Milo Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Well all good things must come to an end so I thought I should write up my thoughts on the Tdi now it’s time to say goodbye. I’ve took a lot out of this site in the form of questions so thought it right I offer my thoughts on the outgoing A4. It was the first Audi I had ever owned having come from a line of company Mondeos so I was looking forward to opting out of the company scheme and getting a car I wanted. I had decided on a diesel for a number of reasons mainly I was doing around 18k miles per year and even though I can claim mileage, I wanted the economy of a diesel. I spent many months pouring over the specs of the E46 3 series (which was my first choice) and the A4. I went into the BMW dealership on a Sunday afternoon with my chequebook in hand, ready to organise a test drive and place a deposit. 20 minutes later, I left having been completely ignored by about 4 sales staff despite me being the only person in the showroom. I drove straight to Newcastle Audi (then Addison Audi) and hit it off with the salesman straight away. I test drove a 130PS Tdi avant (no saloon available) and was hooked on the punchy performance of the diesel straight away. With hindsight, I probably didn’t take it on the roads I should have done i.e. twisties but by that time I was hooked; especially by the build quality. After 2 weeks of negotiating and getting nowhere I discovered www.drivethedeal.com who quoted a fantastic price. When the dealer saw it, he surrendered and gave me the discount I was looking for (I had no car to p/ex). Soooooooo……. The Car Audi A4 1.9 Tdi Sport (130PS) 5 speed The usual sport spec but also included an upgrade at the time of 17” 5-star alloys, Concert II CD player and electric/heated mirrors and heated washer jets As I was opting out of a company scheme for the first time I was very aware of cost so kept the options to a minimum: Metallic Atlas Grey paint Aluminium window trims Facette aluminium fascias/interior Front centre armrest Split folding rear seat The OTR cash price I paid for this was £20,050 and I took delivery on 4th April 2003 (03 plate). By the time I picked the car up, my mileage had dropped dramatically to around 9,000 miles/year so I began to question the wisdom in getting a diesel. The Interior Pros: What can I say? By far the best built car I have ever driven. Even after 3 years I can still say there is not a squeak or a rattle on any of the interior components. People often commented on the lack of trim noise when they were a passenger. The materials have stood the test of time (and kids) although any marks on the cloth upholstery were always difficult to remove. The dual zone climate control is a great feature but seldom used if I’m honest. The split folding seats are an absolute must in the saloon in my opinion. The amount I have saved in delivery charges is far greater than the £280 or so they cost. I have lugged 1800x900 sheets of plasterboard, 2.1m lengths of chipboard, kitchen worktops, the lot. The boot opening is restrictive but without the split folding seat, trips to B & Q would have been a nightmare. I love the centre armrest too! You shouldn’t have to pay for it but I gladly would as not only is it nice to lean on, it completes the interior of the car. I loved the sound set-up. It was non-BOSE but with the big sub under the parcel shelf, it was plenty enough for me. The days of me listening to 180 bpm Belgian techno with the volume on full chat are long gone so unless that’s your poison, personally I would recommend you spend your £480 elsewhere or keep it in the bank. Cons: The lack of rear leg room is a let down. I need the seat pushed almost right back which leaves less than 6 inches between the front of the rear bench and the back of my seat. The centre arm rest makes handbrake usage very awkward. It took me a while to get the hang of it but come on Audi, surely it’s not that difficult to design these things out? Also while I like the ‘red’ background lighting of the dash, it always reminds me of Rovers. It’s not a huge issue but I think the VW blue is much nicer. The storage in the interior is woeful as well. The glovebox is broken into compartments in such a way that none of the space is particularly useful. I think things like underseat storage should be standard on cars of this price bracket. I also find the 3 stage/position door opening a pain sometimes. The first position is too narrow and the spring force is excessive; this has almost caught the kids out a couple of times resulting in nipped fingers. It can be said the A4 interior (including the B7) is starting to look a bit dated now. I do and don’t agree. Yes it’s been around for 5 years now but I’d still rather have it over the other compact execs out there. The Exterior Not much to say hear other than it’s an A4! I love the 17" 5-star wheels as they are so easy to clean. I must admit though, more and more A4s have 18" wheels now and especially at meets, you start to feel a bit inferior! One thing I wished I had picked on the options list was the colour coded valances (£350 IIRC). Mine had the grey valances which although complemented the Atlas Grey paint (one of the reasons I picked Atlas), make the car look a bit cheap. Even Micras of the same age had fully coded bumpers! Because I got my car in early 2003, I missed the colour coding and GmbH bodykit and always preferred the GmbH to mine but hey-ho. The paintwork I found remarkably easy to look after. OK I spent a lot of time waxing it etc but the metallic grey was superb for hiding any minor marks. When waxed, it still looked as good as it did the day I picked it up, if not better! The few swirls that are on the paint are very difficult to spot; some of that is down to how it was been cared for but I think the Audi paint and particularly the metallic Atlas Grey is very durable. I discovered the alloys are particularly soft and extra care had to be taken when cleaning them to prevent scratches. And I’ve never had a car that dribbled so much! What I mean is you would wash it, dry it off and wax it, then come back 2 hours later to see water had run out of all the aluminium window trims, the side repeaters, the bottom of the wing mirrors, the rear numberplate, the front grille etc etc. The Ride, Handling and Performance This is the first turbo diesel I’ve had and boy did I enjoy it! On start up, especially when cold, there was no mistaking it was a diesel. The clatter was definitely taxi-like however once warmed up, it soon subsided but there still no hiding the fact it was a diesel when driving around the town. Up to 1500 RPM though, the turbo lag was painful. The car just pootles along until the turbo bites. It is then very harsh in first and second (first is very short and consequently not the best for traffic light launches). The mid range torque though is great fun. Others with this engine will testify how easy it is to catch other drivers out when accelerating from say 40 mph. It pulled like a train up hill and wheelspins in third at 40 mph going uphill in damp conditions were quite easy to do. That brings me onto one of my biggest hates about the car. Wheelspin. I know a lot of people won’t agree with me but this engine, chassis and 2WD just do not go together when it’s damp/wet. Any attempt to make anything other than a pedestrian start in the wet can result in wheelspin. I have to turn right at a junction at the top of a steep hill on my way home and in the wet - it was treacherous. I have had people tooting at me because I was afraid to try and pull out as I knew the car would just spin. They saw a gap big enough to briskly pull out into; I saw visions being hit side on as I made pathetic attempts at pulling away. Truly, truly awful for wheelspin. Once you were going though, it was superb. 70mph on a motorway would only bring up just over 2000 RPM meaning you purred along effortlessly. There was no diesel clatter at that speed and the only noise was the slight road noise. Unfortunately for me, a lot of my miles were around the doors. After a while, stopping and starting in the Tdi became quite tiresome and I found myself longing for a petrol car! It’s a great engine but coupled with the 5 speed manual box, it was not suited to urban pootling. The car had Sport suspension and as such, I found it a bit harsh at times until I got used to it (coming from a bouncy Mondeo). Speed bumps always had to be approached with caution for fear of loosening fillings; it did improve the handling however it was in no way great. For the majority of the time it was more than adequate but if you tried to push on in the twisties, the understeer conspired to put you in the hedge. If you went into a bend a bit too quick, the front end was guaranteed to plough a straight line regardless of which way you pointed it. Then if you accelerated too hard out of the bend, the wheelspin would have the ESP light lit up in no time. To be honest, I can count on one hand the number of times I pushed the car in 3 years, the most vigorous and recent being the last TSN meet! Those who were there will confirm the roads were exactly what the car hated – twisty, damp and slippy. The understeer was a factor in every bend. It was really brought home to me when I drove P_G’s S4 which is obviously quattro. The set up on that car made it a completely different animal in the bends (as he will confirm as the Tdi scared the life out of him I think!!). The Stats For those Stattos among us, here are the stats: I had it for 2 years 11 months and covered 25,831 miles (8,857 miles p.a. average). During that time I bought 2851.88 litres of diesel at a total cost of £2336.72 The average cost of diesel was 81.94p per litre My average mpg was 41.17 mpg The mpg might not seem that good to some however the majority of my miles were urban plodding with lots of stop/starts so I reckon it’s pretty damn good. The most I ever got out of a tank was 828 miles which included a short break in Scotland when I had to do a return trip after forgetting the luggage! I used 1 litre of oil in the first 16k. Since then (after it was serviced) I reckon I have only used around 100ml – the carton of oil is virtually untouched. The Costs I received £11,600 p/ex for the car against a purchase price of £20,050 which means it retained 57.8% of the purchase price. My insurance gradually came down from £448 in the first year to £346 in the third so I paid an average of £390/year. It only needed to be serviced once after 23 months (16,000 miles) which cost me £278. It only needed 2 front tyres again after 16,000 miles which cost me £250 through the dealer. The brake fluid was changed at 16,200 miles at a cost of £72. I reckon I’ve spent around £200 on cleaning products I also managed to incur some extra costs: £420 ish to replace the wing after I creased the arch reversing out of the garage with a hangover £480 to replace the rear bumper after the pixies released my handbrake on a hill. £50 windscreen excess after a large stone chip £10 to repair 2 punctures Summary I have loved the car. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. Had I known I was going to end up doing so few miles, I probably wouldn't have went for a diesel but in some ways I'm pleased I did. Before I was of the "diesels belong on farms" persuasion. I now realise that is not the case and there are some very rapid soot chuckers out there. Would I have another one? Yes, but not while I’m doing the amount and type of mileage I am. And I would want a 6 cylinder power plant rather than a 4. I am looking forward to the refinement of a petrol engine again for knocking ‘round the doors. Would I recommend it to anyone? Absolutely. But don’t be expecting a supercar that handles like it’s on rails. If you are the sort of person who drives a car hard or throws it around bends, I don’t think it’s for you, especially in 2WD form. If you want a car that can eat up the motorway miles all day long while giving you 55+ mpg but still give you plenty of poke around the streets then I would definitely recommend it. And for £12,000 you could have had mine! Thanks for reading More pictures of the car can be found here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wadders67 Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Nice post Milo Enjoy with the replacement...sorry, probably should know...but what is the replacement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson_R32 Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Great review Milo; I used to drive B6 TDi's all the time so I agree completely with nearly all your points; bar one or two rediculously minor ones. I agree with the suspension issue, its the reason I plumped for the B7 in the end, the handling is a revelation compared to the B6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milo Posted March 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Enjoy with the replacement...sorry, probably should know...but what is the replacement? [/ QUOTE ] Deep breath.......Audi A4 2.0T 220PS quattro special edition s-line saloon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattburrow Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Nice Choice. You will love it. I love my 220 PS nice and Punchy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wadders67 Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Enjoy with the replacement...sorry, probably should know...but what is the replacement? [/ QUOTE ] Deep breath.......Audi A4 2.0T 220PS quattro special edition s-line [/ QUOTE ] Luverly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBM Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Nice review Milo! The very best of luck for tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 An excellent summary. I'm glad I'm not alone in believing that the ESP/Wheelspin is diabolical too. In my opinion it ruins an otherwise excellent car. I wish I'd not chosen the 2WD derivative and would have happily paid a little more tax to get the Quattro version in retrospect. My own summary is that it destroys the car, to such an extent that I think I made a mistake picking it. I wish I'd chosen an E46 Touring instead, or as said earlier an A4 TDi with Quattro. My main reasons for preferring the E46 now are simple - my wife's 320d might not have as nice an interior...but it is much much quieter and it rides much better too. Furthermore it has a good deal more power and a smoother drivetrain. But there we are, you live and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian_C Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Good end of term report Milo. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark_90 Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Top review mate, I hope you enjoy the new one as much and I'm looking forward to seeing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durrsaku Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 [ QUOTE ] If you want a car that can eat up the motorway miles all day long while giving you 55+ mpg but still give you plenty of poke around the streets then I would definitely recommend it. And for £12,000 you could have had mine! [/ QUOTE ] Absolutely. Just seen this post. Thank you for good write. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponge Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Very enjoyable and interesting read. Makes me wonder if I'll feel the same way after owning mine for 3 years, especially regarding the petrol/diesel issue. Best of luck with the new motor. I'll enjoy reading it's first report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_G Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Bye bye Sooty, bye bye to soft suspension and gross understeer and bye bye frugal running costs. Hello new motor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenjaminTDI Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Good read Milo...enjoy your new car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_C Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Definitely a good read and a very thorough review! I've just parted with my beloved A4 and I was thinking of writing something similar, but I don't think I could follow that...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybaulch Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 Milo - I can't follow that post, it's like having your mind read. Having read about 2wd handling I feel vindicated in selecting the Quattro on my Avant (also 1.9 Sport) and have enjoyed the assured handling and confidence it gave, I'm no Sterling Moss. The Avant was a bit of a disappointment over space in the boot, I came from a Passet Estate, the answer was a C8 for the wife and nothing mucky in the A4 I too really envied the GmbH styling update that later models got, mine was built in early March '03. The 17" 5 Star alloys do look great and are easy to look after, especially after having those BBS ones on a VR6 - lots of toothbrushes. My stats aren't far off yours, my choice of car was based on 15-18,000 miles per annum but this dropped dramatically in years 2 and 3 and while i don't regret going diesel I've opted for petrol for the replacement. Litres PPL £ Total Mileage PPM MPG 3437.75 80.59 2777.14 30,563 £0.10 38.63 I bought the car from Gatwick Audi from £24,500 and have just banked £15,000 for her giving 60% retained by my calcs which is great as it means i didn't pay over the odds and didn't lose too much on the options: Ming Blue Alcantara Auto Lights/Dimming Mirrors Alu Trim Quattro Storage Pack Interior Light Pack Side blinds Thanks for the well creafted read Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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