being an attention wh0re that i am
, and my endless needs to provide my fellow forum members with useless information about cars i test drive,
I met up with my bff after work and headed over to local Audi dealership.
A4, 2.0T with dual clutch auto.
first of all, i really liked this car from the auto show. its interiors were maybe half a step above its competitors at the auto show, and this time in its own show room without its competitors present, it almost looks flawless.
and it has clever LED headlight that uses reflectors, instead of more expensive looking(and probably more expensive to build) individually projected LEDs used on A7's and such.
I like the implementation, but don't like the look, unfortunately.
and the interior.. wow. so clean and well fitted together, rich looking and feeling. the steering wheel is magnificent.
the room inside is pretty good. feels just a little bigger than my old MK 4 Jetta side to side, and got little bit more leg room in the back. my head does touch the roof though, in the back seat. the sunroof is huge and everything feels like it is just right. ..i don't know how Audi continues to pull this off with interiors. i didn't think the road noise intrusion was bad at all, but my buddy who drives loaded Santa Fe(and 128 before that) thinks it is kinda noisy. the stereo was great. not a squeak from the interior, heavy thunking doors... GAAWD i like german cars....
overall interior 9 /10
the drive.
power is ...entirely adequate. i think that's the best way to put it. doesn't feel underpowered, nor overpowered at any point. 7 /10
handling feel ..solid, if a bit disconnected. but still highly intuitive. 7.5 / 10
the ride is a typical german, but polished. it never feels harsh, but it doesn't float. bumps and dips are flattened out, but you can feel them in the seat of the pants. not harsh, mind you, but lets you know what's going on. i was really impressed with the ride. i thought it would ride harder. 8 / 10
the seats. great. great looking and feeling seats. i give it a solid 8 /10.
pricing is decent as well, if you don't nuts on options.
36k to start and you can cut it below 45. rating 6 / 10
PDI and freight : 2k.
overall, i give it a solid 8 /10.
then we headed over to the BMW dealership where i got my old E46 from.
Same sales guy brought out the grey M235 with 8 speed Auto and let me go at it.
exterior. I like the look of this car ..more than A3. A3 is... very sedate (somewhat boring) looking.
this one is more exciting. well proportioned. very athletic. only weakness would be its rear... 8 / 10
interior. somewhat disappointing after A3.. keep in mind, this thing costs over 10k more than A3 at base. with the exception to the steering wheel and seats which are equal to A3 (seats were even better) everything else just doesn't feel like premium . i should clarify. everything IS premium on M235.. it's just not premium enough for that much money. (for me)
overall interior 7 /10,
Seats.. sports seats were FANTASTIC. felt like it was molded for me. 9 /10
gears. the 8 speed auto was almost flawless. downshifts were seamless and lightening fast. upshifts were smooth and really not noticeable. 9 /10
power.. OMG, the power.. this thing's midrange is monstrous. initially i thought this single turbo was somewhat less ...enthusiastic than N54 twins. maybe it is, at low end.. but the midrange to mid upper, this thing pulls like it's shot off a catapult. i've always liked the turbo sixes, and this one did not disappoint.
One Caveat. I think it's just about as fast as my current car. and i FEEL my car is faster in third gear ripping thru 140km/h mark (would be about 6k rpm). not that I ever went that fast in my life.
it does have some lag. (not sure if this is turbo lag or transmission dropping gears..., but there's this minuscule lag between my foot hitting the floor and the car launching forward)
powerplant .. 9 / 10
handling & steering .. it understeers a little. and steering definitely feels more disconnected than my M. my M will shout at top of its lungs thru steering wheel what the heck is going on. this one merely hints.. it's like, someone sitting 2 chairs away is saying something, and it gets filtered by 2 people sitting inbetween that person and you. but it will still change directions like a dung fly and stick to the road like fat guy to a free donut(i kid i kid) 7.5 / 10
braking. powerful.
ride.. actually excellent. (it had optional NON run flat.) i would rate this 8.5 /10
price. 3 / 10. base price is 45k. if it was 45 out the door, it would be a bargain. 45 plus fees, PDI, GST and we are looking at 52k as real base price. add couple of options befitting a luxury car and it will very VERY easily eclipse the 60k mark.
PDI & Freight : 2.5k.
Overall : 7 / 10
after today's drives, .. i would have to say, i prefer the Audi. more practical, better interior, good enough driving characteristics and cheaper to boot!.
