The 97 A4Q: My First Impressions

[sever@husc.harvard.edu (Ivan Sever)]

Hi you all,

I've been lurking for a while, while my 'Audrey' collected 1300 or so
miles. I like the car so far and my wife absolutely loves it. I don't mean
to start a flame war; I just want to share my impressions:
I'm coming out of a Volvo Turbo and an Nissan SE-R. (Our other car is a
SUV.) The reason I 'just like' our Audrey is that I don't think it's sporty
enough and the reason my wife absolutely loves it are its luxury touches.
Like everybody else in the world, I think the car needs more torque to
accelerate from a standstill - and the high and short clutch engagement
doesn't help. In order not to bog down, I need to keep the revs up if I
really want to take off and that makes me feel like a punk in a hopped-up
Camaro or something. However, once at speed, the 2-stage accelerator adds a
nice turbo-like rush - it reminds me of the Volvo... The other reason for
my lukewarm reaction comes from the way the car leans. I find the traction
very good and predictable, but I don't like the way the car leans in turns
and the seats that don't have enough side support - unlike the SE-R. Also
the interior seems a bit small. I'm 5'11" and my head touches the ceiling
and my knees are against the dashboard. I also think there are too many
lights in the center and they don't dim enough - but I'm getting used to
that.
Things I loves are the brakes, the brakes and the brakes :-) I also love
the way the suspension handles any bump. I like the smart engineering, the
trunk light that goes off if you leave the trunk open too long, the way the
heater fan doesn't come on until the engine warms up a bit, the door key
that closes the windows and the sun-roof etc. It's certainly the most
relaxing car I ever owned.
So again, I'm not criticizing; I am commenting. Maybe all I need to do is
just cool out, stop pushing it and enjoy the car's ride instead.

Ivan
Lazer Red 97A4Q