That is a very interesting finding. I have come to accept that the D position driving is kind of blah but very fuel efficient and the sport mode is really where the car shines. I recently took the car to some country roads and did an all sport mode drive and it was really alot of fun. I am still under the initial 5k miles (3900 as of this am) so have been trying to take it easy but now I am looking forward even more to the first service to see if anything changes.

 

After 2 months, I can't say that the car seems to have "learned". At lower speeds it still selects a much higher gear than I would if it were a manual transmission, and consequently it always feels and sounds as if as if the engine can barely deliver the torque. What should I do to "train" the car to down-shift sooner?

 

Just to follow up, I am now convinced that my 8 spd trans has learned my driving style and has gotten much smoother since I first got it. I am conceding to believe that it has gotten used to me rather than the opposite. Very happy now with how it is performing. Great mileage and smooth gear shifts. Can't lie and say that occasionally it isn't a little low in the gear/rpm but a slight press of the pedal cleans it up fine now. FWIW, just got back from my first 5k maintenance and it was merely an oil change, no downloading or uploading or other adjustments. The car has pretty much learned on its own. Perhaps everyone else already knows this but just wanted to share my experience with the new '11 B8 A4 trans.

 

That is good news. With only little over 1k miles on the car, mine is still learning. I am only getting 11mpg in city driving. I look forward to the improvements.

 

Just picked up my 2011 A4 today with the 8sp auto quattro coming from a "7 speed" CVT... The first thing I noticed while driving it a distance longer than the demo drive was that it seems to shift a lot, and that I notice the shifting more than I had. The CVT was very smooth in that regard. This is not a complaint, just something that will take a little while to get used to.

 

I'm glad I found this. I also just picked up a new 2011 A4 about 4 days ago. Its what my company provides as a company car. How cool is that! I've found the 8spd tranny fairly smooth except every now and then at low speeds it seems to shift rather abruptly or hard. Its only occasional but I have no complaints so far...it is a fantastic little car. Love the handling. Its my first experience with an Audi. I dont even have 100 miles on it yet so I'll see how things go as it breaks in a little.

 

I hope the new 8 speed doesnt have the same 1st gear slam that the 6 speed automatic has. I heard even BMWs and other premium brands are having the same problems.

 

I think I know what you are talking about re: the abrupt shift. It happens when the car is perhaps in a gear too high and then you stomp some on the pedal to get it to move and when it finally finds the right spot it is a bit of a hit. Mine did that some in the beginning, especially when starting on a downhill slope, but barely does it anymore. I have about 7k miles on it now. Lately I have been enjoying that the car knows when I am on a decline and holds the gear a little longer to save my brakes. I live on top of a mtn so that is useful and I swear it just starting doing it. Overall, I find the transmission to be very intelligent, you just need to learn how to control the pedal pressure to allow it to make the right shifts for you.

 

I'm now at 5000 miles, but I'm not seeing any improvements from what I said earlier. At lower speeds I still feel like I'm driving a sluggish, noisy diesel engine. Takes some of the fun out of this car, which on all other counts is pretty awesome. Sports mode is too aggressive at low speeds..makes the car "jump" when pushing the pedal.

 

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. I am considering a 2011 a4. Own a 2008 now and use the tip at least 70% of the time. My question is are there separate shifts for all 8 gears when using the tip? Asked the dealer and got the deer in the headlights look.