Motor
05-31-2008, 10:11 AM
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=126539?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1 #3
[QUOTE]Audi Redesigns Its Bread and Butter
What Works:
The best-handling A4 ever; beautifully built interior and now with actual rear-seat legroom; fantastic brakes.
What Needs Work:
Can't keep up with a BMW 335i.
Bottom Line:
Easily the best Audi A4 to date.
* 265-hp 3.2-liter V6
* Six-speed automatic transmission
* All-wheel drive
* All-new chassis
The muscle-bound 40-something is obviously talking to us, but we can't hear him over his T-shirt that reads, "THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES."
He takes a couple of steps in our direction and tries again. "Your A4, is that the 2009 Audi A4?"
"Yes, it is," we say, pulling the pump's nozzle from the car. "You like?"
"You know," he says, quickly folding his arms. "There's only one thing wrong with this car." He pauses and looks right at me. "My BMW 335i can blow its doors off."
Our mind races for a comeback, but before we can respond he turns and walks away. Considering his T-shirt and Hulk Hogan-esque biceps, this is probably a good thing. Instead, we just stand there, dumbfounded, watching our rival climb into his black 335i and drive off.
"What an a-hole," we say as we return the pump's nozzle to its cradle, spin on the A4's gas cap, click, click and then land our buns into the Audi's perfectly shaped driver seat.
And then it hits us. That a-hole is right. Absolutely right. There is only one thing wrong with the 2009 Audi A4, and it's the simple fact that a BMW 335i can blow its doors off.
Still No Slug
Not that the A4 is a slug. Our test car's 265-horsepower 3.2-liter V6 is the more powerful of this all-new sedan's two engine offerings, and it has enough grunt to keep this 2009 A4 feeling sporty.
As before, the engine's power delivery is smooth and linear all the way to its 7,000-rpm redline. This is due in part to its direct injection and Audi's revised variable valve lift system (AVS), which allows the engine to breathe more deeply. Still, peak torque doesn't arrive until 3,000 rpm, so the V6 has to be worked fairly hard before you feel any real forward thrust.
At our test track, the A4 accelerates to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds (6.6 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip), and makes a quarter-mile pass in 15.0 seconds at 94.7 mph. This is a full second quicker in both tests than the last V6 automatic Audi A4 we tested way back in 2005. Trouble is, it's just OK performance in 2009. It's also a bit lethargic considering our test car's lofty sticker price.
The same $45,000 will buy you the 300-hp BMW 335i that hits 60 mph in 5 seconds flat when equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission like this A4
[QUOTE]Audi Redesigns Its Bread and Butter
What Works:
The best-handling A4 ever; beautifully built interior and now with actual rear-seat legroom; fantastic brakes.
What Needs Work:
Can't keep up with a BMW 335i.
Bottom Line:
Easily the best Audi A4 to date.
* 265-hp 3.2-liter V6
* Six-speed automatic transmission
* All-wheel drive
* All-new chassis
The muscle-bound 40-something is obviously talking to us, but we can't hear him over his T-shirt that reads, "THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES."
He takes a couple of steps in our direction and tries again. "Your A4, is that the 2009 Audi A4?"
"Yes, it is," we say, pulling the pump's nozzle from the car. "You like?"
"You know," he says, quickly folding his arms. "There's only one thing wrong with this car." He pauses and looks right at me. "My BMW 335i can blow its doors off."
Our mind races for a comeback, but before we can respond he turns and walks away. Considering his T-shirt and Hulk Hogan-esque biceps, this is probably a good thing. Instead, we just stand there, dumbfounded, watching our rival climb into his black 335i and drive off.
"What an a-hole," we say as we return the pump's nozzle to its cradle, spin on the A4's gas cap, click, click and then land our buns into the Audi's perfectly shaped driver seat.
And then it hits us. That a-hole is right. Absolutely right. There is only one thing wrong with the 2009 Audi A4, and it's the simple fact that a BMW 335i can blow its doors off.
Still No Slug
Not that the A4 is a slug. Our test car's 265-horsepower 3.2-liter V6 is the more powerful of this all-new sedan's two engine offerings, and it has enough grunt to keep this 2009 A4 feeling sporty.
As before, the engine's power delivery is smooth and linear all the way to its 7,000-rpm redline. This is due in part to its direct injection and Audi's revised variable valve lift system (AVS), which allows the engine to breathe more deeply. Still, peak torque doesn't arrive until 3,000 rpm, so the V6 has to be worked fairly hard before you feel any real forward thrust.
At our test track, the A4 accelerates to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds (6.6 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip), and makes a quarter-mile pass in 15.0 seconds at 94.7 mph. This is a full second quicker in both tests than the last V6 automatic Audi A4 we tested way back in 2005. Trouble is, it's just OK performance in 2009. It's also a bit lethargic considering our test car's lofty sticker price.
The same $45,000 will buy you the 300-hp BMW 335i that hits 60 mph in 5 seconds flat when equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission like this A4