My 2017 A4 allroad is in for service and got a 2024 A5 Sportback as a service loaner vehicle, which has a newer version of the infotainment system with a touchscreen and a fully digital cockpit display.
My A4 allroad has a digital cockpit display, but has separate LED segments for engine temperature and for fuel gauge.
The newer A4/A5 vehicles ditched those separate LED segment and merged them into the cockpit display.
1/x
My absolutely gripe about that (other than not being able to quickly see fuel level when I open the door and press the start button) is that the amount of absolutely wasted space that is now the fuel gauge takes up something a chuck of space *above* the tachometer that cannot be used for anything else when I have the tech and speedo shrunken down.
It blocks space for map display, it cannot be configured to show anything else, and there are empty spaces where a more minimal (but still useful) widget could be used for it.
2/x
In my allroad, I can display the realtime fuel economy widget while being able have other information in the center between the two gauges. With the two gauges size set to small, I have a wide open map that I can use if/when I don't want to fuss with plugging my phone in and waiting for CarPlay to do its thing.
Audi took what was a really good digital cockpit display and seems to have it even less configurable and useful.
3/x
Speaking of CarPlay (and Android Auto), it takes forever for the car to detect my phone wirelessly, sees that CarPlay is available, then allows me to switch to it. Other than the usual unlock phone thing to allow CarPlay that happens every so often, plugging in my phone and having the allroad detect it is within 5-10 seconds, not 20-30 seconds.
Also, the new system doesn't always automatically switch to CarPlay when it finally gets sorted out.
The sluggish touch interface is all around horrible and finding simple settings was even more difficult. I welcome the new MMI knob overlords to come back!
4/x
If anyone who personally knew me back around 2009-2017 would know that was really into the Audi community in one way or another. After getting the A4 allroad in 2017, I started to distance myself (part burn out, part losing interest, part losing connections within the community, etc.).
Over the past 3-5 years, I've grown to dislike Audi's direction and the experience of driving and using their newer cars has made me strike them off of the consideration list. They've went hard into "more tech equal more luxury" bullshit and that is absolute bollocks. Mercedes seems to have gone down that route with the EQ vehicles.
Anyway... sorry for the rant, but I had to put some words down on my frustrations with them lately.
5/5?
@qlp I recently acquired a 2018 VW Golf GTI MK7,5 (maybe a bit of a "midlife crisis" type car, and although I briefly looked at Audi S3 and RS3 I noped out on these due to insurance costs, they would be thirsty and I live in England where petrol is expensive and speed limits strictly enforced).
I think it was at this point (around 2018) VAG got the tech just at the right level, there's enough high tech stuff that just about works, but still some physical controls (I even have a normal key which I prefer as its not vulnerable to replay attacks)
I only had USB cable for Android Auto and it was a bit flaky, but I updated the MIB2 firmware and got some Chinese wireless adapter and it works a lot better now (doesn't even randomly disconnect / lock up quite as much!)
@vfrmedia Something I didn't go into with my rant is the increasing creep in cheapness re: materials, design elements, feature sets. I know there is some scratchy plastic in the lower parts of the interior, but the general material feel from 2017 seems better than 2024.
The absolute lack of properly good models and options plagues both VW and Audi here in the US. I don't really know how much more VW will slip out of customer's minds.
@qlp I think they are basically paying for the costs of Dieselgate and being late to the party with EV's (letting the Chinese manufacturers capture a lot of the market share, especially at the lower end) by enshittifying the cars, particularly in markets with weaker consumer protection legislation (such as USA)
I also deliberately picked an older model as I can still work on it and use VCDS/OBDEleven, VW lock this down on newer models and Audi are even more actively hostile towards aftermarket / DIY mods/maintenance.
I noticed you don't even get multi point injection engine in USA (so the US engines are more prone to coking up) although that might also be due to different emissions regs
@vfrmedia I got a HEX-NET for my 2011 S5 and later tried to get a couple of things available in the MMI outside of the US (such as economy selection for Drive Select), but Audi came down hard with the B9 generation A4.
Dieselgate was their own doing and will be their undoing if they can't get their act together. It's interesting to see what they are doing with Seat/Cupra/Skoda in Europe, but none of that translates to the US.
I would be willing to suffer with the VW infotainment system and #CapacitiveBS if they brought over the wagpn/estate version of the ID.7. Except, they killed the idea of the ID.7 sedan in the US.
Given that Toyota/Subaru are able to get the same, if not better, efficiency out of their updated bZ/Solterra than VW and Audi could muster with the ID.4/Q4 while Toyota is also super late to BEVs.
Linh Pham
Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK