[V8] Well, it's spring....

[Bastian Homburg]

Well, the difference is mostly in three areas: engine, A/C system and seats.
The 4.2 engine delivers significantly more performance especially down 
low in the rev range where you North Americans want/need it the most, 
especially with the auto box. If you say that you didn`t feel a 
difference, tthe one you owned wasn't running properly. The difference 
in midrange torque is more than just noticeable.
Albeit this comes at a price - in my experience, fuel economy is about 
1.5 mpg less, all other things being equal. AND a lot of the 4.2s suffer 
from elevated oil consumption levels - that's a really annoying 
construction fault which cannot be remedied except by changing the 
block. Mine's using 2 qts per 1,000 miles, and that's perfectly "normal".

The newer A/C IMHO is vastly superior to the old one. My '94 even came 
with factory R134a refrigerant and apart from needing a recharge two 
years ago never ever acted up on me.
Same goes for the seats - I have the optional sports seats with the 
adustable leg extension that fit me like the proverbial glove. Even if 
it is fast approaching the 300K mark, eight-hour drives in this car are 
something I look forward to. Better adjustability and more ergonomically 
placed seat controls, too.

Additionally, '92 and newer will get you more standard equipment 
(passenger airbag, infrared remote locks, better radios) and more 
options (power rear sunshade...).
However, there's people who say Audi went cheaper on the post-facelift 
cars. And indeed, some of the interior materials like the carpet and 
headliner look and feel superior in the pre-facelift versions. I 
remember being *really* impressed with the interior when I had the first 
chance to drive a V8 back in December 1988...




Roger Woodbury wrote:
> So, help me out here.  Recite for me please all of the reasons why the late
> model cars are superior to the early (3.6) cars.  I have had both, but can't
> for the life of me remember any REAL difference, aside from the cosmetic.
>
> Roger