Audi A4 TFSI it is!!! Hey guys,
after months of agonizing over the decision, I finally took the plunge and booked my A4 petrol TFSI. When I began my search, I was not limited to any given segment but wanted a car that was fun to drive (I use a driver only when I absolutely must and have been known to drive around with my driver in the back seat just so I dont have to go through the ordeal of watching him drive), capable of hauling around a family of 5 in relative comfort and had some personality.
I looked at all the usual suspects, Accord, Superb, new Laura Petrol and diesel), Passat, Teanna etc. While I was impressed with the new petrol Laura, I was amazed by its lack of features!! No DSG, no power seats, no sun roof and so on. That was an immediate deal breaker. This, coupled with Skodas famed A** sealed the deal for the Superb as well. The passat felt ho-hum and never really got me excited. While I loved the looks and presence of the Teana, my driving impression left a lot to be desired. A great engine, but built around a car that was designed to be enjoyed from the rear seat.
I finally looked at the 3 series, C class, A4 category and began to get serious. Given the C's lack of space and personality (IMO), it was a non starter. The 3 was a pleasure to drive, however, on our broken roads, the harsh ride and run flat tires (that are a pain to maintain) put me off. The lack of back-seat room also failed to get nod of approval from the wife and I wasn't about to fight a battle I could not win. That left me with the A4.
I TD's the diesel a few months back and came away disappointed. While the 3.2 is a drivers dream, given our roads I felt like it was overkill and overpriced. I decided to take some time off and stay with the Palio 1.6 for a little while more. At the time, other petrol configurations were not available.
Then came the news that Audi had launched the other 2 engines and that got my purchase juices going again! While there was no TD car available, I did extensive reading on the 2 cars and decided that the 2.0 TFSI provided everything I was looking for. The mill is the same one that powers the Q-5 and after getting rave reviews about the engine from a auto journo (who is also a good friend) who recently reviewed the Q5, I made my choice.
Last week I booked a silver with black interior which is scheduled to be delivered to me by the 10th of Aug.
My dealer experience to date has been neutral to positive. The only issue that raised a red flag for me was that the sales manager I was dealing with told me that they were no petrols available and it would take at least 3 months for them to be delivered, so my only option was a diesel or the 3.2. When I inquired with another salesman through a relative who recently bought a Q-7, I got a whole different picture. I was immediately emailed a list of 5-6 configurations of 2.0 petrols that were currently in stock. Had I not done this, Audi would have probably lost a sale or had one upset customer for having been forced to book a car and wait 3 months for delivery when it was readily available!
Once the order was placed, the paperwork has been smooth, financing a breeze and now I cant wait to get delivery!!
Will keep y'all posted with regards the delivery and first driving impressions. |