1998 Audi Cabriolet Review

The elegant Audi Cabriolet is winding up its last model year in this country. The limited-production Cabriolet's $34,600 base price is in the ballpark, considering that a BMW four-cylinder convertible costs $34,700 and doesn't have the exclusiveness of this Audi.

The slick Cabriolet has been essentially unchanged since its introduction here in 1993 but is one of those cars that never seems to go out of style. It looks and drives like a thoroughbred.

It's unlikely that you'll see two Cabriolets parked together; only 1,255 Cabriolets were sold in the United States last year and just 316 were bought through May of this year.

Changes for 1998 include a race-style steering wheel, intermittent wiper switch and new-design ignition key.

High-quality materials are used for the solid, beautifully painted Cabriolet, which has nice small touches such as sliding covers for the illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors.

Although a convertible, it qualifies as an all-weather car partly because it has a good front-wheel-drive design for sure-footed response and traction in winter and a snug-fitting lined top that makes the interior quiet and waterproof.

The rear window is plastic--not glass--but has a fan-assisted defogger.

The Cabriolet is loaded with niceties such as air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, cruise control, AM/FM/cassette, power locks and windows and even headlight washers and a central switch for simultaneous operation of all windows.

But the car really should have the $3,700 Premium Equipment package, which includes a well-engineered power top, leather upholstery, walnut interior trim and a remote keyless entry system.

The standard manual top is there just to keep the price down. With the power feature, a driver just twists a T-handle and pushes a button to make the top quickly disappear beneath a metal cover.

A $400 removable wind deflector that fits in the rear seat area prevents wind buffeting with the top down at highway speeds.

The 3,364-pound Cabriolet is no fireball off the line, but does 0-60 m.p.h. in a respectable 10 seconds and loves high-speed cruising. Its 2.8-liter, 172-horsepower single-overhead-camshaft V-6 only has two-valves per cylinder, but is quiet and smooth.

Fuel economy is an estimated 19 m.p.g. in the city and 24 on highways with the standard, efficient four-speed automatic transmission. But I easily got 26 m.p.g. on highways after pumping the tires up to their highest recommended pressures.

The rear seat is tight, and the small trunk is best suited to soft luggage. But there's plenty of room up front in comfortable, highly supportive seats. Instrumentation can be quickly read and controls are strategically located. However, the front cupholders are too small, and it's easy to accidentally activate the windshield wipers when turning the ignition key.

The ride is firm but generally comfortable, and extensive steel bracing prevents the chassis from flexing much on bumps.

The steering is quick and precise, with good road feel. And strong brakes stop the car quickly and surely. The good handling can be enhanced with the $400 competition-style alloy wheels and lower-profile tires.

A real charmer, the Cabriolet seems destined to become a classic.