Considering Avant as next co car - opinions needed :-)

[rob.e]

Increasing family size means the my current mk5 golf gti is not going to be big enough so considering A4 Avant as a possible replacement. The 2.0T FSI 211PS engine is more powerful than the golf and also lower emissions so that is an ideal choice. S Line spec looks great.

I'm after advice on the following:

- "Sport" suspension vs. S Line (-30mm). Am i right that there's a no-cost option to choose either the -20mm sport or the -30mm S-Line suspension? If so, which is the better in terms of ride quality. I'm not spending any where near as much time attacking B roads these days so ride comfort is more important than handling. Anybody tried both?

- remaps: all the usual suspects seems to have info on their sites related to the "old" 2.0T engine ie the 200PS motor that my golf has. Do any of the tuners have results for the new 211PS engine? Anyone with real world experience?

Thanks in advance.

btw: overall spec I'm thinking of is: 2.0TFSI 211PS S-Line in Ibis white, parking bleepers, cruise, heated seats, rear blinds and ipod link.

Cheers
Rob

 

[Scotty]

My 2.0T Avant S-line is being built this week.

I'm moving from my B6 S4 to it as my kid count is at 1.5 and approaching 2 quickly! I don't have the chance to play with the S4 now and when I do then I'm out on my motorbike. The 2.0T is fast enough for everyday although I will miss the sound and torque from my 390bhp V8.

We test drove a Sports suspension (20mm drop) equipped car running with 19" alloys and this is what we've specc'ed. If you go for the cost free S-line suspension (30mm drop) then you can not order 19" wheels.

20mm drop looks fine to me and the wheels look central in the arch and nicely filled by the 19's.

The suspension is very soft compared with my S4 but in reality it's firm but pliant. When really pushing it then it rolled a tad more than I'd have liked but it then firms up and around you go. I think the feel will depend totally on what you're used to. I was thinking of getting the switchable setup for fun and family but I happy enough with the Sports suspension that I couldn't justify the extra cost. I've heard it's harder and softer that the Sports and I don't beleive I'd have liked either although I didn't bother testing it.

If you're looking at cruise then take a good look at the Executive S-line instead (I have). £635 - £185 (for cruise) = £450 for :

Alcantara/leather instead of cloth/leather
Mobile Phone preparation
Sympony radio

Admittedly I then got carried away and added full leather and SatNav but with the phone prep at £365 it was still worth it. They've started giving it away on some models so there's a risk if you don't have all the features come resale it could hit you .... but as you're a company car driver I guess you're not bothered. Are they giving you a hands free option if it's a company car?

With regard tuners, I've been watching carefully. Some of the internet tuners (i.e. they sell to anyone with a laptop to resell it on) have some remaps out there but many of the big names are still working on it.

The problem I find is no one's publishing the graphs so it's hard to tell what it'll drive like. We all know that peak figures mean nothing. APR is soon to release theirs in the US and the graphs looks good. I had APR on my TT and loved the map but also the ability to swap modes, security lock out etc etc.

By the time yours in delivered you may have a better choice.

Since it's a company car will they mind? I hope you're not thinking of doing it without telling them as that could leave you uninsured.

 

[bredhurststeve]

look forward to seeing it ScoTTy, you can put your lid in your own car

 

[rob.e]

Hi Scotty. Thanks for the response.

I'm also seeing the A4 as a "compromise" car - I've run several lotus recently including a V8-GT so a 2.0T is just about enough for daily use but by no means a rocket ship.

Yes I will get a hands free automatically fitted by the fleet guy here - no reason to add the Audi unit and have to use up some of my allowance if they'll add it for free any way..

Good point ref the exec pack, but tbh I'm a little over my allowance already so I'll pass. If I add any more I'll have to chip in out of my salary to make up the shortfall AND pay the tax, so double whammy -hence only the "must haves" in my spec for now..

I'm not bothered about 19" wheels (well, in truth I'd love them but as i said I'm trying to keep the costs down) and the other half has only one criteria - it must be a better ride quality than the GTI so for those reasons I'll be sticking with the standard 18"s.

I'm guessing that the -20mm "sport" suspension will be more supple than the -30mm S-Line setup? I'd be grateful if someone can confirm that?

Regarding the re-map; this is by no means a certainty - i need to see what is available and at what cost before I make a decision - I'll keep an eye on this forum

cheers
Rob

ps, my kid count is also 1 and a bit .. a 20 month old lad and another of unknown specification due mid sept

 

[Scotty]

look forward to seeing it ScoTTy, you can put your lid in your own car

but if i've got my car available then I won't be on my bike and hence won't need somewhere to put my lid

Looks like I'll be pestering you again :thumbsup:

 

[buckas]

if you were to remap a company car, wouldn't it invalidate any warranty/maintenance plan?