2006 Audi A4

Introduction
First-of-all, I have clarified that I don’t own an Audi A4.  I borrowed my friend’s A4 for some times (3 months) and my experience is based on that.
2006 Audi A4 (B7) is a revised version based previous generation (B6) and built on same platform.  I believe Audi revised the A4 to cope with all-new BMW 3-series and re-styled Mercedes C-Class.  My friends’ Audi A4 Sedan equipped with 2.0T Quattro with Tiptronic  6-speeds transmission and 17” alloy wheels.


Exterior
The exterior styling is nice without over-styled.  The front single-frame grilled in fact looks better in person than in photo.  It provides a visual integration between front bumper and the body.  The only downside is lack of distinctive element as found in other rival such as “Angle-eye” in BMW and the oval-shape in some Mercedes.  The headlamp housing is a bit too generic without distinct itself from other brands.  (Audi fixes that by introducing the LED daytime running light in the latest generation).  The rear looks great with sporty dual exhaust pipes.
Interior
Although this generation (B7) compete with newer 3-series (E90),  the interior is simply a carry-on without much change from previous generation (B6) starts from 2002.  Here I would compare this with previous 3-series (E46) for fair comparison.
The interior has a nice layout and clearly wins over BMW E46.  The button is positioned clearly with red color at night and it looks very good during the night time(but a bit busy sometimes with sea of red symbols).  The button in fact looks exactly same as those from Volkswagon Jeeta/Passat, and it’s not a soft-touch either, where there is a “click” for every pressed button.  This makes the center console feels a bit cheap.  The front seats are comfortable but not bucket.  It doesn’t hold your body in place during hard corning.
One complaint is the position of the rear console.  The storage space is minimal and its position makes me hard to use hand brake without twisting my arm.  Another complaint is the quality of the material.  My friend’s Audi has an light grey interior and some places where touch most has some peel of f and turns dark (again, same issue observed from Jetta).
Engine
The turbo-charged Inline-4 engine comes with 200 HP and 207 lb-ft of torque with direct fuel injection.  This engine provides good low to mid-range torque but seems lack of high rev power.  This makes the car perfect for day-to-day driving and highway cruising but doesn’t provide the same athleticism as other NA engine when you rev it on the mountain pass.  In addition, this engine doesn’t feel as refined as I would expect from a premium vehicle.  It sounds pretty rough (in fact, sounds like 6th generation Civic (EK)), especially when pulling from idle.  I believe the V6 engine would definitely provide more fun and refinement to this A4.
Transmission
As mentioned by one of the reviewer, the transmission always eager to upshift whenever possible.  I too observed that when starting from idle, the transmission will reach 3rd gear before 15mph.  Moving to higher gear is not a problem as saving gas, but it does so in an unexpected manner.   Putting the transmission into Sport mode is not an option either since in that mode, the transmission won’t shift up until after 3000rpm.  I think a better default setting (slight more aggressive) would best making use of the engine without using the Sport-mode.
Handling
This car definitely handles better than average, especially with this Quattro AWD system.  It feels pretty responsive.  However, it does feel a bit nose heavy during turn-in.  Although it doesn’t  understeer as normal FWD, it doesn’t feel as natural and balance as 50/50 RWD layout, especially this is a rather heavy chassis.  The steering, however, is too light and lack of road feel.  It simply feels disconnected from the chassis and drivetrain.  I think this is the major disappointment to set it apart from its main rival, BMW.
Acceleration
The turbocharged 4 cylinders engine is adequate for daily drive.  After all, it is a rather heavy car with Quattro system (3600+ lbs).    However, it still relies on the Sport mode or manual shift on the transmission to achieve aggressive acceleration.  I think the car deliver better acceleration when keeping the engine above 2000 RPM but no more than 5000 RPM since the engine seems losing its steam afterwards.
Braking
The brake pedal feeling is good and gradual.
Suspension
I think Audi did an excellent job on the suspension setting.  The ride is comfort in most cases and perfect for daily driving.  During twisty mountain backroad, the car does have a bit body roll, possibly due to heavy curb weight.
Roominess/Space
The A4 can fit in 4 average size adult fairly comfortable.  Similar to most premium German entry level vehicles, there is not much storage space available in front.  The rear console can only good for sunglasses or some small items and the only usable storage for driver is the door pocket space.
The trunk design is nicely executed.  The trunk is well shaped with flat floor.  The opening is wide and low, where I can easily load/unload luggage .  I’m surprised that they can manage to squeeze such a generous cargo space even with a spare tire underneath.

Conclusion
I think the Audi A4 is a nice daily car with reasonable price tag.   And it is especially useful when it comes to weekend ski trip for its AWD capability.  However, its un-refined 4 cylinders engine makes it more like an upgraded Jetta, more than a smaller-sized A6.  Its heavier front end and light steering have also taken away some fun-to-drive factor.
In conclusion, although the A4 does not handle as sharp and lively as the BMWs, its all-weathers traction and grip may justify this tradeoff.