1996 Audi A4 Review

The slick new $26,500 A4 sedan's design, features and fairly low price make it look like it will be the first Audi sold in America that will be a direct rival to the likes of Mercedes and BMW.

In fact, the A4 quickly sold on a par with BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class cars after the first six months on the German market--although that market is friendlier to Audi than the U.S. market.

The A4--named one of Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best 1996 cars--also should do well in America against Japanese rivals like Lexus and Acura and upscale, sporty models from U.S. automakers, such as Buick's Regal Gran Sport. The A4, which I recently tested, is the successor to Audi's 90 model. It's sleeker, roomier and wider--with a slightly longer, 103-inch wheelbase.

Audi continues to offer a wild model that few Americans understand--the turbocharged, 227-horsepower, manual-transmission-only, five-cylinder S6 model, which costs a stiff $46,400. But the S6 isn't long for this market, and most car buyers here with a taste for an understated ``near-luxury'' European sedan such as the A4 will appreciate that car's smooth 172-horsepower V-6 and five-speed automatic transmission.

Audi has been battling to regain its competitive status since its cars were wrongfully accused--as it was later proven--of ``unintentional acceleration'' in the 1980s. And it's been making progress since the debut of its first ``American-style'' vehicle--the 1992 Audi 100.

The 100--called the A6 as of the 1995 model year--has gone a long way toward making Audi acceptable again in this country. It has helped the automaker increase U.S. sales during the first 11 months this year to 15,879 units from 11,435 in the same 1994 period, despite a soft car market.

The 100 had items such as the same 2.8-liter single-overhead-camshaft V-6 found in the new A4, a driver's air bag and anti-lock brakes.

Important in this safety- and value-oriented auto era is the fact that the 2,976-pound A4 has a long list of standard items, despite its under-$26,000 base price. They include dual air bags, anti-lock brakes and side-impact protection that meets 1997 federal standards. It also has items such as 5-m.p.h. bumpers, rear headrests and a headlight-washer system.

Value-oriented car buyers likely will note that the A4's standard items include cruise control, anti-theft system, automatic climate control system, AM/FM/cassette and rear defogger. There are also power windows and locks and dual power outside mirrors--along with a power driver's seat and tilt/telescopic steering wheel to make drivers of various sizes comfortable. The wheel is even leather-wrapped.

The front-wheel-drive A4 has a definite leg up on competitors because it offers Audi's advanced four-wheel-drive Quattro system for a reasonable $1,500.

A five-speed manual transmission is standard, with the automatic $930 extra.

Many German cars have had stark interiors, but the A4 caters to American tastes by providing polished walnut inlays on the instrument panel, console and door panels and items such as a fold-down rear armrest with a storage bin.

However, rear-seat room is just adequate for 6-footers. And, while instrumentation is easily read and most controls are within convenient reach, the climate control panel is too small and low for easy use. There's plenty of room up front, although the optional sunroof steals too much headroom. It's easy to load the trunk, which offers decent room.

While enjoyable to drive, the A4 is no sports sedan. Rather, it is designed to be a mass-market car that offends few people.

For instance, the 12-valve V-6 lacks the four-valve-per-cylinder setup of many sports sedan engines. The V-6 provides decent--but hardly necksnapping--acceleration, taking 9.6 seconds to do 0-60 m.p.h. with my test car's automatic transmission. Audi says the manual-transmission A4 hits 60 in 7.8 seconds.

Fuel economy is average in the city but good on the highway: an EPA-estimated 19 m.p.g. in the city and 27 on highways with the manual and 18 and 28 with the automatic.

The fluid, surgically precise power steering has variable assist for better road feel at higher speeds. The A4's outstanding suspension helps provide secure handling and a nice ride. Braking is impressive.

Like all German automakers, Audi never bothered catering to the lucrative American market. The A4 shows it has learned to cater quite well.