Test drive
03-08-2019, 04:14 AM
#1
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Test drive
Just finished my 3 hour test drive with a brand new (and very flashy blue looking) E-Tron
Management summary: best car ever driven :-)
Car was 100% charged, but only showed 265 Km of range. And indeed, range drops very fast, but obviously, I didn't drive it as I would in "normal" circumstances.
First of all, the drive is amazing. I've driven the I-Pace and Tesla Model S, but find the E-Tron ride much more balanced. The experience is weird: you have the impression that the acceleration isn't that great, but once you look at the speed-meter, you're always driving a lot faster than you would guess. That's in auto mode.
Don't get me wrong, passengers that have never driven an electric car are stunned with the acceleration, but it's increadibly balanced compared to Jaguar and Tesla. Once you put your car in Dynamic, the difference is very noticable, and gets you a sports car feeling.
I currently drive a Jaguar XE, which has a nice feeling to it, but the E-Tron luxury feel is something else. The car did had all the stuff I've also selected (leather seats, leather finishing, ...), but it's a great place to be in. I won't even bother comparing the finish with a Tesla.
The most amazing thing is how completely silent the cabin is. Again, no competitors here.
As for charging: my home charging isn't setup yet, so I try one about 1 Km from my home. Didn't work at all with my first charging pass, but with the second one, charging started immediately. The charging post was 11 Kw/h, and immediately got 9 Kwh, and between 10 and 11 Kw/h a minute later.
The virtual mirrors are super cool, but I tend to agree with the reviewers. What I most miss is a lack of depth. You do get used to them quite fast. Oh well, they are included in my "Technology pack", so I can live with it :-)
Got a very scary moment where my wife wanted to give it a spin. As she never drove an automatic gearbox, the moment she wanted to brake, she pushed the brake pedal with full force (thinking it was the clutch pedal). Causing an immediate stop, tightening of the seat belts, and a "pre sense read" alert. And an immediate raise in heart rate. Oh well, that has been tested and approved also :-)
I get a second drive (full day) next week Thursday, so if anyone has any questions: now is the time !
Management summary: best car ever driven :-)
Car was 100% charged, but only showed 265 Km of range. And indeed, range drops very fast, but obviously, I didn't drive it as I would in "normal" circumstances.
First of all, the drive is amazing. I've driven the I-Pace and Tesla Model S, but find the E-Tron ride much more balanced. The experience is weird: you have the impression that the acceleration isn't that great, but once you look at the speed-meter, you're always driving a lot faster than you would guess. That's in auto mode.
Don't get me wrong, passengers that have never driven an electric car are stunned with the acceleration, but it's increadibly balanced compared to Jaguar and Tesla. Once you put your car in Dynamic, the difference is very noticable, and gets you a sports car feeling.
I currently drive a Jaguar XE, which has a nice feeling to it, but the E-Tron luxury feel is something else. The car did had all the stuff I've also selected (leather seats, leather finishing, ...), but it's a great place to be in. I won't even bother comparing the finish with a Tesla.
The most amazing thing is how completely silent the cabin is. Again, no competitors here.
As for charging: my home charging isn't setup yet, so I try one about 1 Km from my home. Didn't work at all with my first charging pass, but with the second one, charging started immediately. The charging post was 11 Kw/h, and immediately got 9 Kwh, and between 10 and 11 Kw/h a minute later.
The virtual mirrors are super cool, but I tend to agree with the reviewers. What I most miss is a lack of depth. You do get used to them quite fast. Oh well, they are included in my "Technology pack", so I can live with it :-)
Got a very scary moment where my wife wanted to give it a spin. As she never drove an automatic gearbox, the moment she wanted to brake, she pushed the brake pedal with full force (thinking it was the clutch pedal). Causing an immediate stop, tightening of the seat belts, and a "pre sense read" alert. And an immediate raise in heart rate. Oh well, that has been tested and approved also :-)
I get a second drive (full day) next week Thursday, so if anyone has any questions: now is the time !
03-08-2019, 05:28 AM
#2
AudiWorld Member
Just finished my 3 hour test drive with a brand new (and very flashy blue looking) E-Tron
Management summary: best car ever driven :-)
Car was 100% charged, but only showed 265 Km of range. And indeed, range drops very fast, but obviously, I didn't drive it as I would in "normal" circumstances.
First of all, the drive is amazing. I've driven the I-Pace and Tesla Model S, but find the E-Tron ride much more balanced. The experience is weird: you have the impression that the acceleration isn't that great, but once you look at the speed-meter, you're always driving a lot faster than you would guess. That's in auto mode.
Don't get me wrong, passengers that have never driven an electric car are stunned with the acceleration, but it's increadibly balanced compared to Jaguar and Tesla. Once you put your car in Dynamic, the difference is very noticable, and gets you a sports car feeling.
I currently drive a Jaguar XE, which has a nice feeling to it, but the E-Tron luxury feel is something else. The car did had all the stuff I've also selected (leather seats, leather finishing, ...), but it's a great place to be in. I won't even bother comparing the finish with a Tesla.
The most amazing thing is how completely silent the cabin is. Again, no competitors here.
As for charging: my home charging isn't setup yet, so I try one about 1 Km from my home. Didn't work at all with my first charging pass, but with the second one, charging started immediately. The charging post was 11 Kw/h, and immediately got 9 Kwh, and between 10 and 11 Kw/h a minute later.
The virtual mirrors are super cool, but I tend to agree with the reviewers. What I most miss is a lack of depth. You do get used to them quite fast. Oh well, they are included in my "Technology pack", so I can live with it :-)
Got a very scary moment where my wife wanted to give it a spin. As she never drove an automatic gearbox, the moment she wanted to brake, she pushed the brake pedal with full force (thinking it was the clutch pedal). Causing an immediate stop, tightening of the seat belts, and a "pre sense read" alert. And an immediate raise in heart rate. Oh well, that has been tested and approved also :-)
I get a second drive (full day) next week Thursday, so if anyone has any questions: now is the time !
Management summary: best car ever driven :-)
Car was 100% charged, but only showed 265 Km of range. And indeed, range drops very fast, but obviously, I didn't drive it as I would in "normal" circumstances.
First of all, the drive is amazing. I've driven the I-Pace and Tesla Model S, but find the E-Tron ride much more balanced. The experience is weird: you have the impression that the acceleration isn't that great, but once you look at the speed-meter, you're always driving a lot faster than you would guess. That's in auto mode.
Don't get me wrong, passengers that have never driven an electric car are stunned with the acceleration, but it's increadibly balanced compared to Jaguar and Tesla. Once you put your car in Dynamic, the difference is very noticable, and gets you a sports car feeling.
I currently drive a Jaguar XE, which has a nice feeling to it, but the E-Tron luxury feel is something else. The car did had all the stuff I've also selected (leather seats, leather finishing, ...), but it's a great place to be in. I won't even bother comparing the finish with a Tesla.
The most amazing thing is how completely silent the cabin is. Again, no competitors here.
As for charging: my home charging isn't setup yet, so I try one about 1 Km from my home. Didn't work at all with my first charging pass, but with the second one, charging started immediately. The charging post was 11 Kw/h, and immediately got 9 Kwh, and between 10 and 11 Kw/h a minute later.
The virtual mirrors are super cool, but I tend to agree with the reviewers. What I most miss is a lack of depth. You do get used to them quite fast. Oh well, they are included in my "Technology pack", so I can live with it :-)
Got a very scary moment where my wife wanted to give it a spin. As she never drove an automatic gearbox, the moment she wanted to brake, she pushed the brake pedal with full force (thinking it was the clutch pedal). Causing an immediate stop, tightening of the seat belts, and a "pre sense read" alert. And an immediate raise in heart rate. Oh well, that has been tested and approved also :-)
I get a second drive (full day) next week Thursday, so if anyone has any questions: now is the time !
03-08-2019, 08:20 AM
#3
AudiWorld Senior Member
Fideba, thanks for sharing. Once this car is in my possession, the only time the range will read 400km is when I'm struggling to get to the next Electrify America charger. The rest of the time I'll be having too much fun.
Electric driving becomes addictive. I've learned that just driving my Cayenne PHEV for 3 years. I don't know if it's the silence, or the smoothness, or the economy, or the absence of (local) emissions . It's liberating.
I would be interested in knowing if it is possible to cool or heat the interior unattended while unplugged. I have a needy Bernese Mountain Dog that needs to be with me at all times.
Your delivery should be right around the corner. Any chance of touring the factory in Brussels? Enjoy!
Electric driving becomes addictive. I've learned that just driving my Cayenne PHEV for 3 years. I don't know if it's the silence, or the smoothness, or the economy, or the absence of (local) emissions . It's liberating.
I would be interested in knowing if it is possible to cool or heat the interior unattended while unplugged. I have a needy Bernese Mountain Dog that needs to be with me at all times.
Your delivery should be right around the corner. Any chance of touring the factory in Brussels? Enjoy!
03-08-2019, 09:33 AM
#4
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
I don't think I'll be able to test the remote cooling with a demo car, as I understand, the car needs to be registered in the app, doubt if they will let me do that. But I'll certainly be able to test that in a couple of weeks !
We've already been to the Brussels factory twice. Once to see the assembly process (mainly the battery), and once for the official presentation (with a Michelin star dinner). Sometimes living in Belgium is great ! Let's be honest. Most of the time ;-)
We've already been to the Brussels factory twice. Once to see the assembly process (mainly the battery), and once for the official presentation (with a Michelin star dinner). Sometimes living in Belgium is great ! Let's be honest. Most of the time ;-)
03-08-2019, 09:39 AM
#5
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Nice, congrats on the Test Drive. I went to 2 local E-Tron events recently, and was super impressed with the quality, also comparing it to I-Pace, and Model S & X. Before going to these events I was starting to have second thoughts about spending $90K on a car for my wife to run around, and I might get to drive on the weekends, After the events, I am buying the E-Tron, without a doubt. Audi did a fantastic job on the car, the quality is one of the best production cars I have seen. I did get the feeling that the interior styling was just a bit overdone, and from an interior design standpoint I think I like the I-Pace just a bit better, but on execution Audi gets an A, where the I-Pace is more of a B- or C on interior execution, Tesla S is more of a D as it is just lacking so many usable features like door pockets, LED lights, etc (the list of features lacking in Model S can go on for a long time). On the interior the Tesla is really not even in the same league outside of their infotainment which is pretty good, but buggy. The exterior, the first feeling I felt, it the E-Tron is a rather large car, much larger looking in person than it is in the pictures. We are excited, and cannot wait for our E-Tron to arrive this summer.
03-08-2019, 09:53 AM
#6
Darned! I'm jealous. Can't wait for a test drive here in midwest. The dealer did tell me there may be a small chance in spring.
I agree. the Etron feels like a finished product. Everything was smooth, quick, silent and seamless. It could not even hear it starting up, all the screens blink to life instantly. Even on my volt it takes 2 seconds for everything to turn on.
An efficient driver should get over 300 miles out of the Etron. Carefully driven in good circumstances, my EPA 33 mile volt has gotten me 56 miles on highway.
At your second test drive can you check how tight the turn radius can be and what it feels like on the street.
Also drive at varying speeds with the window/sunroof down and see if there is buffeting inside on any combination.
I agree. the Etron feels like a finished product. Everything was smooth, quick, silent and seamless. It could not even hear it starting up, all the screens blink to life instantly. Even on my volt it takes 2 seconds for everything to turn on.
An efficient driver should get over 300 miles out of the Etron. Carefully driven in good circumstances, my EPA 33 mile volt has gotten me 56 miles on highway.
At your second test drive can you check how tight the turn radius can be and what it feels like on the street.
Also drive at varying speeds with the window/sunroof down and see if there is buffeting inside on any combination.
Last edited by theo1000; 03-08-2019 at 10:02 AM.
03-08-2019, 10:26 AM
#7
AudiWorld Member
Fideba, thanks for sharing. Once this car is in my possession, the only time the range will read 400km is when I'm struggling to get to the next Electrify America charger. The rest of the time I'll be having too much fun.
Electric driving becomes addictive. I've learned that just driving my Cayenne PHEV for 3 years. I don't know if it's the silence, or the smoothness, or the economy, or the absence of (local) emissions . It's liberating.
I would be interested in knowing if it is possible to cool or heat the interior unattended while unplugged. I have a needy Bernese Mountain Dog that needs to be with me at all times.
Your delivery should be right around the corner. Any chance of touring the factory in Brussels? Enjoy!
Electric driving becomes addictive. I've learned that just driving my Cayenne PHEV for 3 years. I don't know if it's the silence, or the smoothness, or the economy, or the absence of (local) emissions . It's liberating.
I would be interested in knowing if it is possible to cool or heat the interior unattended while unplugged. I have a needy Bernese Mountain Dog that needs to be with me at all times.
Your delivery should be right around the corner. Any chance of touring the factory in Brussels? Enjoy!
The Cold Weather package refers to "enhanced cabin and battery preconditioning. This seems to imply that it will allow the e-tron interior to be heated, at least while plugged in to a charger.
Anyway, this is part of my build which was locked today. When you're spending over 80K, what's another 900 bucks!
Cold Weather package
$ 900Add to configurationPackage includes:
Adaptive windshield wipers with integrated, heated washer jets
Heated rear outboard seats
Additional high-voltage heater (enhanced cabin and battery preconditioning)
Wet wiper arms
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03-08-2019, 11:08 AM
#8
AudiWorld Senior Member
The Cold Weather package refers to "enhanced cabin and battery preconditioning. This seems to imply that it will allow the e-tron interior to be heated, at least while plugged in to a charger.
Anyway, this is part of my build which was locked today. When you're spending over 80K, what's another 900 bucks!
Anyway, this is part of my build which was locked today. When you're spending over 80K, what's another 900 bucks!
03-08-2019, 12:26 PM
#9
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I live in the California desert east of Los Angeles so at first I could not see any use for a cold weather package. Then I read what makes up this option. The windshield wipers are quite cool. As I understand them, the spay nozzles (which are on both leading edges of the wiper arms) sprays in the direction the wipers are moving. The spray lands in front of the wipers as they are moving.
03-09-2019, 08:35 AM
#10
My BMW i3, 330e and X5 40e PHEV's all have the capability to run the A/C after shut down. It's very easy as a screen comes up when I turn to car off asking if I want to run the A/C. It has an almost negligible effect on my remaining range. I use it when waiting in the car when my wife goes into the bank and I've never seen a drop in remaining range. BUT--I never use this for the dog. Some well-meaning passerby would think I'd left the dog in a hot car and break the window, for sure. Tesla added a feature for their "Dog Mode". It's a BIG message on that big center screen that says: "Don't worry, the A/C is on and the interior temperature is --degrees". I still don't think I would trust that some do-gooder would read the message before breaking the window.