Did I Drive a Bad One?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,597
Likes: 101
From: TN PA
CI 5-6-7-8-9-10-11 Vet
Did I Drive a Bad One?
I recently started looking to add a C5 to the garage. I test drove a 31,000 mile Torch Red/Black 2004 A4 Cp. with 2.73 gears Saturday. I came away dissapointed.
More road/tire noise than my 95, it had Michelin Pilot sports.
Wind noise at the side windows, more on the pass. side, none on my 95.
Pinging on moderate and heavy acceleration.
0-60 felt about the same as mine. 60-95 felt quicker...Active handling off.
About the same amount of seat bolster wear as mine with almost 80k.
A lot more engine noise through the cowl than mine at WOT.
Trans. seemed mushy shifting into second at WOT, mine spins the tires
Dealer offered to drop the price 2k as I was headed out the door....
Thanks for any feedback.....
Link to the 04
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true
My 95 LT1, A4, 3.07's, Yokahoma AVS ES's
More road/tire noise than my 95, it had Michelin Pilot sports.
Wind noise at the side windows, more on the pass. side, none on my 95.
Pinging on moderate and heavy acceleration.
0-60 felt about the same as mine. 60-95 felt quicker...Active handling off.
About the same amount of seat bolster wear as mine with almost 80k.
A lot more engine noise through the cowl than mine at WOT.
Trans. seemed mushy shifting into second at WOT, mine spins the tires
Dealer offered to drop the price 2k as I was headed out the door....
Thanks for any feedback.....
Link to the 04
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true
My 95 LT1, A4, 3.07's, Yokahoma AVS ES's
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 6
From: hagerstown md
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Yup, sounds like you drove a bad one. You aren't going to get it to break the tires going into second. Gearing is too high, tires too wide. The wind noise is pretty common, but can be leesened/eliminated with a few adjustments. The pinging is probably cheap gas put in by the dealer.
Don't let it throw you off. There are more fine examples out there.
Don't let it throw you off. There are more fine examples out there.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 23,283
Likes: 906
From: Lake Elsinore, CA
I had the same reaction after driving the stock '02 A4 with 2.73 gears I bought last spring but a set of 3.42 gears, a Yank 3200 stall TC, a Blackwing intake and a set of AR headers (a bit of tuning too) later and I love driving it. Consider that I was coming from a 6-speed head/cam/headered, 4.10-geared '02 C5 coupe.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 28
From: San Dimas Ca.
You might try another one. I had a really nice 92 MN6 before I bought my 02. I couldn't tell that much difference between my 92 and most of the C5s I drove acceleration wise. I was quite happy until I drove the 02 I bought. It was tight and quiet, no squeaks or rattles. No wind noise, easier to get in and out of. No cowl shaking with the top off. Of course it only had 9,000 miles on it so it was basically new. It did have one other thing going for it and that was the Procharger. The whole package was more than I could resist. It took a month for me to make up my mind but once I got the C5 home the 92 was toast. I only drove it three times over a two month period. It was like driving a big old truck to me, the steering seemed heavy and it squeaked and rattled so I sold it. Two years later it's still the same for my 02, quiet, no wind noise, no tire noise and it goes like a bat outta hell. Maybe I was just lucky, I haven't driven another C5 since so I can't compare.
Rick
Rick
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Pro
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 603
Likes: 0
From: Windsor, Ontario & Bradenton, Florida
If I compare my 1996 CE LT4 coupe to my current 2001 stock Coupe the acceleration is about the same until about 80mph(track) then the 01 is faster. The 01 rides better and is more comfortable and there is more room in the back of the 01.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,966
Likes: 5
From: Wichita Falls Tx
Wonder how many of the folks that own 04s around here would sell them for $27.5k? I bet not many. This is what NADA says.
http://www.nadaguides.com/usedcars.a...301&da=-1&nx=1
http://www.nadaguides.com/usedcars.a...301&da=-1&nx=1
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,786
Likes: 7
From: Iowa
I also had a disappointing first drive in a C5. I tested an 02 A4. it had a flowmaster exhaust on it already. The dealer which had it was awesome but he car just wasn't what I was looking for. I was very disappointed in the acceleration, It must have had the 2.73's, I dropped the hammer for a few seconds, and it went, but not nearly as quickly as I was expecting for a 100hp jump up in power and 400lbs lighter than my other car. the other thing I noticed was that the glass targa top rattled like crazy, it made loud banging noises over any small bump. the 99 I ended up with was a totally different car. it had more problems I had to fix, but it was in better shape, had a 6 speed, felt much stronger, more fun to drive, and was quieter inside. the dealer I bought it from sucked, but they had the right car. too bad the first dealer couldn't have had what I wanted, because they treated me very well.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 51,504
Likes: 6
From: Sacramento CA
Wonder how many of the folks that own 04s around here would sell them for $27.5k? I bet not many. This is what NADA says.
http://www.nadaguides.com/usedcars.a...301&da=-1&nx=1
http://www.nadaguides.com/usedcars.a...301&da=-1&nx=1
I got my 04 CE for not much more than that over a year ago. from a dealer.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 799
Likes: 16
From: Kansas City area
Sounds like a bad combo for peformance (A4 with 2.73). The first C5 I drove was an auto with 2.73's. I liked it, but it didn't deliver the full Corvette experience like the MN6 did for me. You might consider driving a few others before you make up your mind. If you like your C4 better, then you'll just have more $$$ with which to mod & play!
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,597
Likes: 101
From: TN PA
CI 5-6-7-8-9-10-11 Vet
Sounds like a bad combo for peformance (A4 with 2.73). The first C5 I drove was an auto with 2.73's. I liked it, but it didn't deliver the full Corvette experience like the MN6 did for me. You might consider driving a few others before you make up your mind. If you like your C4 better, then you'll just have more $$$ with which to mod & play!
Its not that I liked my 95 better, I was expecting a 04 to feel much improved over my c4 and this one didn't deliver. About the only thing that felt better is how the 04 handled bumps.
The wife has given the OK on a 08 but the catch is the 95 has to go. So for now I'm looking at C5's and maybe a C4 ZR1. I really enjoy my 95 and plan on keeping it a long time. I have driven the Mag Red C6 m6 in the photo above behind my car. It is a much more refined car then mine and I was hoping the C5 would give that type of feel....The search contiues...
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,607
Likes: 167
From: sylvania ohio
agree with your noise assessment . have 3.15 no complaints . paid more for our 2000 18 monthes ago . don't like ,don't buy it . lots more to look at and it's more fun to look than to own .