| + Used Car Home + Used Cars for Sale + Car Reviews + Auto Repair |
| 2005 Audi A4 Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
|
Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
|
|||
| Road Test | |||
Learning that my A4 was to be a 2.0T Quattro automatic dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. The past experience of a Volkswagen Passat 1.8T 4Motion and its idiosyncratic city driving habits have not faded from memory, and as that car's nephew, the A4 has its oddities. From rest, it tippy-toes its way out of the starting blocks, stalls for a half-sec to activate its turbo rocket pack, then surges forward somewhere around 2,000 RPM. Then just after it's gotten all excited, the transmission slurs into the next gear. Your foot can affect the timing and magnitude of these effects but can't eliminate them. As you slow for the next red light, the transmission sends a slightly disturbing bump through the driveline on the 3rd-to-2nd gear downshift that's a little unbecoming of an Audi. Then you come to a stop and wait for the awkward ritual to begin anew.Compared to the VW, most of those traits are at least lessened here. Two Audi advantages: six gears in the automatic (up from last year's five) help the engine stay in its power curve, and more power now exists at every point in that curve. The bigger engine is welcome, because with the turbo off, making 1.8 liters of engine propel 3,517 pounds of car always felt like child abuse. The new 2.0's extra natural torque at least feels like teenage labor. All burdens are lifted once that turbo wakes up to flex its 200 horsepower and 207 pounds-feet of torque. Despite a drop from 20 valves to 16, that's both more total output and more specific output than the 1.8T used to make. Credit goes to direct fuel injection (dubbed "FSI" by Audi), a still-new technology that sprays fuel straight into the combustion chamber instead of the intake port. Of all the benefits, Audi emphasizes one: better cooling properties that allow a high 10.5:1 compression ratio for more power and gas mileage at the same time. Indeed, despite this year's 30 extra horses, EPA fuel economy ratings have leapt to 22 city/30 highway with the automatic, up 2 and 1 over last year. These theoretical advantages were lost on us: our A4 gulped premium fuel at the abnormally abysmal rate of 20 MPG. That's about the worst you can expect to see in a 21st century 4-cylinder automobile. Also, this state-of-the-art motor has a most unluxurious case of old-time 4-banger vibration. Shame. At speed, all weaknesses fade. Passing power is V6-like, helped by a fast-acting transmission. Like all the newer VWs/Audis, the automatic has a Sport mode that raises shift points and a quasi-manual Tiptronic mode whose computer up-and-downshifts as it sees fit. But it always seems to be in the right gear when left in Drive, and no matter what mode you're in, the dashboard helpfully displays your current gear. Mash the pedal on the freeway and it drops to third, revs rise, and you're on your way. Some may find the engine loud; all I hear is personality. Its vivacious vocals beg you to take it out and play. The rest of the car kind of does that, too. Our car basically had half the Sport Package: P235/45R17 tires without the harder suspension. If you push it too far, the front tires give up first - yep, just like with a front-wheel-drive car - but it happens higher up the scale, and not as badly. Audi's Quattro is a real AWD system that sends half the power to the back by default, and decent weight distribution of 58 front/42 rear means you can break the back end loose if you stab the brakes. The Pirelli P6 tires (one of three choices) break away safely and gradually no matter which end goes, and with an alphabet's worth of electronic gizmos protecting you - AWD, ABS, TCS, and ESP - it's as safe as it feels. While all A4s have had front double-wishbone and multilink suspensions since 2002, both took extra lessons from its superiors this year. Some parts from the S4, some design elements from the A6, and more aluminum supposedly make it better. The A4 does ride well overall, but still seems to react too abruptly to certain bumps and sudden elevation changes. Think twice about that sport package. At least it feels stable and quiet at high speeds, and has a lessened case of wind noise compared to the new Jetta. Neither the old A4/Passat's grabby brakes nor the new Jetta's spongy ones found their way into this Audi, which only knows one style of braking: sure and steady. The brakes now wipe themselves dry for better response. The A4 lacks that last bit of visceral feel BMW and Lexus bake into their 3-series and IS sedans. Quattro adds too much weight and the new steering system taken from the S4 - now electric and road speed-sensitive - is a little numb. Still, when I think of the A4, I see a car that feels bored going slow, urges you to crank up the speed, and has an easy time handling it. Ambition and ability are hard qualities to knock. |
|||
| UsedCar.us.com - Copywrite - All Rights Reserved |