While at my dealer yesterday (Sewickley, PA) for service on my A3, I noticed the two brand new B8 A4's on the parking lot, still almost completely wrapped in this awful packaging material. I glanced at the sticker with the price and EPA Estimates and noticed that the top number was 27, if I remember correctly. But in small text underneath, it said something to the effect actual MPG will be different and higher.

Will go next week to try and drive one.

I think those are probably the demos

for both city and highway ratings since that is what the public was most familiar with, and then the aforementioned fine print.

Just to restate for the record B8 A4 2.0Tq Tip is EPA rated average 21 city / 27 highway. The fine print indicates City range is 17 to 25 while the Highway range is 22 to 32.

By the way, I have a 2006 A3 w/DSG. Recently, on a 2,000-mile-long (highway miles) trip with my wife, two kids, and the car packed to the roof, I drove mostly around 62-63 mph with cruise control and the car consistently did about 32-33 mpg. So with the improved engine, I hope the heavier, quattro equipped B8 to easily hit 30 mpg. That translates in about 7.7 l/100km (I grew up in Europe). This is absolutely fabulous -- 20 years ago, a relatively heavy car with such engine and such lower fuel consumption would've been pure science fiction.

... if you drive the car so gently as to realize 25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, why spend the $45-$50K for an athletic sport sedan?

I don't romp on my car all that often, but I appreciate that it can scoot when needed. Given that most people are apparently WFO from stoplight to stoplight, at least around my town. I just let them flash on by and catch up at the light.

The A4 really shines on long, high speed highway flogs and that's most of the driving that I do. Comfortable and composed at speed is what I value most.

Both are very snerty cars, few options and the 2.0T was mis-badged as a "TDI"

Might have to take a ride down tonight to check them out.