So – after my S-Tronic gearbox started to slur between changes and occasionally crunch during hard acceleration, I decided to book it in to Harold Wood Audi to get things looked at.
Turns out that there has been a small oil valve which leaked oil into the gearbox mechanism and was causing the ropey changes. Not great for a car that’s only clicked over 7,000 miles but hey ho. Anyway, entire gearbox unit was changed (had to wait nearly 3 weeks for the park to come in from Germany) and also a small issue with the brake servo was taken care of, (all under warranty – of course).
Car is now back in my hands and drives like brand new. Just a shame that the dealer didn’t do a particularly good job washing the car before handing it back - should have probably just told them to not bother and do it myself. Otherwise, service from Harold Wood Audi was pretty good.
Whilst my vehicle was out of my hands, I thought I’d pen down my observations on the 2 replacement vehicles I drove in the interim.
First up was an A4 demo-car with only 2,000 miles on the clock, more specifically an A4 Saloon 2.0 TDI (150ps) Multitronic – options seemed to be the HD MMI Navigation, Panther Black Paint, 19’ Alloy Wheels and Parking System Plus.
A4 is genuinely a significantly larger proposition than an A3 and interior space is very good – pretty impressive boot size too. Seats were the cloth S-Line variety and these were a bit too soft for my liking but did provide a reasonably amount of lateral support. However, quality just isn’t that good inside and the buttons and switches feel quite a bit cheaper than those in the A3 and other Audis I have driven.
The A4 is an old car now and is definitely starting to show its age. In terms of driving dynamics, despite being an S-Line on lower suspension, it wallowed around in the bends and steering was terribly vague and rubbery, giving absolutely no sense of what the front wheels were doing whatsoever, (I reserve the same judgement of various A5s I have also driven). Brakes were quite spongy and the offset-pedals, even on this automatic version were annoying after some time. The ride also deserves mention as it felt comfortable over normal services but terrible over speed humps and larger bumps in the road, causing the steering to jar significantly. Technology-wise, the HD MMI was OK to use, but the system in the A3 feels much more modern and user-friendly. The Audi Sound System in this car (10 speakers) was very poor and I could not get it to sound natural whatever setting selected.
The engine was just about adequate for the size of vehicle but didn’t provide any level of urgency and, coupled with the Multitronic gearbox, made for slow progress. (I’m sure the 177ps would be a better overall proposition). Best thing I can compare to driving this particular TDI engine mated to a Multitronic CVT box to is like a diesel train, when you hear lots of noise (as the revs build up first) then acceleration appears sometime afterwards.
Overall opinion: 4/10.
Next up was a vehicle provided by Audi UK and I was quite pleased to receive an A6 3.0 TDI Quattro S-Line S-Tronic, (245ps), again with just under 2,000 miles under its belt.
First opinions – if you think the A4 is large, the A6 is positively enormous by comparison. Step inside and you are greeted by a genuinely luxurious interior. Everything, from the real brushed metal wrap-around décor running along the door-panels and around the inside of the windscreen along the dashboard to the softness of the leather seats assures you of the top-quality feel of the car. All the switches have a lovely firm action to them and the doors, although very light because of the amount of aluminium used in their construction, shut with a very reassuring ‘thunk’. Interior space is huge both in the front and the back and the large centre console between the driver and front passenger only helps with the feeling of space.
The vehicle, which I had for 2 weeks, was a relatively standard S-Line, with the only options being grey metallic paint and the Audi MMI Plus (with Connect). Although reasonably well equipped as standard, there were a few things which should have been standard which weren’t included, (folding mirrors, some form of adaptive cruise control, reverse camera and heated seats, for example).
The way this car drove is what really set-it apart from anything else, for me. Although the engine note was slightly grumbly from standstill, this 3.0 TDI coupled with Quattro and the S-Tronic was beyond brisk to drive. Most power came from above 2,500 rpm and it felt like an absolute bullet in a straight line, no matter how many people being transported, (as a side-note, I averaged 45mpg overall in mixed driving). The steering was light but reassuring and had significantly more feedback than the terrible system in the A4. The ride, although on S-Line suspension with the standard 18’ wheels was very good, being both supple and controlled over all but the worst surfaces. (a lot of which could probably be attributed to the thick rubber on the rims). One thing of significant interest to me was the MMI Connect system – the high-res screen was near-identical to the one found in the A3 (albeit being a fair bit bigger) – it’s clear to see which vehicle Audi have pulled the electronics from for the A3. The standard Audi Sound System in the car was way better than any stock system I have heard in any car (and would negate the point of upgrading to the Bose or ridiculously expensive B&O system).
Overall opinion: 8/10.
All in all, although it was a shame to be parted with my A3 whilst it received its TLC, it did give me a great opportunity to test the Audi after-sales experience and also to try some of the other models in the range. As much I would have loved to have hung on to the A6 keys for a little longer, it feels great to be back behind the wheel of my own car!
Turns out that there has been a small oil valve which leaked oil into the gearbox mechanism and was causing the ropey changes. Not great for a car that’s only clicked over 7,000 miles but hey ho. Anyway, entire gearbox unit was changed (had to wait nearly 3 weeks for the park to come in from Germany) and also a small issue with the brake servo was taken care of, (all under warranty – of course).
Car is now back in my hands and drives like brand new. Just a shame that the dealer didn’t do a particularly good job washing the car before handing it back - should have probably just told them to not bother and do it myself. Otherwise, service from Harold Wood Audi was pretty good.
Whilst my vehicle was out of my hands, I thought I’d pen down my observations on the 2 replacement vehicles I drove in the interim.
First up was an A4 demo-car with only 2,000 miles on the clock, more specifically an A4 Saloon 2.0 TDI (150ps) Multitronic – options seemed to be the HD MMI Navigation, Panther Black Paint, 19’ Alloy Wheels and Parking System Plus.
A4 is genuinely a significantly larger proposition than an A3 and interior space is very good – pretty impressive boot size too. Seats were the cloth S-Line variety and these were a bit too soft for my liking but did provide a reasonably amount of lateral support. However, quality just isn’t that good inside and the buttons and switches feel quite a bit cheaper than those in the A3 and other Audis I have driven.
The A4 is an old car now and is definitely starting to show its age. In terms of driving dynamics, despite being an S-Line on lower suspension, it wallowed around in the bends and steering was terribly vague and rubbery, giving absolutely no sense of what the front wheels were doing whatsoever, (I reserve the same judgement of various A5s I have also driven). Brakes were quite spongy and the offset-pedals, even on this automatic version were annoying after some time. The ride also deserves mention as it felt comfortable over normal services but terrible over speed humps and larger bumps in the road, causing the steering to jar significantly. Technology-wise, the HD MMI was OK to use, but the system in the A3 feels much more modern and user-friendly. The Audi Sound System in this car (10 speakers) was very poor and I could not get it to sound natural whatever setting selected.
The engine was just about adequate for the size of vehicle but didn’t provide any level of urgency and, coupled with the Multitronic gearbox, made for slow progress. (I’m sure the 177ps would be a better overall proposition). Best thing I can compare to driving this particular TDI engine mated to a Multitronic CVT box to is like a diesel train, when you hear lots of noise (as the revs build up first) then acceleration appears sometime afterwards.
Overall opinion: 4/10.
Next up was a vehicle provided by Audi UK and I was quite pleased to receive an A6 3.0 TDI Quattro S-Line S-Tronic, (245ps), again with just under 2,000 miles under its belt.
First opinions – if you think the A4 is large, the A6 is positively enormous by comparison. Step inside and you are greeted by a genuinely luxurious interior. Everything, from the real brushed metal wrap-around décor running along the door-panels and around the inside of the windscreen along the dashboard to the softness of the leather seats assures you of the top-quality feel of the car. All the switches have a lovely firm action to them and the doors, although very light because of the amount of aluminium used in their construction, shut with a very reassuring ‘thunk’. Interior space is huge both in the front and the back and the large centre console between the driver and front passenger only helps with the feeling of space.
The vehicle, which I had for 2 weeks, was a relatively standard S-Line, with the only options being grey metallic paint and the Audi MMI Plus (with Connect). Although reasonably well equipped as standard, there were a few things which should have been standard which weren’t included, (folding mirrors, some form of adaptive cruise control, reverse camera and heated seats, for example).
The way this car drove is what really set-it apart from anything else, for me. Although the engine note was slightly grumbly from standstill, this 3.0 TDI coupled with Quattro and the S-Tronic was beyond brisk to drive. Most power came from above 2,500 rpm and it felt like an absolute bullet in a straight line, no matter how many people being transported, (as a side-note, I averaged 45mpg overall in mixed driving). The steering was light but reassuring and had significantly more feedback than the terrible system in the A4. The ride, although on S-Line suspension with the standard 18’ wheels was very good, being both supple and controlled over all but the worst surfaces. (a lot of which could probably be attributed to the thick rubber on the rims). One thing of significant interest to me was the MMI Connect system – the high-res screen was near-identical to the one found in the A3 (albeit being a fair bit bigger) – it’s clear to see which vehicle Audi have pulled the electronics from for the A3. The standard Audi Sound System in the car was way better than any stock system I have heard in any car (and would negate the point of upgrading to the Bose or ridiculously expensive B&O system).
Overall opinion: 8/10.
All in all, although it was a shame to be parted with my A3 whilst it received its TLC, it did give me a great opportunity to test the Audi after-sales experience and also to try some of the other models in the range. As much I would have loved to have hung on to the A6 keys for a little longer, it feels great to be back behind the wheel of my own car!
