I've now had my 2.7T with PSK/6-speed for two weeks and driven 850 miles in varying conditions. Here are my thoughts...

The car is incredible - As far as road capabilities, the car is VERY fast, very competent and handles much better than you might expect of a car this size. Getting through the first 600 miles of the break-in, it was difficult to keep the revs down. I found myself looking for more twisties so I could push the car without over-revving.

The PSK suspension is an excellent blend of handling and comfort. It could definitely use 17 inch rims without harshening the ride too much. I'll probably wait until after next winter and get a set of S4 wheels for summer and keep the PSK wheels for winter driving.

The shifter is a bit mushy at times. Second and third seem to be the worst culprits and I find that it is very hard to shift into second smoothly on a consistent basis - I'm sure over time I'll figure it out or get a UUC Short shift kit...

The sports seats are both extremely comfortable and very supportive. I'm pretty trim and I do wonder how larger framed people would feel about these seats.

The Bose stereo is much better than the Bose system I had in the 96 A4. It delivers great sound through the entire range. I did experience the radio jumping to the next frequency (i.e., from 92.9 when the car is turned off to 93.1 when it is turned on again). This happened three times in two days and has not occured since (this was when the car was about three days old) - very strange. I installed the CD Changer myself in under half an hour. The directions that are posted on the forum are mostly accurate, but if you have the Nav system and/or order the screws from Clair there are some changes necessary (Clair provides Phillips screws). The CD Changer cable is very easy to locate if you have the nav system and properly attaching the the changer to the bracket is very simple, with the exception of the front left screw.

As far as the Navigation System goes, while it has its idiosyncracies, it has proven its mettle to me. I have used it to get from various locations around the Boston area to go to Nashua, NH, Newington CT and to other locations I had never been to. I find the dash-based system to be great and provide enough info without being a distraction, as I think the graphical based system would be. Some of the idiosyncracies are just getting used to it - it sometimes thinks that a road bears off, when it is just a turn in the road (i.e., as Route 128 loops around Boston, at certain points it tells you to "Bear left and continue to follow the road", also many town in Massachusetts seem to be listed as something like "Westwood, Town of", instead of just "Westwood"). Overall, I have found it to be precise and it provided my family with a great back-roads route over the weekend, cutting drive time to our destination from about 40 minutes to 21 minutes. It certainly hasn't gotten me into any significant trouble... When used with common sense, I think it is a terrific aid.

Other observations:
** Someone on the forum had asked about putting the headlight washer on a separate switch, so they don't soak the front end of their car to clean the windshield. FYI to that person, the headlight washers are on a delay, so you can just clean the windshield and not the headlights - nice touch.
** Someone else had asked about the ability to open a locked door without the power locks - double pumping the handle will first unlock and then open the door.
** I love the one-touch up and down window feature on all the windows. This was a favorite on the A4 that has been carried over. Also, the almost-all-the-way-open position for the sunroof adresses what was a shortcoming in the A4, with the wind buffeting.
** The Xenon headlights are great.

Of course, there a number of nits, but they really are just that: Nits...

** The steering wheel radio controls - why on radio, did they program the left buttons to scan, instead of scanning presets? Doesn't it make sense that people would more likely scan their presets instead of scanning up through hevery channel? Also, on the CD Changer, pushing the up button at the last song won't change the CD, but starts the same CD over again. I find I don't use them much because of this, compared to my Honda when I used them almost exclusively.
** The trip computer - I would like to turn off the trip computer display, while keeping the radio and outside temperature. Personally, I find the trip computer info to be not very interesting on a ongoing, real-time basis, but would check this towrds the end of a trip or a tank of gas. Also, I can't see the outside temperature when the nav system is on :-(
** Why does Audi continue to allow air to recirculate only with the AC compressor on? This was a complaint on the A4 and remains to date. I don't get it...
** The hand position on the steering wheel isn't 9-and-3 or 10-and-2. However I love the nice, thick rim.

Hope I haven't bored you...

-DMR.

 

Nice review! I agree 100% but would add:

<I>Why does Audi continue to allow air to recirculate only with the AC compressor on? This was a complaint on the A4 and remains to date. I don't get it...</I>

You can make it recirc with the compressor off. I think it's recirc (which will switch on econ) then recirc again. A bit of a pain.

//Greg

 

DMR: The left right on the bottom of the wheel buttons scans your presets, and goes from disc to disc in the changer. SM

 

Does the headlamp washer operate every time I use the windshield washer? I'm confused about this delay feature you mention. It sounds like you have to press the switch longer to get the headlamps cleaned.

 

Lights must be on. (Parking lights enough? can't recall.) Brief pulses of the washer (say less than 2 sec?) only wash the windshield. Hold the washer on for more than a couple of seconds and the headlights (and windshield, and cars 50' behind you) get washed too.

After the first couple of times, I now have it down - pulse washer to get windshield only, hold to get both. The first time the headlight washer fired (while I was trying to clean the windshield) I almost lost it! Looked like I'd just vaporized a pigeon, except it wasn't red. Boy howdy do the headlights get clean though....<p>Richard
'00 A6 2.7TM

 

<p>Richard
'00 A6 2.7TM

 

I'm pretty sure they work as long as the parking lights are on.

 

I've had my radio do the same thing in my 2.7T with about 5000 miles. In mine, it does it about 1/3 of the time that I start the car. I've also lost the balance and fade settings several times. I assume some sort of bad chip in the radio. I'll get them to check it when I take it in for service.

 

Dying of laughter - I'll remeber to get in front of a few cabs and try that.

 

Oh man - my sides are hurting also!