On the road

As I drove away from the dealership with the brand-new car, I felt great. Here was a classy high-end car that was going to deliver all the goods, I thought to myself. I was right overall but no sooner had I turned the corner that I started hearing squeaks and rattles coming from the rear doors and trim panels. A quick trip to see a buddy of mine revealed that this was a common occurrence with these cars. After a healthy dose of expensive spray silicone, the noises all but disappeared. To my great chagrin, they returned but a day later.

The 3.2L is a masterful powerplant. Power delivery is linear and gradual. Considering the weight of the car, it does not feel very fast however a quick glimpse at the speedo will indicate otherwise. The V6's soundtrack is very purposeful and pleasant. As the revs rise, the music increases. The tested A4 had only 40 km on the odometer when I was handed the keys. Even so, I managed a respectable 12.0 L per 100 km over 600 km.

The A4's variable-assist speed-sensitive Servotronic steering works impressively well. It weighs-up progressively as the car gathers velocity and transmits the road surface information to the driver. The clutch pedal is not so nice. It is grabby and the friction point sits very low in the pedal's travel. What's more, the shifter is somewhat heavy and clunky. When crawling through traffic, this combination becomes rapidly annoying.

The brakes are massively strong. When the pads bite down on the discs, they bite down hard. The A4's suspension is marvellously well sorted out. It is pliable and comfortable when cruising and it, along with the Quattro's colossal grip, combine for some extra-confident curve chasing. If you run into a bend with too much speed, the A4 will settle into predictable understeer.

My favourite heel-toe game is practically impossible in this car; the brake pedal is so high and firm that carefully modulating it while prodding the gas pedal can only be achieved by doing a big toe small toe manoeuvre at the top of the pedals.

Safety

The A4 has standard dual front, side and side curtain air bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution and assist, stability and traction control, first aid kit and seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 4 out of 5 stars (a good result) for a frontal impact.  It also received 5 out of 5 stars for the front passengers and 4 out of 5 stars for the rear passengers in lateral impacts. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has rated it "Good" and a Silver Top Safety Pick in its category.

Conclusion

A fan of Audi products, I am, but disappointed, I find myself. The new 2006 A4 is gorgeous as a sedan and even better looking as a wagon. The cabin is great and the substance is there. What is also there is a lack of quality control. The last A4 I drove was a 2002 wagon and it came off as being bullet-proof. By contrast, the 2006 seemed assembled with haste. I could not get over the noises (road and tires, rattles and squeaks) and I could not help thinking back to the BMW 330xi that I recently drove and how tight-as-a-drum it felt.