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Car reviewed: 2001 Audi A4 2.0 manual
Odometer reading: 126km
Engine: Aluminium 1984ccm in-line 4 cylinder 20valve
(5/cyl.) spark-ignition engine, DOHC, variable intake
96kW @ 5700rpm
195Nm @ 3300rpm
0-100km/h: 9,9sec.
v-max: 212km/h
ave. consumption: 7,9l/100km
The VW/Audi empire has made a bit of a balls-up with naming their
cars. That new Beetle, despite it's heritage and shape, should
actually be called "the round Golf". And the name
"Beetle" should have been used for the A6 Audi, a car with
a backside more hideous than the rear-end of a dung-beetle. Whoaaah,
stop right there - I've had discussions with a few of my friends,
some of whom think it's the most beautiful thing on four wheels.
Apologies to fans of the A6 - everyone's entitled to their own
opinion.
 I
had trouble forming an opinion about the sparkling new, silver A4 in
front of me on Monday. Is it a smaller dung beetle? Is it a
jazzed-up Passat? Both answers to the questions are "no",
the A4 has a Beetle-esque back, but it isn't as huuuuge and
strikingly ugly as that of the A6. While an A6 still makes me think
of manure, the A4 is smaller and less curvaceous - a definite
improvement. The front of the car inherits good looks from the
Passat but still screams Audi, while the back end and three-quarter
view with it's light configuration and sharper edges hint at the TT.
I got behind the wheel and was greeted by a beautiful layout of
instruments and creature comforts. This 2.0 comes with cloth/suede
upholstery on firm but comfortable seats. Airbags surround you, and
the first thing I was made aware of was the ASC button. Active
Stability Control helps you when your car looses grip, either if
cornering too fast or accelerating too hard.
The driving position was flawless, a height-adjustable steering
wheel helped immensely for driving comfort, and the passengers in
the back (albeit with complaining) still had sufficient legroom. The
back seats also offered more room and a definite improvement in
legroom over the old A4.
 The
instruments have gone from the old A4 all-red to that magnificent
Golf4 red & neon-blue glow. The 2 small, outer dials are
elevated slightly, while everything is recessed in a chrome ring.
Stunning, absolutely stunning. Stalk controls are clearly marked,
and you can also check your range, temperatures, sound system and
other goodies on the board computer display housed centrally in the
instrument panel. Permanently displayed are your odometer and trip
meter, the time and DATE, which met up with great approval from
everyone. Climate control features separate controls for driver and
passenger, something that provoked a lot of laughter and fooling
around. The sound system comprises of a front-loading CD/tuner unit
and 10 loudspeakers, coupled with reasonably simple controls. The
highs were crisp and the bass was strong, if not a bit heavy, same
as in the older A4 models.
The proud new owner looked a bit worried as I got used to the
feather-light clutch with miles of travel and self-adjusting
gadgetry, but I soon had the hang of the 120km old car. Visibility
to the front is excellent, but reversing is a bit of a guessing game
- something the new owner also complained about. It's a matter of
knowing the dimensions of your vehicle rather than precision
parking, as rear visibility is utterly disappointing.
Very noteworthy is the even shorter gearlever which snicks into
the cogs in short, precise (BMW-like) movements. Even more
impressive are the brakes, after my first attempt at stopping all my
passengers had involuntarily discovered the marvel of the
self-tensioning seatbelt. The light clutch, initial accelerator dead
spot and sharp brakes made for a few jerky and rather ungraceful
starts and stops, but I soon had the A4 2.0 obeying my every command
to near perfection.
 The
suspension is rumored to have been spawned off the TT, something I
could attest to after braving some of our less-than-perfect
Stellenbosch byroads. The car seems glued to the road, the ride is
quite stiff by sedan measures but still allows for relative comfort.
Cornering was an absolute joy, the steering is very precise and
you'd have to take a few risks before getting the ASC system to save
your neck. A few days later, the new owner confirmed my suspicions
of mild understeer as initial cornering setup.
Unfortunately, I couldn't torture the all new, 96kW 20 valve
2-litre in-line 4 cylinder to it's limits, as this car is still
being 'driven in'. I expect the A4 to hit 1000km just after the
weekend, at which point I'll give it a proper bash and report back
to you. The engine seems lively and very responsive, I managed to
clock up 4000 revs in the first three gears and there was a definite
indication of a flat torque curve. Pulling away in second worked as
well, but really isn't recommendable.
 All
in all, the new A4 gets my approval and could only be described as a
vast improvement over the old series. BMW's 3-series might have the
edge on sporty driving, but when it comes to the 318i, I'd take the
A4 any day. Same goes for the C180 Mercedes, as I still haven't got
used to (and probably never will) that ugly, ugly instrument cluster
in the new C-Class. The C200 Kompressor offers much more performance
than the A4 2.0, but the word "Kompressor" should keep
anyone from doing a direct comparison to this Audi. BMW's 320i is a
6-cylinder, so we can stop right there and welcome the 2 litre Audi
into it's very own market gap. Maybe it's main rival will come from
further north, Sweden perhaps?
It's refined, different, properly engineered and reasonably
affordable at the moment. If you like Audis or German cars in
general, I urge you to give this car a test drive. For R170470 (or
R184 560 for the Executive model) you also get a 100000km/5 year
motorplan thrown in.
Next week: Jetta V5 manual
Stellenbosch.co.za advises: Always buckle up, be curtious,
aware and adhere to speed limits. Never tell an Audi owner his car
looks like a bug.
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