My new car search: Audi A4 3.2

My Search:

Before I get to the actual review, I just want to give some context as to what kind of car I am looking for in terms of needs and preferences. This was you’ll have a better basis for how my opinion may or may not fit with your own.

With my lease on my Saab 9-3 up in a few months, I am finally getting out to test drive the myriad of cars that are on my list as possible replacements. The car I purchase (or lease) will be my primary means of getting back and forth to work in L.A. traffic. I don’t need to carry many other people in the car, so I just need it to be comfortable up front and enough space in back to hold one (or both) of my kid’s car seats in a pinch. This will not be our main family car – that’s what we bought our Honda Odyssey for, after all.

I’d like a car with decent performance; although I won’t be racing it anytime soon and I do live in southern CA, so fuel economy is somewhat important. As far as handling goes, I’m not the kind of driver who is looking for a car that feels “toss-able” or allows me to induce oversteer. I think the best word to describe the handling characteristics I’m looking for would be “confidence”. I want a car that feels like it can handle anything I can throw at it and still stay below its limits. And I’m getting old enough that I’m also willing to give up some handling capability for a little smoother ride.

As far as interior goes, I’d like an upscale interior with comfortable seats with good support. I’d also like some advanced technology available such as Bluetooth and MP3/iPod integration. A navigation system is not necessary, nor is a super upscale 15 speaker sound package. And, as I said before, I don’t need a large amount or rear seat space or a voluminous trunk.

The cars that I’ve selected to test drive for my search can be divided into three groupings:
Compact sport sedans including the Acura TL, Audi A4 3.2, BMW 330i, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS350, Mercedes C350, and the Volvo S60 R. Mid-sized sport sedans such as the Audi A6 3.2, Infiniti M35, and Lexus GS300. And a few other odds and ends such as the Mazda RX-8 and the Subaru Legacy GT (both mostly due to stellar reviews on this site) as well as the Infiniti FX35 (which I think is one of the best looking vehicles on the road). As you can see, I plan on enjoying this go-round of car shopping.

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Let me start out by saying that, overall, I like Audi’s. Two of the 5 vehicles that I’ve had as my personal car have been Audi’s (a 1987 4000s and a 2001 TT coupe). So I figured I’d start my search at the local Audi dealer to check out the latest A4 and A6 – both with the V6 engine.

Trim Levels:

Mid-way through the 2005 model year, Audi did a significant upgrade to the A4 lineup. Along with some minor exterior and interior changes, the 1.8L turbocharged 4-cylinder and the 3.0L V6 engines were replaced by a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder and a 3.2L V6, respectively. The A4 is also available as a sedan, convertible, or wagon. This review focuses on the 3.2 sedan model only.

Exterior:

When Audi first introduced its previous body style for the A4 in 2002, I wasn’t too impressed when I saw it in pictures. Once I saw it in person, my opinion changed drastically. I soon came to regard the A4 as one of my favorite looking cars on the road. To me, there are two main two exterior changes to the A4 for the 2005.5 model year: The introduction of the new “Audi grill” (if you’ve seen it you know what I’m talking about) and some less drastic changes to the rear of the car, including the taillight layout.

Oddly enough, I’m more disappointed with the revised rear than I am with the new grill. Although I think the new grill works better on a bigger car such as the A6 or A8, it does ok on the A4. However, I cannot come to like the new backend as much, especially the new taillight configuration that now moves some of the lights onto the trunk lid. The new rear styling works better on the wagon, but I can’t bring myself to like it much on the sedan. I definitely prefer the shape and layout of the previous model’s rear styling.

Interior:

The interior was pretty much exactly what I expected from and Audi. By that I mean that all the materials are top-grade and fit and finish is excellent. The seats are comfortable and supportive and easily adjusted to whatever driving position you prefer. The car I tested had the optional wood trim that, to me, fits the cabin better than the standard aluminum trim. Unfortunately, for 2006 Audi has decided that you cannot get the sport suspension (now part of the "S-line" package) without getting the aluminum trim.

The controls for the doors, windows, and radio/nav were all within easy reach, although I found the climate controls a little low on the stack and a little hard to get to if the shifter was in park. Also, there are no dedicated A/C vents for the back seat. I liked the new control dial for the sunroof that lets you dial in the exact amount you’d like the roof to open.

The instrument cluster is laid out simply with a multi-colored display sitting between the tach and speedometer (non-nav equipped A4’s have a mono-chromatic red digit display) that shows information such as outside temperature, average mpg, or navigation instructions.

I liked the feel and thickness of the steering wheel. Audi has implemented rolling control buttons on either side for controlling radio volume and station selection. Everything is displayed and controlled from a small but bright and easily read navigation screen that has Audi’s MMI controller to the right. Adjusting the radio and/or nav via this controller may not be immediately intuitive, but I think that once you become accustom to it you can easily get around the system.

Backseat room is average for this class of car. Meaning, four midsize adults can fit comfortably, but I’d feel sorry for the poor soul who’d be stuck behind my 6'2" frame. And I don’t know if I’d try to carry five for any substantial distance. Trunk space is on the large side when compared to the other cars in this class.

There are a few negatives, however. I was surprised at the lack of storage space around the driver’s area – not even a coin holder to be found. And there’s a problem with the parking brake pushing up the center armrest when engaged and forcing the driver to reset the armrest after releasing the brake. (Someone at Audi design was asleep at the wheel on that one.)

Performance/Handling:

Audi’s 3.2L V6 puts out 255 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. The are some lofty numbers but the A4 needs that much to move its 3750 lb girth with any degree of velocity. The result is spirited but not a slam-me-back-into-my-seat kind of experience.

The car I drove had the six-speed automatic transmission which did pretty well smoothly moving the car through its gearings. Like most “Tiptronic/Steptronic/Whatever-tronic” transmissions these days, it provides a regular drive mode, a sport mode that delays shifts, and a manual shift mode. A six-speed manual will soon be available (the dealer I spoke to said after the first of the year).

Like the interior, the handling was everything I expected from an Audi – confident with a little understeer. The Quattro continues to do its job well, but it can’t completely overcome of nose-heavy weight distribution. The car definitely feels planted on the road (with almost two tons of mass, it should) but steering is moderate to light in effort. When I got back in my Saab after the test drive, I was surprised to discover how much heavier the steering in that car felt by comparison.

The ride of the car was generally comfortable, if a little noisy at speed. Turning circle was very good. Braking was good, although I found the pedal a little too touchy.

Fuel Economy:

The A4 is rated at 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway which is on the low end for this class. Considering its weight, I’m not surprised.

Reliability:

This has not been Audi/VW’s forte as of late. The A4 is rated below average in reliability and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t concern me. (Although, I never had any issues with my TT in just under three years of ownership.)

Safety:

The A4, as with several Audi’s of late, does get high marks in this area. Well enough to earn earned a “double best pick” award – meaning it performed well in both front and side impact collision tests. The A4 has standard airbags up front and side curtain for both front and rear passengers. Rear side airbags are optional (why not make them standard as well?).

In fact, I just heard an anecdote from a co-worker about a friend of his that was recently t-boned by a cab (which was doing about 60 mph) while making a left turn in her A4. She walked away from the car unscathed.

Update (12/05/05): IIHS has named the A4 a Silver Top Safety Pick for 2006 for good results in front & side crash tests and acceptable performance in rear crash tests. The Saab 9-3 and Subaru Legacy were both awarded a Gold rating.

Summary:

Overall, I walked away from my test drive of the new A4 feeling that the car had performed exactly how I expected an Audi to perform, both in good ways and bad. It’s a heavy, solid-feeling sedan with a smooth engine, well-appointed interior, and confident all-wheel drive handing. Not perfect, but a fine car non-the-less. I think it set a good bar for comparison to the other cars on my list.