Audi A4: Sweet sedan

Here's a very nice review of the new Audi A4 from Canada.

Once again, Audi has made me lust after one of their vehicles.

Earlier this year, I spent a week in an Audi A6 Avant wagon, and was ready to kidnap it and spirit it far, far away where the Audi folks would never find us.

And now, after a week in the A4 sedan, the same silly thoughts are snaking around inside my cranium. What is it with Audi that their cars are so great to drive, and nearly as great to live with?

The A4 (and the S4) has a four link suspension up front and a trapezoidal-link rear, both of which use light-alloy components. Combined with new shock absorber settings, the suspension feels sensitive and dynamic, and strikes a nearly perfect balance between sportiness and comfort – a difficult act for any car company to achieve. It hits a wonderful compromise between the stiffer sportiness of, say, a BMW 3 and the more plush feel of, say, a Lexus IS.

The A4 comes standard with speed sensitive and power-assisted hydraulic rack-and pinion steering, and it feels great. Not only is the steering wheel nigh on perfect for the driver’s paws, the steering is precise – nice and tight at speed yet effortless for parking.

I loved driving this car. From the wonderful exhaust note to the exhilaration of mashing the gas to the floor while you fly through some curvy bits, it’s simply marvelous. I can see why Audi gives their cars “A” grades.

Related news: GermanCarBlog, P4MR, Audi A4

Source: Canada Free Press, picture by Audi

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