[Carcases]

One year of Blissful ownership and now an itch to modify/personalise my Navarro Baby

It’s been almost one year of absolutely blissful ownership of my Navarro Blue Premium Plus A4 B9.5 . Thanks to team bhp got to know about the great deals on the A4 last year and within a week of reading about it I pulled the trigger and the A4 was home.

Now with a nice year end bonus due there’s an itch to modify my A4. Needed some advice from fellow members on the following:

1 - Want to upsize to 18 inch wheels, while I find the power of the A4 to be adequate in normal day to day driving I hate the suspension and ride when driving it hard. It feels like a boat!. The family loves this plush ride but I hate it. I believe by upgrading to 18’s it would be a bit stiffer and better handling. Am I right in my thinking? Also would you advice to go for only Audi OEM wheels or would it be ok to go for after market ones (given Audi specific wheel mounts).

2- Also thinking of getting an APR ecu flash- do you think this is worth it, I am told this can give me a boost of about 20-25 bhp more. Given that I am actually fine with the current 190 odd horses is this worth risking the warranty on the car. (Bought 5 year warranty with the car). My heart always wants more horses


3 - an absolute outside option is move to 330i M sports, given the stupidity of the current car market I am getting some insane pricing for my Audi. Would be loosing about 8% on the car but there is hardly any discounts on the 330i, my rational minds says this is a stupid option given the 330i M sport is much smaller from inside and only I would be happy with it, family already hates it plus I would be loosing money on a perfectly great car and would be doing something that only I want. Need some external counselling from fellow members to be rational

[manson]

Originally Posted by Carcases

One year of Blissful ownership and now an itch to modify/personalise my Navarro Baby

Yours would be the 4th Navarra Blue facelifted B9 on the forum, this just keeps getting better

Originally Posted by Carcases

Now with a nice year end bonus due there’s an itch to modify my A4.

I'd recommend saving the moolah for the fuel, its gotten cheaper but still not free

Originally Posted by Carcases

1 - Want to upsize to 18 inch wheels, while I find the power of the A4 to be adequate in normal day to day driving I hate the suspension and ride when driving it hard. It feels like a boat!. The family loves this plush ride but I hate it. I believe by upgrading to 18’s it would be a bit stiffer and better handling. Am I right in my thinking? Also would you advice to go for only Audi OEM wheels or would it be ok to go for after market ones (given Audi specific wheel mounts).

The A4s handling is more of a byproduct of the suspension setup, weight of the engine at the furthest point in the front and typical FWD characteristics. I doubt switching to larger wheels and tires will change much as the Indian spec A4 is fundamentally setup to offer more of a pliant ride than be outright sporty. That said at speeds this side of 100-120 the satisfaction of turning the steering wheel is unmatched.

Originally Posted by Carcases

2- Also thinking of getting an APR ecu flash- do you think this is worth it, I am told this can give me a boost of about 20-25 bhp more. Given that I am actually fine with the current 190 odd horses is this worth risking the warranty on the car. (Bought 5 year warranty with the car). My heart always wants more horses

For the city I find 125 - 150 Bhp just right. 190 Bhp on this motor is already an overkill for regular use. Save the upgrades at mid life cycle (typically 4-5 years if you keep your cars for long). That will also let you have your 5 year warranty intact which otherwise will be a pain to go through with any VAG group car.

Originally Posted by Carcases

3 - an absolute outside option is move to 330i M sports, given the stupidity of the current car market I am getting some insane pricing for my Audi. Would be loosing about 8% on the car but there is hardly any discounts on the 330i, my rational minds says this is a stupid option given the 330i M sport is much smaller from inside and only I would be happy with it, family already hates it plus I would be loosing money on a perfectly great car and would be doing something that only I want. Need some external counselling from fellow members to be rational

The 330i v/s FWD A4 is simply a case of superior driving dynamics and more power v/s larger boot space, better cabin space, comfortable ride, nicer cabin, better ground clearance and 10 lac odd in savings (probably 20 since you would be trading in the A4 ). Pick your feature set and enjoy whatever you end up doing.

[gungax]

Originally Posted by Carcases

One year of Blissful ownership and now an itch to modify/personalise my Navarro Baby

Now with a nice year end bonus due there’s an itch to modify my A4. Needed some advice from fellow members on the following:

1 - Want to upsize to 18 inch wheels, while I find the power of the A4 to be adequate in normal day to day driving I hate the suspension and ride when driving it hard. It feels like a boat!. The family loves this plush ride but I hate it. I believe by upgrading to 18’s it would be a bit stiffer and better handling. Am I right in my thinking? Also would you advice to go for only Audi OEM wheels or would it be ok to go for after market ones (given Audi specific wheel mounts).

The biggest gripe I had with the car during initial ownership was the constant traction control symbol flashing on the display. My driving style is not aggressive.

Over the 6 months I was away from home, I did a lot of research on how to fixing this. The best solution is to install the Quattro system. This would mean re-coding the gearbox, changing the rear differential and changing most of the rear suspension. This is better left for a project car.

The simplest option is to get the best tyres to transfer all that power to the front wheels and have a stiff side wall to improve handling.
So even though my car had done only 3k Km on stock tyres I changed the tyres to Michelin Pilot Sport 4.


The levels of grip now are phenomenal. No more spinning of the wheels and the handling has improved considerably. The SUV comfort is gone. Ride is harsher and not appreciated by the family.
The tyre swap was sufficient for my use case.

[Carcases]

Originally Posted by manson

Yours would be the 4th Navarra Blue facelifted B9 on the forum, this just keeps getting better

Thanks Manson, hoping to see a few more. Your original post back in Sept 2021 and Ostreichwein being able to get the Audi with warranty in some mouth watering prices got me to call Audi and close on the A4. The deal was irresistible!

Originally Posted by manson

The A4s handling is more of a byproduct of the suspension setup, weight of the engine at the furthest point in the front and typical FWD characteristics. I doubt switching to larger wheels and tires will change much as the Indian spec A4 is fundamentally setup to offer more of a pliant ride than be outright sporty. That said at speeds this side of 100-120 the satisfaction of turning the steering wheel is unmatched.

I agree that upsizing may not change the dynamics. My heart is set on a new pair of shoes for my baby on it’s first birth day in Sept. Will keep you’ll updated on the design and if it made any difference.

Originally Posted by manson

For the city I find 125 - 150 Bhp just right. 190 Bhp on this motor is already an overkill for regular use. Save the upgrades at mid life cycle (typically 4-5 years if you keep your cars for long). That will also let you have your 5 year warranty intact which otherwise will be a pain to go through with any VAG group car.

Completely agree right now I don’t feel the need to have more horses will wait on this for a mid life refresh

Originally Posted by manson

The 330i v/s FWD A4 is simply a case of superior driving dynamics and more power v/s larger boot space, better cabin space, comfortable ride, nicer cabin, better ground clearance and 10 lac odd in savings (probably 20 since you would be trading in the A4 ). Pick your feature set and enjoy whatever you end up doing.

Ah! I needed this rational view, my minds not been able to come to terms on putting in another 20 big ones for a smaller car with a bit more horsepower which I don’t need, even if it may drive a tad bit better

Originally Posted by gungax

The simplest option is to get the best tyres to transfer all that power to the front wheels and have a stiff side wall to improve handling.
So even though my car had done only 3k Km on stock tyres I changed the tyres to Michelin Pilot Sport 4.

Thanks gungax- this is reassuring, I am now committed to upsizing and moving to the Michelin Pilots- will update you all in Sept. once I do this

Here’s a pic of my Navarro Blue baby:

[manson]

Originally Posted by gungax

So even though my car had done only 3k Km on stock tyres I changed the tyres to Michelin Pilot Sport 4.
Attachment 2335220

The levels of grip now are phenomenal. No more spinning of the wheels and the handling has improved considerably. The SUV comfort is gone. Ride is harsher and not appreciated by the family.
The tyre swap was sufficient for my use case.

The switch to Michelin tires after wearing out the stock set was inevitable but if you insist that it would cost me the ride comfort there is a higher chance I'd just stick the same stock for replacement. That is however procrastination for another day, for now I'm glad you're happier with the better handling with the Michelins

Originally Posted by Carcases

Thanks Manson, hoping to see a few more. Your original post back in Sept 2021 and Ostreichwein being able to get the Audi with warranty in some mouth watering prices got me to call Audi and close on the A4. The deal was irresistible!

Sweet! Its good to know our online banter helped you snatch a terrific deal. This is precisely why its better to share information on the public forum than private messages. Given that I've almost never missed spotting the facelifted A4 (especially in Navarra blue) in the recent past I'd give it 80% chance of having spotted your car at some point too!

Here's a picture of my car from yesterday's spin:

[BHPjunkie]

Going by your location which is Mumbai, I do not see any road where you can utilize the entire 190bhp. Plus with the speed restrictions on most roads in the city and on highways, I see no point in performance mods. Plus you will also loose the 5 year warranty you got.

Bigger tires in Mumbai is big NO! The road conditions right now are pathetic with the rains and so much work on-going for the coastal road and metro. Your ride will not only become stiff but you are also risking the chance of bending rims on lower profile tires which will become a perennial issue.

The A4 is no slouch with 190 bhp and the facelifted one is a sure looker. I would say enjoy the same till the warranty period and once over, look at performance upgrades.

[gungax]

Originally Posted by manson

The switch to Michelin tires after wearing out the stock set was inevitable but if you insist that it would cost me the ride comfort there is a higher chance I'd just stick the same stock for replacement. That is however procrastination for another day, for now I'm glad you're happier with the better handling with the Michelins

Having completed one thousand kilometres on the new tyres, the ride is definitely stiffer. However the core strength of the car is the comfort provided by the suspension and this still holds true. The little additional Stiffness is mostly on broken city roads.

A larger set of alloys will reduce the ride comfort even further and hence move the car away from its core strength which is comfort.

The 190HP coupled with the grippy tyres makes this a nice drive on highway and on mountain roads. I tried to push the car past it's threshold to understeer when climbing up hairpin bends, but haven't been able to loose grip.

[Carcases]

Originally Posted by manson

Given that I've almost never missed spotting the facelifted A4 (especially in Navarra blue) in the recent past I'd give it 80% chance of having spotted your car at some point too!

Funny you say that because I have been doing the same thing. Initially given the uniqueness of the A4 B9.5 the car spotters at Worli would take pics, now however with increasing sales I spot more and more of the A4’s. The other day I spotted Autocar India’s Renuka Kirpalani driving a white Audi A4 B9.5 Seemed like her own vehicle and not a media one given it’s been more than a year since launch and Audi wouldn’t be doing media for the A4 now.

[manson]

Originally Posted by Carcases

Initially given the uniqueness of the A4 B9.5 the car spotters at Worli would take pics, now however with increasing sales I spot more and more of the A4’s.

The posts on A4 and A6 prices on the forum have surely woken the Audi sales team from their slumber

Originally Posted by Carcases

The other day I spotted Autocar India’s Renuka Kirpalani driving a white Audi A4 B9.5 Seemed like her own vehicle and not a media one given it’s been more than a year since launch and Audi wouldn’t be doing media for the A4 now.

Yup, she too got one in December last year. It felt like a reaffirmation given her experience and exposure to the luxury segment:

[sauravpat]

12000 KM Update

The trusted A4 has completed almost 12000 kilometres within 8 months. The car is performing flawlessly. No problems with it at all. The engine is ultra refined and is really lowering the driving fatigue of my father. It can cruise at 100kph all day long effortlessly which means you come out feeling as fresh as when you started.

The FE it has returned over the course of our ownership has been really good at 12.3 kmpl which is huge for a 2 litre turbocharged petrol. It is driven with a very light foot most of the times though.



The headlamp washer on the right side hasn't gone back inside after operation twice now randomly. A small push on it and it retracts again. Might be some friction in the mechanism. We have not been able to reproduce that though.

The indirect TPMS proved its utility during a recent highway run where one tyre had lost a bit of pressure.

The car is a looker at night with its lights and certainly attracts some attention. The A4 and A6 look uncannily similar from the rear at night. Good for the A4, bad for the A6 I suppose?



We are coming up on the service interval at 15000 kilometres. Let us see whether we complete 15k kilometres first or the car's first birthday before that.


Cheers!

[sauravpat]

14500 km and 1st Service Update

Our A4 went in for its first service yesterday. Routine jobs like Oil changes and filter changes were carried out. The service center also took care of the headlamp washer mechanism not retracting back sometimes for no extra cost. The washing was adequate. The bill came out to Rs.22k. This was in line with my expectation so no complaints.


Current odo reading

However, the initial estimate sent to me was very high and unnecessarily inflated. I had to ask for an explanation for some of the items post which they were removed immediately. It looks like I will have to check the items carefully every time since my parents won't bother to check.

GOA TRIP

Ready to go out!

Took the A4 to Goa last weekend from Pune. Amboli ghat was extremely beautiful and we had no fatigue after 8.5 hours.


Monkey business


The quietness of the cabin and superlative ride meant that the whole ride was a breeze.


Beautiful Maharashtra

The width of the car did pose some problems on the small single lane roads where I wished it had a 360 degree camera.

A 30 km stretch before the Amboli ghat is completely washed away because of the rains and has monstrous potholes and craters. The A4 did not scrape itself even once on these roads. We did not need to slow down too much or baby the car even over these roads due to the firm suspension setup.



Hypermiling with the A4:

I drove from Pune to Kolhapur in the morning with a very light foot and used cruise control at every opportunity. Once you set the cruise control at 80 kmph and put the car in efficiency mode, the mild hybrid system and auto start-stop system kick in and cutoff the engine on every level and downhill stretch of the highway. You basically coast along at 80kmph and the engine only turns on when you encounter an uphill stretch.



You see this as the car goes silent and the revs fall to 0 rpm.

I was able to achieve a quite frankly staggering 22.7 kmpl over 220 kilometers.

Never expected a 2 Litre turbo petrol in a big car to cross the 20 kmpl mark. It is certainly possible with a lot of patience. Just make sure not to fall asleep!





Summary:

9 months on, the A4 is chugging along at a good pace with 14.5k kilometers under its belt. Apart from the headlamp washer niggle, there have been no issues and that was taken care of immediately as well.

It has been a great experience so far. Hoping it stays the same way. The A4 has made multiple trips to Nashik, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Mumbai and one trip to Goa (850km), and one big Coastal Karnataka trip (1700km).

It has scraped its bottom just once over all these roads. We have also suffered the first dents and scrapes on the car and the initial honeymoon period has worn off. It has very well justified our decision to buy the A4 since it really is a great allrounder.



More fuel efficient than the Kodiaq, Tiguan, Superb as well. No rattles or issues. We have been using normal 91-octane petrol. We are planning to switch to XP95 when the EP20 fuels are introduced.


Our dog running around the A4

Considering that the price of the Premium variant has increased by a whopping 3 lakhs in these 9 months and that the Kodiaq and Superb top end variants are more expensive than the price at which we bought this car, it is turning out to be decently good value for money as well.


Looks quite sporty, doesn't it?

Cheers!

Sauravpat

[ambivalent_98]

Hi,
I have been eyeing Audi A4 for purchase but I am not sure about the maintainence cost. Since you have been a proud Audi owner (I owned a VW) so the service interval must be 1 yr or 10k kms right ? What is the average maintainence cost for regular servicing that you car has gone far so far ?

[sauravpat]

Originally Posted by ambivalent_98

Hi,
I have been eyeing Audi A4 for purchase but I am not sure about the maintainence cost. Since you have been a proud Audi owner (I owned a VW) so the service interval must be 1 yr or 10k kms right ? What is the average maintainence cost for regular servicing that you car has gone far so far ?

This was just our first service with the Audi. So can't comment on the average maintenance cost.

I have heard it will be around 45-50k per year for the first 5 years after which it climbs to around 1 lakh a year.

Service interval is 1 year or 15000 km.

Our older Jetta at the end of its 6 years and 125,000 kms also got a service bill of around 30-35k for its last 2 services. So it's certainly not exorbitant. Shouldn't be unless something major goes wrong after warranty.

[petrol_head_]

Originally Posted by sauravpat

This was just our first service with the Audi. So can't comment on the average maintenance cost.

I have heard it will be around 45-50k per year for the first 5 years after which it climbs to around 1 lakh a year.

Service interval is 1 year or 15000 km.

Our older Jetta at the end of its 6 years and 125,000 kms also got a service bill of around 30-35k for its last 2 services. So it's certainly not exorbitant. Shouldn't be unless something major goes wrong after warranty.

Are you using audi connect? As, it has been a month since we purchased our car and we were offered complimentary audi connect. The sale representative had himself registered our car on audi connect, uploading all the required details, but the weird thing is that our audi connect account hasn't been activated yet. Even after multiple calls to the helpline numbers, each and every time we got the answer that they are having some server issue and that is the reason no new audi connect user has been able to activate their respective accounts since last 2 mths. A very lethargic approach in my opinion by such a reputed company.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by sauravpat

14500 km and 1st Service Update

Good to see that your A4 is really doing the rounds like a proper family/work luxury car . And to add, your experiments with the "efficiency" mode are really exploring the good limits of what this car can achieve!

A first service bill of 22k is actually quite reasonable. I think every alternate service routine tends to get costly with the A4, based on what I have heard from the SA.

Looks quite sporty, doesn't it?

Maybe 10 seconds more, and yes, I would have given a thumbs up to this picture