ayilar

First post after lurking for many months -- many thanks to the contributors for lots of useful info!

I took delivery of a 2011 A4 for my SO last week, ordered in late May. I have proceeded to drive it for several hours in the last four days. Here are my first impressions:

1. The great: B&O audio system -- well worth the money, given the number of hours spent in the car every year.

2. The good:
(i) quality fit and finish (no surprise there, it's an Audi -- my Merc has no rattle after 2 years on bad streets, but its functional and well-finished interior is not as pleasing to my eye as the A4's);
(ii) smooth, well planted ride even on poor city streets;
(iii) quick -- very easy to drive well past the speed limit, even during break-in.

The not-so-good:
(i) steering feel (or rather, the lack thereof) and staid suspension on the non-sport model rob the driver of some (but not all!) driving pleasure. MB does it IMO better with its latest C, managing to combine a smooth ride in all circumstances with sporty fun in the twisties.
(ii) surprisingly gruff engine -- sounds like a well-civilized diesel rather than a petrol engine. Direct injection may have its pluses, but aural gratification is not one of them. Interestingly, I had not noticed this in the dealer's 2010 demo (a 6MT as well), so maybe the issue will go away as the engine breaks in;
(iii) front seats -- not enough lateral support, and slightly uncomfortable pressure point at the seam in my mid-back (6'1", 175 lbs).


The bad: only one thing, the NAV voice -- I drove with SO and several friends over the week-end, and all commented on the voice. Can someone tell me if it is possible to change the default choice?

Bottom line: I drive a 2008 C350, and I would still order the same exact car (OK, the 2011) if I needed a new car today. But the A4 a worthy competitor, and I see why Audi are selling quite a few. My SO sure is happy!

av_audi

Really? The C-series steering seems to be universally considered as over-boosted and with not much feel. Even Consumer Reports complained about it. I know you have the C350, but they say this about the C300 Sport: "Despite light steering that reduces confidence in spirited driving, ..."

Is the steering different between the C300 and C350?

JD15

The soft suspension and lack of lateral support are remedied by the Sport Package. I test drove a model without the Sport Package and agree with your criticism.

ayilar

The difference in steering feel is perhaps the main reason why I picked the C350 over the C300. I suspect that part of the difference comes from the C350's greater weight -- normally I would view this rather dimly, but in this case it just makes everything feel really solid and precise.

I am not alone in thinking this. A couple of years back, AutoCar had a comparison test of the C350 and the BMW 330i (European version with a similarly powerful engine, rather than its weaker US relative). The precision and overall quality of the steering feel on the C350 were one reason they highlighted to justify their choice of the C350 as a winner.

I was pretty much set on a 328i coupe at the time, and AutoCar is what made me start really looking into the Merc. While I liked the Sport 328's steering even better, it simply was too rough on the poor city streets where I spend 75% of my time.

equ

He's right... One of my good friends has a C350 sport rwd, and it has better steering than the a4 (even my sport package model). The c300 awd is not so good. I think I could get used to the steering of the audi if I didn't switch between cars, but as I drive other cars with more 'natural' weight to the helm I find it difficult to stay adjusted. Sports seats are excellent imho and the sports suspension is at least the equal of the c350 in staying flat and grippy... Just a matter of power steering tuning.

validA4

You can VAG-COM the steering and set it to Dynamic (Sport). It has a different feel.