My new Thorny Plant: impressions (very long)
05-01-2001, 08:27 PM
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My new Thorny Plant: impressions (very long)
Ladies and Gentle(and not-so--Gentle)men,
I now have a 2001 Cactus Green S4 with Silver leather in my wordly
possession. Here's what I think about the car.
Exterior:
Cactus kicks ***! My sales guy told me that it was a rare color, and I
can't understand why because it's just so cool.
Interior overall:
The interior colors are SAAAAWEEEET!! The silver on black color combo
looks really classy. Tnterior fit and finish quality is excellent. The
materials used and the construction is top-notch. Front seat comfort and
support is really good. It's easy to find a comfortable driving
position. Visibility is good all around, although the B-pillar sometimes
gets in my way.
The backseat is useless. Anyone over 5'6" is going to be very
uncomfortable back there. The car is essentially a 2+2.
The cupholder in the center console is useless, which is good because it
will discourage me from drinking stuff in the car that can get spilled
all over my nice leather.
Key fobs:
The switchblade key is a nifty gadget, but the keyless entry buttons are
both exactly the same, so there's no way to differentiate them by feel.
Most other keyless entry key fobs have different-sized buttons for lock
and unlock, or have the lock button be convex and the unlock button be concave.
Dash Layout:
The dash layout is annoying. I don't think the outside temperature, what
radio station I'm on, and my current gas mileage are the most important
bits of information to have, such that they would be placed dead center
on the dash. I consider the speedo and the tach to be most important.
The speedo should be dead center, the tach slightly smaller and off to
the side, and then all the other gauges placed around them.
Climate Controls and Radio:
The climate controls are worse. European carmakers like to have a center
console that is uncluttered and looks modern, but they do that at the
expense of useability. The controls for the climate-control systems are
very low on the center console, forcing you to take your eyes of the
road and bend your head down to look at them. They're also totally
non-tactile, i.e. you can't navigate your way around them by feel. As
for the actual feel, all the buttons in the car feel soft and plasticky
and not solid at all, which is very out of character for the high
quality of the rest of the car's interior.
The radio is actually put together pretty well, I have nothing to
complain about with the interface. But again, the problem is with the
soft and low-quality feel of the buttons.
Window controls:
I really like having express-down on all the windows, although there's
no way to send the window only partway down with just one touch. You
have to push the window button down to get the window started down, and
then pull the button back up to stop the window where you want it.
Steering wheel:
The steering wheel is excellent. It's exactly the right thickness and
feels really solid, certainly up to par for a high-performance car.
Engine compartment:
The engine compartment is designed really well. Everything that needs to
be checked is within easy reach and is highly visible. Very good and
functional design. I could do without all the shrouds, though. I like to
see the guts of my engine.
Engine:
This car has so much power that I almost rear-ended several people on
the drive home. It took me quite a while to lighten up my foot so that I
didn't lurch forward every time I hit the throttle. The engine could
have much more of a growl under power, so that I can feel like I'm
actually MOVING when I hit the gas. Everything about this car is, as Don
P. says, effortless, and so much so that it's actually boring. No
screaming engine note, no jerky delivery of power, no shuddering at high
speed to actually let you know that you're going fast. Just efortless,
"is-that-all-you-got?" power. But you WILL get kicked back in your seat
if you gun it. And that's really all I ask. ;-)
I don't like the engine note. It's too high-pitched for me. I want more
of a rumble and growl.
Gas mileage sucks the Big Fat *****. I'm getting no better than 18 mpg,
according to my trip computer, which will improve the more the car
breaks in, but I can't see it getting a whole lot better. The gas
mileage is so bad in fact, that I can actually SEE the fuel gauge needle
moving from right to left during the course of a trip.
Transmission:
I should have gotten the stick. The Tip is really a poor replacement for
shifting manually, and the problem is that you have no feedback from the
car. With a manual, if you're in too high or too low a gear, you're not
only going to hear it, but you're going to feel it through the shifter,
in your butt, and with your feet. Also, the car won't do what you ask if
it's not set up right, so you get instant feedback about what your doing.
With the Tip, the slushbox insulates you from all that. Too high a gear?
Fine, I just won't go as a fast as you want me to, but I won't bog
down....the car says. Too low a gear? Fine, I'll just sit here and rev
my *** off, and you won't feel it becuase the engine note and vibration
is so muted....the car says.
Also, the Tip WILL override your command if you try to downshift too
far, and it will automatically upshift from 1st to 2nd if you hit the
gas lightly from a stop. Since the shift control is just a toggle switch
up or down, you have no physical feedback as to what gear your in, and
since the computer will shift for you if you don't, it's easy to get
lost in the gears and have to look at the dash to check which gear
you're in.
I don't know what I was thinking. I wanted an auto because Bay Area
commuting is a real pain with stick, and I thought the Tip would be good
enough when I did want to shift manually. Not so. Where I see it being
useful is in situations on the highway where you want to pass and you
want to do it fast. You simply shift into Tip mode, downshift, pass, and
then shift out of Tip mode. Also, if you're on a winding highway like 9
or 17, you can use Tip mode to eliminate the gear-hunting that happens
as you go up and down the curves.
Drivetrain:
Quattro ROCKS!! My favorite thing to do is to throttle into U-turns and
watch the Torsen system do it's thing. If you get too crazy with it, you
will slide a bit, but the car is so stable and forgiving that I've never
had the tail come out, and the worst that ever happened was that I just
bogged down halfway through the turn. I haven't tried it with ESP off
yet, that's on my list of things to do.
Steering:
The steering sometimes feels overweighted and sometimes feel
underweighted. It's really weird. At low speeds it feels like I have no
power steering at all. At high speeds, the steering feels overboosted
and I feel like I'm steering a Cadillac. It is a clichee, but the
steering IS numb on center. I can jiggle the steering wheel a fair
amount back and forth off center and not have the car react. I think the
steering has room for improvement, but it's not a real big gripe.
Suspension:
I haven't driven too many high-performance cars, so I can't tell you if
this car is too soft or too stiff. Just from subjective opinion, it
could stand to be a bit stiffer. My Volvo S40 has an unsettling amount
of body roll, and I don't feel like the S4 is that much better in that
department. Cornering is not flat by any means, but it is
high-performance. The car still feels solid and buttoned-down. Where I
thought I would lose it in the Volvo, the Audi felt like I could have
pushed it twice as hard. The ride quality is actually pretty good,
almost too good for what really is a beast of a car. You don't feel
every expansion joint and road tittie when you drive over them, and that
contributes to the overall ho-hum feeling the car gives you.
I doubt I'll do any aftermarket stuff to the suspension. It handles and
corners fine for me, but maybe after a few driving schools, I might make
more demands of it such that I would need to upgrade it.
Brakes:
I've heard people say that the brakes are hard to modulate. I don't
think this is true at all. The brakes are just fine. More pressure, more
braking. Just like that. I haven't noticed any fade, but then I haven't
pushed the brakes really hard either. So far it's just been city and
highway driving.
I haven't hit the ABS yet.
In summary:
Overall, this car just kicks ***. I've never referred to a car as "my baby," but this car is MY BABY. I would definitely buy it again, even
knowing everything about it that I do now. Most of the complaints I have
with the car have to do with things that don't impact the performance,
and those are things that I can get used to. I expect a bit better
design with respect to some of the interface things in the car, but
performance is really what I care about, and that is something this car
has plenty of.
Happy motoring.
Zaid
I now have a 2001 Cactus Green S4 with Silver leather in my wordly
possession. Here's what I think about the car.
Exterior:
Cactus kicks ***! My sales guy told me that it was a rare color, and I
can't understand why because it's just so cool.
Interior overall:
The interior colors are SAAAAWEEEET!! The silver on black color combo
looks really classy. Tnterior fit and finish quality is excellent. The
materials used and the construction is top-notch. Front seat comfort and
support is really good. It's easy to find a comfortable driving
position. Visibility is good all around, although the B-pillar sometimes
gets in my way.
The backseat is useless. Anyone over 5'6" is going to be very
uncomfortable back there. The car is essentially a 2+2.
The cupholder in the center console is useless, which is good because it
will discourage me from drinking stuff in the car that can get spilled
all over my nice leather.
Key fobs:
The switchblade key is a nifty gadget, but the keyless entry buttons are
both exactly the same, so there's no way to differentiate them by feel.
Most other keyless entry key fobs have different-sized buttons for lock
and unlock, or have the lock button be convex and the unlock button be concave.
Dash Layout:
The dash layout is annoying. I don't think the outside temperature, what
radio station I'm on, and my current gas mileage are the most important
bits of information to have, such that they would be placed dead center
on the dash. I consider the speedo and the tach to be most important.
The speedo should be dead center, the tach slightly smaller and off to
the side, and then all the other gauges placed around them.
Climate Controls and Radio:
The climate controls are worse. European carmakers like to have a center
console that is uncluttered and looks modern, but they do that at the
expense of useability. The controls for the climate-control systems are
very low on the center console, forcing you to take your eyes of the
road and bend your head down to look at them. They're also totally
non-tactile, i.e. you can't navigate your way around them by feel. As
for the actual feel, all the buttons in the car feel soft and plasticky
and not solid at all, which is very out of character for the high
quality of the rest of the car's interior.
The radio is actually put together pretty well, I have nothing to
complain about with the interface. But again, the problem is with the
soft and low-quality feel of the buttons.
Window controls:
I really like having express-down on all the windows, although there's
no way to send the window only partway down with just one touch. You
have to push the window button down to get the window started down, and
then pull the button back up to stop the window where you want it.
Steering wheel:
The steering wheel is excellent. It's exactly the right thickness and
feels really solid, certainly up to par for a high-performance car.
Engine compartment:
The engine compartment is designed really well. Everything that needs to
be checked is within easy reach and is highly visible. Very good and
functional design. I could do without all the shrouds, though. I like to
see the guts of my engine.
Engine:
This car has so much power that I almost rear-ended several people on
the drive home. It took me quite a while to lighten up my foot so that I
didn't lurch forward every time I hit the throttle. The engine could
have much more of a growl under power, so that I can feel like I'm
actually MOVING when I hit the gas. Everything about this car is, as Don
P. says, effortless, and so much so that it's actually boring. No
screaming engine note, no jerky delivery of power, no shuddering at high
speed to actually let you know that you're going fast. Just efortless,
"is-that-all-you-got?" power. But you WILL get kicked back in your seat
if you gun it. And that's really all I ask. ;-)
I don't like the engine note. It's too high-pitched for me. I want more
of a rumble and growl.
Gas mileage sucks the Big Fat *****. I'm getting no better than 18 mpg,
according to my trip computer, which will improve the more the car
breaks in, but I can't see it getting a whole lot better. The gas
mileage is so bad in fact, that I can actually SEE the fuel gauge needle
moving from right to left during the course of a trip.
Transmission:
I should have gotten the stick. The Tip is really a poor replacement for
shifting manually, and the problem is that you have no feedback from the
car. With a manual, if you're in too high or too low a gear, you're not
only going to hear it, but you're going to feel it through the shifter,
in your butt, and with your feet. Also, the car won't do what you ask if
it's not set up right, so you get instant feedback about what your doing.
With the Tip, the slushbox insulates you from all that. Too high a gear?
Fine, I just won't go as a fast as you want me to, but I won't bog
down....the car says. Too low a gear? Fine, I'll just sit here and rev
my *** off, and you won't feel it becuase the engine note and vibration
is so muted....the car says.
Also, the Tip WILL override your command if you try to downshift too
far, and it will automatically upshift from 1st to 2nd if you hit the
gas lightly from a stop. Since the shift control is just a toggle switch
up or down, you have no physical feedback as to what gear your in, and
since the computer will shift for you if you don't, it's easy to get
lost in the gears and have to look at the dash to check which gear
you're in.
I don't know what I was thinking. I wanted an auto because Bay Area
commuting is a real pain with stick, and I thought the Tip would be good
enough when I did want to shift manually. Not so. Where I see it being
useful is in situations on the highway where you want to pass and you
want to do it fast. You simply shift into Tip mode, downshift, pass, and
then shift out of Tip mode. Also, if you're on a winding highway like 9
or 17, you can use Tip mode to eliminate the gear-hunting that happens
as you go up and down the curves.
Drivetrain:
Quattro ROCKS!! My favorite thing to do is to throttle into U-turns and
watch the Torsen system do it's thing. If you get too crazy with it, you
will slide a bit, but the car is so stable and forgiving that I've never
had the tail come out, and the worst that ever happened was that I just
bogged down halfway through the turn. I haven't tried it with ESP off
yet, that's on my list of things to do.
Steering:
The steering sometimes feels overweighted and sometimes feel
underweighted. It's really weird. At low speeds it feels like I have no
power steering at all. At high speeds, the steering feels overboosted
and I feel like I'm steering a Cadillac. It is a clichee, but the
steering IS numb on center. I can jiggle the steering wheel a fair
amount back and forth off center and not have the car react. I think the
steering has room for improvement, but it's not a real big gripe.
Suspension:
I haven't driven too many high-performance cars, so I can't tell you if
this car is too soft or too stiff. Just from subjective opinion, it
could stand to be a bit stiffer. My Volvo S40 has an unsettling amount
of body roll, and I don't feel like the S4 is that much better in that
department. Cornering is not flat by any means, but it is
high-performance. The car still feels solid and buttoned-down. Where I
thought I would lose it in the Volvo, the Audi felt like I could have
pushed it twice as hard. The ride quality is actually pretty good,
almost too good for what really is a beast of a car. You don't feel
every expansion joint and road tittie when you drive over them, and that
contributes to the overall ho-hum feeling the car gives you.
I doubt I'll do any aftermarket stuff to the suspension. It handles and
corners fine for me, but maybe after a few driving schools, I might make
more demands of it such that I would need to upgrade it.
Brakes:
I've heard people say that the brakes are hard to modulate. I don't
think this is true at all. The brakes are just fine. More pressure, more
braking. Just like that. I haven't noticed any fade, but then I haven't
pushed the brakes really hard either. So far it's just been city and
highway driving.
I haven't hit the ABS yet.
In summary:
Overall, this car just kicks ***. I've never referred to a car as "my baby," but this car is MY BABY. I would definitely buy it again, even
knowing everything about it that I do now. Most of the complaints I have
with the car have to do with things that don't impact the performance,
and those are things that I can get used to. I expect a bit better
design with respect to some of the interface things in the car, but
performance is really what I care about, and that is something this car
has plenty of.
Happy motoring.
Zaid
05-01-2001, 08:36 PM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
Key fob and windows...
Yes, the key is pretty spiffy, but you can use the remote by just feeling it: the lock button is right where the key opener is (the round metallic button). In comparison, the unlock button is closer to your key chain.
Pretty easy to get used to - besides, my buttons are so worn that you can't tell which button is which by looking =)
As for the windows - you can send them only halfway by simply holding on the button. When you hold it for more than so long it will no longer be one-touch down but "as long as you hold".
Pretty easy to get used to - besides, my buttons are so worn that you can't tell which button is which by looking =)
As for the windows - you can send them only halfway by simply holding on the button. When you hold it for more than so long it will no longer be one-touch down but "as long as you hold".
05-01-2001, 08:54 PM
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Tip Driving
Dude, drive in tip for an entire day and see what a difference it makes to driving it in traditional auto. Tip isn't as bad as it could be, i actually think it's quite satisfactory, then again i have very little experience driving a manual car.
i've been driving in tiptronic about 6months after i got my car because i thought it was useless driving in automatic mode, it just doesn't do this car justice. Now...it's key in key housing, turn to position two, start car, push brake, shifter down to d and over to tiptronic mode and off i go.
try it, it makes a very substanial difference.
i've been driving in tiptronic about 6months after i got my car because i thought it was useless driving in automatic mode, it just doesn't do this car justice. Now...it's key in key housing, turn to position two, start car, push brake, shifter down to d and over to tiptronic mode and off i go.
try it, it makes a very substanial difference.
05-01-2001, 11:05 PM
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hmmm...maybe I'll give it more time.....
I actually got a headache working Tip mode the first day I had the car. Maybe I just need more time to sit with it and let it become second nature.
Zaid
Zaid
05-02-2001, 04:05 AM
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Good review, but my steering is almost the opposite of yours.
Feels more manual at higher speed, no "numb" spot, very responsive. On the interstate, it takes just pressure on the wheel to correct direction.
Check your tire pressure? ;-)
As to climate control, it works very well in automatic, so you seldom need to mess with it, anyway.
BTW, I originally place my order for Cactus Green, before I saw the light (Imola) and decided to stand out for a change!
Check your tire pressure? ;-)
As to climate control, it works very well in automatic, so you seldom need to mess with it, anyway.
BTW, I originally place my order for Cactus Green, before I saw the light (Imola) and decided to stand out for a change!
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05-02-2001, 09:08 AM
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Relax, you will learn to love the TIP!
It's not a manual, and of course does not feel like it.
But just wait until your on a nice fast sweeper, and you want to dial in the line with the throttle...
Click, blip... whammo.. and I'm there...
It may not be jsut like F1, and the concept is the same.
I focus on driving, never shifting... that is one less thing for me to think about....
But just wait until your on a nice fast sweeper, and you want to dial in the line with the throttle...
Click, blip... whammo.. and I'm there...
It may not be jsut like F1, and the concept is the same.
I focus on driving, never shifting... that is one less thing for me to think about....
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