[Gilead]

I loved pic 3 and 5. Awesome fit and finish. Congrats! Like Sahil asked, why 2.0 over the 1.8?

[rageshgr]

Originally Posted by Gilead

Like Sahil asked, why 2.0 over the 1.8?

I personally think 118 BHP is too less for a car in this class, he wanted a drivers car, probably the 2.0 had more grunt and response, although figures seem same.

[_raVan_]

Awesome car! Loved the central console. Does A4 has the 'Sport' mode? I remember seeing some video review of the Audi but dont remember the model, wherein he reviewed about the 'Sport' mode.

[anekho]

Originally Posted by rageshgr

I personally think 118 BHP is too less for a car in this class, he wanted a drivers car, probably the 2.0 had more grunt and response, although figures seem same.

It puts out 118kW (Not BHP) which is equal to roughly 160HP. Quite alright for a car like this.

cheers

[Ragtop]

Hey guys, thanks for all the good wishes.

GTO - the camera is a Canon Powershot SX 110 IS. A regular point and shoot that makes amateur photographers like me look good!!

Sahil, the main reason for the 2.0 was delivery schedules. the 1.8 has a 3-7 month wait (and after this last delivery experience I wouldn't be surprised if it is a year away). Also, with no price differential it made no sense to wait.

rageshgr - the 2.0 puts out about 180 BHP while the 1.8 is at about 160 and from what I read, the 2.0 is more of a drivers car...

_raVan_ - yes the car does have a sport mode which effectively allows the engine to rev a lot higher in each gear before changing gears, definitely makes the car more manic than it is in normal mode.

Got a chance to drive a little more today - boy she certainly does grow on you!!! Although she initially feels big, a little driving and the car seems to shrink around you and begs to be driven hard. When driven with as gentle foot, the on board computer indicates about 10 to 11 KMPL in the city which is pretty good. I have decided though to follow the break in procedure to the T (no exceeding 2/3rd the speed capability for the first 1000 kms) - leaves a lot of wiggle room but still need to behave myself in the city.

I agree the interiors could have been more exciting, however, the fit and finish is impeccable and the ergonomics fabulous - you can get to everything with minimal fuss. I was surprised however with the number of features that have been left out in the Indian version which is evident while reading through the manual that covers all of the options that a fully loaded German spec car comes with. Regardless, I am still very much in the honeymoon period and loving the whole experience. Will come back with more pics and driving impressions after a drive to Pune later this week

[redeff]

I went in for the Mustang brown interiors. Black on yours looks classy nevertheless. Looks like i got the slowest A4. lol

[ecclipse78]

Originally Posted by redeff

I went in for the Mustang brown interiors. Black on yours looks classy nevertheless. Looks like i got the slowest A4. lol

Just get a Pete's remap to 170 bhp.

[redeff]

Wait till the warranty runs out

[Ragtop]

Its been just over a month since I got the car and have just crossed 1000 km. Here is a quick review:

Likes:

1. Awesome road presence. Like redeff mentioned about his A-4, people seem to move out of the way for you and are awed by the beautiful day-time running led's
2. Low end torque is amazing, feels almost like a diesel
3. Interior space - vindicates my decision to go for this over the 3 or the C
4. The electronic hand brake that self releases on depressing the accelerator - makes driving in our stop-start traffic that much simpler
5. Memory seats - how did I ever live without them!! Got the car back from the service center (more on that later) today with my settings all messed up and one touch later, the seats were back in my favorite position.
6. Intuitive controls - everything can be found / manipulated / changed with relative ease without the need to look through the manual.
7. Great stereo and I love the "update FM stations" feature.
8. Huge trunk
9. Urgent and relentless acceleration on tap and the sport mode makes the car absolutely crazy.
10. And the biggest surprise of them all - FE!!! I could not believe it but with a light foot, I am seeing a consistent 10 kmpl in the city and one trip to Pune returned 13.5 kmpl on the highway (which is really as much city as hwy). Am sure that now that the running in period is complete these numbers will drop, but anything more than 6 and 10 (City/hwy) which I got with my Palio (now sold) will be fantastic.

Dislikes:

1. Horn button - hard to get to - I have to take my hand off the wheel and it is really hard to depress to get a honk...
2. Cheap plastic seat belt height adjuster for driver / passenger. This fitting has some play which creates an annoying plastic like rattle over some roads
3. Cheap center arm-rest in the front. While well positioned, it does not always click into a slot for height adjustment and needs to be shut completely and reset before it will stop at the desired height. This has happened on a few occasions.
4. Over-smart electronics (to some extent). I realize these were designed to make the car idiot-proof but they do tend to get annoying sometimes. e.g. You cannot release the electronic hold without first depressing the brake or else the parking brake takes over. Also, if you want to crawl really slow to get close to a wall for parking, the system sometimes assumes you want to stop and the electronic hold (if enabled) will kick in even while you are moving.

Issues to Date:

1. A rattle from the drivers side doors over some rough road conditions (aren't they everywhere??).
2. A loose contact in the passenger mirror indicator bulb resulting in a malfunction warning on the console. This would go off by itself upon hitting a rough patch.

Both of the above were fixed by the service center - had to leave the car there for 2 days though. The service at the workshop was nothing short of stellar.

Verdict:

I love the car and am completely spoilt by it. I could not bear to drive the old Palio GTX anymore (I thought I would use that as my in town runabout) and sold it yesterday. Cant wait for my next long drive....

[balajird]

Thanks for the update Ragtop, nice pictures as well. (just bumped in to this thread now )

Off Topic: How is the quality of the pictures taken indoor using Canon SX110 IS?

[Ramsagar]

That was a good jump from Palio to A4(did you own any vehicle in between?).
And squeezing the best mileage from the AT box.congrats.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Ragtop

Low end torque is amazing, feels almost like a diesel

I concur. Beauty of the TFSI.

Interior space - vindicates my decision to go for this over the 3 or the C

Over the 3 yes. Do you find it that much better than the new C?

Horn button - hard to get to - I have to take my hand off the wheel and it is really hard to depress to get a honk...

Typical of most German cars. And believe me, your honk will conk off in a couple of months, after which the German explanation will be "But sir, our horns were never designed for this kind of use. We honk like once in a month in Germany"

Cheap plastic seat belt height adjuster for driver / passenger.

Cheap center arm-rest in the front.

Very unlike-Audi.

The proceeds from your Palio could probably take care of service expenses for 4 years! Nice to hear that the A4 is treating you well.

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by GTO

I concur. Beauty of the TFSI.

Is this the same technology used in the Superb 1.8 TSi?
If so, then I am not very happy with the low-end torque.(maybe because i am used to driving a car with almost double the torque) Most might find it adequate but I think it could do with a little more torque, maybe the DSG initial lag is to blame too? But then again I think the A4 too comes with the DSG?

[Ragtop]

GTO - bought the new C just last week to be used by my dad and having spent more time with that now find the space differential to be marginal, but with three growing kids, every little bit counts. When I TD'd the C, it was with some large people which probably influenced my decision - that and the fact the I had decided upon the Audi by then anyway!!!

Sahil - the 2.0 TFSI comes with A CVT - there is some annoying turbo lag at the low end but it is not as bad as the Superb. It has gone from being an annoyance to something I have gotten used to compensating for and therefore not listed on my list of dislikes.

Ramsagar - there are other cars but the Palio was my favorite to drive and was my most used car.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Sahil

Is this the same technology used in the Superb 1.8 TSi?

Actually ,the 1.8 in the Audi and the Superb are the exact same engine. 250 NM of torque starting at 1500 rpm. The only difference is the gearbox (you have DSG, A4 1.8 / 2.0 have multitronic CVT derived boxes). The lag you talk about is more DSG than engine.

Ragtop's car has the 2.0 (same tech though) which delivers a sweet 320 nm of torque, again starting at 1500 rpms.

Originally Posted by Ragtop

GTO - bought the new C just last week to be used by my dad and having spent more time with that now find the space differential to be marginal, but with three growing kids, every little bit counts.

Sweet! How about some side by side pics?