[Adrian1956]

Hi there. This is Adrian from Somerset with my first visit to the Q2 forums so hi everyone.

Never owned an Audi before but have always wanted to, and saw the Q3 as a potential "upgrade" to our Renault Scenic. However, we don't really need that size car any more and the Q2 looked to be an interesting alternative. My wife and I had a test drive at the weekend in a Q2 S line 1.4 TFSI petrol at our local dealership and were extremely impressed. Afterwards, the salesman helped us with the Audi configurator and before we knew it we'd added an expensive load of extras to get "the car that we want". However, since then, we've been playing around with online configurations at home and are getting a bit bewildered by the array of options. We've also looked at several of the online video reviews from the car experts and although they agree on many features, they also disagree on what really are the essential extras. We'd really welcome any advice from others on the forum who've been through this selection process as to what is worth adding and what isn't really necessary - although we appreciate some of it comes down to personal choice.

At present, all we know for sure is that we're going for the 1.4 petrol engine (although I've read somewhere that there may be a 1.5 version replacing it soon?). Our dealership only has cars in Tango Red and Glacier White so we've got no idea what the other colours look like. As to models, we test drove the S line but would a Sport be almost as good? (one review we saw said it was better to stick with the smaller 17 inch wheels as it's a firmer ride with the 18inch and above).

After that, we've added several options - either individually or through the Packs. In particular, could anyone offer views on whether the following options are "must haves" or just "nice to haves"? And are there other options we really should be considering as well?
- Comfort Pack
- Technology Pack
- Parking System Plus
- Side assist/Cross traffic Assist
- Virtual Cockpit
- Electric folding door mirrors
- High-beam assist
- Hill hold assist
- LED headlights
- LED interior lighting
- Power operated tailgate
- Rear-view camera

And finally, one of the costlier options we're considering is the panoramic sunroof. We thought the S line we drove seemed a bit dark in the back but that may be because we've got a panoramic sunroof in our current car. But one review suggested that installing a sunroof had an impact on available head height in the car.

Any guidance from other Q2 owners on any of these issues would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Adrian

 

[dtaylor]

Hi Adrian,

Welcome to the forum.

I picked up my Q2 S-Line 1.4 TFSI on the 5th November. I have all the options you listed bar the sunroof.

As you mentioned, a lot is down to personal choice; but also budget and what you are willing to spend. None of the items are essentials... the virtual cockpit does add the wow factor and is good but by no means an essential item. The parking system plus is good and enjoy showing it off but personally don't use it very often. Most of the extras make the car that little bit special and if it gives you greater enjoyment then you should go for them. I have the heads up display too and like that... it does keep the essential information more in your face than having to glance down. Again though... just a nice to have.

Any specific questions feel free to fire away; I'll be happy to answer.

Kind regards,
David

 

[Adrian1956]

Hi David,

I've seen some of your other comments in the main Q2 forum so I believe I'm chatting to a knowledgeable owner. Do you mind if I fire off a few questions to you?

- Did you go for the S line over the Sport because you preferred the looks, the 18 inch alloys, the interior finish (e.g. seat trim), the level of standard equipment, or something else?
- Not sure which colour you've gone for, but had you seen them all before deciding?
- We wanted both front and rear visual/audio parking sensors so thought we had to go for the Parking System Plus to get that? (But do we really need rear-view camera as well if we've got sensors?)
- Yeah, we were wondering whether the virtual cockpit was a bit of a novelty item. Does it really give you much else from the standard fixed display?

If you don't mind, I'll probably come back with more questions as we think things through.

Thanks,
Adrian

 

[dtaylor]

Hi Adrian,

Of course I don't mind... that is what the forum is all about... users can share their thoughts and ask questions... I'm more than happy to answer any you may have.

S-Line... I'd pretty much say all those things and despite some reviews recommending the 17" alloys, my previous car had 18" and generally liked the style of the S-Line, the LED lights look nice and just nice touches like the illuminated door sills. I guess it is a bit of a status thing too...

I went for black. There were very few images of black variants which I guess is because it makes it harder to see the styling and contours. I tend to like monochrome though and have had black cars for a long time with the occasional white one. Just a personal preference. I think the white looks nice with the Sport styling having the black trim though too.

My apologies... the Parking System Plus is just visual and audio. I was thinking of the Park Assist option which with the assistance packs I got was just £150 extra so was pretty much a no brainer to go for it.

The virtual cockpit offers a whole host of views and information and can replace pretty much the whole screen with the satnav map. It does look good even in just the standard display mode. I think that is the main element inside the car that really makes it stand out.

One feature I have never had on a previous car but has been around for a while is the radar cruise control. It makes driving on a motorway fairly effortless... just set it to 70mph and it will try to achieve that based on what is in front of you. Does make me wonder if it will prematurely wear the breaks though. It is a feature that I would not want to do without on any future cars I buy.

This is my configuration... www.uk.audi.com/A4AY10X4

It is the first time I have ever ordered before being able to test drive. Doing that is a gamble but had confidence in Audi and have no regrets. You do pay a premium though with almost everything coming in at an additional cost; the price soon mounts up.

Thanks,
David

 

[Adrian1956]

Thanks very much for sharing your configuration, David, and I've also now seen the photos of your actual car which you posted elsewhere. It looks stunning.

I'm now intending to go through your spec in a bit more detail and compare it with ours. I may well be back by the weekend with more questions. Just wondered whether you'd ever considered the sunroof or if you're finding it light enough inside anyway? Sound system looks to be quite an upgrade too.

It's my wife's birthday today and her office colleagues got her a card. It's surprising how many comments such as "a Q2 would be a nice birthday present!" have been included.

 

[dtaylor]

You're welcome Adrian, and thanks.

I like the way it looks inside... only ever sat in the front! I can image it will be a little dark in the back especially with the tinted windows. I never gave the sunroof a thought though. Don't think I have had one since the 90's!

The sound system is good. I never compared it to the other options though and maybe worth doing before paying for the B & O system... perhaps it would be hard to tell the difference and a way to save a little without much determinable difference.

 

[Rob]

Welcome to the forum Adrian, you'll have to let us know what spec you decide on if you decide to go ahead and order the Q2.

 

[Adrian1956]

Thanks Rob. Have already learnt quite a lot from forum posts - and David Taylor in particular.

Have just arranged to go a bit further afield over the weekend and cross the border into Devon where they have both a Nano Grey and Daytona Grey Q2 in stock at Plymouth Audi, so we can see other colours. Will keep you posted.

 

[Hayley456]

Ooh please would you post a picture of both greys, I have nano on order!

 

[jase_h]

Thought I'd add my thoughts into the mix. I've got a 1.4 TFSI S Line on order in Daytona Grey. It's arrived in the UK and currently just waiting for it to go to dealer. Obviously I'll know a bit more about it when I've collected it but thought I'd add what my own thought processes were as it can seem a bit of a minefield deciding on all the options.

A bit like dtaylor above, I was probably aiming at S Line from the start. I preferred the look from the front and back with the S Line bumpers, and the other associated features such as the part-leather upholstery, LED lights and the brushed aluminium inlays. I was initially aiming for Mythos Black, but having had 2 black cars out of my last 3, my Mrs was wanting me to have something different and go for Glacier White. I then happened to be out and about and saw some other Audis in Daytona Grey, sparkling in the late summer sunshine, and decided that was the colour for me. I think the Audi configurator by no means does the Daytona Grey colour justice so I looked at a few pictures of A3s and Q3s online to reaffirm that was my decision.

This is a recent video of a car which has very similar interior and exterior features as mine will have -

My configuration is - [URL=http://www.uk.audi.com/A70QN0G2][url]http://www.uk.audi.com/A70QN0G2 and I agonised for quite a while before nailing down which options I wanted.

- Adaptive Suspension - saw some reviews and thought this might be useful on the 18" wheels if needing to make a little more comfortable for passengers and/or just general fun to play around with in conjunction with the Audi Drive Select!
- Advanced Key - have same on current car
- Auto-dimming rear view mirror - have same on current car
- C pillar in Ice Silver - deliberated on C pillar colour but thought the Titanium Grey pillar may clash with the Daytona Grey car, so opted for Ice Silver to tie in with the trim around the bumpers, and the silver of the alloy wheels
- Electrically-folding Door Mirrors - have same on current car
- Drivers Information System 3.5" Colour Display - compulsory with Driver Assistance pack but would have ordered anyway
- Driver Assistance pack (Advanced) - wanted the Adaptive Cruise Control and Parking System Plus - for the benefits and a little extra cash decided to go for the Advanced pack so have everything
- Dual-zone Climate Control - have same on current car
- Hill-hold Assist - have same on current car
- Spacesaver Spare Wheel - have same on current car

If money was no object I would have happily ordered every option possible but had to draw the line and be practical/realistic as well. Other things I considered:
- I love the look of the Virtual Cockpit, but in terms of the Technology Pack I wouldn't end up making full use of the MMI Navigation or the Audi Phone Box so I couldn't justify the £1595. If the Virtual Cockpit had been an option on its own for say £500 I might well have gone for that.
- I like the look of the 18" matt titanium 5-arm offroad alloys, but couldn't justify the extra £650 for purely cosmetics, and took onboard the advice I'd seen from some online to avoid diamond-cut wheels.
- I considered the LED advanced Interior Lighting pack but thought I'd keep my £250 to myself in lieu of that, as felt I could live without it

At the end of the day it's personal choice and personal circumstances. I had to challenge myself a bit and ask myself if I'd really get the value from certain things, whilst at the same time on some things I thought "no matter the cost, I'm having that!".
I kept going back in to the configurator, trying different options with a Sport instead of an S Line - I'd seen a video online of a white Sport model which looked great with the Manhattan Grey bumpers and side skirts, but kept going back to the S Line, even though I'm about to pay far more for a car than I ever have before - current car is a 12-plate Ford Focus Titanium! It's also the first time I've ever purchased a car without test-driving first.

Just waiting for it to get to the dealer from Grimsby docks now - it's been there since Monday - and hopefully in the next week or two I'll be able to collect it, post some pictures on here and tell you how great it is!

 

[Adrian1956]

Thanks very much for your input, jase_h. It's really helpful to see how people have arrived at their configurations, although each new one I see makes me want to add even more options. We've played around with configurations for both the Sport and S Line but there are many standard things on the S Line that we'd simply add to the Sport anyway, so that one's probably looking favourite. However, you've made me feel nervous about the 18" wheels now and whether they might give too firm a ride on the S Line.

We managed to see a Daytona Grey S Line and a Nano Grey Sport over the weekend which has helped with narrowing down colour choices, although I do still think the Glacier White stands out too.

As requested by Hayley456, I've attached a few photos of each - although sorry they're not of the greatest quality.

Looking forward to seeing your cars when they arrive.

 

[Vern]

I've ordered Daytona grey but I do really like the nano grey on those pics ( thanks for taking them) but it is very similar to my wife's moonwalk grey Mini Cooper s so Daytona it is. My q3 was glacier white and it always looked fantastic... I solved the ride v wheels debate and got 19 in as I liked then better and ordered the adaptive suspension which compared with other brands and audis is really good value!

 

[jase_h]

Hi Adrian. Don't be nervous about the 18" wheels on account of anything I've said (I'm definitely no expert on these things!) - at the end of the day that's exactly what I'm getting on the S Line which I'll hopefully be collecting shortly, and I'm perfectly 100% happy with that prospect.
I was just going by what some of the reviews have said, probably split 50/50 between those saying stick to 17" and below, and others saying it's fine, and no different to the firmer ride of say an A3. I just thought if by chance the ride is too harsh for passengers on the 18s, if I went for the adaptive suspension I can play around with that and take the edge off it. Additionally, I can have a bit of fun with that and play around with the Audi Drive Select at the same time.
It's hard to rely on what some of the online reviews say because it's often lazy stuff written without even testing properly - there's currently a handful of reviews online claiming that the infotainment screen retracts in the Q2, when it has been confirmed it doesn't.
As Vern says below there's plenty of people going for the 19s. Again down to personal choice.
Thanks for the pictures - I did quite fancy the Glacier White at one point, probably with the darker grey blade, but to top off the look I fancied putting the matt titanium 18" wheels with that and just couldn't justify the £650 extra cost to myself! So Daytona Grey with the standard S Line wheels was the decision. Saw one up close at the weekend (albeit in fading light), and can't wait to see mine sparkling in the winter sunshine (when I get it)!

 

[Hayley456]

Thank you for the photos, both greys look good. I think the Q2 will look good in any colour, happy with my nano choice now I've seen your photos so thank you. enjoy!

 

[dtaylor]

Hi,

I have nothing to compare the ride on the 18" S-Line wheels but in my opinion the ride is quite firm yet comfortable... I have no problem with them.

 

[Rob]

Can you not just opt for the S-Line model but delete the S-Line suspension?

 

[Adrian1956]

Is there a way to do that via the Audi Configurator, Rob?

 

[jase_h]

According to the Q2 Pricelist all models (SE, Sport, S Line and Edition #1) come with the same Dynamic Suspension as standard.

On the S Line and Edition #1 you can however choose an option for Sport Suspension (Lowered by 10mm compared to Dynamic Suspension) at no extra cost. (based on things I've read I presume not that many would necessarily go for this option)

Or you can choose the Adaptive Suspension for an extra £875 on Sport model, or extra £575 on S Line and Edition #1.

I've gone for the Adaptive Suspension for the element of adjustability, and I'm hoping it may be fun to play around with that in conjunction with the Audi Drive Select, making the car more or less 'sporty' as your mood takes you.

 

[Rob]

They must have switched it round then, usually S-Line gave you the sports suspension automatically and you could then remove it, now it appears you select it if you want.
Just checked the configurator and it doesn't list it to remove anymore, I'm sure it did before?

 

[dtaylor]

They must have switched it round then, usually S-Line gave you the sports suspension automatically and you could then remove it, now it appears you select it if you want.
Just checked the configurator and it doesn't list it to remove anymore, I'm sure it did before?

I don't recall ever seeing it on the configurator but had read in many places that the Sports suspension could be specified at no cost. I guess it is something you request when ordering at the dealer. Strange that you cannot generate a code for it though.