mr. Rajhans has been diligently in touch with us ever so regularly and I also reciprocate from my end. We generally exchange information about how the car is performing and he takes keen interest and suggests anecdotes from his experience of engaging with other customers. He is a true car enthusiast.

When I informed him about our recent Pune - Bhopal - Pune trip, we discussed that the car would need a good cleaning + detailing session post the trip (what with all the muck, tar, brake dust etc. getting accumulated). And to my delight, he made a generous offer of getting it all done on his account.
Got the total cleaning + detailing done at Carzspa, Baner.

Few pictures after the process:-









Great example of top class customer experience and engagement!

And the A4 continues to march on, with the odo almost kissing the 12,000 km mark in just over 9 months.

[JoshMachine]

"myAudiConnect" not connecting at all

Those of you who have been using the "myAudiConnect" app know that it is NOT really the reflection of "vorsprung durch technik".
I had written about it briefly in my initial ownership post, here. The iffy app experience was clearly a dislike back then, and it has not improved ever since.

And I have my reasons..

Since the year turned a new leaf, I have been getting these interruption notifications:-





Putting it simply, the following features are NOT available:-

* Current location
* Recent Trips
* Fuel level
* Car battery voltage
* Intake air temperature
* Engine coolant temperature

Upon contacting the Audi India contact center, they informed that new dongles are on the way but would take atleast 3 months to be made available

[JoshMachine]

How to "predict" the Auto Start/Stop state, and possibly avoid it

Was meandering around for an errand today afternoon and had this eureka moment:-



What I experienced/saw:-
* the tachometer needle kissing the "READY" mark
* the car in "D' mode
* the speed reduced to almost zero, but NOT entirely. Over here, it was just about 10 km/h

..and at that moment, the engine switched off courtesy the auto start/stop state - as indicated by the green colored "A" symbol circle.

Tried this couple of times and realized that I could play with and literally watch out for this condition and avoid the car getting into the highly irritating "switch off" state!

Just for fun

[JoshMachine]

Am not really a OCD guy but whenever an opportunity presents itself, I try and seek "joy".

Case in point - respecting the ramrod-straight lines in office basement and parking appropriately:-



Do you feel the same way or don't bother with such idiosyncrasies

[shahbaz63]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Am not really a OCD guy but whenever an opportunity presents itself, I try and seek "joy".

Case in point - respecting the ramrod-straight lines in office basement and parking appropriately:-

Attachment 2407811

Do you feel the same way or don't bother with such idiosyncrasies

Always, I also point out other improperly parked vehicles, and my wife goes nuts thinking, "why it matters*so much to me?"*

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Do you feel the same way or don't bother with such idiosyncrasies

I feel the same way, but when it doesn't work out, if not too ugly, I shrug and walk away

[JoshMachine]

A Sunday jaunt to Narayanpur

We had been planning to visit Shree Kshetra Datta temple in Narayanpur for some time now. The place is at 70-odd km from my place off the Mumbai-Bangalore highway and serves as a good outing for quick travel + darshan time.

It being a Sunday morning, no rush to drive off

Overall the road conditions were good in some places and just about average at others.

As usual, the Khed-Shivapur toll plaza was chaotic. I fail to wonder why the authorities cannot make the entries & exits trouble-free. You will always find people cutting lanes, backing up etc. adding to a significant delay and anxiety every time one crosses this toll plaza.

The DDPAI Z40 dual dashcam's performance has been pretty good at all times of the day, this is the video of road condition somewhere close to the temple:-

https://youtu.be/QLLIPlWRjXk

Stopped at the temple for about an hour or so. On the return journey during early afternoon, the roads were relatively quiet.

There's a particular spot that had caught my attention during the onward journey. And so during the return trip, ensured to capture the A4 in the classic rear 3/4 angle at that spot:-



And another shot:-



Will plan to return to this spot at the crack of dawn some other day, to catch the first rays. Hoping that view will be good!

Back on the trip, this video shot inside the Katraj tunnel:-

https://youtu.be/zPZMZ57Rqlg

As can be seen in the video, the visuals ahead of the car (inside the dimly lit tunnel) look decent, but I guess I would need some CPL filter to block out the windscreen /overhead light distractions.

Anybody know any specific CPL filter that I can source?

And another video of the road just after the Katraj tunnel, this section of the road has gained notoriety in the past for being a relatively downward slope and allowing folks to ride amok. While the authorities have tried their best to have rumbler strips at many places, but people do try their luck often:-

https://youtu.be/udjtzRRCN9Q

All in all, the total driving time was about 4 hours to complete 150 km of to & fro distance, we were caught at quite a few places with bad roads and just bad traffic resulting in overall speed to be <40 km/h.
However, the overall FE for the 2.0 turbo petrol engine was not bad at 14.5 km/l.



The odo now moving at a fast clip, crossing the 12,500 km mark.
Felt like a breeze, this short Sunday jaunt - in the absolute luxe comfort of the cruise liner!

Just loving each day I spend with the A4, can't have enough of it

[JoshMachine]

The last few days here in Pune have witnessed a surge in temperature and weather differences, sometimes it gets unpleasantly cold in the mornings/evenings and unbearably warm in the afternoons.

Was driving to office few days ago, and couldn't believe what I saw. It was so unusually foggy that the road visibility was probably just 50-60 feet ahead.

Check this out:-

https://youtu.be/PyNtop9zDo0

And it was equally bad in the night, so had to put up this cinematic DRL pic as well:-

[JoshMachine]

I got "Samruddhi"ed

Ever since the Samruddhi expressway was inaugurated in December, I had subscribed to this thread on the forum and was following it almost every other day. So much so, that I started fancying the Pune - Nagpur trip by considering various routes & diversions (like this post).

Finally, the day dawned. Today.

Route taken for the journey:

Pune > Ahmednagar > Takli interchange Aurangabad > Nagpur



As per GMaps, it says 12+ hrs. but I covered the entire route (door to door) very comfortably and leisurely in 10.30 hrs itself including 2 stops for food + bio breaks.

Started off from Pune around 0515 hrs. First stop, Hotel SmileStone on the Pune-Nagar highway after couple of hours.



The Pune - Ahmednagar highway always seems to be in a state of flux what with numerous road works ongoing at some place or the other, or atleast attempts being made. But with the new longish Ahmednagar city flyover open to public, passing through was a breeze and within no time I was back on the state highway cruising towards Aurangabad.

To move across towards the Takli interchange before Aurangabad, I had made note of a specific turn going onto the Dhule - Solapur highway:-



Before this turn, there are IOCL and BP pumps offering amenities to freshen up. I stopped at Rajput restaurant (location) and got the A4 tanked up, basis suggestions from fellow BHPians warning about potential non-availability of fuel on the Samruddhi expressway.

Resting for a fuel stop:-



After that, it was a quick heave-ho towards the Takli interchange via Karodi toll plaza (toll Rs 65) on the Solapur highway.

The entry roads towards the Samruddhi expressway are well covered with adequate signages, which you can't miss.

Although stopping on the expressway is not recommended but I saw this wide shoulder just near the start, managed to click a snap after ensuring adequate precaution. Hardly any traffic on the road, and I parked for maybe 30 seconds or so:-



Whatever I had read about the expressway, is absolutely right. And thanks to our BHPians who have noted all the points (good and not-so-good) exactly down to the letter!

The infrastructure is nothing short of world-class. Be it the signages, the lane widths, the road markings, the junctions etc. is all done quite diligently.
The road route design itself seems to have been thoughtfully plotted, there are no sharp turns anywhere, just arrow straight roads as far ahead as the eye can see.

The speed limit of 120 km/h seems good to have on such roads, but I could see most vehicles breaking this threshold very frequently. Not recommended at all specially with the rising temperatures around. When I drove today afternoon, the outside temperature was already close to 35 degrees. One would need to ensure tyre health in top condition before embarking on such high-speed journey.

Among all the other things that are fantastic, the road surface quality is something of a downer. Considering that the expressway is fresh, I expected that the surface will be even and properly laid all along. But I found it bumpy specially for 40-50 km just after Takli interchange and also closer to the Nagpur exit. At some sections, I was reminded of the Pune - Mumbai expressway harshness. Both have a cement top.

Couple of shots taken somewhere on the expressway:-





To get a slightly better perspective, here are some videos taken from the dashcam:-

https://youtu.be/5JOjoTQ8PdE

https://youtu.be/q06ddYsWA0U

My dad was the co-passenger today, and he obliged with this pic from his seat:-



The A4 was at ease, humming along and cruising quite comfortably at 1400-1600 rpm. Very quiet, very cocooned inside the cabin.

There are fuel pumps along the way, on either sides, so worrying about it or starting with a full tank is really not necessary as I found out later. However, this journey is best enjoyed without any stoppages if one can and wishes to do so. I personally like to stop every 2.5-3 hrs or so, hence I wouldn't do this entire stretch at one go ever.

Having said this, there is not a single proper / planned place with basic amenities like a restroom or a food court along the entire route atleast on the Aurangabad - Nagpur side. And this is absolutely non-pardonable! Any family travelling on this expressway will have a tough time. I saw couple of signs mentioning a rest/service area but they seemed nowhere close to even having a brick & mortar structure.
While traversing today, I stopped briefly today at a place about 50 kms before Washim, at a BPCL pump. But that was just a make-shift arrangement with couple of chai-wada pav tapris.

Quite a few folks had cautioned about wild animals straying, and so I was keeping an eye out for them all along. Fortunately, none appeared on the scene today.

Another word of caution - this time its about the driver itself. Or rather the state of highway synopsis:-

Highway hypnosis is something that many drivers face while on long road trips. Just like its name, it is a condition where the driver is sleeping with his eyes wide open while driving the car. Drivers mostly face this when they are driving continuously on long, straight, and smooth stretches of highways. This can happen to anyone on the road. A person who has recently learned to drive to an experienced truck driver who spent most of his time on the road are vulnerable to this situation. It is an extremely dangerous situation and the same can be the reason for a high speed crash.

There are many prescriptions to avoid getting zoned out, I follow two of them:- Never drive for more than 2.5-3 hrs at a stretch. Play music slightly louder than usual to ensure you actually listen to the song while enjoying the drive. Ofcourse, there is the good old caffeine break whenever you need it.

Coming back to the drive, or rather the end of it, I paid Rs 775 as toll at the exit plaza, closer to Nagpur.

And here are the MID stats when it was time to switch off the ignition after reaching the destination:-



A phenomenal FE of almost 18 km/l for the 190 hp super turbo-petrol TFSI engine, with an average speed of 80 km/h. This speed was slightly lower courtesy of the initial Pune-Ahmednagar -Takli interchange state highway speed breakers!

With this trip, the odo now is some 220-odd km shy of the 14,000 km mark. All of this in just about 10 months of a super interesting and wonderful ownership. And when I return to Pune, it will be closer to the 15,000 km milestone.

...which would mean that I would need to take the car for its first servicing. Am already getting reminders for the same :-

[JoshMachine]

After a spirited drive yesterday on the Pune - Aurangabad highway and then on the Samruddhi expressway, the A4 ought to be rewarded with some tender loving care
So, took it to a nearby recommended car wash center for some detailing.

Drowned in foam, all the muck getting washed away:



After about an hour of some gentle but thorough cleaning, here's the shiny A4:





All set for the next adventure

[JoshMachine]

That glorious Terra Metallic Grey color, captured in the morning sunshine: