So, it has now been 6 years since I picked up my brand new B9 2.0tfsi s-line quattro so thought I’d put together a quick(ish) long-term ownership summary.
Been really happy with the car and there is nothing out there for less than double the original price that appeals to me so it will be staying with me for a while yet. For my needs, the car has been spot on in terms of comfort, practicality and performance and I still really like the exterior and interior design. I contemplated trading up to an S4 (petrol) for a while but for most of the time I don’t think I’d have seen any real benefits as mine is plenty quick enough in most situations.
It is still looking pretty fresh for 6 years although it does only have just over 39k miles on the clock. I have just kept the car garaged and tried to keep it relatively clean (although months can pass without washing in summer). Every so often I'll spend a bit of time doing a full Autoglym wax and resin protection and that has helped keep the paintwork looking pretty good bar a few light scratches and paint chips.
In terms of ownership experience, it has been excellent although a couple of repairs carried out under warranty could have changed that perception if I had to pay for them.
The service departments at the dealers I’ve been to have been very good to deal with and I’ve had no complaints with their work or prices although I have carried out most oil changes myself just because it’s quick and easy to do.
So far, the car has needed the following work outside routine servicing:
3 service/recall campaigns - rear axle covers, power boot cable re-routing/protection and I think some engine software update.
Other trips to the dealer have been needed for a broken volume knob on the centre console which failed within the first few months, a leaking thermostat housing and leaking A/C condenser which both failed at around 3 years and were fixed under warranty - these 2 would have been pretty expensive and I’m hoping for a better lifespan from the replacements.
One of the USB sockets under the armrest failed and also needed replacing along with an LED for one of the exterior door handles. Again both were covered by warranty.
One notable disappointment was the removal of the Google Earth overlay by Audi from the earlier B9s. I haven’t bothered with the hack to restore the functionality but it’s a worrying hint of the future with short lived software features. On a whole though, I never really bothered to learn most of the technology features of the car out of laziness so never ended up using things like the voice control or the 1-8 shortcut buttons. The touch pad on the scroll dial was also pretty pointless given it was on the wrong side to write accurately in right hand drive cars (unless left handed). It would be good to know from others which technology features they find essential and maybe I’ll finally learn to use them (or alternatively, which have been useless).
Other than that, there have been a couple of plastic covers that needed refitting inside the car that I’ve fixed myself. Nothing major though and for the most part the interior feels pretty solid and no squeaks and rattles have developed which I think is a first for any car I’ve owned.
Finally, a shout out to @DJAlix who changed my sat nav region for me after I moved countries with the car. I do need to visit him again for an overdue maps update but he was really good to deal with.
Any other long termers out there wanting the share their experience good or bad?
Been really happy with the car and there is nothing out there for less than double the original price that appeals to me so it will be staying with me for a while yet. For my needs, the car has been spot on in terms of comfort, practicality and performance and I still really like the exterior and interior design. I contemplated trading up to an S4 (petrol) for a while but for most of the time I don’t think I’d have seen any real benefits as mine is plenty quick enough in most situations.
It is still looking pretty fresh for 6 years although it does only have just over 39k miles on the clock. I have just kept the car garaged and tried to keep it relatively clean (although months can pass without washing in summer). Every so often I'll spend a bit of time doing a full Autoglym wax and resin protection and that has helped keep the paintwork looking pretty good bar a few light scratches and paint chips.
In terms of ownership experience, it has been excellent although a couple of repairs carried out under warranty could have changed that perception if I had to pay for them.
The service departments at the dealers I’ve been to have been very good to deal with and I’ve had no complaints with their work or prices although I have carried out most oil changes myself just because it’s quick and easy to do.
So far, the car has needed the following work outside routine servicing:
3 service/recall campaigns - rear axle covers, power boot cable re-routing/protection and I think some engine software update.
Other trips to the dealer have been needed for a broken volume knob on the centre console which failed within the first few months, a leaking thermostat housing and leaking A/C condenser which both failed at around 3 years and were fixed under warranty - these 2 would have been pretty expensive and I’m hoping for a better lifespan from the replacements.
One of the USB sockets under the armrest failed and also needed replacing along with an LED for one of the exterior door handles. Again both were covered by warranty.
One notable disappointment was the removal of the Google Earth overlay by Audi from the earlier B9s. I haven’t bothered with the hack to restore the functionality but it’s a worrying hint of the future with short lived software features. On a whole though, I never really bothered to learn most of the technology features of the car out of laziness so never ended up using things like the voice control or the 1-8 shortcut buttons. The touch pad on the scroll dial was also pretty pointless given it was on the wrong side to write accurately in right hand drive cars (unless left handed). It would be good to know from others which technology features they find essential and maybe I’ll finally learn to use them (or alternatively, which have been useless).
Other than that, there have been a couple of plastic covers that needed refitting inside the car that I’ve fixed myself. Nothing major though and for the most part the interior feels pretty solid and no squeaks and rattles have developed which I think is a first for any car I’ve owned.
Finally, a shout out to @DJAlix who changed my sat nav region for me after I moved countries with the car. I do need to visit him again for an overdue maps update but he was really good to deal with.
Any other long termers out there wanting the share their experience good or bad?
