not sure if it is exactly the same drivetrain that was in my 2.0 turbo slushie VW Tiguan, but if so, using sport mode make the nasty transmission a little but better.

But just a little bit better

No question. It took me a little bit to realize sport and "manual" modes are two different things, unlike the slushie in my wife's E46. Still detestable though. Without sport mode it would be intolerable.

See this thread is alive again and again strange timing, I have a loaner 2016 A6 in my driveway right now with the same 2.0t engine though this one has 252 hp instead of the 220hp in the A4.

Surprisingly given the A6's bigger size (it's gotta be heavier too) the engine feels great ... This car moves really well, it just feels quick and the transmission is IMO much better then the A4's.

If Audi put the upgraded HP and the same transmission software in the A4 it would make it a really great car to own.

Plaz ... What do they charge to rent an A4 ? I would think it would be pretty expensive.

It depends on demand/availability, but not outrageous at all. Between $59 and $99 per day. I think I'm paying $79.

Looks like they recently opened in Phoenix too -- rates here are $49/day + tax (which is another ~$20-25/day -- rental car taxes here are nuts). That just might be the summer rate...

Wow I haven't rented a car in a while but that is pretty pricey ... Though I do understand it since it is a pretty expensive car.

That's not that pricey.

My corporate discount with Hertz is at best ~$38/day + tax for a mid-size car (and ~$200-225 per week). If you upgrade to a "luxury" car with Hertz, you will easily pay 50% more than Silvercar.

They charge a small premium, but I think its reasonable for what you get...

Exactly. Well worth it to not be in an Impala with spent tires. The A4 was tons of fun driving through the hills to the coast west of Silicon Valley.

I have a rental in San Jose reserved right now - full size (POJ something Impala-ish) for $15 a day... My 4 day rental is right at $100 including all the airport taxes and fees and such.

I thought about flying into SFO this time and getting a Silvercar. I did that about a year ago - just for fun right after they started renting at SF. It was a great experience and great to get a 'nice' car and all, but.... not cheap.

This time the cost for the Silvercar rental was about $400...
And the flights to SF were also more...
And I would be driving to Monterey (passing right by San Jose - twice)
And flying into SFO vs SJC (airport wise)...

I am going to San Jose and Dollar Rent a Car....

:D

Silvercar
 

I finally had a chance to try out Silvercar car rental on my recent trip to SFO.

If you've not heard of it, Silvercar's gimmicks are twofold: 1) a very app driven user interface that in theory reduces wait times, and 2) they only rent silver Audi A4s.

I have to say, I liked the experience a lot. They are located off-airport, which means you have to take a shuttle van from the rental counter to a somewhat dodgy warehouse district, but the process was as easy as advertised. There were no lines; you only have to interact with staff the first time you rent (they scan your DL). After that, you can use the app and a QR code to unlock the car.

The car itself was also nice. A silver A4 may be the closest thing Germany makes to a Camry, but it's several dozen rungs up from what you get at a "normal" car rental place. The cars were clean and well-maintained and much more pleasant to bomb around in than most alternatives.

Pricing was reasonable. It was $50/day base rate, with protection/insurance going up from there. That's certainly within the bounds of what I pay at other places, and can be submitted for expense reimbursement without embarrassment (unlike the Mercedes GL450 I had to rent once that was like $200/day).

Silvercar's coverage is still pretty limited, but I'd take a look and see if they operate where you're headed, and give them a shot.