My thoughts on the 2017 A4
So I took my 2009 2.0T FrontTrak sedan in to the dealer for some rather extensive repairs and they gave my a 2017 Quattro loaner car. The repairs took 17 days since my extended warranty insisting on doing an inspection before ponying up the dough (read my post on that here). Gave me plenty of time to evaluate and enjoy the 2017.
My loaner was pretty basic. In fact the only option checked that I was aware of were the heated seats (and Quattro I guess). My initial impression was that the interior is more BMW-like now in the cockpit layout and the control of the MMI. And the basic leather seems cheaper than my B8 car. Might just be the color, my car has light gray seats while the 2017 has black. I love the LED interior lighting and the new switches remind me of an Apollo capsule. The car drives great and fuel economy is a good deal better in the city.
I found the vehicle's feature set kind of curious. You get keyless push-button ignition but still have to use the key fob to unlock the doors. Why not give all the cars the Audi advanced key? You get paddle shifts on the steering wheel but no standard touchscreen or satellite radio for the MMI? A freakin' Chevy Malibu gives you a touchscreen and costs $10k less. Speaking of that screen: I think it's kind of stupid having that screen basically glued to the dashboard like some low budget mod. It should drop down into the dashboard when the vehicle is shut off or it should be integrated into the design more like the B8 or even better like my gorgeous widescreen display on my BMW 335i convertible. Anyway, Audi clearly priced upmarket from the current BMW 320i (and it's definitely a better car), so I think the car should have more standard features.
Anyway, that new 2.0T engine is a peach. I've always liked Audi's two liter engine and this one is the best yet. Lots of torque down low and power all throughout the rev range. Horsepower is finally respectable again. My brother was impressed with the power of the car and how it moves and he has a much more powerful Infiniti Q50. In fact this new A4 feels just as quick as my twin turbo BMW 335i convertible. I mostly like the S-tronic dual clutch transmission. Gear changes are quick and fuel economy is very good with those extra gears. Sometimes though the car won't get moving for a moment after stopping at an intersection. And sometimes the car rushes out of a corner even with light throttle. Still, the S-tronic is leaps and bounds better than the CVT I opted for in my B8 car. The me of the past valued fuel economy over driving pleasure. With a 2017 A4 I can have both.
My most major complaint would be the MMI and Audi's implementation of Apple CarPlay. The MMI just isn't seamless when using the USB cable (several times I had to remove and reconnect my phone's USB cable to get the music working again. A Bluetooth connection works a bit better but then my phone isn't chargingAnd CarPlay is somewhat clumsy when being forced to use the MMI controls (due to the lack of a standard touchscreen). CarPlay also sometimes just refused to work unless I disconnected my phone and plugged it back in. I expect a software update will remedy these problems eventually. And maybe things work better if one opts for the MMI Navigation Plus package.
I didn't want to throw the car around to much since it didn't belong to me; and my opinion would be skewed since I'm coming from a rubbish FWD CVT anyway, but I feel the base model handling is good. Quattro balances things and cuts down on nose dive while braking. The car handles around town really well (it's comfortable) but...
The biggest problem by a mile though is the electric power steering. It kills road feel and makes things a bit unpredictable. I can't properly go around a bend on the interstate at 80mph because it feels like the steering is changing during the corner. My B8 car is hydraulic, and so is my BMW 335i and I feel very much more connected to the cars and to the road as well. I can climb mountain roads all day in those cars but I don't think I'd enjoy it in the B9. Perhaps the better equipped cars with more driver adjustments in the MMI would make up for it, but as it stands you'll probably want to look somewhere else for a more enthusiast-minded driving experience. For everyday driving though, in town especially, the car is very comfortable but you can still have fun. And the electric power steering is great when you're parking of course.
I like the Stop-Start system. Though it's silly that the car can only be off for a moment while the A/C is in demand before roaring back to life. The cooler days when I had the A/C off and my windows down the engine would remain off the entire time I was at a red light. I enjoyed the smug sense that I got while saving polar bears every time the engine shut down. But I doubt the fuel savings will really be worth the extra expense of the Stop-Start system and the wear and tear on the engine and other bits. Oh well, every little bit helps I guess when trying to make cars more environmentally friendly.
I haven't bothered to compare dimensions of the B8 and B9 cars but the 2017 felt a bit more roomy than my 2009. I'm guessing it's the new design of the door and dashboard to make the driver side feel more spacious. And I think the sunroof glass got bigger. The trunk seemed a bit lengthier but not as tall. The overall car feels about the same and is just as easy to back into my parking space. (I could never master parking in my space the way I like using the reverse camera though -- but I did like having the camera and parking sensors to have a better view of everything.)
The new dynamic LED tail lamps are awesome. I love that "blinking" pattern when signaling or using the hazard lights. I wish I had taken video of them because YouTube doesn't seem to have any good examples. This is the best look I can find on an A5 -- forgive the obnoxious music and image stabilization.
So would I buy one? Honestly I think I'd have to say no. It's a great car but my dealer doesn't have any A4s for less than $40k and I just don't see enough car to justify that price. The domestic automakers have really stepped up their game the last few years and you can get a brilliant car for $25-30k. Besides, my family and I have always run into problems buying an early run of a new vehicle model. (I heard possible evidence of teething problems with some rattling trim on the passenger side dashboard near the windshield -- but maybe it's just something from the car doing duty as a loaner? And the aforementioned MMI/CarPlay issues.) Don't get me wrong, the new A4 is a great car. And I'd definitely consider a certified preowned 2018 or 2019 A4 model. (Definitely a Prestige with all the goodies.) So I guess I won't be getting a "new" Audi until 2020.
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Originally Posted by doublespeeded
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