(I posted this near the end of an earlier thread, a week or so ago, but I don't think you saw it. Here's the text of the original post

February is a long way out!

Have you decided on your interior yet? You and I have exchanged a lot on this already, but I learned something yesterday that I don't recall seeing discussed here before: It's pretty well-known that the Ambition interiors use a "vertical" stitch pattern in the seats, while Advance and Ambiente use a horizontal pattern. Other than available colors and wood types, there's another significant difference between Advance and Ambiente: The texture of the leather in Ambiente is MUCH smoother than that used in Advance, which is rough and textured like the leather used in Ambition. It's a very noticable difference.


Bottom line:

Ambiente = Melange, Vanilla/Black, Vanilla/Royal Blue, smooth leather, horizontal stitch pattern, light-colored wood.

Ambition = Black, Maroon/Black, rough leather, vertical stitch pattern, dark wood.

Advance = Tungsten Gray, rough leather, dark wood.


Of course, only leather is available in the 4.2; in the 2.8 and 2.7T you can still get cloth (Advance only) or leatherette (Ambition & Ambiente).

I also learned that in the Ambition, the 2001 brochure refers to black as "Satin Black", but on the window stickers of 2001 cars it's still called "Onyx".<p>mpuzach
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/audiworldpics/2000/SigPicA6.jpg">
2000 A6 2.8Q Tip
Racing Green/Tungsten Gray
Conv Pkg/Cold Wthr/Xenons

 

I suppose that's the one thing I dislike about AudiWorld's forums. You never know if you've missed a response!

I've faced an onslaught of "gotta get a BMW" comments from my friends who are trashing Audi something fierce. That makes me far more determined NOT to get a BMW.

I'm still trying to make decisions. I've decided that vanilla/blue is the right way to go for the interior, keeping ming blue. Now, it's...

1. Sports suspension? Leaning toward 'no' or I'll get the "It rides a lot rougher than my Lexus" lines from my friends and I'll have to throw somebody out the door while doing 80. Thankfully that large trunk will let me move stiffs...er, long, straight packages pretty easily.
2. Rear airbags or a rear seat safe for sleeping children?
3. Buy or lease. Leaning more toward "buy" every day. I'm in for MSRP, since I ordered the car. With a lease, I suppose it doesn't matter that much. I do wish I had a clue about the terms! If I buy, it would seem I could get around $2K over invoice, but then it is a "special order." I don't know what generally happens when a car is ordered. If I buy, I'm very likely to "chip", get an upgraded sound system and find a suspension balance that will make me happy. If I lease, obviously I'll have to stay stock.

BTW, my deposit is in, but Geordie's not going to submit until October -or- I get my mind made up to proceed sooner.

If I can get these last three decisions nailed, it's time to pull the trigger. Yeah, I am beginning to daydream about the car pretty frequently nowadays. Doubt I can make it to February.

Thanks again for ALL your help, guy! Genuinely appreciated!

 

If you're going to chip, definitely get the psk.

 

Ambiente = Calfskin
Ambition = Steerhide
Advance = Water Buffalo

Non- metallic dyes used - Better for the environment and minimal interior window film. Audi and Mercedes are the only 2 companies that consistantly put leather on the sides and any other surface that looks like it should be leather ( leatherette is meant to be obvious ). Padding also varies between intetriors.

 

We have a BMW dealer down the street. Their manager calls our manager whenever we lurk there. We like to put a sign in the back window of a 2.7t and wait for a 540i going for a test drive. Our sign ? "Drive Audi Next" ;-))))Guess who is in front in the turns ? They've racked up two 5 series in the round-abouts, trying to duplicate our test drive ( and we are not on the edge - just safer more predictable cars ).

 

I'm kind of surprised that Audi doesn't put this information into the brochure. (As you know, what they say is really pretty general when it comes to defining the atmospheres.) Thanks for sharing.<p>mpuzach
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/audiworldpics/2000/SigPicA6.jpg">
2000 A6 2.8Q Tip
Racing Green/Tungsten Gray
Conv Pkg/Cold Wthr/Xenons

 

<p>Richard
'00 A6 2.7TQM
"Turbos make torque, and torque makes fun." -Corky Bell

 

Seriously though, this is great info. Thought I wanted Ambiente before, now I KNOW I do. Steerhide ain't cushy!

 

Buy a car from me, and it can take an hour just to explain features and details ( if you want )

 

My salesman at Rector in Burlingame does the same thing. There I was, chomping at the bit to drive my new car home (after waiting for it for over 4 months), and David Leibenson was talking, talking, talking! Funny thing was that he really did teach me some things about the car that I didn't know, e.g. that the remotes can be programmed in conjunction with seat/mirror memories, the importance of screwing on the gas cap until it "clicks", that it's normal to burn a little oil until the first scheduled change. In the end, I really appreciated David's thoroughness.

I have a great deal of respect for people in the business like you, David, and Ernst Gosch, April; I only wish there were more of you.<p>mpuzach
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/audiworldpics/2000/SigPicA6.jpg">
2000 A6 2.8Q Tip
Racing Green/Tungsten Gray
Conv Pkg/Cold Wthr/Xenons