2003 Audi A4 TDI 130 from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing.

This is a very high quality, classy car, both inside and out.

The performance from the 1.9TDI engine is amazing, particularly overtaking between 50 and 80mph - it just goes like a bullet. There is an enormous amount of torque, but you have to keep it within 1700 and 2500 rpm - outside of this band it can be a bit flat. If you move quickly, you really find yourself grabbing for the next gear, it's that quick. Performance is effortless. And yet, amazingly, on a long journey, it returns 53mpg and in day to day short journey driving 46mpg. The brakes (unlike my 2000 A4) are superb and the handling (standard electronic stability program ESP) is excellent. You can cover distances on poor enough roads very quickly and safely. The steering could be a bit more 'alive', but it's by no means a problem. Stability, at all speeds, is top notch.

The comfort levels are excellent. Climate control comes as standard which is great, you'll never have wet interior windows again! The seats are excellent and you emerge after a four hour journey totally relaxed. At cruising speeds, even over 100mph, this is one quiet machine. Add to this an excellent stereo and a very well finished, pleasing to look at interior and you couldn't ask for much more. Cream leather would really be classy, if you can afford the €2,500 demanded by Audi on the options list!

Quibbles are few and far between. The climate control blows at full blast when you select either 'Lo' or 'Hi' temperature settings and the button on the remote for the boot release can take a bit of prodding before it works. Apart from that, there is nothing I can really complain about in terms of the car itself.

Running costs for a relatively prestigious and powerful car are low. Apart from the initial purchase price (a whisker under €40K) and the astronomical cost of Audi options (€750 for metallic paint & €280 for a center armrest) the fuel economy and service intervals make the day to day running costs quite low. The car has an electronic brain that tells you when it needs a service based on the way you drive etc - mine is currently indicating 18,000 miles until its first service.

The quality of the car inside and out is just exceptional. The paint finish, panel gaps, way the doors thud shut are way above average. Indeed, I looked at the 320d and the C220D and there is no comparison, particularly with the interior. I would go as far as to say that you will not find a higher quality interior in any production car today - it is really top class and classy to boot!

Overall I could not, but recommend this car. Yes, it does cost several thousand more than a similarly powered VW 'Passat', but you have to drive it to appreciate that the engineering integrity is in a much higher league. The whole car works together in a way the VW just does not. Bear in mind though that its several grand cheaper than a BMW320D or Mercedes C220D and when it comes to resale, the residuals are a good as you'll get - particularly for the TD red 'i' (130bhp model)

Love the car, and would only swap it for an A4 Cabriolet with the 2.5Tdi engine!!

Have the same car and would agree with most of the comments. Find the climate control, at extreme hot or cold settings irritating. You go from 22degrees to Lo and it just blasts out ice cold air continuously.

Update and first problem with the car!!!

The windows have started to open without any assistance! I have emerged on three consecutive mornings to find the windows wide open!! I have contacted my dealer, who was unofficially familiar with this problem! Some parts of the door locking mechanism are at fault and have to be replaced. This is a common problem on A4, A6 and TT models - apparently. If so, why have Audi not taken the initiative and recalled the cars in question rather than putting the cars and contents at risk from a security persepctive.

I totally agree that the engine is a dream and after a couple of problems with blown injectors, it has been a pleasure to drive, the engine providing a real adrenalin rush.

We too have had the windows opening on their own. This has happened on several occasions and is particularly infuriating when it happens during the night as the car is parked on the street. We have been told that it is a problem with the coding in the keys and each time they claim to have to have reprogrammed these. I suspect that we are being fed the usual nonsense that is the hallmark of Audi Customer Service. We also have at least one exterior bulb blow every 2-3 weeks and our local garage are so busy that we have to book the car in for a day to get these bulbs replaced.

On one occasion they kept telling me that they needed to keep the car overnight as their head technician wanted to run tests on the comfort chip?!! They had the car for 3 full days and as I had to go away for work, my girlfriend picked the car up and dropped it at my place. She remarked that when she was driving off she had noticed a child seat strapped into the rear seat. Customer service said that they had no idea why the seat was there, must have have been put in by mistake. They simply removed it. I then noted that the car had 250 miles extra on the clock, half a tank of diesel gone. Customer service said that I must have been mistaken and that they could nothing about it. Beware Audi customer service; that grim combination of devious stupidity with surly attitude.

My father is interested in leasing a 1.6 A4.

Anyone can share any thoughts on this? Is the engine too small for the weight, in the sense that it affects drivability or fuel consumption)?

Or perhaps, since the 1.6 is a (relatively) small engine, does it need to be worked hard for a decent pleasurable drive (I don't mean racing)?

Thanks.

Must admit, I have driven both, the Audi TDI 130 and the Passat and in my mind there is very little between the two! I defiantly would not say the "engineering integrity is of a much higher league", the cars are so similar its not even funny. Performance, trim, road noise, etc in my opinion are very similar and defiantly not worth the extra. I have also had the same issues in my 2003 Passat, handling is a bit vague, remote boot release is a hit and miss affair, climate control is a bit over the top, etc (my first service interval was also at 18,000). Overall there both great cars, Passat is so much cheaper though, for the same price as the Audi I could have had my 2.5TDI engine and leather instead of the 1.9TDI and cloth.

I do not agree that there is very little difference between the Passat and the A4! This summer while on holiday in Germany, we were given a 1.9TDI 100 bhp Passat hire car. The seats were dreadful with no shoulder support, the handling vague, high speed stability poor and the six speed gearbox was the worst I have ever come across in any car - it felt loose and unwieldy. The only thing it betters the A4 on is interior space - it is a very spacious car. On returning to my own car - an A4 1.9TDI 130bhp, it felt so taut, secure, agile, refined and slick. On paper it might seem that there is little between the two cars and that one is paying for the Audi badge, but in reality, as one would justifiably expect given the price differential, the A4 is in a class above the Passat in terms of the way it feels, drives, looks etc. Also, ify you look at things like the suspension design, sound insulation etc, the Audi has much more expensive components than the Passat. I guess you could draw the same comparision between an Octavia and a Passat - but yet again, when you drive the two you can see and feel the 'expensiveness' of the Passat over the Octavia. I am not saying that either the Passat or the Octavia are bad cars - in their respective classes they are excellent products - but with the A4 you are paying a premium price for a premuim product and don't be fooled into thinking otherwise!!

Had my A4 serviced per the service indicator at 17,000 miles. Was quite annoyed that I had to specifically request the long life service and some dealers I contacted tried to tell me that it only applied to cars sold on the continent! Basically it means that they have to use fully synthetic 'long life' oil and reset the service inidcator to long life. Anyway, it also needed four new tyres as apparently the TDI is notorious for gobbling tyres! Still 17,000 trouble free miles and the cost of the foregoing

As regards windows opening mysteriously, new A4 remote keys are notoriously powerfull ie able to work thru walls etc. My local Audi dealership was kind enough to demonstrate why my mobile phone, house keys and even pocket knife in my pocket with my remote key could and have caused the "comfort" opening of my A4 windows. This was simply "coded out" of my locking system at no cost and have had no mishaps since.

As for the slightly light steering this was combated by a minor adjustment to the front wheel alignment! The A4 comes out trumps.

What can I say, a fantastic car, just bought my 5th Audi (although two were company cars) and awaiting delivery of a 130TDI Sports with the GmbH sports pack, body coluring front and rear bumpers, rear spoiler etc looks like a different car. My previous A4 1.9TDI Sport was trouble free, except some annoying squeaks from the central console, but sorted by the Audi dealer straight away. But never had any problems with the windows as previously reported.

I do mostly motorway miles, average 20,000 per year and get 700+ miles on a full tank mostly traveling at 80+ mph, hardly seem to visit the petrol station. Service intervals over the last two years have been 23,000 miles per service, which is great, but beware of the higher service costs at 2nd and 3rd services. I've tried a BMW in between the Audi's, but just had to go back. Happy driving Audi lovers.

I purchased an Audi A4 1.9TDi 130sport from new in 2003.Up until the last few weeks the car has been great having covered 31000miles.Things have now, somewhat changed having been annoyed with a "squeaking noise" coming from the front suspension and a grinding noise when reversing (intermittent fault).

The car was booked into the local audi garage who said there was a fault with the multi link suspension arms and the problem was rectified under warranty. They could find no fault in the steering. Two days after being in the garage the steeing fault reappeared and then went away. A day later it again reappeared.

I took the car back to the garage and having spoken to the mechanic he duly told me it was a fault in the steering rack which would have to be replaced. Attempts so far in having Audi give an explanation as to how a quality car should have these faults in such a new car have met with no success (so far).

Any other A4 drivers with similar problems?

Just bought a zero 2 A4 1.9 TDI (130bhp) Very pleased indeed. Baby blue in color, un-usual color, love it or hate it. Came from the UK, 47K miles, but genuine. In reading other comments above, it seems that some are finding the boot release switch "Hit and Miss". Unlike the other 2 buttons on the key remote, the manual does spec that one must hold this button down for at least 2 seconds before the relay activates to open the boot. What is the average MPG you guys are finding for city driving? is 39MPG average because I was acting the MICK?

Just sold my 2002 TDI 130 Sport manual. After four Audis, I have decided to make this my last.

As with all Audis I've ever owned or driven, the A4 is a beautifully designed and flawlessly assembled machine, but Audi need to do some serious work on their component quality control. In 80,000 miles, my car had the following problems:

Computer display failed when the car was less than a week old.

Pollen filter housing developed a leak letting water into the cabin at around 6 months old.

Split pipe on turbocharger at 9 months old, followed almost immediately by an air leak in the fuel pipework causing difficult starting. I suspect the latter was caused by the dealer fixing the former, but whatever the cause, it was sorted quickly.

CV joints worn out at 50,000 miles.

Clutch juddering at 55,000 miles. Inspected, and a part had broken off inside the clutch housing and wrecked the flywheel. UKP 1150 warranty claim! Dealer technician let on this is a relatively well known issue on the 130PD TDI engined Passats and A4's with the 6 speed manual 'box.

Remote boot release temperamental from new. Packed up totally at 60,000 miles.

Glowplugs and injectors needed at 70,000 miles.

I got rid of it just as the warranty was about to expire. I dread to think how much it cost in warranty claims in the three years I had it, but I suspect UKP 2,500 wouldn't be a million miles away from the truth.

Just got myself a 6 month old Mercedes C270CDi Avantgarde. So far so good.

I bought an 03 A4 1.9 Tdi Sport Quattro 4 months ago and have managed to cram in nearly 20K of mainly motorway miles. I agree with most of the positive comments about the car and acceleration in the 50-80mph band is impressive.

Fuel consumption is a tad disappointing at a best of about 44/45mpg (the dealer told me that 4WD should only lead to a penalty of a couple of mpg.)

The car tramlines quite a lot (on Avons) and I wonder if anyone has thoughts on the best tyres.

I also had a voluntary window opening - on a cold, damp night soon after purchase. I put this down to my error and it has not been repeated, so OK for now.

Have to say that my dealer has been great. A pleasant buying experience and two significant items replaced under guarantee at the first service, although I had not noted problems.

I once came back to my A4 to find all the windows open. I finally worked out that if you hold down the open or close buttons on the remote locking, all of the windows will either open or close respectively. A neat little trick to show off with (ahem, honestly I've never done this) but just be careful with those buttons you could be in for a surprise on your return. (Especially when it's been raining...)

I bouught an A4TDI 130 sport, six months ago. Excellent car, impressive performance, handling, economy, looks, finish etc. Issues: Sports suspension a bit rough for Irish roads, boot release fecked. Car gobbles front tyres! (quite possibly due to drivers style of driving). Current tyres are Continental Sport Contact 2, saucy at 160 euro a pop in Ireland, though almost justified by excellent holding qualities even if the rubber does seem to be falling off by the mile.