The short version: 40,000 miles, 2.5 miles/kWh, 5% battery degradation, great car, don't buy one. For more, read on...
Despite recent events, I've continued to clock up miles at a slightly alarming rate. I suspect that my eTron is one of the earliest and highest mileage examples, so thought a quick public service update might be interesting. As per the title, I'm about 18 months and 40,000 miles in - which, coincidentally, is almost exactly 1,000 hours behind the wheel.
So, how's it been...? As a car, it's fantastic. For the same monthly outgoing on a company lease scheme as (say) a BMW 3-series two litre diesel, the level of refinement, comfort and performance is unbeatable. It's the smoothest and definitely the quietest car I've driven. Performance is rapid rather than sports-car fast, but I've seldom felt the need for anything more (having over 400 horsepower would probably be termed "adequate"). I spend an average of two hours a day in the car every day of my life (albeit most of my journeys are long), and it is very comfortable.
Consumption has been ... as you'd expect. Over two winters and one summer, I've averaged 41kwh/100 miles - or 2.5 miles per kWh. I don't drive fast, but do accelerate briskly. Range has been from 240 miles (summer, trying reasonably hard) to 160 (winter, appalling weather, in a hurry). One thing of note is that the GOM is very, very good. Recalculates according to destination and driving style and does so quickly and accurately.
Charging is equally impressive. 50kW on a standard rapid to at least 95% and never less than 40kW to 100%. Highest I've seen is 153kW on an HPC, and over 100kW is usually available from 20-80%. It really does charge fast. That does bring a potential concern on cell damage...I have been reasonably mindful of the battery, never storing at below 20 or above 80%. However, most of my journeys are very long, so I have rapid charged frequently and also charge to 100% often. I do always time charging to finish as close as possible to when I depart. I've calculated available capacity over full range a few times over the last 18 months, and it's degraded from 84kWh when new to 80kWh now...a 5% loss. Not sure if that's good or not - it's a relatively short period of time, but it's certainly been used.
So far so good ... now we come to reliability. In one sense, it's been fine, in as much as it's never broken down. However, I have had numerous problems with electrical gremlins, software bugs, leaking sunroof and charge port door failures. Problems I don't mind. I have used three dealers, and two have been nothing short of disgracefully incompetent. The car has been off the road for at least seven weeks during those 18 months, probably four of those due to either very slow fault finding or rectifying issues caused by previous work. On this basis, I can't recommend that anyone spends their own cash on one of these cars, especially as a second hand buy. Leasing is a different matter, and I'm glad someone else is holding the risk here. Having said that the car has (reaches for wood) been solid for the last six months, and I am hopeful that, as a very early adopter, I saw most of the early problems and have now reached the level floor of the reliability curve.
One final thought...the virtual mirrors. It hadn't even occurred to me to mention them until I took mental stock of the questions that people ask me about the car. I am completely used to them and, early problems aside, they have been fine, if slightly prone to misting in some conditions (usually cleared by rear window heating). In many cases, they are better than conventional - for example, low light conditions and low sun directly behind the car - as they compensate for brightness variation very well.
So - overall - great car, appallingly incompetent dealer service, love it but no way that I would buy one! It will most likely be one of the Koreans for me when the lease ends and I have to spend my own money.
Despite recent events, I've continued to clock up miles at a slightly alarming rate. I suspect that my eTron is one of the earliest and highest mileage examples, so thought a quick public service update might be interesting. As per the title, I'm about 18 months and 40,000 miles in - which, coincidentally, is almost exactly 1,000 hours behind the wheel.
So, how's it been...? As a car, it's fantastic. For the same monthly outgoing on a company lease scheme as (say) a BMW 3-series two litre diesel, the level of refinement, comfort and performance is unbeatable. It's the smoothest and definitely the quietest car I've driven. Performance is rapid rather than sports-car fast, but I've seldom felt the need for anything more (having over 400 horsepower would probably be termed "adequate"). I spend an average of two hours a day in the car every day of my life (albeit most of my journeys are long), and it is very comfortable.
Consumption has been ... as you'd expect. Over two winters and one summer, I've averaged 41kwh/100 miles - or 2.5 miles per kWh. I don't drive fast, but do accelerate briskly. Range has been from 240 miles (summer, trying reasonably hard) to 160 (winter, appalling weather, in a hurry). One thing of note is that the GOM is very, very good. Recalculates according to destination and driving style and does so quickly and accurately.
Charging is equally impressive. 50kW on a standard rapid to at least 95% and never less than 40kW to 100%. Highest I've seen is 153kW on an HPC, and over 100kW is usually available from 20-80%. It really does charge fast. That does bring a potential concern on cell damage...I have been reasonably mindful of the battery, never storing at below 20 or above 80%. However, most of my journeys are very long, so I have rapid charged frequently and also charge to 100% often. I do always time charging to finish as close as possible to when I depart. I've calculated available capacity over full range a few times over the last 18 months, and it's degraded from 84kWh when new to 80kWh now...a 5% loss. Not sure if that's good or not - it's a relatively short period of time, but it's certainly been used.
So far so good ... now we come to reliability. In one sense, it's been fine, in as much as it's never broken down. However, I have had numerous problems with electrical gremlins, software bugs, leaking sunroof and charge port door failures. Problems I don't mind. I have used three dealers, and two have been nothing short of disgracefully incompetent. The car has been off the road for at least seven weeks during those 18 months, probably four of those due to either very slow fault finding or rectifying issues caused by previous work. On this basis, I can't recommend that anyone spends their own cash on one of these cars, especially as a second hand buy. Leasing is a different matter, and I'm glad someone else is holding the risk here. Having said that the car has (reaches for wood) been solid for the last six months, and I am hopeful that, as a very early adopter, I saw most of the early problems and have now reached the level floor of the reliability curve.
One final thought...the virtual mirrors. It hadn't even occurred to me to mention them until I took mental stock of the questions that people ask me about the car. I am completely used to them and, early problems aside, they have been fine, if slightly prone to misting in some conditions (usually cleared by rear window heating). In many cases, they are better than conventional - for example, low light conditions and low sun directly behind the car - as they compensate for brightness variation very well.
So - overall - great car, appallingly incompetent dealer service, love it but no way that I would buy one! It will most likely be one of the Koreans for me when the lease ends and I have to spend my own money.
