scottschapiro

Greetings forum!

Considering an A4 and wanted to know if anyone has experience with the sport suspension. Is it worth it? How is the ride quality affected vs the stock suspension? Would it be better just to get a set of summer tires?

Also, how is the Bang & Olufsen sound system. Is it worth it to upgrade vs the stock stereo?

Finally, and as crazy as it sounds, I am also cross shopping it with the GTI. Any thoughts as to how the driving experience compares? I will be driving a 6-speed A4 on Monday, so I have no point of reference right now.

Thanks!

iflywoe

sport suspension is really close to stock when it comes to comfort and b&o is a must in my book, but you should go drive and listen ;-)

scottschapiro

Agreed, but the biggest problem is finding one that has the sport suspension. I was lucky to even find a manual transmission to test drive!

ItsDubC

For what's included, sport pkg is a steal IMHO.

Ride quality is subjective so test drive both

av_audi

Assuming the tires are inflated properly on the cars you test, and not set to 45+psi that is used for shipping. You can always bring a tire gauge with you

Carl E

Sport Package is a must IMO..totally different car.

B&O is not a must as you can get better aftermarket for only a few more $$..only get the B&O if already in the car, but i wouldn't pay extra as you can get super sound for the A4 for about $2k

scottschapiro

I will be leasing so I plan to keep the sound system stock.

Carl E

Then definitely get B&O as iMO the stock system leaves plenty to wish for (makes a great platform for upgrades though)

fauxtek

agreed. the stock stereo is underwhelming to say the least. and as mentioned above, get the sport.

PDong

My previous car was a 2006 MKV GTI (manual, package 0, but an aftermarket Alpine stereo and Eibach sport kit).

I test drove a: A5 (sport packaage, manual), GTI (manual, base), CC (auto), a Jetta TDI (manual). Before finding a great deal on an S-Line A4 manual (with B&O and sport suspension).

The ride is better than the GTI, both with it's stock suspenion and the upgraded Eibach Pro-Kit that I installed.

The stereo is better than the Alpine, and the Alpine was solid. The GTI speakers were solid, and the extra power from the Alpine made a big difference. (No car is going to be an audiophile's dream, but it was solid)

The A4 is better in both regards. Sat radio will contain noise in quiter sections of music, but it's still really good. When playing something from either the iPod/CD/SD card at a good compression, it's downright amazing. The Who's "Who Are You" sounds awesome even at full-ish volume.

The GTI is a great car for the money, but I was ready for an upgrade to quattro. No disappointment with the engine, and better fit and finish.

B&O and sport seats are an absolute must, can't go wrong with them.

Good luck with your purchase!