[JoshMachine]

I got "Samruddhi"ed..contd

This post is more of a comparison between the onward & return journeys that I undertook via the Samruddhi expressway (Pune - Nagpur).

Onward MID stats:


Return stats:


Route
* Onward: Pune > Ahmednagar > Takli interchange Aurangabad > Nagpur
* Return: Nagpur > Takli interchange Aurangabad > Ahmednagar > Pune.

Time
* Onward: Door to door: 10 hrs 30 mins including 3 stops. Driving time 9 hrs 15 mins
* Return: Door to door: 12 hrs 05 mins including 3 stops. Driving time 11 hrs 01 min

Fuel efficiency
* Onward: 17.9 km/l
* Return: 16.7 km/l

Average speed
* Onward: 79 km/h
* Return: 67 km/h

Clearly, the thing that stood out (on the negative side) in this comparo is the return journey or specifically, the route between Takli interchange (Aurangabad) and small towns near Pune. And I was on this route in the afternoon/early evening time, got stuck royally in traffic at almost every junction there was!
Was served with a brutal reminder that unless the last mile access near small towns is sorted out quickly in Maharashtra, the multiplier effect of real driving pleasure will be limited to only the backhaul roads like the Samruddhi expressway.

[JoshMachine]

1st annual service report

So, with the odo inching close to the 15000 km mark, it was time to call up Audi for the first annual service schedule.
And like all the previous pre & post sales experiences, this one too was quite a smooth process by Audi Pune.

Fixed up the appointment over a call and they sent someone to pick up the car next day at the scheduled time. With my anxiety writ large all over, the person sensed this and actually demonstrated (by his mannerisms and knowledge) that he was quite experienced at getting the initial job card ready at my doorstep. No fuss, just crisp professional conduct and off the car went to the service center.
As soon as the car reached the center, the rep called to inform that they have received the car and the allocated Service Advisor would soon call me. Really appreciate the customer communication protocol!

I had no major complaints as such but few things that had been bothering me for some time:-

* horn pad hard to operate
* acceleration response bit numbed
* rattling noise (mild) emanating from right side driver/passenger door

Ofcourse, there was the issue of myConnectAudi OBD dongle being totally inoperative, but it was more of an Audi India issue rather than the car itself.

Since it was the first service check-up, only the fundamental things were to be addressed. These included:-

* engine oil change & refill
* replacement of all filters - fuel, cabin air/dust & pollen filter
* all other fluids top-up as needed
* brake inspection

On the last point, upon inspection I was informed:
* Brake pad minimum required thickness is 10 mm - actual thickness is 15 mm and 14.9mm of front and rear respectively.
* Brake disc minimum required thickness 23mm and 10 mm, actual thickness is 24.8 mm and 11.7 mm of front and rear respectively.
So all good on this front. Maybe in due course of time when more wear & tear happens, the info cluster will probably throw up a warning to get these parts changed.

The invoice copy:-





..all adding upto a reasonably neat sum of Rs 15,161. On the face of it, this was conducted very professionally - no extra additives forced, no fancy 1000-rupee microfiber cloth, no 500-rupee nuts & bolts - you get the picture!

But hey, the good part doesn't end here.

As I had mentioned in my initial ownership post, during the purchase process last year, Audi Pune had sweetened the deal by offering a 5-year / 80000 km Comprehensive Service Value Package (worth Rs 430,700) as FoC. And so now, it was time to reclaim the first instalment of that bit.

Here's what the CSVP covers:-



The catch here (rather the expensive bits) is the wear & tear parts, which I am told, can wear down your pockets, pun intended. But even that's accounted for!

So with everything covered in the CSVP, I walked out paying nought. nada. Felt good!
And I should be able to experience this goodness for the next 5 years

To top off the professionalism, the Service Advisor accompanied me for the post-service test drive and patiently answered all my queries. Also ensured that my pre-service complaints were addressed - mainly the mild rattling noise which was attributed to a loose trim fitting just above the right passenger door. The SA informed that the technician had to very painstakingly and consciously check for the noise since it was not very obvious, and it was a sound that an average customer / driver wouldn't have noticed at all.
But then, do we TBHPians fall into that category?!

Shot on a sunny late afternoon, the majestic machine continues to mesmerize -



My friend's son says it resembles a Transformer autobot. Well, I will take that as a compliment.

[JoshMachine]

15,000 kms done...in just over 9 months

Earlier today, yet another magical milestone came up - yes, my A4 completed 15,000 km!



And this has been achieved in just about 9.5 months, so I would think the running has been pretty good as compared to my earlier expectations.

Well, today was another special day in the sense that I attended the Pune-Mumbai Team-BHP meet at Lonavala, after a long time. Link to post. It was great fun meeting everyone. More than 40 folks attended the meet, including spouses of BHPians and their kids as well. A true Team-BHP family meet, I would say!

As I had mentioned earlier in this ownership thread, the A4 continues to impress in all aspects and every day is like a fresh, new experience to ride in it.

On the performance bit, it has pleasantly surpassed some of the expectations, specially when it comes to fuel efficiency. Just today, on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, the MID showed a very healthy 21.7 kmpl number at a certain point:-



The overall FE for the entire ownership till date has been hovering around the 12.8-13.0 kmpl mark, with best of 24.5 kmpl (on the Samruddhi expressway) and worst of 10.2 kmpl:



This has translated to overall cost around the Rs 9 per km mark, with best cost around Rs 5 per km and worst around Rs 15 per km:



The last few weeks have witnessed some serious travelling (including Pune-Bhopal-Pune and Pune-Nagpur-Pune) due to which the fuel bill has been on the higher side of late.

Numbers aside, let me get back to another part of the car that I am enamored with - the oh-so beautiful silhouette and the time immemorial design!

In no particular order of priority, I have just put forth here some shots of the A4 design elements that are on top of my mind every time I think about the car.

The mesmerizing saw-like tail light design :-



The uber-luxurious, premium cabin interiors:



The el-classico four rings projection under the front door:



The gorgeous Terra Grey metallic color helping the car bask in all its glory:



The evergreen, quintessential Audi-esque rear 3/4 angle:



..and finally, a bird's eye view to sign-off this post:



Cheers

[Shreyas Aterkar]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

15,000 kms done...in just over 9 months


In no particular order of priority, I have just put forth here some shots of the A4 design elements that are on top of my mind every time I think about the car.

The mesmerizing saw-like tail light design :-

The uber-luxurious, premium cabin interiors:

The el-classico four rings projection under the front door:

The gorgeous Terra Grey metallic color helping the car bask in all its glory:

The evergreen, quintessential Audi-esque rear 3/4 angle:

Cheers

15,000 kms in 9 months is really great. Awesome pics of your car. I went through your ownership review once again and I am always glued to your thread for updates & pictures of A4. While I feel Kodiaq is a perfect car for my requirements, I am really tempted to check out the A4 - and this is thanks to all the A4 purchases that happened over the last year in T-bhp and especially after reading your thread.

Enjoy your A4 to the fullest and have many many memorable trips in it.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by Shreyas Aterkar

15,000 kms in 9 months is really great. Awesome pics of your car. I went through your ownership review once again and I am always glued to your thread for updates & pictures of A4. While I feel Kodiaq is a perfect car for my requirements, I am really tempted to check out the A4 - and this is thanks to all the A4 purchases that happened over the last year in T-bhp and especially after reading your thread.

Enjoy your A4 to the fullest and have many many memorable trips in it.

Thanks a lot Shreyas for your kind words and generous compliments

The A4 is just so attractive and comfortable in all aspects, that I can’t help but use it as a daily ride. And then take it to places that I have to, also then sometimes create excuses to take it to places that I wouldn’t have wanted to

The Kodiaq is also a lovely car, ofcourse I wouldn’t know your requirements so comparing the A4 and the Kodiaq is not something that I can attempt, since these two have different use cases (most fundamental being sedan x SUV, cruise/urban riding x off-roading capability, 5-seater x 7-seater , among other points).

But if you do happen to check out the A4 and like it, am sure it will be very difficult to turn your back on it. That’s the charm of the Audi’s core Four Ringer model!

[penpavan]

Very nice updates JoshMachine on this thread. Its great to see you land on Hot Threads often!

Thought of sharing some updates from my two months of ownership.

1. I couldn't have been more wrong with my initial assessment of the B&O system. I had to set the focus point to far behind (a pro tip from Audi forums) and increase the bass level to one before max, and the music system now sounds magical. The bass and mids are so reverb free, its unbelievable.

2. Horn pad is such a pain to use. I notice that if you press it frantically or like in emergency situations where you want it to sound immediately, it never honks! you press it gently on the side of the rings and then it sounds. Has been a painful experience so far.

3. I think the analogue-digital instrument cluster looks so better than the virtual cockpit. Has much more concise information at hands and for me is more classy.

4. Wireless android auto is a big omission. Painful to connect your phone every time to get android auto. Also the initialization time for the MMI is significantly more. I bought Motorola MA1 wireless adapter and using it for 2 days now. Some good bits and bad bits. I will reserve my opinion for now until I use for some more time.

5. Got my dashcam fixed with help of JoshMachine. I just copied him from dashcam model till installation. Very useful addition.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

1st annual service report


On the last point, upon inspection I was informed:
* Brake pad minimum required thickness is 10 mm - actual thickness is 15 mm and 14.9mm of front and rear respectively.
* Brake disc minimum required thickness 23mm and 10 mm, actual thickness is 24.8 mm and 11.7 mm of front and rear respectively.
So all good on this front. Maybe in due course of time when more wear & tear happens, the info cluster will probably throw up a warning to get these parts changed.

FYI, brake pad minimum thickness cannot be 10mm. New brake pads have max thickness of 10 to 15mm depending on the brand.

Minimum brake pad thickness is 2mm. Better to change it when alteast one of the pads wear down to that thickness.

[goenkakushal]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

1st annual service report


The invoice copy:-

Attachment 2418200

Attachment 2418201

..all adding upto a reasonably neat sum of Rs 15,161. On the face of it, this was conducted very professionally - no extra additives forced, no fancy 1000-rupee microfiber cloth, no 500-rupee nuts & bolts - you get the picture!

I have examined your Invoice. The work done is exactly same as my service Invoice (Except for the Ozone Treatment which was not required)
Which indicates that dealer has not tried to cut down any jobs as your vehicle has Service Package
First question that comes to ones mind is---
Why the difference in bill amount?
On close examination I observe that the amount for each item is higher by atleast 25% in my Invoice.

The reason is obvious . The dealer has mentioned the cost price in your invoice as you are covered by service package. The additional amount will attract addition GST.



This 25% is the dealer margin which has been added to my Invoice.

All said and done 20k is a decent service cost for a Luxury brand

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

FYI, brake pad minimum thickness cannot be 10mm. New brake pads have max thickness of 10 to 15mm depending on the brand.

Minimum brake pad thickness is 2mm. Better to change it when alteast one of the pads wear down to that thickness.

You are right I also had the same debate with the SA. All he could say is "The brake pad wear sensors will show warning on the MID to replace brake pads. If you still dont change you may spoil the disc"
I guess the 10mm thickness can last for a good 10k kms.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by goenkakushal

You are right I also had the same debate with the SA. All he could say is "The brake pad wear sensors will show warning on the MID to replace brake pads. If you still dont change you may spoil the disc"
I guess the 10mm thickness can last for a good 10k kms.

10mm is the thickness of new brake pads of most mass market hatchbacks and sedans. However, I do not know if VAG brake pads are 15mm when new. Nevertheless, the brake pad wear sensor gets triggered when the pad thickness reaches less than 3mm.

[Shreyas Aterkar]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Thanks a lot Shreyas for your kind words and generous compliments

The A4 is just so attractive and comfortable in all aspects, that I can’t help but use it as a daily ride. And then take it to places that I have to, also then sometimes create excuses to take it to places that I wouldn’t have wanted to

The Kodiaq is also a lovely car, ofcourse I wouldn’t know your requirements so comparing the A4 and the Kodiaq is not something that I can attempt, since these two have different use cases (most fundamental being sedan x SUV, cruise/urban riding x off-roading capability, 5-seater x 7-seater , among other points).

But if you do happen to check out the A4 and like it, am sure it will be very difficult to turn your back on it. That’s the charm of the Audi’s core Four Ringer model!

I checked out the A4 today and loved it. Beautiful car, awesome interiors, superb ride quality and amazing to drive. Next I went to the Skoda showroom and both Kodiaq and Superb’s interiors faded in front of the A4. The feeling was like what I felt when I test drove the Laura TSI and which I ultimately bought in 2012. Though, I had to sell it within 6 months as we moved to London, I still miss my Laura and somehow, the A4 just reignited that feeling. Just letting the feeling settle in and will think over the next few days/weeks what to do.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

I got "Samruddhi"ed
.

My dad was the co-passenger today, and he obliged with this pic from his seat:-

Attachment 2415244

The A4 was at ease, humming along and cruising quite comfortably at 1400-1600 rpm. Very quiet, very cocooned inside the cabin.

I suppose this is the best part of driving cars with "adequate and more" power. For this reason alone, one should own a high bhp car if and when possible. You never have to beg the engine nor does the engine have to beg for mercy!

[ramb]

Originally Posted by penpavan

Here are some pictures..

Congratulations on the car.
I am looking to buy the A4 and got quote of 57l for technology and 53 for premium plus including the service and warranty pack.
It would be of help if you Can you share what was the price offered to you

[penpavan]

Originally Posted by ramb

Congratulations on the car.
I am looking to buy the A4 and got quote of 57l for technology and 53 for premium plus including the service and warranty pack.
It would be of help if you Can you share what was the price offered to you

hi ramb, I think OTR prices differ drastically between states. I think I got a discount of about 3L before the RTO registration. Also year end discounts may have been different than what they are now. You can ping me in DM for details.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

I suppose this is the best part of driving cars with "adequate and more" power. For this reason alone, one should own a high bhp car if and when possible. You never have to beg the engine nor does the engine have to beg for mercy!

Absolutely, you nailed the feeling down to the 'T'

As other A4 owners will concur, the 190 bhp + 320 Nm specs are significantly more than adequate for all use cases - be it city or highway driving! And given the fact that the turbo kicks in at lower engine speed (but smoothly), makes the in-line acceleration "oh-so, butter smooth" in the A4.

Check out this graph, which elucidates the point I want to convey:-



I have put few more points about the evolutionary refinement of the EA888 engine family, in this post.

On a related note, I recall my first few days with the car last year - coming from a Vento (a diesel at that), I found it bit overwhelming to manage the sudden surge of the A4. Silly me, I even thought that the brakes of the A4 were no good, such was the paradigm shift in terms of acceleration!

[JoshMachine]

Visit to Pawana farmhouse

Of late, I had been on the run for work related travel, both within and outside India. So, the moment when some of my cousins proposed a weekend getaway, I said 'yes' without blinking.

The venue selection was done keeping short distance + family considerations in mind and as we found out later, it turned out to be a very good weekend family destination - https://saffronstays.com/s/1whgof8ulf4uqaqq
The place was renovated recently and hence the photos on the site are different than what we actually witnessed.

'Amrai Hills' is a pretty, quaint 5-room sprawling villa/farmhouse located just beside the Pawana river. We booked the entire place to ourselves.

The welcome view was breathtaking:



It had all the right ingredients for a weekend family outing - calm & pleasing environs + right amount of space for kids to play around + beautiful landscaped & manicured gardens + excellent accommodation & food options.







The cherry on the top was this nice jacuzzi setup + a very inviting pool, overlooking the river:-





Needles to say, but both kids and adults (by age), just had a great time chilling out! Mocktails & food was available on call.

Here's a panoramic view from the place:-



And Garfield also, taking inspiration from us while enjoying the shade:-



The sunset hues were equally breathtaking:-



With night lights adding an altogether new charm to the place:



As I mentioned, the food options were great. Selection was available from both veg & non-veg to choose from. There is a team of cooks + support personnel staying in the campus separately, so prompt service is guaranteed.

And finally, if you are still wondering whether I took the A4 along for company , how can I not!







While I have already sang a lot of praise for the A4 when it comes to urban cruising ability, the A4 is surprisingly, equally at ease on the semi-urban/semi-rural tarmac. Guess this has to with its robust 5-link suspension (both at front & rear) absorbing all the undulations and the relatively good ground clearance helping the cause. I had a similar experience while driving in the Sahyadri ghats, which I had posted late last year.

Hope you enjoyed this crisp, short TL, cheers