Insane details of my parent's car: Audi A4 2009

So, for my first blog I have decided it to be about my parents car. Although it is a year old now, it still is decent and people on the street stare at it. It is the 2009 Audi A4 which is not a crazy good looking sports car, but it does look quite appealing. Back when my parents have bought it, it was quite a rare breed but now, I see them everywhere in the Greater Vancouver area. 


Performance:

Ibis White version of the 2009 A4

The Audi A4 we have is the Premium Quattro version. It has the 3.2 liter V6 straight fuel injection engine producing 265 horsepower and 243 ft-lbs of torque. The 0-60 mph time is approximately 6.1 seconds which isn't slow nor very fast either. Since we use it for daily driving in the city, we decided to get the 6 speed automatic w/ Tiptronic transmission instead. Well actually, my mom just doesn't know how to drive stick-shift. While the Tiptronic is not a full standard stick-shift drivetrain, it still is quite fun and shifts very fast. 
We also opted for the well known Quattro system which is Audi's all wheel drive system which is known to be very good on wet or icy roads. Another option we added was the Audi Drive Select which allows us to choose between Dynamic, Comfort, or Auto. Dynamic definitely gives a different feeling. The suspension feels harder and the acceleration and gear changes are sharpened. In comfort, the acceleration pedal, suspension and steering is less responsive allowing you to be relaxed on a highway. Auto just learns the way you drive. With gas prices so high, the 3.2 liter v6 version of this car does 12.1L/100km city and 7.7L/100 highway which is not something you would want for saving gas. The 2.0T is definitely a better choice if you want fuel efficiency over performance.


Pricing:
The 2010 Audi A4 starts at $37,800 and if you use the Audi Configurator, you can choose options you want extra for the vehicle. There are lots of choices for it such as the Navigation package, Bang & Olufsen sound system etc... Adding everything will cost just under $58,000 excluding taxes. For my parents 2009 model and the options we added, it costed  $58,000 excluding tax. Of course you will be able to finance/lease an expensive vehicle like this for up to 6 years


Quality of this car:
When I first got into the A4, it felt very luxurious coming from a person who has mostly been in a Toyota Matrix and Dodge Caravan. The leather seats were comfortable and has a better feeling compared to cloth seats. Around the front cabin are pieces of aluminum trim which were a choice to match the black seats. The interior is spacious and is free of rattles from any vibrations. But if you put sunglasses or something loose on the door panel, the speakers are powerful enough to make them move around and will sound annoying. 


Test Drive:

As we went for a test drive, the ride was smooth and it was very quiet inside the cabin. The Audi salesman also stepped on the gas and the amount of torque delivered was quite intense. It is maybe not as strong as a AMG Mercedes but wow, it gave me an adrenaline rush. I now have a license and can drive the A4 so I have driven it. My opinions on it are that the steering, gas and brake pedals are very sensitive. I have heard it is not as sensitive compared to a BMW M3 or a Mercedes Benz C63 AMG, but it is definitely more sensitive compared to a Toyota Corolla or other cheaper cars that are not intended for sporty driving. You get a good feeling driving this car around the city while the LED daytime running lights attract people on the sidewalk. Sitting in the rear passenger seat of the car is not bad at all and it actually beats competitors but the middle seat is definitely not going to be comfortable for long trips.


Extras:

Interior of the Audi A4

We added the Bang & Olufsen sound system. It has 14 speakers powered by a 500 watt Class D amplifier. It sounds great but I had expected more especially since the option was $1100. I use my iPod all the time so a iPod adapter was added, a $350 option and another $70 for the cable which is seriously overpriced. Though, it's quite nice to control the iPod buttons off Audi's MMI system which is basically a 6.5" LCD display controlling most things in the car.  Also, a $2000 option for more technology (as if this car already doesn't have enough) which includes something called HomeLink. There are three buttons beside the sun-roof controls that allows you to open the garage or turn on the lights in your home. We were never able to set it up properly though. But another feature is the side/lane assist warning feature which flashes LEDs on the side of the mirror to warn the driver there that there is a close car behind or beside him or her. For easier access, there is keyless door entry which allows you to keep the fob (key) in your pocket and open the door without taking the fob out. Inside the car is also a push start button which also can start the engine when it sense the key near the vehicle.


Conclusion:
While the Audi A4 is luxurious and sporty, it is a great car for the family with a driver that may want a fun driving experience. It is quite expensive once you add all the cool gadgets, but it sure is worth it if you can afford it!