I posted a message last week, and you guys were very helpful. I went for a test drive on Saturday with the A4 1.8T. The 2.8 is out of my price range. Lots of you told me to test drive one with a Sports Package, although the dealer did not have one. <p>I have to say that although for the money you are getting much more luxury on the Passat, and a bigger engine, the Audi just blew the Passat away. Even without the sports package, the car was great. I really like the sport steering wheel with the Tiptronic control on the wheel. It was the most fun test drive I ever took on any car. I was ready to buy it right there, but wanted to ask you guys a few more questions. I am actually not going to be ready to purchase anything until after the winter, so this is not an emergency.<p>1. Do any of you have the Bose stereo, and have you compared it to the stock stereo. I have the Bose stereo and speakers in my Pathfinder now, and it is great. Is it worth it? The salesman tested the radio for me and it sounded a little muddled at higher sound levels. I am pretty sure the Bose could take louder sound levels, if it is anything like the one I have now.<p>2. Also, I test drove one with the Leatherette. It really does look like leather, BTW. He did not have any cloth testers on the lot, and said the leatherette is more popular. I can understand why. Have any of you tested both, and which do you think is more comfortable. I have leather now in my Pathfinder and find it very comfortable. The leatherette was a little harder than real leather. Does it soften up in time?<p>Personally, although I love driving a great car, I thought it drove great at the power it was at, as well as without the sport suspension. I think the sport suspension would be a little more for major enthusiasts, although it comes with some goodies. I would definitely get the Tiptronic steering wheel though.<p>I can certainly understand after driving the Audi, how you are all so enthused about your cars. I have never driven a BMW, but honestly, this was great, and for the extra money, I don't need any more Prestige!<p>Thank you all for your help. If you can give me more tips, I would appreciate it.

Bonnie, I can't tell you how the BOSE and standard stereo compare. I bought off the lot and the only manual trans the dealer had had the BOSE stereo. I still think the BOSE approach to audio is flawed ("no highs, no lows. just BOSE"), but the sound is good enough to keep me from messing with the system. Coming from me, consider that to be high praise.<p>As for the leatherette, I was going to buy a car with the sports package (in '97 the sports package included satin jacard seats and a three spoke steering wheel and 5-spoke rims) until I compared the cloth and leatherette seats. I really prefer the leatherette and have since added the 5-spoke rims (my favorite part of the '97 sports package).<p>Like you, my funds were/are limited and I had set a spending limit for my self of 25k. I was able to get a 1.8T/Manual/Sunroof/Bose for $23,500. I don't regret my decision to buy a 'stripper' with very few options and no quatro, especially when making those sub-$300 payments for 48mos :-).<p>Robert<br>'97 1.8t/M/B/CD/SRF/5-spoke/armrest/spalshguards/etc.

Bonnie, I can only speak for the non Bose concert stereo system because that's what I have. If you now have a Bose system you WILL be dissapointed by the Concert system. The Concert stereo is terrible. This is the only regret I have about my car. If I was not leasing I would already have an aftermarket system. I have the leatherette and love it, Onyx. Then again I have never had leather. It sounds like you are leaning toward the non sport package wich is fine. Keep in mind that it is a bargain at the price they charge for it, The non sport will give you a better ride, and if you are not into taking high speed runs on twisties then the sport would be a waste of your money. Just some thoughts

I test drove a car with the regular stereo and the bose - and there is no comparison - the Bose is far superior. Now, alot of people on this forum say there is aftermarket stuff better than the Bose, which is probably true, but I ordered theBose, as I didn't want to mess with any other stuff, and the bose is nicely wired into the anti theft stuff etc etc. As to the leatherette, I ordered cloth, as my view was, that if I could not get real leather, I didn't want vinyl - but alot of people like the leatherette, so it is up to personal taste. IMO, I would definately order the sport package, as with it you get the steering wheel, and a little stiffer suspension which I personally liked. My .02 worth

get it!!!!!

Thanks again for all your help. As far as the Bose is concerned, I tend to agree with all of you, that once you have a great Bose system in your car, it is hard to adapt to the stock radio, especially if on the test drive the stock radio was not cominig in too sharp, so I guess Bose is the way to go.<p>Anyway, as far as the sport package is concerned, I agree with all of you that it is worth the price, but I tend to like my ride a little mushier than stiff. That is why I chose the Pathfinder LE over the Pathfinder SE. The SE is the comparable partner to the Audi with the sport package, and the LE is the comfort ride with good handling and a mushier feel, but I will definitely insist (even if it is not at that dealership), that I test drive back to back one with the sports package and one without, and one with the cloth and one with the leatherette. I decided to go with the Quattro, Bose, Sunroof, Tiptronic and sport steering wheel with Tiptronic controls. Now all I need to decide about is the sports package and to be leatherette or not to be!<p>The only other things I was wondering about is can you put aftermarket wood trim (even the fake kind) on. Has anyone done that, and have they been successful? Also, what I thought was a little strange is that on the Passat and my other cars, there is a passenger door lock. Not on the Audi. I personally, as a passenger sometimes would find this dangerous. If someone were approaching the car, my only recourse would be to use the keyless entry (providing the driver did not take the keys with him/her), or to reach over and lock the door from the driver's side. This is an inconvenience and a possible dangerous situation, as I stated above. I feel much safer being able to lock the doors if the driver forgets to. Does anyone have a clue as to why Audi designed it this way? Also, on the Passat, there is a level to open the gas cap and trunk, etc. With the Audi, you need to open all doors to access either from inside the car. What if you were at a gas station in an undesireable neighborhood and did not want to unlook all of the doors to get gas, you have no choice. I know these are nitpicky things, but since they are on the Passat, and the Passat is the sister of the Audi, I was wondering why the Audi, at a higher price, does not offer what I consider important conveniences. I could do without the frills on the Passat, even the 6 cyl. engine, but these things are niggling at me a bit. Please tell me it's no big deal!<p>Thanks, Bonnie<br>

I can't explain the absense of a passenger side power lock button.<p>As far as the fuel filler door and trunk...The fuel door is open with only the driver door unlocked. You don't have to unlock all doors.<p>You can open the trunk without unlocking all doors by using the key to unlock the trunk.<p>Aside from some of the niggling design features, my A4 has been the best car I've ever owned, BAR NONE!!<p>Good luck!<br>Dave<br>Silver/Anthracite '97 1.8TQMS, Wett, Eibach/Koni, Borbet Type-T

Bonnie,<p>Regarding the Bose package, it was on the car I liked, so I bought it. My impression is that it really isn't worth the $1200 for the CD and Bose system. If your purchasing the car, think about a possible aftermarket. Since your not in a hurry you could do some research.<p>As for leatherette vs Cloth, go for the cloth because it is more comfortable. Vinal, errr leathette, is sticky on a hot summer day and stiff n freezeing on a winter day. Vinal won't soften over time, but actually stiffen. The second reason is resale value. In terms of value, the car will be worth more with cloth. Something to think about if your purchasing the car. It actually amazes me that Audi puts vinal on a $20,000+ car in the US market; they even put it on the 2.8. As for the dealer saying leatherette is more popular, I believe he is just saying that to sell the car. I find it very difficult to believe that vinal is more popular in the US market. I would want to see the numbers from people ordering cars to beleive that claim. I saw a lot of leatherette on the showroom floor, and I assume it is because the cars with cloth sell first!<br>Unfortunately, leather isn't an option on the 1.8T. However, you may be able to pressure the dealer into having leather put on the car. A friend of mine bought a RAV 4 for his daughter, but the car didn't have leather. To get the sale, the dealer put leather on the car as an aftermarket. You could try that approach, if the dealer wants the sale, then they will find a shop that can do it. Save the money from the Bose system, and get the leather is a better value for your $1200!<p>As for the sport package, go for it. I have it, and the ride ins't harsh. Its a cheap option getting you a nice steering wheel and bigger tires on the 1.8T. I doub't you would regret getting the sport package, but you may later regret NOT getting it.<p>Have fun!<p>Paul<p>Catus Green <br>98.5 2.8 QMS, leather, sunroof, & bose<p>P.S> QMS=quattro, manual, sport package<p>

Thanks Paul. Everything you suggested makes alot of sense. My boss owns a 2.8 as well, as he said to go for the cloth. He also said the leatherette is hot in the summer, as opposed to real leather, which I have now, and doesn't get too stifling. <p>He does have the Bose stereo and thinks it's great, so that might still be an option. Like you said I have time to think about it. I would like to get the Silver color. Do you know if you can get grey cloth? I know you can get grey leatherette, as that is what I test drove. I can ask the dealer, but I know I will get half an answer. <p>As far as the sports package, it seems most of you are suggesting it. My boss does not have it and is a car enthusiast. Has only owned Audi's and BMW'S with 5spd., and said he preferred the ride without the sports package. I liike what comes with the sports package, though, and I agree it is worth the money, I just need to test drive it back to back. <p>Thanks for your input. You're probably right about the fact that all the cloth was sold, that was why there was only leatherette. And you are also right about the fact that some of the 2.8's had leatherette as well. I couldn't see spending that kind of money and not getting real leather. In fact, if leather was an option on the 1.8, I would get it in a second. I guess moving to Texas would indicate a cloth laden car because of the heat. I think leatherette would probably suffocate me. <p>I hope you guys don't mind if I continue to stay on this board and read your remarks and from time to time ask you a few questions. It is really helpful hearing from real owners instead of reading a review from someone who drove the car for an hour!

I would think that you could manually loack the door by pushing the knob down. Also consider the possibility of reprogramming your control module per the FAQ and having the doors lock above 15mph and only unlock once the key is removed from the ignition.

I applaud your research. I also started my car research well ahead of purchase. By the time you are ready to buy you will know exactly what you want and don't want and will more likely than not, know more about the car than the dealer. I must warn you however that reading this forum makes the wait very difficult, but much sweeter when you pick up your car.<p>RobS<br>98 Laser Red 1.8T QMS Onyx leatherette, trip, comfort, all weather oh and mud flaps

Bonnie,<p>Your welcome. I checked, and silver and grey cloth is avaiable in 1998, so I assume it is available in 1999 too. If you really want leather, then keep it as a priority. As I mentioned before, the dealer probably has contacts that could install leather. If they want the sale, they will accomodate. Then you can finance the cost.<p>I too was looking for a santorin blue 1.8T, cloth, quattro, sport , 5psd, and sunroof. They tried selling me ones with leatherette or black or silver, but I said NO. After months, I saw a catus green 1.8T, and I liked the color, but it had no sports package. They had a cactus green 2.8, with the options I wanted, plus terracotta leather and Bose. It looked nice! I told them the 2.8 was more that I was planning to spend, so if they better be prepared to offer a great deal with good financing, and they did! I spent more that I had wanted to originally by a few thousand, but I am really happy with the car.<p>Glad to be of help.<p>Paul<br>nels145@ibm.net

Hello Bonnie,<p>I haven't owned my A4 for long, so I don't have a lot of "lived-in" experience with it. However, I do remember the agonizing bang-for-the-buck questions you ask yourself before you sign the dotted line. So, I can only tell you the reasoning I used for my choices:<p>- Bose: waaay to expensive for my blood. Decided to go without it, order the CD changer from Clair and replace the factory speakers. OK so far, cost around $500.<p>- Cloth vs. leatherette: although leatherette did feel good and expensive, it is definitely not leather. Even if nobody else knows it, I would. Besides, cloth is more comfortable in hot or cold, don't let anybody tell tell you otherwise. Also in Audi cloth is very classy, like a good expensive suit (especially in black, which is what I got).<p>- Sport: well, what can I say that hasn't been already said. It's not harsh, in the sense that driving over brigde gaps or potholes won't rattle your teeth. But at the same time you will feel every bump, dip and contortion of the road and the car will shake and "nod" a lot more. The only good advice: absolutely test-drive it. That's what I did and decided it was OK for me.<p>So, as you can see, some decisions were made based on cost, others on fun-factor and yet others on personal taste. <p>But you will be able to make an easier decision if you SEE, HEAR, TOUCH and TEST all these things personally. If the first dealer doesn't have all these options, go to the next one and so on - makes for a pleasant Saturday :)<p>Hope you'll find what you want and enjoy your Audi,<br>Andrei D

Definitely get the sport steering wheel.<p>If you are considering a Quattro, get a manual or performance will be poor with the 1.8T.<p>Bose: basically what others have said. Audiophiles would rather do it themselves. If you want an above average system, under factory warranty, without some aftermarket installer of dubious intelligence poking around your car, get the Bose. At a minimum get a CD changer. If you do get the Bose, put damping material between the rear deck and the top of the trunk; it greatly improves the bass.<p>My choice: leatherette. The cloth feels really rough to me, although it probably holds you in place better on "enthusiastic" corners. However, I think the leatherette is much easier to clean. Some people have reported that it is punctured easily. Some people have an immediate response of "I would never have <cloth/vinyl> on a car this expensive." The leatherette does pass for leather quite well. I have the seat heaters (didn't really want them though) for the cold days. Also, San Jose is not Phoenix.<p>Best of luck,<p>EricB<br>98 1.8TQMS Pearl/Sun/Bose/All weather<br>

Hi. I have a 98.5 1.8t quattro with bose, sports, sunroof in silver with grey cloth. I just wanted to let you know that the only option I regret getting is the bose. For the $1200 I spent on it, I could have gotten a much better sounding aftermarket system professionally installed. I also regret NOT getting one option which is the sports seats. A friend of mine has them and they offer much more back support than mine do. Hope this is useful to you.<p>Paul C.