msochemist

Still no matrix led and park assistant?

Strife1013

I'm sure Audi would offer Matrix LEDs in the US if it where legal. DOT needs to update their regulations. Lucky we got those cool turn signals in the back.

medmed55

Looks like the comfort adaptive suspension might have been replaced as "sport adaptive damping suspension (-23mm ride height)" in the sport plus package. Somehow different than regular "sport suspension" in the regular sport package. Odd because I thought the comfort adaptive suspension was more focused on "comfort" and less on sporty drive. But I have never driven one with the comfort adaptive suspension so I don't know.

Odd that the manual window shades are gone. Wonder why?

Stzomah

You "can't swing a dead cat" without seeing a car commercial on the morning news. Fords, Chevy's, Jeeps.... all have some impressive high tech equipment. What is stunning is the technology creep from the high end cars downward to lesser cost vehicles. My wife's Aunt just bought a '17 Subaru Outback. Granted its not that "cheap" but come on... she has lane departure, auto high beam dimming, and adaptive CC. I had to get another package to get that "turned on" in my fancy A4. I have a Prem + with tech package. You'd think that would have come with one of those packages? I have the forward camera! Its just TURNED OFF. I would have to "hack" the software to turn it on! All safety items... Ridiculous, Audi makes you buy the $$$ prestige package to get what the Outback has!

Strife1013

I think only prestige has the forward camera. The little camera under the Audi rings on the grill. The camera by the rear-view mirror is standard on all trims. Each camera is used for different things. Birds eye view is only available on prestige which has that grill camera therefore "hacking" it won't do anything because the hardware is missing on Premium and PP+

But yes, I think it's BS that we have to pay more for something that is standard on some other cars. However I would rather have an Audi than a Toyota that has all those features.

wdimagineer

The leatherette armrests and center console are a nice inclusion, but like the S4 should be optional. Really classes up in the interior.

a4intender

I was intending to buy a 2018 A4 this year. One of the things I really wanted on my car is the comfort adaptive suspension. All of the A4's competitors offer either an adaptive or air suspension option. Moreover, I see an adaptive suspension as one of the things that differentiates a luxury car from a mainstream sedan. Also, part of the reason why I want the A4 is because of the rave reviews it has been getting, particularly for its ride and handling. But if you look carefully at the U.S. reviews, you will see that Audi is giving the press Prestige cars with the comfort adaptive suspension and 18 inch wheels. That is what I was planning to get.

So now starting in 2018 only the sport adaptive suspension will be offered and then only on manual transmission cars. It's not what I wanted, but why on earth is the sport adaptive suspension only offered on manual cars? And why can't I get the sports plus package on an automatic car? For the life of me I don't understand why Audi doesn't offer the choice of both adaptive suspensions. Or if they are worried that users will be confused by this, just offer a single, adaptive suspension option that would give you the sport adaptive if you have the sport package and the comfort if you do not. Wouldn't this make the most sense?

I think part of the problem here is that the product managers that decide how the options are packaged for the U.S. market do not understand the adaptive suspension. Fast forward to 2:17 of this Audi marketing video . They apparently think that sport mode in the adaptive suspension lowers the car. It does not. I have also found when test driving the car that sales people think that drive select softens (or hardens) the suspension even if you do not have the adaptive suspension. It does not. But you cannot convince them otherwise.

I'm sure the product managers will say the take rate on this option was low. But that's because it was only offered on the prestige trim (why?) and the sales people were running around telling customers that the car already does what this option provides. Anyway, I've probably ranted long enough. I am disappointed with the decision to remove this option. Based on the reviews, I think it adds significantly to the driving experience and it will probably lead me to reconsider my decision to purchase an A4.

VM

Has anyone confirmed that that's only true for U.S.-spec cars? I think that Canadian-spec cars without the advanced driver assistance package wouldn't have the camera by the rear-view mirror, but I have not been able to confirm that. Anyone in Canada without ADAP care to check?

VM

Does the U.S. market have 'sold order only' secret options? And if yes, are those included in this order guide or not?

I note that in the Canada order guide I have here (and I think there's a newer one somewhere) it shows the 1BL adaptive damping suspension (is that comfort or sport?) in the sold order only category.

My personal view on the comfort adaptive suspension: I think that they shouldn't have it lower the car 10mm. The sport adaptive suspension, sure, let's go low, but not the comfort one...

Airgapped

I am also disappointed with the removal of this option because of how it could affect some of the other options that I choose. I wanted to get the 19" wheel package with the ventilated sport seats but did not want the sport suspension. I was planning to "cancel out" the sport suspension with the comfort adaptive suspension. The removal of the warm weather package plays into this as well. I would been ok with keeping the standard suspension and adding the warm weather package to get the ventilated sport seats. It seems a little bit strange to me that the only way to get ventilated seats on the Prestige trim is to have a sport suspension. I'm back to square 1 on my configuration!