mplsbrian

Mine are:

• Engine/trans: Dynamic
• Steering: Auto
• Suspension: Comfort
• Engine Sound: Dynamic
• Sport Differential: Dynamic
• ACC: Comfort
• * button on steering wheel: set to change drive select modes.

As a point of reference, car has 19" wheels, adaptive suspension, sport diff, and driver assist. Does not have dynamic steering.

What are your settings?

carys4

I haven't set my custom settings yet but I did set the * button as the drive select mode as well.

markcincinnati

My S4 does not have the "sport adaptive suspension" or sport differential:

Engine/Transmission: Dynamic
Steering: Dynamic
Exhaust/Engine Sound: Comfort
ACC: Comfort

"*" button is set to swap ADS modes -- I switch, based on if I am alone or have passengers, between DYNAMIC and INDIVIDUAL.

markcincinnati

Did you elect NOT to set it during the "delivery" of your vehicle or did the person who "delivered" you car to you not cover it?

My dealer rep (long long time Audi rep) did the delivery and we covered EVERY MMI setting, every switch, ****, dial, gauge, pedal, feature, function and do-dad. I had to pack an overnight bag -- and this was, at that moment, our 32nd Audi, and I felt pretty confident I was a bit of an old-hand at the Audi MMI.

I asked the rep (who sold 22 cars that month), if all deliveries take that much time -- he said "yes" especially if it is the customer's first time (and they don't get Driver Assistance) or "yes" if they do get driver assistance even if they are "old hands" at MMI like me.

Of course, I had to show my rep that the S4 does indeed come with hands free trunk opening with your foot.

Frankly, I don't see any economy to NOT having a full-time delivery person. My rep sold 22 cars. 2 hours to deliver the car x 22 = 44 hours of time NOT SPENT SELLING. Who gains by taking your rain maker to the sidelines for at least 25% of this working month. Seems to me there should be a hand-off from the salesrep to the "consultant."

Terribly, terribly inefficient -- like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Jhbrew

^Is this a common experience or just Mark's sales rep? I really hope my delivery experience is similar and if not I will be asking lots of questions. I can ask, but I don't know what I don't know so I may not learn as much as I would like. In the end I hope I don't know more than my sales rep.

markcincinnati

I can't speak for any other dealer than ours (one of two in Cincinnati), but their reps are keen to make sure they at least give their customers the exposure to "what it takes" to motor off with as little ignorance of their new car as possible.

The exposure I get at our dealership leads me to believe it is EXPECTED that you will be familiarized with your new car -- I gather there is also an "available" second delivery some thirty days after the first one.

Of course, you do have to ask for it -- and if you don't know it's available, well you know.

SYMAWD

It depends. I typically spend 1 hour minimum with people and up to 3 hours. I'll even go on a drive with you so that you become comfortable with what the driver assistance features can and cannot do. With that said, if you're in a hurry, I can make you feel comfortable in 10-15 minutes and you're always welcome back whenever you feel like it for more explanation.

As for my Drive Select settings: I put suspension in comfort, engine/trans in auto, and everything else in dynamic.

markcincinnati

Is it your belief that spending this much time -- by the rep -- is inefficient? If I owned the dealership, it would seem to me that I would want my sales people SELLING. Spending 44 hours per month "delivering" cars makes no sense. My rep believes his limit is 25 cars based on the delivery time -- without cutting corners. I guess if the dealership is too small, the salary isn't available to have a dedicated delivery person -- but, then again, there's a dedicated "finance person" who only spends 20 minutes getting the paperwork signed -- and certainly some time shopping the deal.

If the finance person spends 2.5 hours per car sold, the math doesn't really work there either, but you'd think it would be more efficient to have the salesperson arrange the financing and have a salary dedicated to a delivery person who could take the time to inform the customers about their new computer on wheels.

Seems like an obvious approach to sell more cars -- but as the cars get more advanced and 3 hour deliveries become more commonplace, I would think the reps paychecks would be adversely affected by "making them" deliver cars AND sell them.

I'm only blowing my own horn a little bit -- but I'm well educated, been an Audi maven since 1977 and had 33 of them, and I'm still working on understanding the combinations and permutations (and their impact) of all of the things that can be set up in the MMI in one of these new Audis with DAP (because I want to get the most out of it).

Who can buy one of these things and "get comfortable" with them in 10-15 minutes. Holy "are they crazy?" Batman!

I guess if they want to plunk down this kind of coin for a car and drive it off after a few minutes "training" who are you to say, "come back later when you can spend the appropriate amount of time"? But damn, it's a little scary thinking there is someone who can pick up a new S4 equipped with DAP and drive off into the sunset on the same public roads I'm on after 10 minutes with you, no matter how good you are?

I'm about ready to "vote" for a driver's license to be granted that there be the requirement similar to the kind that has to be demonstrated to get a pilot's license.

I'd assume insurance costs would plummet as would fatal and non-fatal "accidents." Of course, there first must be the hue and cry from "the rest of us" to get such a requirement passed into law.

Fat chance.

SYMAWD

Where I work we are trying something new and it seems to work out very well so far. You first meet with a brand specialist (sales rep) then a technologist will go for the test drive and do a further needs assessment if necessary. Afterwards you go back to your brand specialist and if a sale is made, the delivery is done by the technologist. This way the technologist is pretty much free of time constraints and the brand specialists can spend more time selling, following up, making phone calls/ emails, etc.

Damon44

I just contacted the manager of the dealership to change my sales rep to a knowledgeable Audi consultant. I could tell from the short period of time with the initial saleswoman that she had no clue about an S series vehicle.
I want to learn as much as possible on delivery as the cost of the car includes tech explanation.
Just writing down an order is inadequate.
The driver modes of course vary with style and who is with you at the time. Power and growling may not suit all passengers equally.