dos Santos
05-19-2006, 12:33 PM
Well, I have worked for an Audi store as the inventory manager for a little over two years while i have been in school. Needless to say, I have driven thousands of cars, both new/preowned and customer's cars. So I have a pretty good feel for Audis.
I'll give you reviews on older models too, just in case you are thinking about buying an older model as a CPO car or from a private seller.
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A4
B5 chassis - (pre-'03)
These cars are pretty cheap now a days. They came in a 1.8T and 2.8. Suspensions are pretty loose. A little too cushiony for my taste. Both 1.8T and 2.8 are slow as crap. But my pick would be the 2.8 just because you don't have to deal with the issues that these early 1.8Ts had. Oil cooling problems. Clutches tend to feel sloppy in these older cars. And shifting is long and rubbery.
B6 chassis - ('03-'05)
1.8T and 3.0 motors. The 1.8T in this car is sluggish too. It's rated at 170, but feels like 150. If you must, go with a manual in these cars. The ergonomics of the car are pretty good. Suspensions are tight, and overall rigidity and stability of the cars are much better than the B5 cars. The 3.0 is a nice little motor. It's rated at 220, and even though it doesn't make the car fast by any means, it's not sluggish. The 6spd quattro 3.0 is a nice car that I would drive around with no problems. Clutch feel is better, and the shifts are smoother with a bit of a notchy "BMW" feel to it. In the 3.0, you only really feel like you are developing a lot of power once you pass 4.6k rpms; about 1k after a bmw's 3.2 kicks in.
B7 chassis - ('05.5 till now)
These are basically B6 chassis cars with a few upgrades. Front suspension comes off the S4, and you get better motors. The 2.0T is an INCREDIBLE motor. Lots of fun. 200hp and 207ft/lb. You get 100% of your torque load at 1600 rpms, so you're basically at full torque load all the time. The car just pulls and pulls with this motor. Very rev happy and great gas mileage. Steering, and stability on all the cars is pretty good. Even the fronttrak variety. Traction can be a problem though with the stock tire package in fronttrak cars. Ergonomics are better than ever. Interior design and layout are excellent. You don't want to get out of one of these cars once you sit in them. they're just very comfortable.
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A4 Cabriolet ('03 - current)
You have 1.8t and 3.0 motor options. Both leave the car painfully slow. But you don't buy this car for speed. This is the best convertible out there for the money. This car is designed to be a convertible from the ground up. Rigidity and stability are very good for a vert of this size. Interior again is top notch. With the top up, noise is very low since there is a thick layer of padding between the headliner and the exterior layer of fabric. Back seat room isn't that bad since the seat is pretty deep. A very nice driving car.
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A3
Sooo much fun. The 2.0t in this car is a blast. In a 6spd car, you can chirp tires going into 3rd. Granted,this has a lot to do with the tires and lack of LSD, but still, it's fun. ;) The DSG variety of this car (direct shift gearbox) is the best choice though. As much as i like driving stick, this car is so much fun. The car has 2 clutches in the tranny and one is always preselecting the next gear so the gear change is the fastest in the world. (or so they say). Handling is lacking a little bit though. I mean, it feels like a FWD car. Its not bad, but it's just disappointing coming from a car with excellent power delivery.
Trunk space isn't too bad, and interior space is pretty much the same as the A4. The Open Sky package with the big sunroof is nice, but kind of a pain if you don't want any light coming in at all. The problem is that the only cover you have is a think mesh screen which light still permeates. There is no way to completely block out the light coming in, and there is no basic sunroof option. Gas mileage again is great, above 30mpg.
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A6
The new body style has a pretty tight suspension whereas the earlier models are pretty floaty like a cadillac. The new models come either with 3.2 or 4.2 motors. The 3.2 isn't that bad. It gets good gas mileage, and is decent at pulling the car along. It is rated at 255. The 4.2 is rated at 335, and does a good job of scooting the car along. Trunk space is ENORMOUS. Bigger than any other car I've ever seen. You could fit at least 4 bodies, i mean golf bags, in there. Interior is great. All of the cars come with the MMI screen. (Multi Media Interface), but not all of the cars have Nav. The audi nav unit is one of the best out there. Rear seat leg room isn't that impressive on the A6, probably due to the huge trunk.
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A8/A8L
The A8 is too similar of a car (sizewise) to the A6, so i think it's a waste of money. The A8L is incredible. The best luxury car out there IMO. Same MMI screen like the A6, although this one retracts into the dash. Rear seat room is huge, and trunk is huge. The ride is awesome, as you can change the ride settings from a dynamic stiffer ride, to a plusher comfort ride. Steering feel is light, and the newer models have paddle shifters on the wheel. There are so many little gadgets on the car. Car is quick, and doesnt feel heavy at all. The car is based on an aluminum space frame in order to keep weight down. Handling is good too for a car of its size. It doesn't drive like a huge car. You soon forget out the size of the car you're in.
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TT
All of the TTs are pretty fun. The 180hp motor isnt too bad since the car is under 3k pounds. The 225 is a lot of fun when boost kicks in at 3.6k rpms, and you have a 6spd to play with. The 250 motor is nice, and sounds great, but only comes with the DSG gearbox. It would be nice to have a 6spd. All TTs have manual seats, but they are always heated too. In the coupe, only very small children can fit in the back. Trunk space is extremely small. On the roadster, top operation is easy. Press a button, twist a handle, and the top unlatches. Then you use another button to retract the top. Easy and Painless. The TT does not use the same type of quattro all wheel drive system as the other audis, but it's not bad. shifting is different from all the other audis. It's a nice crisp shift.
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Allroad
Based on the outgoing A6, it is a very plush ride, and height can be adjusted around 4-5 inches. Interior is very nice. I especially like the 2 tone seats you can get (a la C43/55 AMG). Power is through a 2.7 biturbo motor or a 4.2 V8. So either way, you get an S4 motor. And the car's acceleration reflects it.
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S4
The outgoing model has a softer suspension, with long shift throw. Both can be corrected with aftermarket mods. Interiors are a bit dated IMO, but some like them. As you know, the 2.7 biturbo motor responds very well to mods, but takes a hit on reliability compared to the S50/S52 BMW motors. The newer S4 models are much stiffer and rigid than the outgoing model. The motor just pulls and pulls. It makes 340hp, and with a little bit of tuning, it will make close to 400hp NA. My coworker has one that was dynotuned to 370ish hp. Interiors are very good with the recaro seats both front and back.
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RS6
Tighter suspension feel than the outgoing A6 models. Steering is heavier than the S6. Motor is a 4.2 biturbo. Car just pulls and pulls. I don't think this car needs much more explaining.
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Q7
Doesnt feel like an SUV. Said by audi that it's not an offroad vehicle, it really does act like a car. Feels very much like an A6 or A8 that has been lifted a bit. You soon forget that you're driving an SUV. 3rd row seats are too small for adults. Steering and feel on the car is very good. It's amazing how good this car handles. Motor is intoxicating. the 350hp V8 sounds like its straight off a WS6 trans am. Easily the best SUV i've been in.
I am tired now, but will elaborate a bit more another day.....
I'll give you reviews on older models too, just in case you are thinking about buying an older model as a CPO car or from a private seller.
........................
A4
B5 chassis - (pre-'03)
These cars are pretty cheap now a days. They came in a 1.8T and 2.8. Suspensions are pretty loose. A little too cushiony for my taste. Both 1.8T and 2.8 are slow as crap. But my pick would be the 2.8 just because you don't have to deal with the issues that these early 1.8Ts had. Oil cooling problems. Clutches tend to feel sloppy in these older cars. And shifting is long and rubbery.
B6 chassis - ('03-'05)
1.8T and 3.0 motors. The 1.8T in this car is sluggish too. It's rated at 170, but feels like 150. If you must, go with a manual in these cars. The ergonomics of the car are pretty good. Suspensions are tight, and overall rigidity and stability of the cars are much better than the B5 cars. The 3.0 is a nice little motor. It's rated at 220, and even though it doesn't make the car fast by any means, it's not sluggish. The 6spd quattro 3.0 is a nice car that I would drive around with no problems. Clutch feel is better, and the shifts are smoother with a bit of a notchy "BMW" feel to it. In the 3.0, you only really feel like you are developing a lot of power once you pass 4.6k rpms; about 1k after a bmw's 3.2 kicks in.
B7 chassis - ('05.5 till now)
These are basically B6 chassis cars with a few upgrades. Front suspension comes off the S4, and you get better motors. The 2.0T is an INCREDIBLE motor. Lots of fun. 200hp and 207ft/lb. You get 100% of your torque load at 1600 rpms, so you're basically at full torque load all the time. The car just pulls and pulls with this motor. Very rev happy and great gas mileage. Steering, and stability on all the cars is pretty good. Even the fronttrak variety. Traction can be a problem though with the stock tire package in fronttrak cars. Ergonomics are better than ever. Interior design and layout are excellent. You don't want to get out of one of these cars once you sit in them. they're just very comfortable.
................................
A4 Cabriolet ('03 - current)
You have 1.8t and 3.0 motor options. Both leave the car painfully slow. But you don't buy this car for speed. This is the best convertible out there for the money. This car is designed to be a convertible from the ground up. Rigidity and stability are very good for a vert of this size. Interior again is top notch. With the top up, noise is very low since there is a thick layer of padding between the headliner and the exterior layer of fabric. Back seat room isn't that bad since the seat is pretty deep. A very nice driving car.
................................
A3
Sooo much fun. The 2.0t in this car is a blast. In a 6spd car, you can chirp tires going into 3rd. Granted,this has a lot to do with the tires and lack of LSD, but still, it's fun. ;) The DSG variety of this car (direct shift gearbox) is the best choice though. As much as i like driving stick, this car is so much fun. The car has 2 clutches in the tranny and one is always preselecting the next gear so the gear change is the fastest in the world. (or so they say). Handling is lacking a little bit though. I mean, it feels like a FWD car. Its not bad, but it's just disappointing coming from a car with excellent power delivery.
Trunk space isn't too bad, and interior space is pretty much the same as the A4. The Open Sky package with the big sunroof is nice, but kind of a pain if you don't want any light coming in at all. The problem is that the only cover you have is a think mesh screen which light still permeates. There is no way to completely block out the light coming in, and there is no basic sunroof option. Gas mileage again is great, above 30mpg.
.................................
A6
The new body style has a pretty tight suspension whereas the earlier models are pretty floaty like a cadillac. The new models come either with 3.2 or 4.2 motors. The 3.2 isn't that bad. It gets good gas mileage, and is decent at pulling the car along. It is rated at 255. The 4.2 is rated at 335, and does a good job of scooting the car along. Trunk space is ENORMOUS. Bigger than any other car I've ever seen. You could fit at least 4 bodies, i mean golf bags, in there. Interior is great. All of the cars come with the MMI screen. (Multi Media Interface), but not all of the cars have Nav. The audi nav unit is one of the best out there. Rear seat leg room isn't that impressive on the A6, probably due to the huge trunk.
..................................
A8/A8L
The A8 is too similar of a car (sizewise) to the A6, so i think it's a waste of money. The A8L is incredible. The best luxury car out there IMO. Same MMI screen like the A6, although this one retracts into the dash. Rear seat room is huge, and trunk is huge. The ride is awesome, as you can change the ride settings from a dynamic stiffer ride, to a plusher comfort ride. Steering feel is light, and the newer models have paddle shifters on the wheel. There are so many little gadgets on the car. Car is quick, and doesnt feel heavy at all. The car is based on an aluminum space frame in order to keep weight down. Handling is good too for a car of its size. It doesn't drive like a huge car. You soon forget out the size of the car you're in.
.........................................
TT
All of the TTs are pretty fun. The 180hp motor isnt too bad since the car is under 3k pounds. The 225 is a lot of fun when boost kicks in at 3.6k rpms, and you have a 6spd to play with. The 250 motor is nice, and sounds great, but only comes with the DSG gearbox. It would be nice to have a 6spd. All TTs have manual seats, but they are always heated too. In the coupe, only very small children can fit in the back. Trunk space is extremely small. On the roadster, top operation is easy. Press a button, twist a handle, and the top unlatches. Then you use another button to retract the top. Easy and Painless. The TT does not use the same type of quattro all wheel drive system as the other audis, but it's not bad. shifting is different from all the other audis. It's a nice crisp shift.
...................................
Allroad
Based on the outgoing A6, it is a very plush ride, and height can be adjusted around 4-5 inches. Interior is very nice. I especially like the 2 tone seats you can get (a la C43/55 AMG). Power is through a 2.7 biturbo motor or a 4.2 V8. So either way, you get an S4 motor. And the car's acceleration reflects it.
...................................
S4
The outgoing model has a softer suspension, with long shift throw. Both can be corrected with aftermarket mods. Interiors are a bit dated IMO, but some like them. As you know, the 2.7 biturbo motor responds very well to mods, but takes a hit on reliability compared to the S50/S52 BMW motors. The newer S4 models are much stiffer and rigid than the outgoing model. The motor just pulls and pulls. It makes 340hp, and with a little bit of tuning, it will make close to 400hp NA. My coworker has one that was dynotuned to 370ish hp. Interiors are very good with the recaro seats both front and back.
...................................
RS6
Tighter suspension feel than the outgoing A6 models. Steering is heavier than the S6. Motor is a 4.2 biturbo. Car just pulls and pulls. I don't think this car needs much more explaining.
....................................
Q7
Doesnt feel like an SUV. Said by audi that it's not an offroad vehicle, it really does act like a car. Feels very much like an A6 or A8 that has been lifted a bit. You soon forget that you're driving an SUV. 3rd row seats are too small for adults. Steering and feel on the car is very good. It's amazing how good this car handles. Motor is intoxicating. the 350hp V8 sounds like its straight off a WS6 trans am. Easily the best SUV i've been in.
I am tired now, but will elaborate a bit more another day.....