Two differences between 2010 and 2012
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Two differences between 2010 and 2012
So I've recently had the opportunity to switch from a 2010 Premium Plus Avant (non sport) to a 2012 Prestige with all the fun packages and it's led to two observations. First, the turning radius on my 2012 is significantly better than the turning radius for the 2010. Is this a non-sport vs. sport thing? While driving the 2010 I always thought that its radius was kind of crappy, but now that I've driven the new car I am absolutely sure that there is a significant difference between the two.
Second, the 8-speed transmission doesn't impress me at all. This weekend I did a round trip drive from DC to Pittsburgh and one thing I noticed is that highway passing with the new car is actually more of a pain than with the 2010. Cruising at 80 mph in 8th gear leaves the engine around 2,000 rpm (I think) and so you really have to floor the accelerator to get the transmission to kick down to 5th or 6th gear and that's kind of annoying. I drive with the car in S mode all the time and I generally don't use the paddle shifters. Perhaps using the paddles to prep for a pass would improve things. What was Audi's reasoning for moving to the 8-speed transmission? Is it supposed to get better gas mileage?
I'm about to replace the front license plate with a filler and it looks like the screws are star drive type screws or something similar. Can anyone confirm this for me?
Second, the 8-speed transmission doesn't impress me at all. This weekend I did a round trip drive from DC to Pittsburgh and one thing I noticed is that highway passing with the new car is actually more of a pain than with the 2010. Cruising at 80 mph in 8th gear leaves the engine around 2,000 rpm (I think) and so you really have to floor the accelerator to get the transmission to kick down to 5th or 6th gear and that's kind of annoying. I drive with the car in S mode all the time and I generally don't use the paddle shifters. Perhaps using the paddles to prep for a pass would improve things. What was Audi's reasoning for moving to the 8-speed transmission? Is it supposed to get better gas mileage?
I'm about to replace the front license plate with a filler and it looks like the screws are star drive type screws or something similar. Can anyone confirm this for me?
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The 8-speed transmission is supposed to help maintain the best powerband for fuel economy when in normal mode. Sport mode holds it in lower gears longer (achieving higher rpm) for better performance. If you had the non-turbo in your 2010 you'll find you do have to get used to "pre-spooling" the turbo when you intend to pass, even tho' it has a relatively quick spoolup (less lag) given its small size.
btw: the StaSIS tune did wonders in this regard.
And yes, the front plate/filler has a couple "star" (aka Torx) screws. Torx are used all over German vehicles in particular so well worth getting a set of drivers. "The right tool for the job."
btw: the StaSIS tune did wonders in this regard.
And yes, the front plate/filler has a couple "star" (aka Torx) screws. Torx are used all over German vehicles in particular so well worth getting a set of drivers. "The right tool for the job."
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Thanks for the response. The 2010 was a 2.0t as well so I'm used to the slight lag. The long drive I just did had a lot of elevation changes so it can't really be compared to the less hilly long drives that I've done in the 2010, but I'll be interested to see if the 8-speed does any better with the gas mileage than the 6-speed did. I just can't imagine that it'll be much of a difference though.
Any thoughts on the turning radius? There is clearly a difference between the two cars so I wonder if the difference is a result of sport suspension vs non-sport suspension, or if it's a 2010 vs 2012 thing?
Any thoughts on the turning radius? There is clearly a difference between the two cars so I wonder if the difference is a result of sport suspension vs non-sport suspension, or if it's a 2010 vs 2012 thing?
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First, the turning radius on my 2012 is significantly better than the turning radius for the 2010. Is this a non-sport vs. sport thing? While driving the 2010 I always thought that its radius was kind of crappy, but now that I've driven the new car I am absolutely sure that there is a significant difference between the two.
--Jim--
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I had a B6 S4 and its turning radius was probably better than either of the B8 A4s that I've had, but I don't think it's a straight comparison between an S4 and an A4, and especially when one is a B6/7 and the other is a B8.
I'm not sure if your wife's car has the sport suspension or not, but if it does try to check out a non-sport A4 when you have a chance and tell me what you think. I think there's a big difference.
Is it conceivable that an OEM sport suspension could impact the turning radius? to be honest I don't even know what a "sport suspension" really is...in terms of parts and changes over the regular setup.
I'm not sure if your wife's car has the sport suspension or not, but if it does try to check out a non-sport A4 when you have a chance and tell me what you think. I think there's a big difference.
Is it conceivable that an OEM sport suspension could impact the turning radius? to be honest I don't even know what a "sport suspension" really is...in terms of parts and changes over the regular setup.
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Terlonz
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Yup, picked up 1-2 mpg city and 2 mpg hwy (depending on the test). that's pretty huge.
We drove a 2010 and 2011 A4 Avant back-to-back a couple of times before buying. The 6-speed cars felt more responsive. We also thought Sport mode made more of a difference in the 8-speed. In normal D, the 8-speed drives pretty mellow and seeks the highest gears quickly. And talk about overdrive: 2000 RPM = ~82 MPH.
I was initially kind of disappointed. I think I wanted to like like the 8-speed more than I did. But in the end, I saw what they were trying to do and now I think it's the better car for all purposes. You can make it what you want depending on your driving style and how you use S mode. I like it. I just wish mine had paddles for the canyons.
We drove a 2010 and 2011 A4 Avant back-to-back a couple of times before buying. The 6-speed cars felt more responsive. We also thought Sport mode made more of a difference in the 8-speed. In normal D, the 8-speed drives pretty mellow and seeks the highest gears quickly. And talk about overdrive: 2000 RPM = ~82 MPH.
I was initially kind of disappointed. I think I wanted to like like the 8-speed more than I did. But in the end, I saw what they were trying to do and now I think it's the better car for all purposes. You can make it what you want depending on your driving style and how you use S mode. I like it. I just wish mine had paddles for the canyons.
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