viggense

Congrats. I am from the Bay Area. I am picking up a 2012 in May. I could care less about that particular feature as it doesn't give that much of a difference in terms of fuel economy. I hope you enjoy your car; I know I can't wait to get my hands on mine!

BoosterOne

I have A7 here in UK. It has Start stop system - this stops the engine when car comes to standstill. On mine it is not noticeable at the time at all as it is seamlessly smooth. Lift the foot off the brake pedal and the car instantly starts and you can drive off as normal.
However IF you come to a halt very smoothly and gently the Start Stop system does NOT activate - perhaps an encouragement to drive more smoothly - something when my Mother is in the car is wise to do!
I personally don't like the feature and can see starter motor problems arising, especially with the traffic queues we have here and the many, many road work hold ups.

Adi Mitrache

I have it too on mine and I can confirm that even if mine is a diesel which tends to vibrate when starting or stopping the engine, I can barely feel it.

I can also confirm that in a city where you can't drive more than 500 meters(like mine) without hitting a red light or a stop sign, it is very annoying and I bet it adds more wear and tear on the engine and battery, alternator, etc.

This will probably end up costing more than the saved fuel in the long run.


START-STOP is annoying.


I will go to the dealer on Friday to sort out some cabin noises from the doors and speakers and I will make sure to ask about disabling the start-stop by default...

snagitseven

Good luck getting a dealer to do that. If it's not in the MMI as an option, I doubt a dealer will want to do anything.
I have read where some folks have found a way to permanently disable it with Vag-Com but there seems to be some cautions involved.

onthebeam

I'd like to revive this thread and hope there will be comments on reactions to the Start/Stop feature.

On my new 2014 A7, Start/Stop is off by default, meaning the light for the control is lit. This was counterintuitive as I would have thought that lit meant on.

Thankfully it's off by default as I've tried the feature and can't stand the jerkyness--acts like a bad transmission. This was one reason why I didn't buy the Mercedes CLS550 which forces you to turn it off each time you drive.

I'm all for economy but not at the expense of a quality drive.

Mitodad

I have a 2014 myself. On the panel just above the MMI, there is a button labeled "A". it is a push button on the same row of buttons where you can press the spoiler button to pop it up or down. The "A" button activates or deactivates the Auto start/stop function. (can only speak for the Prestige model).

I had grown used to the engine shutting off with my Fusion Hybrid that I had for 4 yrs so it doesn't bother me in the least. Things that I have noticed are that when using cruise control, the car will never shut down as that would interfere with the cruise control. If when stopped at a light and you want to have the engine restart in anticipation of a green light, just gently release pressure on the brake without getting off the brake and the engine will restart. Hope this helps.

onthebeam

Yes, that's the light I am also referring to. It's off by default, contrary to what the salesman told me, and also contrary to comments posted when this feature was first introduced. I'm glad it's off, even though it's odd that lit means off.

CHZHD

My 2013 A7 has the feature. My commute includes a lot of stopping on city streets, so I use it all the time.

a7ubercoupe

Have a 2013 US model A7 and love the feature. It is a little jerkier than our Prius, but there's nothing that bothers me more than sitting at a long red light, railroad tracks or drive thru and spewing idling fumes and permeate the cabin when the sunroof is open.

ENJOY THE SILENCE!

PS: my Audi sales rep said this feature will be mandated on all vehicles by 2015?

a7ubercoupe

PSS: I get upset when it does not activate, cold/below 32F, but have noticed that shifting to Park sometimes helps to engage start/stop.

It is always beneficial when you're able to observe perpindicular traffic signals and START when other direction gets the yellow...