It was a silver MY 2000, driven around a few South FL suburban streets.

- seats are amazing
- clutch is stiff; feels strange after getting used to the high engagement point in the A4
- I couldn't quite get a feel for engaging reverse
- dash design is a bit bland; touch screen thing seems like a long reach and looks dated
- stock shifter has long throws, not as precise as I'd expected (perhaps spoiled by my Strat?)
- engine not as quiet as I expected. Sweet sound though.
- huge, smooth torque; pulls endlessly and furiously, but did not compress my esophagus quite as much as the chipped S4 I rode in
- pretty short first gear
- a/c makes a strange whistling noise
- heavier-feeling in the corners than I expected, but rear-drive gives a nice feeling of balance and steering is just as razor-sharp as I'd been lead to believe
- I wish I had found the traction control defeat button before I parked it :-)

I had about 5 minutes behind the wheel and 5 minutes as front passenger with another first-time driver of the car at the wheel. I think I need more seat time to feel the car out. I was fully expecting to find the automotive equivalent of Shangri-la, and I can't say I walked away with that feeling. Don't get me wrong, though: it was incredible. I'll have to try it again later and see if I was just too giddy the first time.

My friend's lease is up in November, and I asked him to let me know how much the dealer wants for the purchase option. It's a very long shot, but I've nothing to lose.

Something I really didn't expect: I have a new appreciation for my A4. There you have it. Feel free to let me know if you think I'm crazy :-).

 

I've been in my A4 for 2 months and I'm still learning it's handling tendencies. I wouldn't expect anybody but the most experience drivers to get a true feel for a car right away.

That said, I really do miss my Integra GS-R. I had it set up with Bilstein HDs and H&R springs along with a Type-R rear swaybar. Amazing grip, turn-in, balance and neutrality for a front driver. Not to mention the lighter weight made the car much more tossable. Even still, I find myself doing things in the A4 that would have upset the Integra and the more I drive it, the more I grow to love it.

So yeah, I think we learn to really appreciate whatever we're driving (assuming it's not a Buick or an SUV) because we know its limits and we know how to really drive it.

 

I miss my GS-R as well. I've had my A4 for about a year now, and I believe that I can still get more out of the GS-R, all other things being equal. Mine had stock suspension except for poly bushings in the rear, and a DIY intake. You know that rush to redline, and how the torque comes on stronger as you sweep up to redline? That's how the M5 feels--with about 3 times as much torque pushing instead of pulling about 50% more weight.