'02 A4 - changing my attitude
11-14-2001, 05:03 AM
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'02 A4 - changing my attitude
Last night a local dealer had a '02 A4 launch 'event'. I only saw the new A4 in pictures and once in passing, so I figured what the heck, I'll take a closer look.
First off, this was more than an informal gathering of geeks. They had valet parking, a string quartet, buffet, and open bar. A ton of their employees and execs. were there. They had about 10 '02 A4s on hand.
OK....realize that I am a picky, cynical bastard. The following is a rundown of what I though prior to a closer inspection, and what I now think:
<b>Too Much Chrome on the Exterior</b>
<i>The 3.0 has a good deal of chrome accents and molding, the 1.8T has a bit of chrome accents. Seeing it in person, the A4 carries it well. The accents are still subdued, they are not 'in your face' like I had previosly thought.</i>
<b> I Disliked The Chrome Outline On The Dash Gauges</b>
<i>Pictures showed the chrome outlines in a flat one dimensional view. I did not like them. In person, there is some good depth to the guages and the chrome accents actually look good.</i>
<b>The Butt and new body style is too similar to other models and is ugly</b>
<i>The new body style and butt are unique. Do I now like it more than the previous generation? No. But I would be happy with having the '02 A4 body style. It is still a classic design once you inspect it closer. Little nuiances come out as you look closer and give it a chance. That may be the problem with this car...it is like the ugly baby. Only the parent truly loves it. I still think that in passing, the body style does not stand out. But once you admire it in detail, it becomes more special.</i>
A few other notes:
* Every color makes the car look different. Orignally I though the Dolphin Gray was the color of choice. Now I think otherwise. Of the colors I saw...Silver, B.Black, Amulet Red, Ming Blue, Denim Blue, Polar White, Dolphin Gray, Tan?. The best (IMO) were Polar White, Brilliant Black, and Ming Blue. The Polar White was spectacular, the contrasting lowers worked well on this color.
* The 1.8T did have dual exhaust. Originally I thought only the 3.0 had dual.
* Lots of nice, thoughful interior goodies. Interior trunk release, in dash 6 CD changer, bin under seats, alarm disable in drivers door map bin, passengers side door lock/unlock, middle open bin and cupholders moved to inside the armrest bin, glove box - nice design, auto seat controls...
A few items I still do not care for:
* Headlight control ****
* There is a mesh grill over the rear decking for the speakers, it runs across almost the entire rear decking. In the past, there was a defined grill for each speaker.
* The front dash air vents, too flat
* The entire interior front dash - where it meets the middle trim - appears to come down and stop abruptly rather than do a smooth transition.
Bottom line - I like the car and would be a happy owner if I had one. Would I sell my '01 A4 to get one? No. But in time, I can see myself as a proud owner of this body style (hopefully in the S4 or cabrio model though!)
Now, I need to drive all the different models.
First off, this was more than an informal gathering of geeks. They had valet parking, a string quartet, buffet, and open bar. A ton of their employees and execs. were there. They had about 10 '02 A4s on hand.
OK....realize that I am a picky, cynical bastard. The following is a rundown of what I though prior to a closer inspection, and what I now think:
<b>Too Much Chrome on the Exterior</b>
<i>The 3.0 has a good deal of chrome accents and molding, the 1.8T has a bit of chrome accents. Seeing it in person, the A4 carries it well. The accents are still subdued, they are not 'in your face' like I had previosly thought.</i>
<b> I Disliked The Chrome Outline On The Dash Gauges</b>
<i>Pictures showed the chrome outlines in a flat one dimensional view. I did not like them. In person, there is some good depth to the guages and the chrome accents actually look good.</i>
<b>The Butt and new body style is too similar to other models and is ugly</b>
<i>The new body style and butt are unique. Do I now like it more than the previous generation? No. But I would be happy with having the '02 A4 body style. It is still a classic design once you inspect it closer. Little nuiances come out as you look closer and give it a chance. That may be the problem with this car...it is like the ugly baby. Only the parent truly loves it. I still think that in passing, the body style does not stand out. But once you admire it in detail, it becomes more special.</i>
A few other notes:
* Every color makes the car look different. Orignally I though the Dolphin Gray was the color of choice. Now I think otherwise. Of the colors I saw...Silver, B.Black, Amulet Red, Ming Blue, Denim Blue, Polar White, Dolphin Gray, Tan?. The best (IMO) were Polar White, Brilliant Black, and Ming Blue. The Polar White was spectacular, the contrasting lowers worked well on this color.
* The 1.8T did have dual exhaust. Originally I thought only the 3.0 had dual.
* Lots of nice, thoughful interior goodies. Interior trunk release, in dash 6 CD changer, bin under seats, alarm disable in drivers door map bin, passengers side door lock/unlock, middle open bin and cupholders moved to inside the armrest bin, glove box - nice design, auto seat controls...
A few items I still do not care for:
* Headlight control ****
* There is a mesh grill over the rear decking for the speakers, it runs across almost the entire rear decking. In the past, there was a defined grill for each speaker.
* The front dash air vents, too flat
* The entire interior front dash - where it meets the middle trim - appears to come down and stop abruptly rather than do a smooth transition.
Bottom line - I like the car and would be a happy owner if I had one. Would I sell my '01 A4 to get one? No. But in time, I can see myself as a proud owner of this body style (hopefully in the S4 or cabrio model though!)
Now, I need to drive all the different models.
11-14-2001, 06:07 AM
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LOL! "...like the ugly baby. Only the parent truly loves it.".
I agree with you...after seeing it in person, it's not as bad as the pictures made it seem, however, after driving it, I'm not sufficiently impressed to drop the keys to my car and open my wallet.
11-14-2001, 06:19 AM
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Right. but I am encouraged by the fact that when I am ready to trade my '01 in...
The '02+ will be a very valid trade-up. I am also hoping that the product line will improve with time to make it even more attractive.
Remember, the 1.8T is still a low cost 'near' luxury sedan - you do get alot for your money.
The choice becomes very cloudy (currently) for those looking at the 200-250hp range. A4, A6, S4? Audi will need to develop their brands more effectively. But this 'problem' is not unlike one that any other car manufacturer faces as they introduce new models.
Remember, the 1.8T is still a low cost 'near' luxury sedan - you do get alot for your money.
The choice becomes very cloudy (currently) for those looking at the 200-250hp range. A4, A6, S4? Audi will need to develop their brands more effectively. But this 'problem' is not unlike one that any other car manufacturer faces as they introduce new models.
11-14-2001, 06:39 AM
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What I disliked most about the dash was that its curve and the curve of the instrument
shroud are both identical to the curves of those parts in a BMW. Very disappointing to see the world-leader in interior design plagiarize that of an inferior (in interior design) competitor.
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