[A4] Radio Reception, Treatment Glass, Wiper Refills, Poor Gas Mileage

[Doug Johnson]

The OEM radio in my '01 B5 has scratchy FM reception even in the same local town where the station is located.  Is there any remedy?
Water seems to glide off the window, as was the cas with my '02 325xi.  Around the turn of the century, did manufacturers begin treating windshield glass to repel water?
My wipes appear to be gently bent, and it was suggested to me that thy appear to have been pushing against snow when they returned to the "parked" position.  I have used Bosch Micro Edge wipers in the past.  Are the Bosch Icon blades any better or worse than the Micro Edge blades?
Finally, I see about 20 to 22 MPG in mixed driving.  Is there any preferred plug to use with the 1.8T engine and any tricks such as using a locking extension on B3 cars, to facilitate replacing plugs, and what else can be accomplished by a ham-fisted owner.
Thank you very much for your thoughts.

Regards,

Doug