Audi serves up refinement in its A4 sedan and Avant (wagon) models. The A4 comes with a brilliantly designed interior, a smooth ride and excellent handling. It glides over the road, soaking up bumps, yet feels taut on winding roads. Keeping your foot down as you bend it through that high-speed sweeper doesn't cause a knot in your stomach. The A4 always feels like it's on rails.
A4 is available in sedan and wagon body styles. The wagon is called an Avant. Two engines are available, a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 150 horsepower and a 2.8-liter V6 rated at 190 horsepower.
The A4 1.8T sedan starts at $23,990, while the 2.8-liter version retails for $28,790. The A4 1.8T Avant quattro wagon starts at $26,740, while the A4 2.8 Avant quattro wagon goes for $31,540. All come standard with a five-speed manual gearbox. A five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission ($1,075) is optional.
Standard upholstery is a choice of cloth or leatherette. Leather upholstery is optional on the 2.8 Sedan ($1,320).
Audi's fantastic quattro all-wheel-drive system comes standard on Avant wagons. Quattro is a $1,750 option on the sedan models; Audi's sophisticated Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) traction control system comes standard on front-wheel-drive sedans not equipped with quattro. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) are standard. Audi's optional sideguard curtain side airbags ($300) covers the entire side window area to protect occupants in both the front and outside rear seats; unlike front airbags, they remain inflated for about 5 seconds to provide protection if the vehicle rolls over. New Xenon high-intensity discharge low-beam headlights ($500) improve visibility on stormy nights.
Other notable options include sport front seats ($500), a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel ($500), a Bose premium sound system ($650), a six-disc CD changer ($550), a navigation system ($1,280), and an integrated hands-free mobile telephone ($495).
Sedan or wagon, these are great-looking, understated vehicles. EPA classifies the A4 as a compact, but it's an upscale, elegant car in a smaller size.
A4 sports some revisions for 2000: Up front, single-piece headlights give a new clear-glass look. Fog lights have been relocated in the lower front bumper. The radiator grille and front bumper were redesigned and heated windshield washer jets have been concealed. New exterior mirror housings, side turn indicator repeaters and body-colored side moldings improve the profile. New outside door handles provide better grip. Redesigned tail lamps look sportier.
The A4 looks the part of a sophisticated European sports sedan. Few sedans can match its clean, distinctive styling. Its neatly rounded profile features minimal front and rear overhangs and large glass areas. It looks equally elegant from the front and rear. It's a strong basic form with no extraneous trim. The A4's graceful design presents a strong rival to the BMW 3 Series. From the outside, there is little to distinguish the 1.8T from the 2.8 except for unique wheels and a badge in back.
The Avant wagons are just about the slickest small haulers ever conceived. In some ways the Avant is more eye-grabbing than the sedan. While most U.S. manufacturers have turned their backs on wagons, Audi has demonstrated that light cargo capability and svelte sheetmetal are not mutually exclusive concepts. At a tidy 176.7 inches, the Avant is actually 1.3 inches shorter than the sedan. It's not quite an inch taller, and its sloping tailgate lends the same graceful touch as the sedan's curved rear roof pillars.
For 2000, the instrument cluster has been revised with improved white lighting with red pointers. Now there's a digital clock with date. An ammeter and oil temperature gauge are provided in addition to the usual array of instruments. The switch gear has been redesigned for 2000. Like the more expensive A6, the buttons are illuminated and offer improved feel. Air vents on the dash panel have illuminated markings to simplify operation at night. The climate control system automatically adjusts according to the season by sensing the angle of the sun. Auto up and auto down power windows in front, with auto down power windows in the rear are among the standard features that show this is a luxury sports sedan. The center console has been completely redesigned for 2000. Storage cubbies are padded to keep small stuff from rattling. Cup holders have been redesigned.
