Tom

During the evening rush hour in Greater Vancouver, BC. I was driving into the narrow tunnel which only one lane open for those of us who wants to go to Downtown area, while the other lane uses for the counterflow traffic. Today is such a typical rainy day of Vancouver where the heavy rainfall warning in effect. Let's get back into the real topic now. I was driving at around 10-15 km/h into the bottom of the tunnel (the tunnel consists of two slopes which down and up to go through the river) at 2nd gear. The front Jeep Grand Cherokee suddently stopped without warning, I quickly pressed into ABS and the A4 stopped in less than an inch behind the JGC ahead. Suddently, a loud "BANG" from the back, a brand new black new VW Beetle rear-ended my A4. We quickly pulled over after the tunnel and checked whether if there's any damage to our cars. The A4's polymer bumper was perfect without any startch on it, only some dusts that the rain left with some dirts on the road. The force reduction design of which the impact forces pushed to the front and the polymer bumper really up to the task of minor fender bender. The excuse of the NB driver of not pressing his ABS quick enough was "I picked up this car two days ago and I am not used to the brake pedal feel of this car" "I only drove 100 km on the odometer". I taught him a lesson of being patient of getting used to the heavier pedal feel of all VW/Audi products when its new. I told him about my experiences of running in the two new VW/Audi cars, gave the tips for him for being a better driver in the future and reminded him not all drivers are so patient about this. He appreciated my advice and we left about 10 or so minutes.<br>Tom<br>97 A4 1.8TQM<br>99 JETTA GLS 2.0

Mika

Good thing there was no damage! But there is a lesson to learned here. SUVs, Minivans, Trucks, etc. are so tall(usually tinted windows) and wide that its difficult to see whats going on ahead. Therefore it is imperative to leave tons of space infront of you at all times so you can see whats going on ahead and have enough time to react without a just miss(12 inches you said). And becuase you have so much reaction time(room,space) you can slow down progressively therefore avoiding getting rear ended by a driver(non ABS familiar) in a new Beetle who is looking at his new dashboard and contols instead of looking at the road. You CAN have some control over what other drivers are doing.<br>

Jon C

It is very common these days for no visible damage to show, but to have underlying damage in the bumper structure, etc. I have friends who run one of the top body shops in the DC area and they've told me of many times seeing this: their advice: if the impact is more than ~4-5mph, get your car inspected to be sure there's no hidden damage: you can do some of this yourself but it's especially hard at the rear, easier to check up front with the hood open.

Brad Bilut

There were some tiny scratches in my clear coat and it looked like my bumper shifted a bit. I brought my car right to a body shop that specialized in porsche and mercedes. They pulled my whole bumper and repainted and adjusted. It cost the other driver about $400, he sent me a check. <p>I wouldn't just let something like that go and drive away. Take you car to a professional to look at it. It not your fault you were rear ended.<p>Brad Bilut 98.5 2.8 Qtip

Dale B

Also look carefully for any hard-to-see paint cracking on the bumper - look from different angles in the sunlight

SteveW

I see you have a new 99 Jetta. From the commercials it looks a lot like our A4's. How do you like it?

Tom

We simply love the new Jetta as much as the A4. It handles extremely well, it got less body roll than any family cars in its class (Camry LE, Accord EX VTEC, or Altima SE come to mind!). The 2.0 liter engine is not as refine as some of the Japanese competitors, but its torque delivery outrun any competitors at lower rpm range. The interior is spacious and luxuriously laid out. Cool blue instrmentations with red center console. Everything is very close to hand. There is one thing that's better than my 97 A4 is the cupholder design. It located above the stereo for more ergonomically use. My only pet peeve of this car is the armrest location is blocking the driver's hand when you use the handbrake (absolute no-no with stick shifter). Otherwise, an excellent car. If you love family car without the blendness of the Japanese competitors, the Jetta is the best way to go. But then, you won't go wrong with any VW products either.<br>Tom<br>97 A4 1.8TQM<br>99 JETTA GLS 2.0

SteveW

Thanks / Merci beaucoup mon ami