AnimaTTor
11-07-2005, 08:55 AM
<center><img src="http://www.audiworld.com/news/04/090704/800p/42.jpg"></center><p>Another gushing Review from NJ.com. Freelance writer Scott Wasser concludes that the Audi A4 2.0T quattro is a downright steal:
Waser: Audi A4 handles rugged roads perfectly
Monday, November 07, 2005
Dear Mr./Mrs. Audi,
I'm writing to ask, "How did you do it?"
How did you make the 2006 Audi A4 2.0T so close to being the perfect luxury sport sedan? How did you produce a vehicle that does everything so well, yet costs less than 30 grand?
I realize most readers expect auto writers to have the automotive answers, as if we were born in garages, not delivery rooms.
But like those readers, I was nurtured on baby formula, not motor oil, and at bed time my mom read fairy tales to me, not owner's manuals.
So please tell me your secret and I know there must be one or every other automaker would be producing comparable vehicles.
I was fortunate enough to test one of your A4s in San Francisco, and no other area could have provided a better test track.
I thought the Lehigh Valley had some rugged roads until I bounced around on San Fran's streets. Cobblestones, trolley tracks and uneven pavement throughout the city make it possible to lose a filling on a given turn and defy a vehicle to deliver a comfortable ride.
The A4 absorbed bumps like a paper towel soaking up a spill in a TV commercial. It kept me in control by refusing to shimmy or shake, and keeping its wheels in contact with the road at all times.
I was in total control when we drove down "the crookedest street in the world." Lombard Street is such an attraction that visitors crowded both its summit and base at 8:30 on a Sunday morning.
It's a big thrill for those with vehicles to navigate its multiple switchbacks, and standing alongside the road you can literally see most of them grasping their steering wheels in a white-knuckle death grip. The A4 corners so well, however, that my wife did Lombard's famous hill with only one hand on the wheel. I was disappointed that the street didn't prove a tougher challenge for the A4.
We got that challenge a few days later, though, on another famous road, California 1. Cut into a mountainside, it curves more than a drunken snake and is barely wide enough in spots to accommodate two cars going in opposite directions. The way your A4 handled, it took every ounce of restraint I could muster to keep from pushing the needle higher and higher. That's how much grip the A4 delivers.
You guys did a phenomenal job redesigning its suspension during the last year. My test car, by the way, had the S-Line package, with its wider wheels and stiffer suspension tuning, and I'm not blowing smoke when I say I felt in total control at all times even on that insane California 1.
The other insane thing about my A4 test vehicle was its engine. The suspension and styling changes alone justify calling the A4 "redesigned," but you didn't stop there. I haven't had a chance yet to drive one with the new 3.2-liter V6, but after experiencing the sweet 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder in my test car, I wonder why you even offer an alternate engine.
I was impressed with the four-banger in an Audi A3 I recently tested, and the A4 reaffirmed how good it is. The FSI direct fuel injection technology you adapted from your race cars, which pumps gas right into the cylinders instead of the induction system, seems to work wonders.
I didn't notice any turbo-lag whatsoever in the A4. It responded as soon as I mashed the throttle and the engine's broad torque band is amazing.
At one point, nearing the crest of a crazy San Francisco hill in second gear, a car pulled out in front of me. I nearly stopped, but didn't want to shift down into first while I was rolling, so I just stepped on the gas. The A4 pulled smoothly to the crest of the hill without a hint of chugging.
By the way, I loved the six-speed manual gearbox in the test car. Your six-speed automatic is probably a better choice for San Francisco's ridiculously hilly terrain, but you couldn't have done a better job of matching the manual's gear ratios to the 2.0-liter engine.
And because the clutch pedal effort is light and take-up so fluid and progressive, I often amazed myself by smoothly pulling away from full stops on inclines that would make a Poconos ski area operator jealous.
I'm sure plenty of other high performance car owners will be jealous when they learn what kind of fuel economy your A4 with the four-cylinder engine gets. I averaged just under 30 mpg during my vacation and that was in a car that goes from zero-to-60 in around 7 seconds and was equipped with all-wheel drive!
I haven't even mentioned how great that works. Or the A4's roomy trunk, delicious styling and ergonomically and aesthetically appealing interior. Having all of that available for around $30,000 doesn't make the A4 2.0T quattro a bargain, it makes it an absolute steal.
Which brings me back to my reason for writing: Please tell me how you do it.
I promise not to share the information with other automakers.
Waser: Audi A4 handles rugged roads perfectly
Monday, November 07, 2005
Dear Mr./Mrs. Audi,
I'm writing to ask, "How did you do it?"
How did you make the 2006 Audi A4 2.0T so close to being the perfect luxury sport sedan? How did you produce a vehicle that does everything so well, yet costs less than 30 grand?
I realize most readers expect auto writers to have the automotive answers, as if we were born in garages, not delivery rooms.
But like those readers, I was nurtured on baby formula, not motor oil, and at bed time my mom read fairy tales to me, not owner's manuals.
So please tell me your secret and I know there must be one or every other automaker would be producing comparable vehicles.
I was fortunate enough to test one of your A4s in San Francisco, and no other area could have provided a better test track.
I thought the Lehigh Valley had some rugged roads until I bounced around on San Fran's streets. Cobblestones, trolley tracks and uneven pavement throughout the city make it possible to lose a filling on a given turn and defy a vehicle to deliver a comfortable ride.
The A4 absorbed bumps like a paper towel soaking up a spill in a TV commercial. It kept me in control by refusing to shimmy or shake, and keeping its wheels in contact with the road at all times.
I was in total control when we drove down "the crookedest street in the world." Lombard Street is such an attraction that visitors crowded both its summit and base at 8:30 on a Sunday morning.
It's a big thrill for those with vehicles to navigate its multiple switchbacks, and standing alongside the road you can literally see most of them grasping their steering wheels in a white-knuckle death grip. The A4 corners so well, however, that my wife did Lombard's famous hill with only one hand on the wheel. I was disappointed that the street didn't prove a tougher challenge for the A4.
We got that challenge a few days later, though, on another famous road, California 1. Cut into a mountainside, it curves more than a drunken snake and is barely wide enough in spots to accommodate two cars going in opposite directions. The way your A4 handled, it took every ounce of restraint I could muster to keep from pushing the needle higher and higher. That's how much grip the A4 delivers.
You guys did a phenomenal job redesigning its suspension during the last year. My test car, by the way, had the S-Line package, with its wider wheels and stiffer suspension tuning, and I'm not blowing smoke when I say I felt in total control at all times even on that insane California 1.
The other insane thing about my A4 test vehicle was its engine. The suspension and styling changes alone justify calling the A4 "redesigned," but you didn't stop there. I haven't had a chance yet to drive one with the new 3.2-liter V6, but after experiencing the sweet 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder in my test car, I wonder why you even offer an alternate engine.
I was impressed with the four-banger in an Audi A3 I recently tested, and the A4 reaffirmed how good it is. The FSI direct fuel injection technology you adapted from your race cars, which pumps gas right into the cylinders instead of the induction system, seems to work wonders.
I didn't notice any turbo-lag whatsoever in the A4. It responded as soon as I mashed the throttle and the engine's broad torque band is amazing.
At one point, nearing the crest of a crazy San Francisco hill in second gear, a car pulled out in front of me. I nearly stopped, but didn't want to shift down into first while I was rolling, so I just stepped on the gas. The A4 pulled smoothly to the crest of the hill without a hint of chugging.
By the way, I loved the six-speed manual gearbox in the test car. Your six-speed automatic is probably a better choice for San Francisco's ridiculously hilly terrain, but you couldn't have done a better job of matching the manual's gear ratios to the 2.0-liter engine.
And because the clutch pedal effort is light and take-up so fluid and progressive, I often amazed myself by smoothly pulling away from full stops on inclines that would make a Poconos ski area operator jealous.
I'm sure plenty of other high performance car owners will be jealous when they learn what kind of fuel economy your A4 with the four-cylinder engine gets. I averaged just under 30 mpg during my vacation and that was in a car that goes from zero-to-60 in around 7 seconds and was equipped with all-wheel drive!
I haven't even mentioned how great that works. Or the A4's roomy trunk, delicious styling and ergonomically and aesthetically appealing interior. Having all of that available for around $30,000 doesn't make the A4 2.0T quattro a bargain, it makes it an absolute steal.
Which brings me back to my reason for writing: Please tell me how you do it.
I promise not to share the information with other automakers.