Jkm's A4 One Year Later, Part 1: Interior. 

"jkm7680" (jkm7680) 06/02/2015 at 20:17 • Filed to: None

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As I said, I would provide a one year write up of my oddly reliable ‘97 A4. Even though I’ve avoided posting the actual review due to immaturity, here you go. I’ll be doing this in parts rather than one big review. It’s easier that way, trust me.

So yeah, it’s been over a year. These are my findings. Also, my reviewing is done in a lighthearted fashion. Just keep that in mind kthxbai.

Part 1: The Interior.

The interior. It’s where you spend most of your time while driving one would hope, if it’s unpleasant then you’re generally unpleasant and it works like that. My A4 came from the factory with slate blue “Fine Nappa” leather and some kind of wood dash trim. For 140,000 miles the seats show relatively little aging and the wood just does wood things.

Category 1: The Front Seats.

The drivers side seat is power and the passenger seat is not. Nobody knows how to use my passenger seat controls. That’s annoying. Both the drivers and passengers seats are fairly flat and don’t include much bolstering, more than the B7 but far less than the B5 S4. They’re comfortable for short trips, but as soon as you really get into hour+ long drives they start to get hard around the back area. Both of them are heated, with six different levels of heat. Because Germany. The driving position is good, and they are fairly adjustable. Again, the wear patterns on the fine Nappa is superb. Hardly any age showing for a ‘97 with 100k+ miles on it.

Pictured: The front passengers seat area.

Category 2: The Rear Seat.

The rear seat is adequate and includes a storage compartment that folds down from the middle of the seat back and no cupholders because Jesus hates you. There’s also a sorta ash tray thing back there, it’s not really an ashtray but if you use your imagination, it can be whatever the fuck you want it to be. So it’s an ashtray. (It’s not) Legroom is on par with the B7 as in it’s not really that good. I’d say around 5’8 would be the g spot for fitting in there comfortably. The backseats fold fairly flat which is nice. There is also a ski bag thingy in the trunk pass through, that came standard with the cold weather/winter package that my A4 has. The rear seat is fairly comfortable though and has good thigh support.

Category 3: The Dashboard.

The dashboard, complimented with some unknown kind of wood is a rather nice dashboard. It’s a fairly smooth plastic that’s very solid and held together very well. There’s no creaks, squeaks or rattles to be heard. It’s a very simple, yet understated design and it holds up very well even compared to modern day cars. There’s a nice shiny Quattro badge above the glovebox which adds a touch of “I’m better than you in every way” and the transitions between parts of the dash are very smooth and clean. The airbag cover exhibits no lift and everything is where it should be. The glovebox is also nicely padded and locks.

Category 4: The Steering Wheel.

I love my steering wheel. It makes the car for me. Three spokes, Audi sport logo at the bottom and generous bolstering. Leather wrapped of course and my-my is it a great wheel. 10/10 would steer again. During my ownership, I’ve attempted to remove some of the gloss and get it back to a matte finish. It worked a little bit I guess. I’ll try again at some point.

Pictured: The wheel of steering. Yissssssssssssss.

Category 5: Amount of pixels left on the LCD display.

Every single one of them, proceed.

Category 6: Sound system.

It’s a Bose sound system paired with the “Audi Delta” radio. Which doesn’t come with a place to stick CDs. It’s cassettes or get bent. The Bose system is fairly good, I believe it’s got tweeters in the door. Overall good, no complaints here. It’s crisp and there’s adequate bass.

Pictured: My weird radio that doesn’t like CDs. Or you. My radio doesn’t like you either.

Category 7: Cupholders.

There’s two of them, which are really cute pretend cupholders. Would you even consider that a cupholder? I don’t, that’s why I never drink in the car. Neither should you, because you die if you spill anything in there.

Category 8: Fit & Finish/Build Quality.

It’s great. Everything feels expensive, well put together and solid. The center console lid is very sturdy feeling, the entire dash feels great and everything in between is very solid and well put together. Blank buttons are the only shortcut on the interior, it’s a very great place to be inside of.

Pictured: Mein shifter.

Category 9: Interior Toys.

It’s fairly well equipped for a ‘97. Dual heated seats, one power seat, tilt and slide sunroof, Bose audio, power mirrors, ski bag thing and more options I’m forgetting about. All of the interior toys are working just fine and carry out their tasks as they should. The heated seats are especially nice, the passengers side does heat up slower than the drivers side but it still heats up. None of the buttons are sticky and everything is easy to use. Climate control included. Front and rear defrost of course. It’s also equipped with Audi DIS. (Driver information system.) Which was an option in 1997.

Category 10: Aesthetics.

This interior gets praise from nearly everybody that steps into the car, everybody loves how modern and simplistic it is. So do I. Audi did a great job on this one. The night mode is also awesome, red lights...... red lights everywhere. Note: Those aren’t warning lights, the key was in, but the car wasn’t on.

Pictured: Night mode. It’s “aircraft inspired,” how fancy. Also have a nice look at the clock.

Summary: Good/Good points. Remember, this isn’t a review; it’s a wrap up. The interior has been great all in all, I can’t think of any real/valid complaints. Cupholders are my biggest complaint, but that issue can be resolved by not drinking in the car. Which I’m perfectly fine with. There’s actually a space in the door cards that a bottle fits perfectly into. Intended? I say not, Cool? Sure I guess. The interior is my favorite thing about my A4, hands down.

Love it, hate it. You decide, but I love my A4 for what it is.

Vicente Esteve > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 20:37

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I am eager to know what these buttons would house.

jkm7680 > Vicente Esteve 06/02/2015 at 20:40

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I haven’t the slightest clue. I do know that after the facelift, they were turned into a equivalently dysfunctional cupholder.

MLGCarGuy > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 20:42

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*grumble grumble reliability*

Post a pic on the outside. Cause the inside suggests this is one clean car.

jkm7680 > MLGCarGuy 06/02/2015 at 20:44

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Hahaha, wait until the next installment! Here’s the first picture I ever took of the car. She’s much nicer looking than that picture now. It is a very clean car, if I don’t say so myself. I baby this thing like it was a prized possession.

MLGCarGuy > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 20:47

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No yellow headlights???

Congrats on keeping her virtually factory fresh.

jkm7680 > MLGCarGuy 06/02/2015 at 20:49

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Que? Yellow headlights?

Vicente Esteve > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 20:50

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German cupholders are such an insult its funny.

MLGCarGuy > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 20:51

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I was saying that this is the only pre-2000 car with clear headlights. AKA you can actually see inside them.

jkm7680 > Vicente Esteve 06/02/2015 at 20:52

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Haha, they obviously don’t approve of the American way of drinking in the car.

jkm7680 > MLGCarGuy 06/02/2015 at 20:53

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Ooooohhhhhhhh, haha.

Thought you meant some Ricerlicious modification of some sort at first.

MLGCarGuy > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 20:55

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I would never support rice.

*hides pictures of slightly stanced cars*

jkm7680 > MLGCarGuy 06/02/2015 at 21:00

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No, is ok. Don’t run away.

Shhhhh, but there’s a lot of things Oppo doesn’t know.

AM3R shamefully returns > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 21:03

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Super clean, seriously! I hope my interior looks that fresh when I hit 140k..

Also on the steering wheel, what I did was boil water, dip a MF towel in the water, ring it out, and then wipe down the steering wheel really good. Back to its matte and grippy self! I've heard those mr clean magic erasers work great too, but be careful because they can get the dye off the leather.

jkm7680 > AM3R shamefully returns 06/02/2015 at 21:05

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Haha, thanks man!

I’ve actually tried the microfiber thing, after seeing your post actually! I’ve got a whole pack of those magic erasers in my desk waiting to be used, but I’m just not sure if I’ve got the guys to potentially ruin the steering wheel.

AM3R shamefully returns > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 21:23

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Yeah I wimped out of using the magic erasers because after a few more passes with the MF towel and hot water it really started to look good.

jkm7680 > AM3R shamefully returns 06/02/2015 at 21:24

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Doesn’t leather water spot though? That’s the only concern I had.

AM > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 21:28

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My god.. I thought the Japanese were bad for these!

AM3R shamefully returns > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 21:35

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I haven't noticed anything so far, I'll take some more pictures tomorrow. I make sure to ring out the towel really well, it's mostly the scrubbing that gets the wheel back to its matte look.

jkm7680 > AM3R shamefully returns 06/02/2015 at 21:36

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Oooh, sounds good! I just remember a bunch of black crap coming off with the microfiber. I used a white one intentionally.

AM3R shamefully returns > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 21:40

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Ah you know what, I used this really soft microfiber that I usually use to clean my glass, so it's a little more gentle. I'll try it with a normal one tomorrow. It's bright yellow so if i have similar results I'll definitely notice.

jkm7680 > AM3R shamefully returns 06/02/2015 at 21:40

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I accidentally clicked publish, haha. Whoops.

Sounds good, I’ll look forward to it!

AM > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 21:46

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Interior still looks very nice, I hope it lasts you a long time. German interiors from the late 90’s, early 00’s were fantastic, my old 540i had this exact interior except the manual gearshift:

Like your car, it is a simple yet elegant design. I’m sure you can see it was also plagued with the useless cupholders. Mine were much worse though since your drink was at risk of spilling all over the temp controls, power outlet, and lock switches. Seats were full power for driver and passenger including power headrest adjust and heat which is awesome.

Also, how did you get so lucky with the pixels on the LCD display? My car ended up looking like this:

Sound system was fantastic, I believe the speakers were Harman Kardon (in typical BMW fashion). Though they weren’t nearly as clear as the Bose speakers in my Yukon which is quite odd.

Despite all the problems it gave me, I truly loved my BMW. And I wasn’t a BMW douchebag, I even used turn signals!

Great write up btw!

jkm7680 > AM 06/02/2015 at 21:48

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Thanks, it’s lasted this long so I’d imagine it’s got another 100k left in her!

Where those blank buttons were is where the facelift version would have a new cupholder. German logic amiright?

I have no clue about the pixels, it was apparently a big problem on the B5 though. Not too many out there, but when I sell the car I’ll definitely have that in the ad!

AM > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 21:54

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Ze Germans did not believe in cupholders during that time! In almost every car they made during the 90s and early 00s cupholders were an afterthought.

The pixelated screen is a common problem in BMWs of that time era, especially in the E39.

jkm7680 > AM 06/02/2015 at 21:55

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Now they’ve caught on a little bit. I’m pretty sure they just designed them for Americans. I remember having a 5-Series rental while in France that came with zero cupholders.

AM > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 21:56

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Well then, it appears they still don't believe in having a beverage inside your car.

Spaceball-Two > jkm7680 06/02/2015 at 22:10

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I’m fortunate enough to still have all my pixels. Super clean dude. Nice job.

jkm7680 > Spaceball-Two 06/02/2015 at 22:22

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Thanks man, appreciate it!

Your boy, BJR > jkm7680 06/12/2015 at 22:58

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When are the other parts coming you orlovian asshole?!

WhyWagonIfNotWagonFast > jkm7680 07/17/2015 at 12:22

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The rear seat is adequate and includes a storage compartment that folds down from the middle of the seat back and no cupholders because Germans hate cupholders .

Fixed it for you

WhyWagonIfNotWagonFast > jkm7680 07/17/2015 at 12:25

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I’ll have you know that that cup holder is not dysfunctional. It is semi-functional. Which makes it the most functional cup holder in the car. Unless you like to store your drinks under the armrest.

torque > Vicente Esteve 07/17/2015 at 12:48

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1st activate oil slick (for when you’re being chased)

2nd to activate the rockets (clear road ahead)

3rd activates the ejector seat (front passenger)

All options from the factory

jkm7680 > WhyWagonIfNotWagonFast 07/17/2015 at 13:40

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That too, haha.

Isn’t it flimsy though?

WhyWagonIfNotWagonFast > jkm7680 07/17/2015 at 14:20

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Flimsy? Yes. I don’t let my kids operate for fear that they will break it. Poorly placed? Yes. Unless you like to drip fluids on all your radio and hvac controls.

It is cool to watch it open and close though.

jkm7680 > WhyWagonIfNotWagonFast 07/17/2015 at 14:42

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Oooohhhh, nice and sticky buttons my favorite!

I actually used my prong cupholder this morning for a can of Monster, it surprisingly didn’t tip.