3.0 BiTDI quattro S line 313 5dr Auto

Some frustrations but magnificent engine makes them pale into insignificance

DOWNSIDES:
• Poorly equipped. I disagree with the assertion that the Audi is better equipped than the equivalent Merc. We came from a 2010 S212 Merc, on which retractable wing-mirrors, auto-dipping headlights, part-electric seats, heated front seats and electric tailgate were all standard
• Poor satnav, both in operation and appearance – Merc’s was much higher definition (retractable screen very nice though). Rotary controller goes the 'wrong' way too (although you do get used to it).
• Bigger than Merc but less roomy
• Thick passenger headrest coupled with big mirrors and wide pillars make visibility at junctions an issue
• Clock is small, digital, and not easy to read at a glance (more annoying than it sounds, to me anyway)
• Cheap-looking l.e.d. fuel gauge only shows level in 8ths. Much prefer conventional dial.
• Engine switches off when you step out of the car e.g. when closing driveway gates
• Front parking bleepers do not come on automatically (although they do if manoeuvre includes reversing)
• Heated mirrors do not come on in conjunction with rear screen demister and there’s no warning light to tell you that they’re on. (They were on constantly for the first month before I realised.)

NOT SURE ABOUT:
• Keyless unlocking/engine starting – an answer to a question no-one asked imho. Silly I know, but I’d rather know that the keys were safely in the ignition
• Rear child-proof locks. Great that these are controllable from the driver’s seat (and individually for each side) but not so good that you can’t control the rear windows separately (I don’t mind my kids being able to open the windows, but I don’t want them to be able to open the doors.)
• Automatic handbrake. In previous automatic cars I’ve owned, I almost never used the handbrake, so found the Audi’s annoying to start with (but am getting used to it).

UPSIDES:
• Very good-looking
• Lovely interior, especially the retractable screen, which makes the ‘fixed ipad’ style of other cars look really cheap and nasty. It would be even better if the screen itself used more of the available area though.
• Erm, there was one other thing. Oh yes, the engine. I think there’s some kind of magic going on under the bonnet because the car sounds more like a V8 petrol than a V6 diesel, it goes like stink, yet we averaged 45mpg on a recent holiday in France, the car packed with 4 people, dog and a lot of ‘stuff’. I think this is astonishing for a large, heavy 4wd vehicle, and it routinely returns 35+ doing a mixture of more mundane journeys.

Report as offensive