Scott in Cincy

Well after a large saga to get my new car from Houston TX to Cincinnati OH, my '05 A8 SWB has finally been delivered to me. I traded in my '04 S4 for this (wanted a bigger car with a better ride for my long work commute).

It's an earlier '05 (has On-Star and XM)
Brilliant Black with Black Interior
Options:
Adaptive Cruise
Sunshades
Advanced Key
19" Wheels
Front Seat Ventilation and Massage
Cold Weather Package
Door Armrest in Leather
Center Console Premium Stitching
Front and Rear Parktronic
Solar Sunroof
Rear Climate Control
Dual Paned Security Glass (haven't figured out what this is yet)
XM Radio
Power Door Close
Rear Seat Lumbar

It has 21,000 Miles on it, and is certified + Audi Care... so I think I'm all set!

Couple questions: how can I figure out if I have the correct phone cradle for bluetooth (the B one).

Is there a DIY out there for hardwiring a Valentine 1?

Thanks in advance,
Scott

SRaj

If/when you are able to form an opinion, I would be interested to know how you like the vent/massage seats, solar sunroof, and adaptive cruise. I must be missing something on the adaptive cruise; if you are paying attention, what benefit does it provide? Mainly as a convenience to not have to adjust speed on a busy highway? Mercedes has radar-assisted brakes for emergency stops, obviously a big safety feature, but this is not part of Audi's system is it?

Quattro_#2

Sounds like a really nice ride. Mines got about 19k on her and is just starting to break in - the sound gets better n' better all the time. It's just a happy machine that does whatever you ask - with class.

Can't answer questions on adaptive cruise or Bluetooth as I don't have them.

Emauss

The glass is double-pane. This accomplishes at least 3 things. First it adds to the insulation of the vehicle in the realm of weather protection. Second, it adds to the sound-insulation quality of the car. This is a feature that is prized by many (and I keep kicking myself for not getting it for this reason alone!) Third, the double pane adds to the security element by making it MUCH harder to break the glass and entering the vehicle from there.

Ringmeister

1) Your car does not include BT functionality so you will have to add an aftermarket solution. You can get a cradle but I am not sure if it will work the same way as mine does on my MY2005 with factory BT. If you have a cradle connector under the front arm rests, you may be able to use any phone Audi made a cradle for as long as the phone stays in the cradle. I have an old SonyEricsson T637 with a cradle from my dealer parts dept. See my picture poster for a pic of the phone and cradle. Paul Waterloo has created a BT kit for A8 vehicles, look him up over in the AW D2 Forum.

2) A radar detector may not work as intended since you already have a radar source that is painting everything in front of your car integrated into your bumper. Although I think the adaptive cruise is cool, I opted not to get it so I could run with radar detection installed remotely in the front grill assembly. I would consult with Valentine before spending any money on something you may have to return.

Scott in Cincy

It didn't dawn on me until you mentioned that about it being radar based. I already have a V1, so I'll just experiment and see if it works. If not, I'll just add a Lidatek system and be done with it.

Ring, what kind of wheels are those? Are they OEM's or Clones? Those are really beautiful. What other mods have you done?

Ringmeister

these wheels have become fairly popular here among AW D3 owners. Although I think the 19in 12 spokes are more elegant, the 20s are more sporty and aggressive looking.

Other than the Passport SRX system (radar and F+R laser), I have added window tint, clear bra, Premium All Weather Mats, debadged and VAG-COM lowered. During the winter months, I swap the 20s to Audi 18in 5 spoke wheels with Blizzak LM-22 shoes to deal with the crappy midwest weather.

My next mod will be the Audi Music Interface once the retrofit kit is available.

parkrog2

Since you have OnStar the easiest phone solution is to get a Audi "B" phone cradle and buy motorola bluetooth adaptor that plugs into phone cradle. This will allow the use of a bluetooth phone. Works great in my 04 A8L

Scott in Cincy

when I get a chance. Shouldn't be too hard now that I know that they're adhesives.

I'll do a search on the Audi Music Interface...wonder how much that will end up being.

Scott in Cincy

I don't think that the adaptive cruise is something I would've paid for new, but it's ok. It does as you thought, basically keeps you from having to slow down when traffic slows down. It would be nice if you're following someone else on a long trip. Just a convenience item, I think.

As for the solar sunroof and seats, it's a little chilly here to figure out if those are any good yet