I went last night for my final test drive before deciding on colors, options, etc. for my new A4. I have some questions for all you enthusiasts. I tested a sports package for the first time. Unfortunately, this dealer is one of those that take you on a 10 minute test drive. The other dealer that I have been dealing with is much further away, and he allows you to test drive without him for as long as you want, but he had none with the sports package.

My impressions:

I truthfully didn't feel any difference between the sports suspension and the stock suspension, until I cornered hard and went around some twisties. There was no body lean AT ALL! I just don't know if I will feel every expansion bump, etc. with the sports suspension, or if there is more chance of "Bottoming out". The salesperson (who owns an A4 and is knowledgeable), said that the high performance tires will wear our much more quickly than the all season tires. He claims, and the person I spoke to at AOA the other day also claimed that there is a noticeable difference in ride quality with "normal" driving with the sports suspension. Personally, my take on all of this is that if you are getting the 5 spd., the sports package should be a must. I know when I drive a 5 spd., I am much more aggressive than with an automatic. Last night the car was a 5 spd., and the whole experience was fun, fun, fun....Since I am probably reduced to getting an automatic because of my husband, I feel that maybe the stock suspension might be just as good without extreme agressive driving.

Please give me your thoughts. This is a decision I need to live with for a long time. I know you have beaten this to death, but I would appreciate the opinions of your expertise.

Also, for all of you who own silver cars, that is my first color choice. When I looked at the silver with the Opal interior, it looked mismatched. The Opal interior looked almost like a Taupy color. Don't get me wrong, it was nice, but it just didn't look grey. What other color combinations do you all have (no all black please, too hot, moving to Florida). I think the ecru/ebony combination might work, but is it really hard to keep those leather ecru seats clean. It looks like they will dirty pretty quickly, but the contrast is really nice. How does that combination look on a Silver A4?

Thanks for any input or advice you can give.

I have decided on the 2.8, in case that makes any difference. Also, the car is so great, I wanted to take it home with me last night. I can certainly understand all of your enthusiastic comments. After test driving everything, nothing even came close. Every time I got into the A4, it felt just right in every way. I am jealous right now of all of you who have the opportunity to drive it every day. I think if I owned one, I would be hard pressed not to put 100,000 per year on it!

I have the silver/ecru-royal blue combination, and it is great. I suspect that it will take some effort to keep the leather clean, but the car usually has only person in it (me), so keeping just the drivers seat clean shouldn't be too difficult.

Julian

I think the black leather looks really sharp with the silver exterior. My 98.5 Avant is Hibiscus Red with black leather and it looks great. Black really isn't that hot in the summer as some might expect.

The ecru/onyx combo brightens up the interior but you're right about keeping them clean.

My plans for MY2000 are a silver 2.8 Avant with black leather. Wouldn't trade my current one except that I made the mistake of thinking the Tip would be "just like a stick".

As for sports suspension, mine handles just fine without it and the ride is good. I have hit bottom on an occasional speed bump so don't want to lose any more clearance. Also don't want to have to deal with winter tire change over (Minnesota) and the five spokes looked better than the seven spokes. Not sure how the new 10 spokes look in person yet.

At any rate, you can't go wrong whatever you choose.

My husband knows how to drive a 5 spd. really well. He used to live in Washington state and drove race cars. He just feels at 44, he wants the cushy driving method. I am younger than him, and still feel the urge to drive that 5 speed. Another thing I noticed is when we borrowed my boss' 1997 A4 5 spd., it was fairly difficult to shift. The one I shifted yesterday was great. Not as smooth as butter as my Prelude was, but definitely fun!

I tested both versions and found the sport suspension to be one of the best factory-built compromises between comfort and performance on the market. Aside from better body-lean control, the sport setup results in less reciprocal tire bounce over rough surfaces. In other words, the stock suspension allowed the tire to bouce up and down slightly after going over an expansion joint or crack, while the sport suspension abosorbed the bump with a single "thump" and then went on its merry way. Short'n'sweet: get the sport suspension. Aside from quattro, it's the most cost-effective option on the car.

Warning, though: you CAN bottom out the sport suspension. I did so on a speed hump in my neighborhood, which untimately set me back $300 for a new oil pan and towing. Just be mindful of the 20 mm drop and have fun!

As for the five-speed stick, get it. It's one of the easier, more fluid units available. If you live in a high-density traffic area, though, you might want to opt for the slushbox.

J.Russ
98.5 2.8 Avant qMS

I'm glad I got the sports suspension. To tell you the truth, I wasn't so sure about the sports package, since I am not much of a racing fan nor am I a very agressive driver. But on the Interstate, a high speed swerve to avoid getting hit by road debris that was thrown from an 18 wheeler had me thanking my sports suspension for keeping me level during this manuver.


Tracie M.
99.5 A4 1.8TQMS
Lt. Silver/Opal

nothing wrong? with that, just don't normally hear it

I jave sports package and live it, If you drive hard, you will feel the diference. Also, the sheels are so much nicer with the sports package.

W/r/t color, my recommendation is to NOT get silver. I have silver because it's a great color, but there are SO MANY silver A4's out there, that its truthfully annoying... you'll see.

From my first car, a '57 Pontiac (347 v-8) to our latest car, a 99 Accord, all have been standard transmissions. That covers about 40 years of driving.
Then I got smitten by A4 lust and a good deal on a very low mileage 1.8T with tiptronic. Well, I still wish it had been a 5 speed, but the Tip has eased the transition from manual to auto. I emphatically do not agree with the hard core manual folks who dismiss it as just a "gimmick."

I drive it as if it were a manual much of the time, manually tapping--or Tipping--down to 3d for very responsive passing; 3 is a great gear for me; i can cruise in city traffic from 15 to 40 without annoying auto up-down shifts when speed/load/incline conditions are "middling" and auto keeps changing to try to "fit" the condition. I downshift into ramp curves to scrub speed, for traction, and acceleration out just as in my manuals. Actually, I do this MORE now since the A4 simply insists on it...:=) Cars have their ways....

For the record, I have not experienced two complaints I've seen about the tip: that it shifts too early, automatically in 1st (mine revs nicely to 5800 and will shift there if i don't in 1-3, and i frankly haven't gone past 4500 and 85mph in 4th yet--waiting for the right road and conditions); the other complaint has been of a 1-2 second lag between tapping the Tip and the actual shift; for me, it's been much quicker than that, less than a second, nearly as fast as my manual shifts, and on average, equally dependable and predictable (and no, i am not a sloppy stick shifter either...just some shifts are better than others).

I should add a 3d issue also: the manual is no doubt quicker off the line and just quicker overall. But, this is relative; my tip is MUCH more responsive than any car I've every owned, well, except maybe for that 57 Chieftan v-8...:=) ) ; my Honda experience leads me to believe that, especially with the sports package (I vote YES on this option), you will find either the manual or the Tip very satisfying, tho i concede i've looked longingly at Preludes before.... For me, it's less 0-60 or top end in the 1/4, but responsiveness, a feeling of great contact with the road, but still not harsh and with significantly more punch than my recent Hondas.

This is not to argue that you should buy the Tip; had I had a choice in my deal, I would be driving the manual. But, what I am arguing is that if you do have an A4 with a Tip, you have not abandoned all shifting controls and pleasures. The Tip has eased considerably my manual withdrawal pains.
Lewis
98.5 1.8T QSTip

I know I don't like to share my A4.

Personally, I don't care for the Silver. I find dilver looks good new, then dulls quickly, plus everyone drives black or silver. I really like the Cactus Green and Santorin blue. Laser red is also nice too.

Also since this is your car, get what you want. Your husband will just have to learn to drive a manual!

Paul N
98.5 Cactus Green 2.8 QMS

I love my sport package and wouldn't buy an A4 without one BUT there are extra costs.

High performance Z tires do NOT last as long as All Season tires - maybe half the life of All Seasons - but you can't compare the performance.

You will also have to get Winter Tires (and wheels)if you live where there is snow.
This means more $$$ over the life of the car but remember - the All Season is a compromise tire.

I would rather have better performing summer soft rubber Z tires on the car 8 months and when I'm in the snow you know I want the safety of Winter snows on the car to get me home safely.

No one will argue the importance of having the best tires you can afford on ANY car.

Get the sport. I have found that people without sport really like their A4's while owners of A4's with sport LOVE their cars.

MitchC 99.5 1.8tqms

Oops. Pressing [Enter] in the Subject field is a no-no!

Anyway, I just purchased a 99.5 A4 2.8QMS to replace my 98.5 A4 2.8QM (may it R.I.P.) Without a doubt, the sport suspension is much more fun and, frankly, the ride comfort is not significantly compromised. My own personal bias is towards a firmer ride and the sport suspension is, to quote Goldilocks, "Juuuuust riiiiight!"

I wouldn't have it any other way now that I've tried both.

It looks like I am going to go with the 2.8 with quattro, sports suspension, ecru/black or blue interior, and still out on the 5 spd. I am moving to Tampa, so I can't imagine the traffic could be worse than the tri-state area where I am now, so a 5 spd. might not be too bad. I won't need snow tires, nor do I think the roads are as bumpy and pot holey as in the NE, so the sports suspension shouldn't be as punishing, or as expensive, having to change to snow tires.

I have to agree with one person that wrote above about the regular suspension being a little bouncy. My boss lent me his car this morning to do some errands (a 2.8 manual A4 w/o sports suspension), and immediately I noticed that when going over bumps, the car doesn't track straight and needs to get back in balance. It also bounced alot over bumps. I can definitely see where the sports suspension would be a little stiffer and take those bumps alot better. I would imagine when going at higher speeds, you don't have to constantly correct the steering wheel, as the suspension keeps things straight.

You are all great. Being on this board has helped very much in my decision on the A4. Your immediate and thorough answers to all questions and concerns is a big plus when purchasing something as expensive as a car. It's great knowing that we all have one big support group, and I hope I can help others in the future! Thanks again!

I was convinced of the options I wanted on my '99.5 A4 1.8T with the exception of the tiptronic transmission. I thought this was probably to much of a toy for the money. As it turns out it is my favorite option I selected. The difference in performance when I switch over is amazing and the convenience of the automatic mode allows my seniorly father to drive it comfortably. Seems like a perfect answer for two people with different driving preferences.

and the Light Silver exterior is a "cold" gray. A "warm" gray has a hint of brown tint, while a "cold" gray has a hint of blue tint. Take a look in an arts supply store and you'll find LOTS of examples of both in the marker section - and also probably be surprised to find markers that cost $5ea or more. And, yes, putting them both next to each other will excentuate the difference that might not be noticed when viewed seperately against different colored exteriors or interiors.

J.T.L.
90 CQ, 74 SBtl, 72 510, and 1 semester of graphic design