fh00ls

I may be thinking of ordering a 2015 fairly soon. I tested a 2014 yesterday and found it to be a good car. The one option that I am debating over is driver assistance package. I feel it's a great technology that many may be looking for in the future when I resell the car say 4 years down the line. However I personally don't find it to be that useful... Given the car already comes standard with rear view camera and front and rear radars (which include the 45% angles), I really don't find the additional cameras that useful. I have heard on this forum that most find ACC abrupt and wouldn't use it. I have side assist on my current car and not once have I not looked back just because the light isn't blinking and the light frequently blinks when it's actually safe to change lane according to what I see...

So I just want to ask people whether they think that the DA package is useful and whether you think it's worth the 2800 bucks.

Another question: do you guys prefer the regular seats vs the comfort seats? Is Audi's ventilated seating actually good? I know on BMWs they basically do nothing yet on Lexus they are great, so I want to know how they are on Audi. I do like the look of the standard seats better. Is this a worth option?

PS: I obviously think the other tech package in which you get night vision and Hud for like the same $ amt is totally not useful so I am not even considering it.

Thank you all

samthemana8

I had both of these option in my 2013 A8, and I ordered them both on my 2015 S6.

ACC: Once I got used to using it I could not go back, with highway driving letting the car drive, speed up, and slow down for you is something I came to really enjoy, and on long drives it makes driving a real pleasure.

Side Assist: In my long A8L it saved me from merging into a blind spot a few times, personally I think its a great safety feature.

Seat Ventilation: In Audi its soft cooling, which at first I did not understand, but after using it daily for a while, a: it does actually cool you down, it works well I have been using it in sunny Florida daily and its great, and b: I realized that its better to have soft cooling that would be comfortable throughout the ride, then having aggressive cooling that would get too cold and you would need to turn it off after a few minutes.

Massage function (included with comfort seats): It's good for those groggy mornings, or long drives, helps to keep you feeling fresh.

samthemana8

HUD is now standard equipment for 2015, I had a HUD in my BMW E60 and I missed it so I am glad to have it back.

Vijay

After test drives on several different cars with self driving capabilities, I did not get this option. Maybe I am just getting to be old school, but I enjoy the mechanics of driving for myself. The "auto-drive" features just felt weird to me. Of course, in 32 years of driving, I think I have also used cruise control only a total of like 3 times, and I almost always turn if off after a few minutes. I just want a better sense of control.

The HUD and night vision are likewise more distracting than useful. save the money and splurge on the B&O sound, which is truly breathtaking for a factory system.

MalibuCANE

DA Cameras are amazing IMO and that alone makes the package worth it. I would use ACC a lot if I travelled long distances but I don't so it rarely gets used. I also like side assist but do look back most of the time anyway. I didn't even consider Innovation because I didn't want the big hump on the dashboard. I hope that helps.

HyperS4

I just picked up my third S6 last month. I built this one exactly the way I wanted after messing around with the options in other cars.

One of them was the DA. I will never use the lane assist so I didnt care about that. I really like the 360 camera but not entirely necessary unless you are an idiot parker.

The best thing is not necessarily the adaptive cruise, but the pre-sense. I really like how this warns me when I get too close to a car in front of me(and actually pushes me back a bit). It did save me the other day when some schmuck pulled in front of me at a light in order to get there first. I anticipated them accellerating quickly from the initial move they made. However, when the light turned green they didnt go like I thought they would and I hit the gas. Immediately the warning "DISTANCE" flashed on the dash and my brakes went on full force. It stopped me from hitting that asshat in front who didnt move an inch.

Anyway, thats my story. A lot of insurance companies now offer a discount for having that package as well. Another thing to think about.

DD1546

I agree regarding ACC and pre-sense. As for people who comment that they like to drive themselves, my reply is that these are only for when you don't wish to drive yourself. I use ACC in stop and go traffic where "driving yourself" is no fun. Its also good if one is concerned about distractions from kids, phone calls, etc.

MalibuCANE

Cameras aren't necessary but I park in a tight spot and it makes it a lot easier. And I'm not an "idiot parker". None of this stuff is necessary, it's just nice to have.

tenspeed

... and asshats that make unpredictable moves.

HyperS4

Sounds like you have been parking in tight spots for a while, which makes you a professional parker. It's not a fine line between idiot parker and good parker. I mean, you know an idiot parker when you see one.