2002 Audi A4 3.0 from North America - Comments

Since buying it basically new at the dealer the biggest problem has been the driver side window. It has an auto up and down feature. For some reason when the glass gets to the top it comes down again, but only about 2 inches. I had the dealer work on it and they replaced the switch. It worked OK, but now is back again. It still has the warranty to 50,000 miles. I may have them check it again for this problem. The warranty is really good. I pay nothing when I go to the dealer. That's it.

Since owning a 1986 Coupe GT (5speed)

I've been a pretty loyal Audi owner.

I first buy a an A4 1.8T (sport package) on ebay. The buying experience was OK. After that one for a few months the lack of real power was really a pain to drive (I live in Denver, CO average 5500 ft above sea level). In june 2003 I traded it for an A4 3.0 automatic. The acceleration I felt was much better, smoother for me at least. Now I'm finding the V6 to be a little slow as well. I now think it accelerates like a cheap rental, high RPM's and little torque (I need a V8). Again here at altitude I usually have to "floor it" to get around a slower driver. This car like most Audi's I've driven doesn't do well from start, but really shines from say 45mph up thru around 90 mph. I have the automatic transmission and that may not help. That's a whole other story, I hate this transmission. It can be jerky and sluggish. There is also a small delay between pressing the accelerator and the car actually starting to move. Maybe it has an electronic throttle?.

Maybe I need a V8 A6...

Delay between pushing the accelerator and getting response from the engine is because of the automatic transmission. If you're used to driving manual, where there is a direct mechanical connection to the engine you will notice a lag in response due to the auto tranny's use of a torque converter, which is in essence a sort of fluid coupling. This is also what is robbing power from your engine (especially noticeable on smaller engines). Just one of the many reasons why manual transmissions are still far superior for the serious driver compared to their automatic counterparts, as much as automatics admittedly have improved over the years.