Picked up my S4 Avant today, thankfully no problems at the collection and local Audi garage looked after me well. Very pleased with the car so far, I'll post a quick recap of spec and some initial thoughts after the all important first photographs.
Full spec is...
Audi S4 Avant, Daytona grey, pearl effect
Fine Nappa leather S Super Sport Seats with S embossed logo
Seats: Black / Dashboard: Black / Carpet: Black / Headliner: Black
Inlays - Carbon atlas
19" x 8.5J '10-V spoke' design alloy wheels with 245/35 R19 tyres
Adaptive S Sport suspension with damping control
Light & Vision Pack
Audi Virtual Cockpit
Matrix LED headlights with LED rear lights & dynamic front and rear indicators
Extended LED Interior Lighting Pack - multi-coloured
Driver Assistance Pack - Tour
Tour Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Traffic jam assist
Active Lane Assist
Camera based traffic sign recognition
Turn Assist
Predictive efficiency assistant & Collision avoidance assistant
Pre-sense Front
Parking Assistance Pack Advanced inc. Parking Assistance Pack
360° Cameras
Parking assist - parallel and perpendicular, as well as exit a parallel space
Audi Side Assist
Cross Traffic Assist Rear
Exit Warning
Audi Pre-sense Basic & Audi Pre-sense Rear
Electric panoramic glass sunroof
Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound System
Audi Phone box with wireless charging
Privacy glass (side and rear windows) and Acoustic glass (front side windows)
Heated front and outer rear seats
Heated 3-spoke leather trimmed high multi-function steering wheel
Electrically adjustable front seats with memory function for the driver's side
Door mirrors - memory and auto dimming. Electrically folding and heated
Storage Pack
Hill hold assist
Audi Warranty covering you for up to 4 years or 75,000 miles
Audi S4 Avant, Daytona grey, pearl effect
Fine Nappa leather S Super Sport Seats with S embossed logo
Seats: Black / Dashboard: Black / Carpet: Black / Headliner: Black
Inlays - Carbon atlas
19" x 8.5J '10-V spoke' design alloy wheels with 245/35 R19 tyres
Adaptive S Sport suspension with damping control
Light & Vision Pack
Audi Virtual Cockpit
Matrix LED headlights with LED rear lights & dynamic front and rear indicators
Extended LED Interior Lighting Pack - multi-coloured
Driver Assistance Pack - Tour
Tour Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Traffic jam assist
Active Lane Assist
Camera based traffic sign recognition
Turn Assist
Predictive efficiency assistant & Collision avoidance assistant
Pre-sense Front
Parking Assistance Pack Advanced inc. Parking Assistance Pack
360° Cameras
Parking assist - parallel and perpendicular, as well as exit a parallel space
Audi Side Assist
Cross Traffic Assist Rear
Exit Warning
Audi Pre-sense Basic & Audi Pre-sense Rear
Electric panoramic glass sunroof
Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound System
Audi Phone box with wireless charging
Privacy glass (side and rear windows) and Acoustic glass (front side windows)
Heated front and outer rear seats
Heated 3-spoke leather trimmed high multi-function steering wheel
Electrically adjustable front seats with memory function for the driver's side
Door mirrors - memory and auto dimming. Electrically folding and heated
Storage Pack
Hill hold assist
Audi Warranty covering you for up to 4 years or 75,000 miles
If anyone is interested in my purely subjective thoughts on why I chose the options I did, here goes...
Daytona Grey - REALLY wanted the sepang blue but not available, and the navarra blue is a little too dark for my tastes, and has a purple tint to my eyes. The Daytona Grey is the right shade for me, not too dark, not too light, and has a lovely metallic glint in sunlight. It is a bit low key, but I hope should suit the understated nature of the S4 Avant.
Inlays - Carbon atlas - Thought the aluminium would lighten the black interior, but when I sat in an A4 with it I thought it looked a bit cold, and the carbon is a differentiator for the S4, and will hopefully give the interior look a special feel.
19" 10-V spoke alloy wheels - Really wanted to stick to 18" wheels for the ride but I don't personally like the standard ones, and not keen on titanium or diamond cut wheels in general. Since the only options are 19", and having been urged to go that way for resale, the 19" 10 spoke ones were only £275 and normal alloys. They look really hard to keep clean, but the cost saving over the other options should pay for a few hand washes if I can't be bothered to clean them myself.
Adaptive S Sport suspension with damping control - Had this on my last few cars, and bearing in mind my concern over the ride on sports suspension and 19" wheels, this was high on my list. My wife's A1 S-line is very bouncy on poor roads and it a little tiresome. I find the adaption to road and driving style works really well, coping well with poor road surfaces but stiffening up in corners. P.S. Tried a test drive in a new A4 TFSI with 19" wheels and the ride was pretty awful, but the sales manager reckoned as the car was brand new it would have still had 60 psi in the tyres!
Light & Vision Pack - Probably the best bargain on the spec list, love the sports view on the Virtual Console and the Matrix lights sound very good.
Driver Assistance Pack - Tour - Very keen on the Adaptive Cruise after having tried it out on a test drive, and the active lane assist sounds fun.
Parking Assistance Pack - Have to have the 360 camera after getting used to one in my BMW, find parking so much easier when you can see all round the car. The parking bit could be useful, as I get poorer at parallel parking as each year goes by!
Parking Assistance Pack Advanced - Gonoe for this advanced pack as it includes Side Assist, which sounds sensible as visibility in modern cars gets worse, probably due to safety regulations affecting the size of the windows, etc. As with all these safety aids, I reason that they need only save the grief of a single bump or even scrape to pay for themselves. Hard to justify the cost if you were only keeping the car a short time, but over 4 years or so they should pay for themselves.
Electric panoramic glass sunroof - lightens the car, especially in the back. Very rarely open a sunroof, but I do like to let more light in and the new A4 does have quite narrow windows.
Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound System - I'm a sucker for a good stereo!
Audi Phone box with wireless charging - solely for the second bluetooth connection, as otherwise it connects to my wife's phone before I get in the car, then I would have to switch the connection to take calls on mine. If the external aerial helps my iPhone that would be a bonus (I suspect it won't) and one day in the next four years Apple may go wireless chargeable, but they seem very resistant to any non-Apple standards.
Privacy and Acoustic glass - mainly for the Acoustic glass, as I don't like wind noise, and for resale, as I am not that keen on privacy glass myself.
Heated front and rear seats - to make riding in the back a little more pleasant, along with the three zone climate that comes a standard.
Heated 3-spoke steering wheel - thought I'd give it a try, as everyone that has a heated steering wheel seems to rave about them, and I really don't like the flat bottomed ones so that wasn't an issue for me.
Electrically adjustable front seats with memory function - electric seats should always have a memory function for the driver, as with almost infinite adjustment after any changes it's otherwise hard to get back to exactly what you are used to. I will be swapping with my wife fairly regularly so this will be a real help, and it is only £200.
Door mirrors - memory and auto dimming - only £100 to add the auto dimming and since the rear view mirror does this it seemed to make sense.
Storage Pack - like the cup holders in the rear, the extra little compartment in the front and any extra stuff in the boot is handy.
Hill hold assist - no idea why I need this, or why it is an option, but £75 seemed cheap to ensure I didn't regret not getting it.
Audi Warranty for up to 4 years - the fourth year warranty is very cheap and it should encourage me to keep the car that extra year and get a bit more value from all the expensive options!
Didn't go for the HUD, Sports diff or dynamic steering as they are expensive options, and you have to draw the line somewhere. Obviously if they were free I would have them (apart from maybe the steering), but I'd rather have the other options and don't think I will miss these ones.
Also didn't go for the keyless entry, as blipping the key is something I'm used to doing my entire life and the security of keyless entry has been questioned many times. Also the red calipers as £300 to paint something red seemed excessive and with the 10 twin spoke wheels the calipers are not that visible.
They have since made the black exterior styling available, but I don't want to change the spec and I'm not sure that I like the black grill or window surround anyway, especially on Daytona Grey. If it were white or silver I might be tempted.
With so many options to choose from, I find getting the spec right is quite stressful, as you loose so much money if you don't keep it for a repectable period of time. I have sold high spec cars after just a year, when they really didn't suit me, and I got murdered on depreciation! I preferred the days when a sunroof was the only option!
Geoff
Daytona Grey - REALLY wanted the sepang blue but not available, and the navarra blue is a little too dark for my tastes, and has a purple tint to my eyes. The Daytona Grey is the right shade for me, not too dark, not too light, and has a lovely metallic glint in sunlight. It is a bit low key, but I hope should suit the understated nature of the S4 Avant.
Inlays - Carbon atlas - Thought the aluminium would lighten the black interior, but when I sat in an A4 with it I thought it looked a bit cold, and the carbon is a differentiator for the S4, and will hopefully give the interior look a special feel.
19" 10-V spoke alloy wheels - Really wanted to stick to 18" wheels for the ride but I don't personally like the standard ones, and not keen on titanium or diamond cut wheels in general. Since the only options are 19", and having been urged to go that way for resale, the 19" 10 spoke ones were only £275 and normal alloys. They look really hard to keep clean, but the cost saving over the other options should pay for a few hand washes if I can't be bothered to clean them myself.
Adaptive S Sport suspension with damping control - Had this on my last few cars, and bearing in mind my concern over the ride on sports suspension and 19" wheels, this was high on my list. My wife's A1 S-line is very bouncy on poor roads and it a little tiresome. I find the adaption to road and driving style works really well, coping well with poor road surfaces but stiffening up in corners. P.S. Tried a test drive in a new A4 TFSI with 19" wheels and the ride was pretty awful, but the sales manager reckoned as the car was brand new it would have still had 60 psi in the tyres!
Light & Vision Pack - Probably the best bargain on the spec list, love the sports view on the Virtual Console and the Matrix lights sound very good.
Driver Assistance Pack - Tour - Very keen on the Adaptive Cruise after having tried it out on a test drive, and the active lane assist sounds fun.
Parking Assistance Pack - Have to have the 360 camera after getting used to one in my BMW, find parking so much easier when you can see all round the car. The parking bit could be useful, as I get poorer at parallel parking as each year goes by!
Parking Assistance Pack Advanced - Gonoe for this advanced pack as it includes Side Assist, which sounds sensible as visibility in modern cars gets worse, probably due to safety regulations affecting the size of the windows, etc. As with all these safety aids, I reason that they need only save the grief of a single bump or even scrape to pay for themselves. Hard to justify the cost if you were only keeping the car a short time, but over 4 years or so they should pay for themselves.
Electric panoramic glass sunroof - lightens the car, especially in the back. Very rarely open a sunroof, but I do like to let more light in and the new A4 does have quite narrow windows.
Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound System - I'm a sucker for a good stereo!
Audi Phone box with wireless charging - solely for the second bluetooth connection, as otherwise it connects to my wife's phone before I get in the car, then I would have to switch the connection to take calls on mine. If the external aerial helps my iPhone that would be a bonus (I suspect it won't) and one day in the next four years Apple may go wireless chargeable, but they seem very resistant to any non-Apple standards.
Privacy and Acoustic glass - mainly for the Acoustic glass, as I don't like wind noise, and for resale, as I am not that keen on privacy glass myself.
Heated front and rear seats - to make riding in the back a little more pleasant, along with the three zone climate that comes a standard.
Heated 3-spoke steering wheel - thought I'd give it a try, as everyone that has a heated steering wheel seems to rave about them, and I really don't like the flat bottomed ones so that wasn't an issue for me.
Electrically adjustable front seats with memory function - electric seats should always have a memory function for the driver, as with almost infinite adjustment after any changes it's otherwise hard to get back to exactly what you are used to. I will be swapping with my wife fairly regularly so this will be a real help, and it is only £200.
Door mirrors - memory and auto dimming - only £100 to add the auto dimming and since the rear view mirror does this it seemed to make sense.
Storage Pack - like the cup holders in the rear, the extra little compartment in the front and any extra stuff in the boot is handy.
Hill hold assist - no idea why I need this, or why it is an option, but £75 seemed cheap to ensure I didn't regret not getting it.
Audi Warranty for up to 4 years - the fourth year warranty is very cheap and it should encourage me to keep the car that extra year and get a bit more value from all the expensive options!
Didn't go for the HUD, Sports diff or dynamic steering as they are expensive options, and you have to draw the line somewhere. Obviously if they were free I would have them (apart from maybe the steering), but I'd rather have the other options and don't think I will miss these ones.
Also didn't go for the keyless entry, as blipping the key is something I'm used to doing my entire life and the security of keyless entry has been questioned many times. Also the red calipers as £300 to paint something red seemed excessive and with the 10 twin spoke wheels the calipers are not that visible.
They have since made the black exterior styling available, but I don't want to change the spec and I'm not sure that I like the black grill or window surround anyway, especially on Daytona Grey. If it were white or silver I might be tempted.
With so many options to choose from, I find getting the spec right is quite stressful, as you loose so much money if you don't keep it for a repectable period of time. I have sold high spec cars after just a year, when they really didn't suit me, and I got murdered on depreciation! I preferred the days when a sunroof was the only option!
Geoff
First thoughts on the spec, now I've driven the car!
Daytona grey is such a lovely colour, the photos don't do it justice, nor does the word "grey", polished up in strong light it just looks lovely and in low light it seems a much darker grey. Love the carbon inlays, and the black leather with the contrast stitching, so no regrets with either of those.
Was a little worried about the wheels, they are very fussy, but my mind was soon put to rest as soon as I saw them, they contrast nicely with the grey and match the chrome trim well. They will be a ****** to keep clean, and I dread the inevitable first scuff!
The Adaptive suspension is just fabulous, will probably have it in Auto most of the time, is very firm in Dynamic and the comfort settings is really very plush, ideal for long journeys when on the motorway, or when just taking it easy.
Haven't had a chance to play with the Matrix lights much, so no comment at the moment.
I did have a chance to play with the Adaptive Cruise and Active Lane Assist. The Adaptive cruise is very good, so easy to follow traffic, and the Lane Assist, though subtle, should help on motorways. I tried taking my hands off the wheel completely, and it did stay in lane, but soon told me off and stopped working until I got hold of the wheel again. I need to see if I can make it work sooner, as it would let me drift almost across to line on the right before correcting. It found the lanes on the motorway really easily, but off the motorway it was much more hit and miss, and I couldn't really get any reliable benefit from it. A nice to have, perhaps, unlike the Adaptive Cruise which I will use constantly. The speed limit sign recognition worked very well. Haven't yet figured out how to use traffic jam assist or side assist, rear assist, etc. The blind spot warnings were very clear though, and it was easy to notice when cars were coming up on either side.
Also haven't had a chance to play with the parking assistance, will need to read up exactly how to get it working and go looking for parallel parking opportunities. The 360 cameras are great, high resolution so very clear. I have got used to using the top down view, but every time it comes on it shows the front or rear view and I have to switch to the top down view.
The panoramic roof is nice, but I will probably only open it once in a blue moon, it's mainly a glass roof to lighten the interior.
The B&O is pretty epic, stunningly loud, and quite adjustable with 3D sound and adjustable surround sound, as well as adjustable treble, bass and sub woofer. Carplay, however, I didn't think very much of, especially as it disables the phone controls and limits you to using carplay to make and receive calls. It did give good quality sound, and my daughter already insists on plugging her phone in to play music as soon as she gets in the car. When on my own, I'll probably stick to bluetooth and MMI. I blagged a wireless charging case for my iphone 6S and this works well in the phone box, but covers the camera on a iPhone 7. Could probably cut it away to make it work, but will stick with the 6S until the 8 comes out.
As others have said, the Acoustic glass is awesome, it really does cut out a lot of sound. With the windows up, it is very hard to hear someone just outside the car talking to you, you have to open the windows a little to tell what they are saying. I guess it drowns out the noise of the exhaust a little, my friend said it sounded awesome from outside. Even inside, in dynamic it is very loud, although I haven't really revved past 4,000 rpm yet, I presume it gets louder the closer you get to the red line! It settles down a lot in Auto or Comfort, ideal for cruising.
The heated steering wheel is nice, but it is annoying that the programmable steering wheel button is replaced with the button to turn it on and off. I'd much prefer the drive select on the wheel, and the heating button tucked away somewhere like the center console, as I won't need it in a hurry. A bit of lazy design, I think!
The seats are nice, although it's early days. The massage function made me feel a bit queasy, I don't suppose I will use it much, perhaps on a long journey it will ward of some back pains?
Storage Pack all present and correct. The compartment on the right of the wheel, under the light switches is surprisingly deep, much more so than the little one on my BMW X3. I easily fitted my pack of manuals into it.
Geoff
Daytona grey is such a lovely colour, the photos don't do it justice, nor does the word "grey", polished up in strong light it just looks lovely and in low light it seems a much darker grey. Love the carbon inlays, and the black leather with the contrast stitching, so no regrets with either of those.
Was a little worried about the wheels, they are very fussy, but my mind was soon put to rest as soon as I saw them, they contrast nicely with the grey and match the chrome trim well. They will be a ****** to keep clean, and I dread the inevitable first scuff!
The Adaptive suspension is just fabulous, will probably have it in Auto most of the time, is very firm in Dynamic and the comfort settings is really very plush, ideal for long journeys when on the motorway, or when just taking it easy.
Haven't had a chance to play with the Matrix lights much, so no comment at the moment.
I did have a chance to play with the Adaptive Cruise and Active Lane Assist. The Adaptive cruise is very good, so easy to follow traffic, and the Lane Assist, though subtle, should help on motorways. I tried taking my hands off the wheel completely, and it did stay in lane, but soon told me off and stopped working until I got hold of the wheel again. I need to see if I can make it work sooner, as it would let me drift almost across to line on the right before correcting. It found the lanes on the motorway really easily, but off the motorway it was much more hit and miss, and I couldn't really get any reliable benefit from it. A nice to have, perhaps, unlike the Adaptive Cruise which I will use constantly. The speed limit sign recognition worked very well. Haven't yet figured out how to use traffic jam assist or side assist, rear assist, etc. The blind spot warnings were very clear though, and it was easy to notice when cars were coming up on either side.
Also haven't had a chance to play with the parking assistance, will need to read up exactly how to get it working and go looking for parallel parking opportunities. The 360 cameras are great, high resolution so very clear. I have got used to using the top down view, but every time it comes on it shows the front or rear view and I have to switch to the top down view.
The panoramic roof is nice, but I will probably only open it once in a blue moon, it's mainly a glass roof to lighten the interior.
The B&O is pretty epic, stunningly loud, and quite adjustable with 3D sound and adjustable surround sound, as well as adjustable treble, bass and sub woofer. Carplay, however, I didn't think very much of, especially as it disables the phone controls and limits you to using carplay to make and receive calls. It did give good quality sound, and my daughter already insists on plugging her phone in to play music as soon as she gets in the car. When on my own, I'll probably stick to bluetooth and MMI. I blagged a wireless charging case for my iphone 6S and this works well in the phone box, but covers the camera on a iPhone 7. Could probably cut it away to make it work, but will stick with the 6S until the 8 comes out.
As others have said, the Acoustic glass is awesome, it really does cut out a lot of sound. With the windows up, it is very hard to hear someone just outside the car talking to you, you have to open the windows a little to tell what they are saying. I guess it drowns out the noise of the exhaust a little, my friend said it sounded awesome from outside. Even inside, in dynamic it is very loud, although I haven't really revved past 4,000 rpm yet, I presume it gets louder the closer you get to the red line! It settles down a lot in Auto or Comfort, ideal for cruising.
The heated steering wheel is nice, but it is annoying that the programmable steering wheel button is replaced with the button to turn it on and off. I'd much prefer the drive select on the wheel, and the heating button tucked away somewhere like the center console, as I won't need it in a hurry. A bit of lazy design, I think!
The seats are nice, although it's early days. The massage function made me feel a bit queasy, I don't suppose I will use it much, perhaps on a long journey it will ward of some back pains?
Storage Pack all present and correct. The compartment on the right of the wheel, under the light switches is surprisingly deep, much more so than the little one on my BMW X3. I easily fitted my pack of manuals into it.
Geoff
Other thoughts...
I got the dealers to remove the V6T decals, as I thought it would look better without them, and asked them to stick the license plates on to avoid having the screws break the lines of the reg number, I think it looks much cleaner without the screws.
I also got them to program the keys to set the maximum time delay for opening the boot, after hearing stories here about pocket pressing them and finding the boot up. Tested it out, and it was 4 seconds to open, which is fine as I doubt I will use it very often. Opening the windows with the key takes a lot less time, so I'll have to lookout to see if I need to disable this in the MMI.
Fuel economy is a little alarming at first, as it was showing about 11 mpg at first, which I guess included PDI, but it did slowly seem to improve a little, and with a little run one junction down the motorway, it got up to 21 mpg. With almost no miles on the clock, sitting in Dynamic mode and playing around, I guess it's to be expected. I presume it will be like every other "sports" car I've had, and average around 20 mpg on short journeys and when driven spiritedly, but hopefully in comfort or efficiency, on a long steady drive, I should be able to get mid 30's. I don't do that many miles, so I didn;t feel I needed a diesel.
First impressions of the MMI are that it is not quite as good as the BMW system, a little hard to find things, and when to use the left or right buttons is still a bit of a mystery, even though I know the purposes of them. I keep pressing back when I want the left button, or the left button when I want back!
The Audi connect is overly complicated, even for a computer consultant. Couldn't get the Key User stuff to work at all, as despite being given the 10 digit code and an email saying where to enter it on the MMI, the required option is just not there. From the discussions I have read here, I guess this is due to the security features not being on the MY17 UK cars, but it seems crazy to give customers a code and an email asking them to do something the car does not seem to support. It just ends up in confusion and disappointment. In the end, I just logged into the MMI using myAudi credentials and got access to some useful services, like find the cheapest local fuel, etc. but I have yet to really get to grips with it. I have made some notes on what I have done so far, and will try and publish them here when I have got a bit further.
Geoff
I got the dealers to remove the V6T decals, as I thought it would look better without them, and asked them to stick the license plates on to avoid having the screws break the lines of the reg number, I think it looks much cleaner without the screws.
I also got them to program the keys to set the maximum time delay for opening the boot, after hearing stories here about pocket pressing them and finding the boot up. Tested it out, and it was 4 seconds to open, which is fine as I doubt I will use it very often. Opening the windows with the key takes a lot less time, so I'll have to lookout to see if I need to disable this in the MMI.
Fuel economy is a little alarming at first, as it was showing about 11 mpg at first, which I guess included PDI, but it did slowly seem to improve a little, and with a little run one junction down the motorway, it got up to 21 mpg. With almost no miles on the clock, sitting in Dynamic mode and playing around, I guess it's to be expected. I presume it will be like every other "sports" car I've had, and average around 20 mpg on short journeys and when driven spiritedly, but hopefully in comfort or efficiency, on a long steady drive, I should be able to get mid 30's. I don't do that many miles, so I didn;t feel I needed a diesel.
First impressions of the MMI are that it is not quite as good as the BMW system, a little hard to find things, and when to use the left or right buttons is still a bit of a mystery, even though I know the purposes of them. I keep pressing back when I want the left button, or the left button when I want back!
The Audi connect is overly complicated, even for a computer consultant. Couldn't get the Key User stuff to work at all, as despite being given the 10 digit code and an email saying where to enter it on the MMI, the required option is just not there. From the discussions I have read here, I guess this is due to the security features not being on the MY17 UK cars, but it seems crazy to give customers a code and an email asking them to do something the car does not seem to support. It just ends up in confusion and disappointment. In the end, I just logged into the MMI using myAudi credentials and got access to some useful services, like find the cheapest local fuel, etc. but I have yet to really get to grips with it. I have made some notes on what I have done so far, and will try and publish them here when I have got a bit further.
Geoff
The Virtual Cockpit is really nice, but it is a little clumsy to configure and a bit limited in what you can display, although playing with the option button did reveal a few secrets. I managed to find out how to change the right hand side of the Sports view, but did manage to get the whole thing to crash once, it just went blank and then rebooted. A bit unnerving when you are driving along, but it was back within less than a minute.
Combined with a surprisingly limited MMI, it has so far proven difficult to work out what can be displayed where. So far I have not found out a way to get the trip computer stats on the MMI, where I am used to seeing them from the BMW and would like to put them on a shortcut button, so I guess they are VC only. Not that easy to find on the VC either, I did struggle for a while just to find the odometer and trip counter, as I think they are covered over in the map view and perhaps some others.
I liked the small view with the Map spread across cockpit when navigating, and the Sports view when just driving for fun. I did switch to classic but saw no real benefit to it, so went back to Sports view. I think this is only an option on the S4, which is a shame as it would be useful on the other models, I'm sure.
Geoff
Combined with a surprisingly limited MMI, it has so far proven difficult to work out what can be displayed where. So far I have not found out a way to get the trip computer stats on the MMI, where I am used to seeing them from the BMW and would like to put them on a shortcut button, so I guess they are VC only. Not that easy to find on the VC either, I did struggle for a while just to find the odometer and trip counter, as I think they are covered over in the map view and perhaps some others.
I liked the small view with the Map spread across cockpit when navigating, and the Sports view when just driving for fun. I did switch to classic but saw no real benefit to it, so went back to Sports view. I think this is only an option on the S4, which is a shame as it would be useful on the other models, I'm sure.
Geoff
One small thing, I can't yet find the tool kit! The warning triangle is hidden away nicely, and it was nice to get the high vis jackets alongside the usual first aid kit, but I wonder where the locking wheel nuts, jack, etc. are. Under the spare wheel, perhaps?
The luggage cover in the boot is very well done, retracting automatically but very easy to disengage and leave open if you want to. Looks not to hard to remove completely, but it looks a little tight on each side and I worry it will be easy to scuff the sides of the boot if not very careful. I did this quite badly in my X3, as I took it in and out constantly to load up my bicycle or the usual large items or rubbish.
I did notice a kind of bang from the rear of the car when going over sudden bumps, and wondered if something was loose in the boot. Perhaps it is the luggage cover itself, being jarred by a sudden bump. I will explore a bit more, and may try opening the cover to see if that effects it.
Geoff
The luggage cover in the boot is very well done, retracting automatically but very easy to disengage and leave open if you want to. Looks not to hard to remove completely, but it looks a little tight on each side and I worry it will be easy to scuff the sides of the boot if not very careful. I did this quite badly in my X3, as I took it in and out constantly to load up my bicycle or the usual large items or rubbish.
I did notice a kind of bang from the rear of the car when going over sudden bumps, and wondered if something was loose in the boot. Perhaps it is the luggage cover itself, being jarred by a sudden bump. I will explore a bit more, and may try opening the cover to see if that effects it.
Geoff
Found the tool kit! 
Also I think I found out what was making the clunk noise when hitting a bump, the locking wheel nut was in the tray the wrong way round and was loose. I turned it the correct way round and it is snug as a bug in a rug!
Also, found that the active lane assist was set to "late", so changed it to "early" and the lane assist now kicks in just when you would expect it, and works much harder to keep you in the middle of the lane!
Geoff
Also I think I found out what was making the clunk noise when hitting a bump, the locking wheel nut was in the tray the wrong way round and was loose. I turned it the correct way round and it is snug as a bug in a rug!
Also, found that the active lane assist was set to "late", so changed it to "early" and the lane assist now kicks in just when you would expect it, and works much harder to keep you in the middle of the lane!
Geoff
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Gorgeous picture...Found the tool kit!
Also I think I found out what was making the clunk noise when hitting a bump, the locking wheel nut was in the tray the wrong way round and was loose. I turned it the correct way round and it is snug as a bug in a rug!
Also, found that the active lane assist was set to "late", so changed it to "early" and the lane assist now kicks in just when you would expect it, and works much harder to keep you in the middle of the lane!
Geoff
View attachment 114806
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@gbrown - Great thread. Great pic's & write up's Geoff
Your new
looks fab!Interesting thoughts
Thanks for taking the time
PS I've altered the thread title very slightly for you
Looks fantastic and wonderful review, thanks.
Have to agree the wheels look better matched than the titanium finished ones (which are better suited to black styling I think) and Daytona is such a glorious colour. I saw looking at Audi DE configurator most of the new colours (at E2,200) are all pearlescent.
Have to agree the wheels look better matched than the titanium finished ones (which are better suited to black styling I think) and Daytona is such a glorious colour. I saw looking at Audi DE configurator most of the new colours (at E2,200) are all pearlescent.
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Great write up, great car. Well done Geoff!
Yes, I just today noticed how well the top chrome strip blends into the metallic daytona grey lower.
I'll get some pics tomorrow from a higher angle, but for now how about this...
I REALLY like the chrome trim, having had black trim for the last god knows how many years, it gets boring and can look dull, and I've never been a fan of black or painted wheels. So the shiny alloys and the very well done chrome grill and handles suits me fine, and matches the Daytona Grey really well.
In dull light the Daytona looks very dark grey, in bright light it seems a much lighter shade and really sparkly and metallic. I so like the colour.
Geoff
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Thanks Geoff
The chrome really does work well with Daytona....but I've stuck with the Black pack.
As my current S4 (B8.5) is Daytona Black Edition, but I had the wheels done in hyper silver post delivery as it wasn't an option at the time.
I'm still a tad concerned that the chrome handles might look out of place with the black pack
The chrome really does work well with Daytona....but I've stuck with the Black pack.
As my current S4 (B8.5) is Daytona Black Edition, but I had the wheels done in hyper silver post delivery as it wasn't an option at the time.
I'm still a tad concerned that the chrome handles might look out of place with the black pack
I'm not sure they keep the chrome handles on the black pack, its hard to tell in photos. Just asked my dealer.
http://www.auto-online.ch/Auto/AUDI...yrt=2017&brd=5&mdl=1230&typ=avant&ofs=1&pic=0
Daytona is the easily best colour I think with the Chrome and looks great with Black Styling too, so good I just changed my order at the expense of 4 weeks, just wasn't confident enough with Manhattan. The Diamond Cut 19's match up very nicely on Daytona too. Pretty sure Navarra would look far better with gbrowns rims, as the titaniums and diamond cuts dont match up well I don't think. Not seen anyone with them..
http://www.auto-online.ch/Auto/AUDI...yrt=2017&brd=5&mdl=1230&typ=avant&ofs=1&pic=0
Daytona is the easily best colour I think with the Chrome and looks great with Black Styling too, so good I just changed my order at the expense of 4 weeks, just wasn't confident enough with Manhattan. The Diamond Cut 19's match up very nicely on Daytona too. Pretty sure Navarra would look far better with gbrowns rims, as the titaniums and diamond cuts dont match up well I don't think. Not seen anyone with them..
No, I'm far too lazy to worry too much about keeping it pristine, it's bound to get a few scratches and scrapes. In fact three days after I got it, a clients dog ran out and jumped up on the drivers door to say hello. I was temped to punch it in the head, but had to make do with pushing it off and blowing the horn to shoo it away. Can't see any obvious scratches from it's claws but the car is already covered in road grime.
An occasional wash will have to do... another reason why I picked Daytona as it hides dirt really well.
R
RRB
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Belissimoto in Bermondsey. Andrew is excellent and works with GTechniq, KochChemie and Swissvax. The day-old S4 will be heading to him soon for a GTechniq treatment. Dealer has indeed bodged prep with obvious swirling in the paint. Doh.
Genji
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nice Geoff. with the fine nappa seat, i noticed that you have the extended upholstery package for the door handle and centre console trim, is that manmade leather or fine nappa? Love the stitching, i'm itching to tick the box before the car is submitted to production in week 7.
Pretty sure it is fake leather, it is standard spec on the S4 in the UK. It's a shame you can't choose leather on the top dash, like you can on a Porsche, as it really makes it special, but it does save spending another £1k on options !
I'm looking for some kind of protection for the boot. I have a reversible mat from an old A6 but it doesn't quite fit. I might try and cut it down, but it's thick rubber on one side.
Audi show a very clever reversible and foldable mat in the manual but the dealer tells me it is not available in the UK and it was not an option on the S4, only the A4. Perhaps I can bribe someone to order it with their A4 and sell it to me? I wonder if it will fit or if there is some small difference to explain its not being on the order form?
Audi show a very clever reversible and foldable mat in the manual but the dealer tells me it is not available in the UK and it was not an option on the S4, only the A4. Perhaps I can bribe someone to order it with their A4 and sell it to me? I wonder if it will fit or if there is some small difference to explain its not being on the order form?
TimD
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What would actually be different about the boot in an S4, though? It doesn't make much sense what the dealer is saying. Is it not available as an accessory or spare part?
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Doesn't appear to be, and the dealer said it was a factory order only!
I've just got around to checking the tyre pressures to see what they dealers had set them to, and they were surprisingly low, below the recommended range for 19" wheels on every tyre.
Front: 36.5/35.5 psi
Rear: 34.5/33.5 psi
That's not going to help wear or economy, so I pumped them all up to 43 psi.
If I'm going on a long drive with family and luggage I will probably put a few more psi in to put them at the max recommended.
Normally I might have them a little lower for comfort, but with the adaptive suspension I should be OK.
What are you guys using on the 19"s?
Geoff
Front: 36.5/35.5 psi
Rear: 34.5/33.5 psi
That's not going to help wear or economy, so I pumped them all up to 43 psi.
If I'm going on a long drive with family and luggage I will probably put a few more psi in to put them at the max recommended.
Normally I might have them a little lower for comfort, but with the adaptive suspension I should be OK.
What are you guys using on the 19"s?
Geoff
TripleD
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Hmm! Better go and check mine now then!
Thundercliffe81
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I would because the cars are transported with the tyres well over inflated and from past experience I haven't known workshops to have properly calibrated tyre pressure gauges. Both my A4 and my previous A3 were too high after the PDI..
TripleD
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Car hasn't moved off my driveway yet. Will check tonight.
Thundercliffe81
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TripleD
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Checked mine last week, they were all at the recommended pressures as per the door sticker.
Got my first long drive in last weekend, and now just over 1,000 miles, so able to open it up a bit more. mpg is improving a little, though still a struggle to hit 20mpg on a short 4 miles journey to drop my daughter at college in the morning. Think I'll take the A1 when I can! 
On the long motorway journey I got 33.6 mpg, not too bad for a brand new car, and cruising at usual motorway speeds. In the 50 mph zones it seemed to improve over that.
In stop/start traffic it plummets, which may be partly because mine never seems to auto stop/start. No matter what mode, what temperature, or what systems I have active, it just keeps ticking over and pops up the little Auto start symbol with a line through it. I've not got it disabled, and assume at first it was due to it being cold weather, or lots of short runs, or running it in, but it still keeps ticking over when stopped, even after a 250 mile journey.
Anyone else have a sulky auto stop/start?
I'll pop in to Audi sometime to see what they say.
Other glitches, Pre-sense has gone off twice for no reason, so I switched it from medium to late, and the VC rebooted once, early on. The most frustrating thing is that Audi Connect sometimes says there is no SIM in the car, and no matter what I do I can't get it to work. Yet sometime later, without changing anything, and it all starts to work again. In the same vein, my daughter could not get carplay to fire up with her iphone the other day. But after a stop start it worked fine! I think these systems are clearly a bit buggy, and hope they mature with a few updates.
Geoff
On the long motorway journey I got 33.6 mpg, not too bad for a brand new car, and cruising at usual motorway speeds. In the 50 mph zones it seemed to improve over that.
In stop/start traffic it plummets, which may be partly because mine never seems to auto stop/start. No matter what mode, what temperature, or what systems I have active, it just keeps ticking over and pops up the little Auto start symbol with a line through it. I've not got it disabled, and assume at first it was due to it being cold weather, or lots of short runs, or running it in, but it still keeps ticking over when stopped, even after a 250 mile journey.
Anyone else have a sulky auto stop/start?
I'll pop in to Audi sometime to see what they say.
Other glitches, Pre-sense has gone off twice for no reason, so I switched it from medium to late, and the VC rebooted once, early on. The most frustrating thing is that Audi Connect sometimes says there is no SIM in the car, and no matter what I do I can't get it to work. Yet sometime later, without changing anything, and it all starts to work again. In the same vein, my daughter could not get carplay to fire up with her iphone the other day. But after a stop start it worked fine! I think these systems are clearly a bit buggy, and hope they mature with a few updates.
Geoff
