jonathan

The MCSE certification process was worth it. I wouldn’t be driving this car if I was still in advertising.<p>Ordered my car on Halloween and it arrived last week. After selling my Jetta on Tuesday (a long, drawn-out, painful process), I took delivery Wednesday. For all wondering about the wait, let me say: it’s worth it!<p>I could have taken delivery on a 1999, but I wanted the 1999.5 because of the minor changes. Some have posted that these changes aren’t a big deal, but I’m glad I waited for them. The only change I don’t care for is the new badge position, but a hair dryer and some dental floss will take care of that.<p>As far as the specifics: Laser red/onyx ambition 1.8, all options except Bose and Tip.<p>I LOVE the ambition pattern and the cloth interior. The sport seats and suspension are WONDERFUL. I’m 5’11” 130lbs, my 6’4” 180lbs friend fit in the seat just fine. I only post this because I see/hear people questioning the comfort of the seats. The suspension is firm and gives great road feel/feedback. This car is truly a sport sedan.<p>And I like the 7 spoke wheels (will get Hakk 1’s for winter, I live in MN).<p>I sprang for the trip computer. I have yet to delve into the details of its operation, but I got it only because I want to reprogram the ECU language so that “Please press clutch to start engine” is in French. Call me shallow…<p>I wasn’t fully prepared for how wonderful this car was going to be – call me naïve (in addition to shallow). The first shift from 1 to 2, pulling out of the dealer lot, I thought “ohmigod, this car is f*cking NICE.” It’s going to be a real chore to keep the revs down during the break-in period.<p>As far as future upgrades go, I have a connection to get high-end car audio at cost, which is why I skipped the Bose. The V1 arrived Wednesday, and I’m going to look into tapping a wire off the sunroof controls – has anybody done this? I had my old V1 wired this way in my Jetta and it was a simple, effective self-install. After talking with Keith/Chris at Anderson Motorsport, I’ll probably go with the Hoppen chip, but not for a few thousand miles. I’d like to gently break in the engine and get a good feel for the stock performance so that a greater appreciation for the upgrade can be realized. Email privately if you’d like to know why I’m going with the Hoppen. Likely K&N and Mobile 1 down the road, as well. Chris/Keith would have me upgrade suspension, brakes, wheels, exhaust… I’ll have to see if my side gigs allow me to afford these things. “What house down payment, Dad?”<p>Wax/Detailing: Per my previous post, I talked to Larry at Car Care Specialties who reco’d One Grand Blitz wax. I had positive experiences with the Meguire’s 7/26 combo on my Tornado red 85 Vcirocco and black 91 90q 20v, and I was prepared to continue using this combo, but Larry steered me to the One Grand for various reasons. I requested the dealer NOT wax the car, as I prefer to do this on my own. Again, Larry really seemed to know his stuff – not affiliated, etc, but I reco him as he’ll tailor a detail process specific to your car’s wants/needs. 201-796-8300, he gave me the online prices even though I called.<p>http://www.carcareonline.com/ <p>I also plan on getting some mylar applied along the hood lip and side fenders, as I’ve heard from others that laser red is a bit soft and chips easily. <p>Price: I negotiated the price and ordered the car before 99.5’s were out, so I got my99 pricing. I got 1400 off sticker and a few freebies (key chains, coffee mug, etc), though I could have got 1500 off from the dealer in Fargo. I figured the free car washes and loaner vehicles are worth the hundred bucks. Apparently, it’s rare to get this high of a discount on a 1.8 (in MN), but the dealer told me this so who knows… Ended up with a cap cost of 27,670 (MSRP/sticker at 29,070).<p>Lease: Since I was an existing VCI customer, the security deposit on my Jetta was refunded and waved for the A4. I got a lower money factor as a repeat VCI customer, as well, and I think the dealer lowered it a hair more because I was a real pain in their ***.<p>3 year, 36 month, 15k year, mf of .00290 and a resid at 60%. Total out of pocket was 1291.65, including MN sales tax and tab/document fees. Monthly (incl MN sales tax) is 441. <p>In sum, I agree 100% with C&D’s ending paragraph in the April 99 comparo article:<p>“If you conclude from our electing a low-powered Audi as the top sports sedan in this mid-20,000 price range tgat we are saying the joy of driving – intimacy with a beautifully engineered machine – trumps the joy of pure speed, then you understand exactly what this category is all about.”<p>If any of you folks are going to be at the driving school in Brainerd, please introduce yourself and feel free to check out my car! Also, my folks live in Brainerd and have a spare bed if you don’t want to spring for a motel… email privately for details.<br>

Roy M

I have a 1.8Tq Laser Red / Onyx sport seats, Trip Computer on order. Tell me do your seats have the grey/black checker pattern in them? And how does this color combo look? My dealer tells me late June for delivery. It is going to be a long wait. <p>Enjoy your A4<br>Roy M