Blog / Random thoughts and musings.
2002 Audi A4 1.8T
I ordered my 2002 Audi A4 1.8T on November 3rd, 2001 from Audi of Alexandria. It was built on Decmber 12, and arrived at port in New Jersey on January 25, 2002. I picked it up on February 8th, so it was just over a three-month wait, which was a bit longer than expected. I sold my 1998 A4 at the same time.
Mods
- In early April 2002 I had a local body shop paint the lower, grey plastic body panels to match the rest of the car. I think it makes a big difference in the appearance of the car. Side by side before and after photos are here.
- On April 23, 2002 I installed my Caractere “C” wing. Some pictures are here though I should take some better ones.
- On July 11, 2002 I had my windows tinted by L A Tint in Sterling, VA. I got 50% light transmission on the front doors, and 38% on the back doors and rear windshield. The tint is a fully metallic smoked (non-reflective) tint.
- On September 14, 2002 I installed my Wetterauer chip. The chip increases HP from the stock 170 to 210, and torque to 250 ft-lbs.
The Car
I wasn’t thrilled with the color selections this year – it seems that most of the choices are neutral grey/silver colors. While those seem to be really popular, I like real “color” colors. I think the Cactus Green of my previous A4 was a beautiful color. For the 2002 I chose the Denim Blue, which turned out quite nice. Interior choices were beige, silver (Platinum), or black – I chose the black interior, which looks great with the blue exterior.
The options I ordered were:
- Quattro all-wheel drive
- 5-Speed manual transmission
- Power sliding sunroof
- Sports package (20mm lower and 30% stiffer suspension, 235/45R17 wheels and tires)
- Premium package (auto-dimming side and rear-view mirrors, homelink)
- Bose 200-watt, 10-speaker stereo with subwoofer
- Xenon headlights with auto-leveling
- Heated front and rear seats
- Rear side airbags
It turns out that’s pretty much every option, except for the Ski Sack and automatic transmission.
2004 Changes
The new A4 has quite a few changes from its predecessor. It is slightly bigger, with a longer, wider stance and more passenger room. The body is 45% more rigid thanks to a new steel and aluminum frame. The 1.8 liter turbocharged engine produces 170HP at 5900 rpm and 166 ft-lbs. of torque from 1950-5000 rpm, and is the worlds first turbocharged engine to meet ULEV (ultra-low emissions vehicle) standard. The drag coefficient of the body is reduced slightly to 0.28, and the new aluminum suspension is lighter, improving ride quality. The spare tire is full-sized on a matching aluminum wheel.
Inside, new standard features include an in-dash 6-CD changer, dual-zone climate controls, 4-way power lumbar adjustment for front seats, and much more. The interior is several decibels quieter thanks to improved sound insulation. Four wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS) is standard as always, with electronic brake pressure distribution (EBD), brake assist during emergency braking, and electronic stability program (ESP) to help maintain control of the car in emergency situations. Occupant safety is enhanced with front-impact airbags for driver and front and rear passengers, as well as side-impact airbags for all occupants and head-level side airbags which cover the entire area of the side windows.