2010 Audi A4
Friday, June 25, 2010 at 11:11AM |
By Nick Yost It’s not the big-money cars that make the big money for most of the world’s prestigious auto manufacturers. Ask the folks at Audi about the A4, for example, and they’ll tell you that their entry-level luxury/sports sedan is the key to the company‘s success in the United States, with nearly 40,000 sales annually. I recently got to spend some time with a 2010 A4 sedan to see how it stacks up against its German archrivals, the Mercedes-Benz C Class and the BMW 3 series sedans.
The newest mid-size A4 is not only bigger than its predecessor – and its main competition -- it has broken out of the Teutonic mold that for some reason has traditionally dictated that small sedans should give rear-seat passengers short shrift, so to speak. Perhaps the thinking has been that the back seats are generally occupied by children. In any case, the newest A4, introduced as a 2009 model, is 5 inches longer than its predecessor and 2 inches wider. Its wheelbase has grown by 6.6 inches. It’s also 7 inches longer than a BMW 3 Series, 5 inches longer than a Mercedes C300 and has a wheelbase that is about 2 inches longer than those sedans. What this means is that a family of four – five if the kids are young -- can travel comfortably in the A4. When it was introduced, the A4 came with a choice of two engines – a 3.2-liter, 265-horsepower V-6 and a 2-liter, turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder that generates 211 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque. The 6-cylinder engine has been dropped for 2010, leaving the four-cylinder powerplant as the only choice. However, Audi now offers an S4 sedan with a 3-liter, supercharged, direct-injection V-6 engine that generates 333 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque. While the S4 is no doubt the more exciting and certainly more expensive choice, there is a whole lot to recommend the four-cylinder model and I believe most buyers will find it a satisfactory and possibly more sensible choice. Here’s why. The turbo engine is not only plenty powerful for normal driving needs, it’s got enough energy left for some serious back-road frolicking. Does anyone really need to get from a stop to 60 mph in less than 6.5 seconds? The award-winning engine is smooth and quiet, with none of the grittiness that is sometimes associated with four-cylinder engines. The smaller powerplant is surprisingly fuel efficient, able to return 21 to 30 miles per gallon of premium gasoline depending on driving style and choice of transmission. In my hands, a manual-transmission A4 averaged 23 mpg in a week of mixed driving conditions. Quick, quiet and easy on fuel – that’s a winning combination for any car. Another plus is the A4’s compliant but quite capable independent suspension. Roads in and around big cities are notorious for their ruts, grooves, potholes and high crowns. A car with a hard-edged sport suspension can make travel more nerve-wracking than enjoyable. The Audi’s lengthened wheelbase and its mostly aluminum independent suspension work together to soak up the bumps without detracting from the sedan’s agility. This is true even when the car is equipped with the optional sport-tuned suspension. Beyond that, the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, with its 40/60 rearward traction bias, not only keeps the A4 moving in bad weather, it also assists with the sedan’s lively handling capabilities. Now, let’s take a few moments to consider the transmissions. The A4 is available with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic shifter. Sales figures prove overwhelmingly that buyers of most cars will opt for the convenience and driving ease of an automatic transmission. Those of us in the minority, however, will choose the manual gearbox. We think of driving as a pleasure and a skill to be mastered. We want to enjoy the sport in a sport/luxury sedan so we want to be as involved as possible in a vehicle’s operation. Besides, we believe manual shifting keeps us more alert out on the road. It doesn’t hurt, either, that a manual-transmission car in the hands of a skillful driver will generally get better gas mileage. So, for those few of us who are into shifting, the good news is that the Audi has one of the easiest-to-operate manual transmissions around. Moving through the gears is almost like running a knife through whipped cream. Clutch-pedal take-up is progressive and predictable, and the clutch does not require a strong leg to operate. Now, let’s get on to the luxury part of the sport/luxury equation. As soon as you step inside the A4 you will experience the first-class ambience that Audi builds into all of its interiors. Supple leather upholstery, comfortable and supportive seats, high-quality trim pieces –- interiors just don’t get much better. As to comfort and convenience features, the simple truth is that you can equip the entry-level A4 with most of the features available on the flagship A8 sedan. For the base price of $32,350, every A4 comes equipped with a full complement of safety equipment plus leather upholstery, sunroof, one-touch up-and-down power windows, automatic climate control, cruise control, stereo audio system with in-dash CD player, power driver’s and front passenger’s seats, satellite radio capability and more. Add $3,500 for the Premium Plus option package and you will get three-zone climate control, Bluetooth hands-free telephone capability, heated front seats, driver information system with trip computer, upgraded sound system, Xenon headlights and a rain/light sensor. The $1,450 sport package adds 18-inch wheels with high-performance tires, manual-shift paddles for automatic-transmission models, sport-tuned suspension and front sport seats with lumbar adjusters. Add $130 for special exhaust tips and an $825 delivery charge and the grand total comes to $38,255. Depending on what’s in your wallet, there are even more additional features. Here are some of them. Audi Drive Select can adjust engine, transmission, steering and suspension settings to suit the driver. Keyless entry and starting allows the driver to lock, unlock and start the car without removing the key from pocket or purse. Audi Parking System contains a rear-view camera that shows what is behind the car. The navigation system has voice control. Audi Side Assist tells driver if there is anything in the blind spots. An upgraded Multi Media Interface makes scrolling through various vehicle functions simpler. Even without all those features, $38,255 is hardly chump change. But, it will buy a premium sedan that is big enough for the average-size family, sporty enough for an occasional fling on those two-lane twisty roads, practical enough to take on the slippery slopes of winter and luxurious enough to make its passengers feel pampered. With all of that in one package, the Audi A4 offers something special for just about everybody. More automotive reviews by Nick Yost can be found at |
