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15/11/2004
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Audis are German machines aimed at the person who likes to drive hard and fast. In Europe they are almost invariably seen in the fast lanes of motorways and in many countries are equally as well regarded as the other big-name German marques.
For years Audi has struggled to gain equal footing with BMW and Mercedes in Australia, but with limited success, though there are finally signs that may be changing, albeit very slowly.
The Audi A4 is the biggest seller here and has done moderately well during the close to ten years it has been on our market. A mid-size sedan or wagon, it generally uses front-wheel drive for greater space efficiency, though there are also some all-wheel-drive ‘quattro’ models in the more-powerful variants. Though designed mainly for the snow and ice of northern Europe, quattro is handy on dusty and corrugated Australian bush roads.
Audi introduced a cabriolet version of the A4 to the market in 1995, but attempted to distance the model from the more mundane bodies by simply calling it Audi Cabriolet, without the A4 tag. As the A4 range increased its upmarket image, the decision was made to call the new model, introduced late in 1992, the A4 Cabriolet. These are attractive sporting machines that are just right for those long summer evenings.
You may also like to consider the Audi S4 and RS4 sports variants of the A4. Though considerably more expensive, they do give you a lot more performance, both from the engine and the heavily revised suspension, steering and braking systems. These sports models are offered in both sedan and Avant wagon format. The latter is a real Q-car that can give a real fright to the guys who think they have something special in sports machines.
These mid-sized Audis are sold in a bewildering range of engines, with four, six or eight cylinder engines. The V8s are used in the pure sports models that will be described later in this feature. Many of the engines have five valves per cylinder - three inlet valves and two exhausts for greater combustion efficiency.
The four-cylinder are in-line units and have capacities of 1.8 or 2.0 litres, with quite a few of the 1.8s being turbocharged for extra torque and power. The V6s are probably the best of the bunch for most owners and have sizes ranging from 2.4 litres, through 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8 litres, to 3.0 litres (the 2.7 is only used in the high-performance models and is turbocharged). The V8 has a displacement of 4.2 litres and is a real powerhouse performer for the very serious driver.
Audi’s advanced technology means that five-speed automatics are the most common self-shifters, with only early-import four-cylinder cars getting a four-speed automatic. Tiptronic automatics began to arrive in some upmarket models from late 1997 and are common in the later models. Also just beginning to find its way into some of the upmarket variants is a fascinating six-speed tiptronic automatic.
Audi introduced an all-new A4 to Australia in June 2001 as a sedan and July 2002 in Avant form. Of particular interest is the continuously variable transmission (Multitronic in Audi-speak) used in some versions. This offers good performance and impressively low fuel consumption, though there's some trade-off in refinement at very low speeds.
Insurance costs for the Audi A4 are often higher than average, with some companies adding a considerable amount to the premium if the car has a turbo engine, and even more of a loading if it’s one of the full-on sports variants. So if you are still young and/or inexperienced shop around carefully for that policy early in the purchase process. A good Audi dealer should be able to help with information.
These are complex machines and the amateur mechanic shouldn’t attempt anything more than the most basic servicing. Audi’s Australian dealer network is well established, though relatively limited. We have heard of no real complaints of parts availability or pricing.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Audis have exceptional anti-rust protection and are unlikely to ever give trouble. It’s still wise to have a good look over the car in case it has been incorrectly repaired after a crash.
Interiors feature quality materials and are built to a high standard. Unless treated badly they should still be in almost-as-new condition.
Engines are normally well built and long lasting. One that has done a lot of work may prove difficult to start and blow smoke from the exhaust when accelerated hard. If you suspect an A4 turbo has been given a hard life, something that's more likely in a quattro than a standard car, listen for a high pitched whining sound. There may also be smoke at the exhaust when you accelerate hard.
Automatic transmissions had problems in some early-build cars. Check that all gears changes are smooth and quiet and that the transmission doesn’t change up or down unnecessarily, or suddenly stop working. The importer is generally fixing cars under warranty, even if they are outside the normal guarantee period.
Manual gearboxes are generally trouble free. Do the usual fast third-to-second downchanges to find out if the synchromesh has been ill-treated by a would-be rally driver - the original quattro was a legendary rally car in its day. |
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