Introduction

Model years used to mean something. Come September of each year, fathers and sons, and some mothers and daughters, would make the annual pilgrimage to their local dealers to ogle next year's cars. The anticipation was such that we could almost convince ourselves we were sneaking a peak at the future. Then came emissions and safety regulations. Now government rules dictate that a car's official model year is the calendar year in which it's first built. Thus, the 2005 Audi A4 cannot be a 2006 because Audi started building it in 2004. But there will be no change to the car when, come summer of 2005, it magically transforms into the 2006 A4. Well, no change other than price, that is; although insiders won't say, that likely will go up a bit. So, for true car nuts, now's a chance to buy next year's car before it's next year's car and at this year's price. But make no mistake. The Audi A4 is all-new. And it's a car nut's car. It's fun to drive, with all the sporty bits and pieces. It has state of the art powertrains, with intercooled turbochargers, multi-stage intake manifolds, variable valve timing and the latest technological advance: direct injection, the cleanest and most efficient means yet devised of blending fuel and air in an engine's cylinders. Audi's progress hasn't stopped with the engines. A six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic returns as an option, but the A4's standard transmission is a new six-speed manual. And a new option is a continuously variable transmission, where a steel belt and a pair of infinitely adjustable pulleys replace gears and hydraulic pumps to deliver a truly seamless shifting experience. Four-wheel independent suspension with geometry that keeps tires on the true track throughout the compression range is augmented with standard electronic stability assistance that keeps the car going where the driver wants it to when the driver can't. And, of course, there's Audi's quattro all-wheel drive. On top of that, the new Audi A4 line offers function in the form of the A4 Avant, a wagon that doesn't feel or drive like wagons of yesteryear yet delivers all the storage and flexibility of those earlier multi-purpose transporters. State-of-the-art safety is included, for the most part at no added charge. Besides the electronic stability program, there are antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution. Airbags abound, with the only extra-cost set a pair protecting rear seat occupants against side impacts. Fresh styling distinguishes the new A4 from the previous-generation model. Bottom line: This a satisfying package.

Walkaround

Opinions vary on the new Audi signature grille, what designers call a car's "face." On one point, there's agreement: It's different. Whether this is a plus is subjective, but expect the look to appear in clearly recognizable and evolving form on all Audis as each model comes up for refreshing. In part, this is because the new front end moves Audi closer to complying with Europe's impending safety standards mandating survivability levels for auto-pedestrian encounters, although company officials say this was not a primary factor in the design. The debate over the look aside, the A4 does present a more muscular and more visually planted frontal view than the previous model, this somehow despite the new A4's track being fractionally narrower than the '04's. Headlamp lenses angle upward as they wrap around the fenders, giving the fascia a more assertive look. Laterally split intakes below the body-colored bumper and outboard of the grille do dual duty, housing fog lamps and channeling air toward the front disc brakes. The enlarged, trapezoidal grille opening increases air flow coveted by the turbocharger's intercooler in the four cylinder and the radiator cooling the larger, more powerful V6. A modest hood bulge, a styling cue designers call a "power bulge" by way of hinting at the latent energy lurking beneath, carries the grille's vertical outlines back to the roof's A-pillars. The side view shows a sharply creased shoulder line running the length of the car, from the trailing corner of the headlamp housings to the leading edge of the tail lamp lenses. Side window glass atop a relatively high beltline is nicely proportioned with the body mass. A bump strip breaks up the expanse of the lower door panels. The front and rear lower-quarter panels dip slightly fore and aft of the round wheel housings, pulling the body closer to the ground. Good-sized tail lamps tie together the three elements of the new A4's rear fascia, positioned for the most part in the panels framing the trunk lid and license plate surround, but overlapping those two pieces to break up what might otherwise be an overwhelming expanse of metal. Single-tip dual exhausts exit beneath the monochromatic bumper at each end of an inset panel painted a contrasting color to the body's scheme.

Interior Features

The Audi A4 interior keeps the faith with its sporty heritage, with all controls focused on the driver and with few exceptions ergonomically configured and intuitively located. The steering wheel hub repeats the grille's trapezoidal outline. A proper handbrake lever resides in the center console with a pair of cup holders alongside. Colors and finishes are muted. A choice of wood trim is available that nicely complements the interior. Seats are well bolstered, and well lumbared, perhaps too well for relaxed, long distance cruising. The standard cloth upholstery feels durable and provides a bit of grip. The optional leather surfaces are elegantly stitched and fit our posteriors well. The fold-down, height-adjustable front center armrest aligns with the driver door armrest, encouraging a restful, upright driver posture; it does, however, interfere with the handbrake, requiring either a wrist-contorting, forearm-straining pull-force or folding it up out of the way to gain access to the lever. Round gauges shaded by a hooded instrument panel look out through the top half of the three-spoke steering wheel. The information display, reporting such data as radio frequency, trip mileage, service interval warning and such, separates the tachometer and speedometer, with fuel and coolant gauges tucked away down in the corners. The seats, mirrors, steering column and other features adjust in every conceivable direction. A minimalist set of secondary controls on the steering wheel spokes manages audio and other functions. Steering column-mounted stalks operate the usual array of features and are clearly marked except the rear window wiper and washer on the Avant, which is controlled by the right-hand lever. Old-fashioned knobs and buttons control audio selections and air conditioning settings, and all easily deciphered and within easy reach in the center stack console. A nice touch is a drawer the size of a credit card above the in-dash CD changer. When DVD navigation is ordered, the stereo panel gives way to the map display, which then doubles as a stereo panel. The navigational display is one of the best of the current generation of such systems. Readily understood controls orient the cursor and shift the map scale, with on-screen telltales stealing very little real estate from the map. The map offers both a flat, two-dimensional and a bird's-eye perspective, the latter with a distant horizon visible running across the upper area of the screen. Audi adds MP3 capability to the A4's step-up stereo with an inventive placement behind the tilt-away map display of pair of slots for Secure Digital memory cards. Still, only stereo volume and pre-set radio stations can be changed without first pressing "Accept" on the opening display panel each and every time the car is started. And the stereo is on all the time the navigational system is active; you don't turn it off, you turn it down. Interior space in the new A4 matches that of the previous-generation model. It's generally adequate in front but somewhat limited in rear leg room. This is not a car for the full-figured or for people much taller than six feet. Cargo volume remains the same in the new A4, with cubbies in the cargo area's interior side panels and numerous tie downs. In the Avant, a two-way cargo cover also houses a pull-up, vertical netting to restrain stacked objects. Inside pull-down grips on the trunk and liftgate spares fingers from road grime. Front doors have fixed map pockets. Net pouches on the rear of the front seatbacks hold magazines, snacks and other sundries. The glove box isn't especially deep and loses substantial space to the CD changer when the navigational system is ordered. A power point in the center console bin is provided in addition to the cigar lighter in the front ashtray. A flip-down armrest in the rear seat contains two cup holders. On the finer points, we like the lane-change signal feature, where a tap of the tu