Math majors relax, values we've assigned to numerals haven't changed, I'm talking Audi's. Specifically, the A4's clear superiority to the the S5 (though this does apply, in part, to the A5, one of which we do not have in our Long Term fleet.)
The board came 'round last night and there were two new Audis available, it took less than a fraction of a second for me to put a big "MM" next to the A4. I've fretted longer deciding between the Smart and the Nissan 370Z. Now, this wasn't an easy decision because I had hauling to do, or because I was heading out with a group of people and four-doors is preferable to two. No, this is was an easy pick for me because the S5 is one of my least favorite cars.
Want to read why? Or skip all of that and go straight to the comments to tell me off? Either way, follow the jump.
Below are the fuel economy numbers for June 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.
As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll continue to add them as they come in and let you know in the comments.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
21.9
2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.3
18.0
2008 BMW 135i
27.7
13.9
19.8
2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
17.9
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2009 BMW M3
20.5
12.7
16.1
2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.2
2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.6
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
24.9
31.0
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.4
14.3
20.4
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
16.9
2009 Mazda 6
29.3
19.4
23.5
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.0
2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
17.9
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.4
2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.6
2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.5
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.0
34.6
After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.
It's back. Our S5 returned from the Audi technical center yesterday. The purpose was to address the steering wheel vibration we noticed in our long-term S5 and A4 Avant. Here's what we learned.
Audi began by explaining that the vibration we experienced was not a sign of impending failure. And this was not a safety related issue. Rather, it was suggested that wheel balance and tire wear were to blame. At the very least, they were contributing factors to the vibration. So the technicians replaced both front tires and balanced all four wheels. We were told three wheels were out of balance upon arrival.
But that's not all. The fix isn't complete. Additional parts are currently on order with our local dealership to further address the situation. We'll update the status of our S5 and A4 once installation is completely complete.
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 4,200 miles
On Monday, Schmidt posted a list of complaints we've received about the Servotronic Steering in our Long Term Audi S5, one of which compared it to the steering in our Long Term 2009 Audi A4 Avant. While this was the only one quoted, it was not the first time the comparison was made.
Now you could make the argument that because we have one that feels like the other, everything's fine, no need to follow up. But that's not the kind of guy I am this week. The A4 was almost at 15,000 miles, the recommended interval for service, anyway, so I brought our Audi wagon over to Audi of Santa Monica for a service and steering inspection.
I used the navi system (for the first time) in the the A4 this weekend, and liked what I saw. Besides the MMI's relatively large screen, the smaller, central info panel gives navigation aid, as well. This is handy because you don't have to keep toggling between navi and audio on the large screen each time you want to change audio settings.
I'm often amazed by how many different cars can swallow a mountain bike. Seems like Jacquot can fit one inside just about anything larger than a Smart. Given my less advanced bike assembly skills, I prefer a vehicle that can swallow them whole.
As you can see, our A4 fits that bill. Often criticized for being too small for a wagon, it's still capable of carrying a decent amount of cargo, even if it's all awkward like this bike. Sure, I had to take the front wheel off and use the larger side of 60/40 split rear seat, but I wasn't going far.
I imagine there are plenty of people out there who think they need an SUV to do this kind of chore, but even the diminutive A4 is more than capable of taking care of the job. Gets way better mileage too.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 14,038 miles
Here are the fuel economy numbers for 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.
As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll add them as they come in and I'll let you know in the comments.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
22.0
2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.8
18.0
2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
18.2
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2009 BMW M3
18.8
9.6
15.4
2008 Cadillac CTS
32.5
9.9
19.3
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
22.3
10.3
16.0
2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.4
2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.7
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
26.0
31.5
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
20.7
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
17.0
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.4
23.3
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
27.2
11.7
17.3
2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
18.2
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.5
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
24.0
12.0
17.5
2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.4
2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.6
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.0
After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.
I was pretty heartless when I laid into our Sport-package-equipped 2009 Audi A4 Avant for its harsh ride on LA freeways. Today I got the wagon on a back road to see if I liked the tradeoff in handling. And I really do.
Considering it weighs nearly 3,900 pounds, our A4 Avant really changes directions quickly, even on roads with very tight corners where I would expect it to understeer at least a little. Now I understand that 69.3-mph slalom speed. The A4's steering usually feels pretty vacant to me (and that's unrelated to our repair concern), but it weights up nicely off-center in these situations and I didn't mind the lack of feedback (much). And the brakes feel good.
This car is fun. And both the seating position and seat design are spot-on for this kind of driving. I'll be requesting our Audi A4 the next time I take a road trip... which will be carefully plotted to avoid the interstate.
A speed warning chime is just dumb. A speed warning chime you can set at 150 mph? Well, that's just cool.
Thing is, I'm pretty sure our A4 Avant 2.0T couldn't reach a buck fifty if it were driven by Helio Castroneves off the top of the Empire State Building. I haven't driven the car faster than 110 mph, but I'd bet this is a 135 mph car, tops. And that's downhill with a tailwind. Yeah, I know it has a 180 mph speedometer, but that's just fantasy.
Anybody out there know what this car's top speed is? If not, I may just have to find out for myself the fun way.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 13,841 miles
Would I buy one? It's a question I ask myself whenever I slide behind the wheel of a car. Would I drop my hard earned money on one of these? Would I want to own it? Drive it for years? Look at it in my driveway? Tell people it's mine?
It's also the question you the reader ask me the most. So I've decided to go through all the cars we now have in our fleet and decide whether or not I would buy one. I also included a few recently departed vehicles. Seems appropriate since they just left us.
Often when I drive a car my thoughts turn to its maker's history. They all have one you know. Each is unique and every single one of them from Honda to Hummer have had their ups and downs.
Some companies are literally crushed by the weight of their good old days. Their heritage is so rich and their good times so long ago that living up to that legacy is simply impossible. Everything done today seems to pale in comparison to the company's yesterday.
Others car companies, however, have an incredible ability to use the bright spots in their history to their advantage. As if by magic the public turns a blind eye to their dark days and seems to concentrate only on their successes, both past and present. Right now Audi is one of those car companies.
The German automaker is rich in heritage. Some spectacular. Some embarrassing. All worth remembering. This year Audi is 100 years old, and you can make the argument that it's building its best vehicles ever right now, both for the street and the racetrack.
But this time our long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant had a surprise waiting for me under its steel grey hood; no dipstick. There was a time, back in my youth, that I would have dinged the A4 a few points for this. Checking the oil by dipstick was one of those things in the universe that didn't need improving. It was a simple solution to a problem and it would have done the job well until the end of time.
Well, now I'm older. Wiser? I shut the hood, climbed back inside the Audi's interior and checked the oil the new fangled way.
Here at Edmunds, we make an effort to give back to the community in our home base, which is located in Santa Monica.
Today, we volunteered with Meals on Wheels. We have the wheels so we want to use them for good. We took along the Audi A4, the Ford Flex and the Honda Fit.
I was driving the A4 wagon. It had plenty of room for the multiple containers of food and a cover to protect them from the sun. Most of the meals were in temperature-safe bags. But we also had fruit and milk.
We realized the Audi A4 doesn't have the easiest hatch to operate. It opens very high above our heads and is heavy to close. Of course, you wouldn't normally open and close the back repeatedly in such a short amount of time. With normal use it wouldn't be a problem. After 10 houses, it gets a little tiring.
We were grateful for the navigation system, however. Finding our way around the streets of Santa Monica was a breeze. The nav lady always told us we were at our destination about a block away but the map itself was much more accurate.
The best part of the day, we met a lot of nice people. We encourage you to volunteer in your own community. It only takes a few hours to make a difference.
There's just something endlessly appealing about the wagon. It's that magical expression of utility, only in something that doesn't look like a box.
Though we make fun of a wagon's domesticity, it never really goes out of style, does it? Think of the enduring good taste expressed by the Volvo wagon through the decades. Even the 1955 Studebaker Conestoga Wagon that I saw on the streets of Santa Monica the other night still looks pretty interesting. (Yes, Studebaker was the original manufacturer of the Conestoga wagon back when horsepower was literal and not figurative.)
But let's not get too heated up by the practicality of a wagon. Plenty of people will tell you that a wagon can take the place of a crossover, yet I'm not too sure. And the dimensions of the 2009 Audi A4 Avant make the point.
I love the stance of our long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant -- it looks so low, so sleek and so sporty for a wagon. Even compared to previous A4 Avants (which I've always found attractive), it's a level up in fashion.
Until last night, though, I'd been admiring it from afar, though, as the A4 and I never seem to be free on the same night. After 50 miles on LA freeways, I came away a little disappointed.
Much as Brent noted, this car does not ride well. The ride is busy and loud over the rain-grooved, concrete slabs and, if you hit broken pavement, you feel the trauma in the cabin. If this was an Evo we were talking about, I'd be more forgiving, but this is a station wagon with a cargo bay and an automatic transmission and a sub-70-mph slalom speed. Honestly, it doesn't feel any better than our old 2002 A4 sedan in this department.
I guess the 18-inch wheels and Bridgestone Potenza RE050A 245/40R18 93Y tires are to blame. They look so nice, but I couldn't live with this setup, so it would be the standard 225/50R17 94H all-season tires for me.
I drove up to Point Reyes for a wedding over the weekend and I took the A4 thinking it'd be great to have just in case there was a last minute dash to the florist, or some other cargo capacity necessity errand to do.
What I found was something I wasn't thinking of. The long drive was very uncomfortable for my girlfriends 6ft brother sitting in the back. The cramp leg room was too much for him over the six hour drive. My girlfriend gets car sick very easily so she had to sit up front. It wasn't a pretty situation.
The brother had to sit side saddle for a long portion of the way up, but the boxes of childhood memorabilia his parents made him take back to LA meant that he was again confined to sitting in a "normal" position on the way back. Several stops on the way back were needed to stretch and relax. I felt bad that my car was making him so uncomfortable.
I get this question almost daily from somebody, and my answer usually blows their mind. I say, "Well, everyday this guy Mike walks up to me with a clipboard that contains a list of 15 to 30 cars ranging from a Smart to a GT-R and he says, 'Scott, what do you want to drive home tonight.'"
I dreaded being saddled with Car of the Week, our 2009 Audi A4 Avant after my last tangle with its ignition. But thanks to you commenters I was finally able to master this secret art (OK, not-so-secret art) of taking the key out of the ignition.
As commenter quattro_baby suggested: "When leaving just push it like a button instead of pulling on it immediately after pushing it in. You'll hear a clicking sound when you push it like a button. Pull the key out and you're good to go." And it worked! So easy after all! OK, yes, I still struggled a bit in the video but like any skill, it takes practice. Heh.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 10,845 milles
I like the roller knob on the steering wheel that lets me quickly run up and down my presets (which are displayed in the center display once you move the roller) and pick what suits my mood. I don't like the back a**wards orientation of the power lock buttons, where up equals lock and down equals unlock. That's the opposite of what you'd expect -- for as long as I can remember, those old-school plunger door locks (yes, there are still cars with them) are up for unlocked and down for locked.
What's the secret of the appeal of the Audi control layout?
Could it be a sound driving position, instruments that combine clarity with style, useful control stalks on the steering wheel, a comprehensive selection of readouts, soft-touch buttons, a proper interplay between analog controls and digital readouts, discrete adjustments for ventilation source, temperature and fan speed, a red night-vision light for every control touch point, and the best of the remote-control interfaces for the navigation and entertainment system?
Or could it be that the layout never really changes? Not from car to car, and not from year to year. As much as we like to talk about the human-factor goodness of the Audi control layout, much of the appeal comes from the fact that it rarely changes, so it's easy to use.
Sometimes the science of control placement can be just as simple as resisting the impulse to change the design just for the sake of newness. To experience the confusion of a BMW or Mercedes-Benz cabin is to appreciate once again the smart design strategy from Audi.
I disagree with Scott Oldham's recent complaint about the 2009 Audi A4 Avant's instrument panel.
I look at the compact screen between the tachometer and speedometer and think what a great job Audi did putting eight separate pieces of information into such a small space, while making it look uncluttered and totally readable.
In one glance I know how many miles I've traveled, how much fuel I have left, time, date, ambient temp, odometer and trip miles, plus selected gear and radio station.
Our Audi A4 Avant is equipped with the Multi Media Interface (MMI) driver command center.
The best part for me is the way it works with my iPod. It plugs into the adapter in the glovebox and tucks away neatly into the handy spot pictured above. Unlike the Focus, which leaves your iPod out in plain site with a lengthy cord dangling.
With my iPod out of the way and not taking up any of the cupholders, I can still control my music from the center console. I get all the sorting choices I would on my iPod, like artist, albumn, genre, etc.
Nice.
I left my iPod sticking out a little so you could see it in the photo, but it does fit all the way into that spot.
As I mentioned before, we went up to Sears Point to shoot the GT00. Thankfully we took the Avant as our photo/video vehicle. Yeah, by the way, I'm calling it Sears Point. I don't care that some German company paid for the name.
During our shoot we were left alone by the Ford PR folks for a very brief period of time. Don't think we didn't take advantage of such a beautiful piece of track.
While the 2.0 isn't as powerful as the GT500, it was respectable in the straights and plenty of fun in the curves. It didn't help that some of our gear sloshed from side to side in the back.
Like some folks, I've been looking for a great deal on a new or used car lately. I've always coveted the Audi A4 Avant. I thought it'd be perfect for what I do in my free time, and a fun car to drive in between.
I never really liked the price, however.
I got to drive it up to Sonoma for the GT500 test we recently posted. I loved driving this vehicle. Besides, it became my latest photo sherpa. It allowed me to take this shot out the back:
Station Wagons rule. They're so convenient. I don't know why more manufacturers don't make them.
I just asked my cubicle mate, Michael Jordan, why are wagons called "station" wagons? He says it's because back in the 1930s and 1940s, people used their wagons to pick up people from the train station.
So simple.
One of our Contributors, Ken Gross, restored an 1942 Ford Super DeLuxe Wagon back to its woodie glory. Click here to read his story.
Thankfully, our Audi A4 Avant has many more safety features than a WWII-era woodie. Being built of metal has its advantages. And gotta love those airbags. As Ken Gross wrote, "A woodie was fragile, as a fender-bender that would simply bang up a metal car body would reduce a hapless woodie to matchsticks."
All hail modern technology. Welcome to the car of the week, the 2009 Audi A4 Avant.
Here are updated fuel economy figures for the month of March. We've listed the best, worst and average fuel economy numbers over the life of the vehicle. Keep in mind that some of these tanks may be based on a partial fill-up.
This is missing a few that were not available at the time I was compiling this list.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.0
17.5
21.6
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.6
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
20.4
12.9
17.3
2008 Ford Focus
40.6
17.1
26.4
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
21.4
31.6
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
28.0
32.1
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
21.1
2009 Infiniti FX50
20.9
10.8
17.4
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.5
23.3
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.1
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
24.7
15.0
16.8
2009 Nissan 370Z Touring
21.6
14.0
18.4
2008 Smart Fortwo
43.4
25.7
33.8
2009 Suzuki SX4
25.0
18.6
22.1
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.6
2005 Volkswagen Jetta on Biodiesel
43.9
35.5
39.3
After the jump you can see the list sorted by average MPG.
I have a small beef with the instrument panel of our long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant. The gear readout is much too small. Look at it down there looking tiny in the lower left hand corner of the info box (M1). Try giving that a quick glance when you're making time.
I find it hard to believe, but there's obviously some dope at Audi who thinks the transmission gear is of equal importance as the outside temperature and far less important than today's date. Fool probably rides the train to work.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 9,189 miles
I lucked out and scored our 2009 Audi A4 Avant this weekend. I know Brent wasn't too crazy about it as a road trip car but I loved it! Of course I didn't drive nearly as many miles as he did or have a sleeping baby to worry about but I found its ride smooth, almost floaty but not in a bad way. Actually everything about it was smooth from its throttle to brakes. The road noise from its large tires didn't bother me either but that's probably because I was too busy singing along to the Saturday Dance Mix on 1st Wave.
My only complaint, and I know this has already been covered by editor Chris Walton...
Since Scott outed me as an Audi A4 seat hater, I thought I would explain myself.
Let me give you a little back story. When I was growing up my father had a sandwich shop and also sold things like soda, milk, etc. When I was little, he would create a makeshift chair for me out of a milk case. They were made of metal and he would put a cardboard box over it so I could sit down and hang with him in the store. After driving the A4 Avant for the first time, I came into the office complaining that the seat cushions were so flat and unpadded, it was like sitting on a milk crate. Kevin and Scott both looked at me like I was nuts. They find nothing wrong with the seats.
OK, fast forward to this week. I drove the Audi A4 Avant home again and tried to figure out why I dislike the seats so much. I usually like sport seats. I like bolsters. I like feeling secure in the seat. The center of the seat cushion is rather flat. But that's not what bothers me so much. It's the length of the cushion. I'm only 5'4" tall, so the seat bottom is too long for me. It uncomfortably extends under my knee. And although I can adjust the seat in many ways with the power controls, I can never get it to not dig into the back of my knee. So, there you have it. I'm not a seat hater. I'm just too short for this particular Audi.
I shuttled my family to visit my wife's parents this past weekend in the long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant. It's a 500-mile roundtrip I've done in a variety of long-term cars. The A4 did fine, but it wasn't as cool of a companion as I thought it might have been. Further thoughts on this after the jump.
I've had my 30GB iPod hooked up to our long-term A4 Avant for the past week or so. It works quite well. The attribute I like most (and this is inherent with any good integration system) is better safety. As you likely know, holding and fiddling with an MP3 player hooked up to a normal auxiliary input jack can be a major distraction.
This is greatly reduced with iPod integration, as you can control the iPod directly through the car and see songs on the main display rather than the iPod's.
Specific details about our A4's integration follow after the jump.
I really like our 2009 Audi A4 Avant's interior. Here's why: 1) Even though our car's interior is trimmed in black, it's welcoming and premium in appearance. The wood highlights are tasteful and not overdone. 2) The control layout -- including MMI -- is pleasing, sophisticated and largely intuitive (some of my coworkers might disagree with me here). 3) Overall material quality, though not as superior as Audi's interiors once were, is still very high.
In short, our A4's interior looks and feels like an entry-level luxury car's should. It's one of the top reasons why someone would want to buy a new A4.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 7,230 miles
Our 2009 Audi A4 has a rearview camera. I really do like rearview cameras in general, as they make backing out of crowded park spaces and driveways less worrisome. This is true even on our A4, which actually has decent outward rear visibility.
I've noticed that our A4's display screen, in particular, is high resolution -- the view is crisper and more detailed than most other backup displays I've encountered. Is it the camera or the display that makes it look better? Not sure.
Like on our departed Q7, the screen's yellow lines bend as you turn the wheel to help show your intended path as you backup. The camera comes bundled with the navigation system, though, so the privilege of seeing more will cost you $2,500. Our A4 doesn't have the ability to play DVDs though its screen, either, though our own Al Austria tells me the new Q5's MMI will allow DVD playback.
In a belated announcement, our A4's It's Not A Tumor tire (for the Govenator version, click here) was replaced last week. Cost us $306.12 ($256 parts, $25 labor) at our favored tire shop, Stokes Tires Pros in Santa Monica.
After driving our 2009 Audi A4 Avant a little, I thought back to the first Audi Avant I ever drove -- it was a 2001 S4 Avant, the first year for the wagon in the second-generation S4. I fondly remember that car, mostly because I loved its combination of performance and utility as well as our test vehicle's distinctive Nagaro Blue paint.
You might find these test numbers interesting:
What the numbers don't show is how our 2009 Avant's handling is more taunt and responsive than that old S4. Dynamically, our sport-package-equipped A4 is superior, even though it's not an "S" model. Of course, I've had eight years of memory loss since I drove that S4, but my lingering impressions seem to be backed up by comments in our 2001 road test. Our long-term A4 also has a nicer-looking interior, a better-sounding audio system, a panoramic sunroof, navigation and iPod integration. It's no doubt safer, too.
I will say I'm not as smitten with our A4 as I was with our S4, probably because the S4 was quite special back then, and our A4 is, well, just a four-cylinder A4 with an agricultural engine note. But this 2009 Avant of ours is still a great car.
Oh, and check out the blue suede and door inserts in the 2001!
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 7,120 miles
See the problem here? The sidewall of our longterm 2009 Audi A4's front tire has a growth. It's audible too, producing a subtle thubthubthub at low speeds.
It's the result of either a particularly nasty pothole or a parking job gone horribly wrong. In either case, we're parking the A4 until the tire can be replaced.
Tirerack.com lists the A4's Bridgestone RE050A in 245/40/R18 at $239.
This is a picture of the driver's seat of our long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant. Our car is equipped with the optional sport package, which includes these sportier sport seats. As you can see, they have some big bolsters paired with a fairly wide and kinda flat bottom cushions. They are also pretty hard, in the sport seat tradition. Now, don't misunderstand, this is a comfortable driver's seat for 99% of our staffers (Donna DeRosa hates this seat.). In fact, I thought it was a great seat until I sat in the seat below.
This is the driver's seat in a 2009 Audi A4 sedan that I drove recently. The car was not equiped with the optional sport package. This seat isn't as heavily bolstered, but it's still very supportive. It's also not as wide or quite as firm, and ultimately I found it more comfortable.
Forgive my amazement, but this has never happened to me before. I always, always, always prefer the sport seats. Must be getting old.
Whenever it rains is SoCal, driving is usually a chore. Because we don't get much precipitation, the streets get slick with oil. And to be frank, a lot of drivers don't take any caution in the wet weather.
But my morning commute was no bother. I was driving the Audi A4 and except for the pit-pat of raindrops on the roof, you wouldn't even know it was raining. This AWD car felt just as sure-footed as always. No slips. No hydroplaning. Raindrops barely touched the windshield. They just rolled right off. The rain-sensing wipers are quiet and unobtrusive.
This is a great weather car.
Next time, I'll tell you about the A4's weird speedometer.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 6,099 miles
(My camera is down, so no rainy photo. I went artisic instead.)
While driving our long-term A4 Avant home at dusk the other night, I passed another '09 A4 headed in the opposite direction. The new LED eyelids really stood out, and when combined with the HID nozzles, give the new A4 a Transformers-esque visage: Are the Autobots cached among us as Audis? The radio never tuned itself to scene appropriate stations (though thanks to satellite radio, this is a manual option), and no one even partially resembling Megan Fox needed a lift on my route.
On the A4, the LED brows work well, throwing a cool even spread of bright light, but our left HID cannon always seems to run a little hot and high. As wild as Audi could have gone with the styling of the new LED beamers, they get a little credit for keeping things in check with just a mild bit of curvy whimsy. Did the little LED string need to hook under the HID beams in an inverted and slightly arched brow? Probably not, but this is Audi, who's set the bar of late for classy and understated design. What happens when the rest of the automotive world gets a hold of this stuff?
I like wagons. I like the 2009 Audi A4. But I'm not sure that I see the point of the 2009 Audi A4 Avant.
Don't get me wrong, the 2009 Audi A4 Avant is a well-executed wagon that's quite nice to spend time in. The way the security cover can be slid up in a recessed track to assist loading and the overall fit and finish of the cargo space are but two examples.
But I don't think it's wagon-y enough to bother with. Example: with the rear seats in use as shown in the above photo, our avant has 17.3 cubic feet of luggage space. An A4 sedan has 16.9 cubic feet in the trunk -- a virtual tie.
We eclipsed the 5,000-mile landmark in our A4 Avant over the weekend. So Monday morning we called our buddies at Santa Monica Audi to schedule an appointment. They accepted the car in the morning, changed the oil and filter, performed their routine inspections and returned it to us later that afternoon. Based on past experience with this dealer, that is fast.
Our conversation with the cashier at pick-up was just as quick. "No charge for your first scheduled maintenance appointment, sir. Sign here, please. Have a nice day."
Now we haven't forgot about their failure to order Q7 parts in a timely manner. Or the time they forgot to tell us our R8 was ready for pick up. Or that day they left a pair of channel locks in the engine bay. But this is the most pleasant experience we've had at this dealership in the past 3 years. Could it be a sign of things to come? I'm skeptical.
Cost: $0
Days out of service: 0
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 5,359 miles
Over the holiday weekend, I took our long term A4 to Lake Gregory, a small community in the mountains Northeast of Los Angeles. After spending about a week with the car here are a few observations:
I don't need shift paddles or 18 inch wheels - save $1,450 and skip the sport package. Acceleration is more than adequate even at 6,000 ft above sea level. The new A4 feels wider than before but rear seat leg room is lacking especially if you're using child seats that sort of force little kid's feet up and forward. Cargo space in the rear is generous - stuff for 2 adults and 2 kids fit with room to spare. The extended thigh support feature for the driver's seat is awesome - a must have on any car. Excellent wipers - mud, snow, pine needles and water are no match. The automatic smart key release is too finicky - if you don't press hard enough when shutting the car off, the key won't release. On one leg of the trip, I averaged 26 miles per gallon in combined highway and mountain driving. I love MMI - it does what I want without having to think too much; it's intuitive. Finally, this is probably the best looking wagon on the market - it's just a great looking car.
Brian Moody, Senior Automotive Editor @ 5,188 miles
Portions of Interstate 15 were closed due to snowfall just days prior to our planned run out to Las Vegas in the Audi A4. Roads were clear when we passed through but there was still enough white stuff on the ground to excite snow-deprived Southern Californians.
We won some, lost some, filled countless buffet plates and were ready to leave four days later. But our plan to skip breakfast and make good time home backfired when we ran into road construction traffic... stuck behind this Twinkie truck.
In a few weeks I'll be driving one of our cars from Los Angeles to Detroit and leaving it there with our Detroit Editor Dan Pund for much of the winter.
But which one of our cars should I take? Right now the short list is our 2008 BMW X5, our 2009 Audi A4 Avant, which is on summer tires, and the brand new all-wheel drive 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover Sport that will be introduced to this blog in a couple of weeks.
I'm not limited to those three cars, however. I can basically take whatever I want. Maybe our new Mazda 6 is the one to take, or our STI. What do you think? What would you take?
Comments: The A4 doesn't approve of brake / throttle overlap for more than a fraction of a second, limiting an aggressive launch technique. Also, it seems to be short shifting by about 500rpm shy of indicated redline. Finally, manual-shift mode still upshifts automatically-- again shy of redline. Remarkably linear power delivery for a small displacement turbo engine.
Braking
60-0: 103 feet
30-0: 26 feet
Comments: WOW doest this wagon have brakes and the right tires to use them! Dramatic power, near-zero dive and no flutter or hum. Pedal effort was moderate to high.
Skid Pad
.90g
Comments: Awesome grip from both the front and rear of the A4 which indicates they've really banished the oh-so-Audi understeer somehow. Only throttle adjustments were required to steer the A4 around the circle. Steering effort was spot on.
Slalom
69.3 mph
Very good balance combined with crisp turn-in made the A4 a thrilling car in the slalom. While the AWD-effect wasn't pronounced mid-run, it was evident on the exit where I could lift to rotate, and floor it for the expected bite from the front. Nicely done and it appears Audi has cracked the code and made their AWD a performance enhancement as well as a foul-weather enhancement.
You had to see the look on the guy's face when I asked him to tie that 10-foot tall Christmas tree to the roof of my brand-new 2009 Audi A4 Avant. He couldn't believe it. It was like I asked him to eat worms.
"You sure," he said to me, his eyes admiring the Audi's fresh gray paint.
"Sure guy," I replied. "Just throw it up there."
Sometimes driving somebody elses $44,000 sport wagon has its moments, but seriously, the little A4 handled this big-SUV-type job without a wimper.
And yes, I hosed off all the pine needles. I might be careless, but I'm not cruel.
Don't expect many blog entries for the Audi A4 Avant this week. It's on a road trip to Las Vegas for the holidays. Check back when it returns next week.
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 4,233 miles
You and I think a lot alike. Another Oregon holiday trip candidate I've had my eye on is our 2009 Audi A4 Avant. But I reluctantly had to dismiss this one even before the FX50's arrival. And the reasons are the same.
Rear cargo space with 4 aboard? Not good enough for 10-day, 2,000 mile trip with luggage and presents aboard. Only 17.3 cubic feet are available here -- less than the FX50 by a fair margin. Heck, the trunk of the Pontiac G8 GT sedan is fractionally larger at 17.5 cubic feet. This isn't a big wagon.
And like the FX50, our A4 wears summer tires in the form of the Bridgestone RE050A. They're damn good tires in the dry and wet, but they aren't intended for snow-covered roads. Even quattro can't save you if the tires don't have good snow traction.
It's a pity, I know. I really like wheeling this one around town and I'd like to stretch its legs on a road trip.
Just not this road trip.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 4,203 miles
A great President of the modern era once said, "Fool me once: Shame on you. Fool me twice: We won't get fooled again." And so it is with the Audi A4 wagon: I was fooled the first time (or three), but won't be fooled again. You see, when I first attempted to enter the A4, I saw the door handle with the smart key switch shown in the photo. All of these systems are similar, but with some you have to press the switch to unlock (with the key conveniently in your pocket); others you just pull the handle to open. I tried it both ways with the A4. Fool!!
Upon closer inspection, I saw that there is no button on the handle -- it's a switch blank. There is no smart key. These switch blanks are common inside many vehicles as placeholders for optional equipment that's not on that specific vehicle, but I've never seen such a thing on the door handle or anywhere on the exterior of a vehicle. Apparently, our A4 wagon shares its door handles with a fancier A4 or a high end Audi model. But for $44K, couldn't this vehicle have its own door handles without the switch blank? Audi rubs it in by putting these switch blanks on all four door handles.
Hopefully Audi will address this issue instead of ducking metaphorical shoes thrown by this crazed journalist.
Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 4034 mi
But there has been an exception to my compliments: Audi's lazy automatic transmissions. I've complained about the slow response of the slushboxes in both the Q7 and the R8, and now I must whine about the 6-speed automatic in our new long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant.
The tranny has three modes, Normal, Sport and Manual, but for me it only has one: Manual. It's the only way to get any response from the wagon's turbocharged 2.0-liter, which really comes alive above 3,000 rpm. Leave the shifting to the car's computer and the engine is never really allowed to spend any time in its sweet spot. In Normal the transmission is always two gears too high ( 5th when I want 3rd, 4th when I want 2nd, etc.) and in Sport it's always one gear too high. And getting it to downshift in either really requires a wack of the throttle.
Shameful really, as the transmission's refusal to play sucks much of the sporty feel from the A4.
I assume this lack of aggression in the transmission's mapping is to improve fuel economy, but it's out of sync with the rest of the car which is tuned for sharp response and driving enjoyment. Incredibly, the auto in my wife's Passat is more aggressive (I rarely use manual mode when I drive it) while the rest of her car is certainly less sporty.
Hey, Audi, I think it's time to fire ol' Wolfgang in the transmission tuning department. Send the struedel packing; maybe Skoda has an opening.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 4,012 miles
This morning while I was carefully crafting my post about the fuel mileage of our long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant I dug up the car's window sticker and it gave me quite a chuckle.
Look what it says between the Audi's EPA city and highway numbers: Estimated Annual Fuel Cost $2,806 based on 15,000 miles at $4.30 per gallon.
$4.30? Remember that? That was like way back in September or something. You know, the olden days. I just paid $1.92 for the A4's required premium. Happy days are here again. Somebody better alert the Audi peeps.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 3,992 miles
Our 2009 Audi A4 wagon is powered by the standard 211 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, 6-speed automatic and quattro all-wheel drive. The EPA rates it at 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.
So far our best recoreded mileage was an all highway run from LA to Las Vegas at 27 mpg. Although most fillups are averaging in the 21-23 mpg range, we have had more than a few below 19 mpg, including one at a very thirsty 16.9 mpg. Overall we're averaging 21.5 mpg during the cars first 4,000 miles.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 3,989 miles
It's me. I'm the one you're mad at. I'm the reason for the lack of recent posts on our long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant. You see I went on vacation, and I took the A4 with me. And I did this for two reasons:
1) It's a really nice car and it fits my kids and my dog and my wife and I like driving it, so what would you have done? Taken the Focus? Didn't think so.
2) I've owned (well leased) that blue VW Passat wagon for the last 2.5 years. It's my wife's daily driver, and I thought it would be cool to see how the new Audi stacks up against my old VW during 10 days of life at the Oldhams.
It's a good comparison, my wife's front-wheel drive wagon packs the old version of the 2.0T engine (200 hp) and 6-speed automatic transmission, while the Audi packs the new 2.0T (211 hp), the same 6-speed automatic and quattro all-wheel drive.
Turns out the cars aren't that different. Sure the Audi is so beautiful it makes the Passat look like the box it came in, but hop out of the much newer and more expensive A4 and the Passat holds up. Even with 25,000 miles on its odometer, the Passat still feels solid, and its combination of refinement and athleticism feels just right.
Don't get me wrong, with its firmer suspension, more aggressive Bridgestones and all-wheel drive the Audi will run circles around my Passat, and my wife says the A4 feels quicker off the line. But my conclusion is that the A4, although larger than before, is still too small for real family duty, and the Passat holds up nicely when it's put forehead to forehead against its swankier sibling.
Oh and get this; our Audi stickered for $44,150. My Passat cost just $30,030 and the only feature it seems to lack compared to the A4 are navigation, paddle shifters and Xenon headlights. Plus my car has a power lift and close tailgate, which the Audi does not.
I will admit that I wish my Passat looked better (I still prefer the look of the previous generation), but the Audi's additional $14,000 cost is looking pretty hard to justify.
Tune in tomorrow for a mileage report.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 3,849 miles
The sleek, keyless key for the A4 avant is nice because it doesn't have a spring-loaded switch blade-like metal key that pops out in your pocket and jabs your groin at inopportune moments. No, the black-plastic and polished-metal lozenge is all there is to it. It works nicely when you insert it into the dash and press it further to start the car. It's when you try to remove it that the tug-o-war begins.
We usually don't do this, but I thought you might want to know what cars are on the horizon for this blog and our long-term fleet. Cars are always coming and going around here, and we have a batch of interesting rides on the way for your reading enjoyment. And they are:
1) 2009 Mazda 6 (similar to the one pictured)
2) 2009 Infiniti FX50
3) 2009 BMW M3 Sedan
4) 2009 Hyundai Genesis
5) 2009 Kia Borrego
6) 2009 Honda Fit
We're also hoping to get a new Dodge Ram, a new Ford F-150, a Dodge Challenger R/T, a Chevy Camaro, a Nissan 370Z and a Nissan Cube, just to name a few off the top of my head. There will certainly also be a few diesels and hybrids mixed in there for good measure, along with (we hope) another used gem, like a Porsche 911 of some vintage.
Now, of course, all of this is subject to change without notification, as the disclaimer usually states. But I thought you would like to know what we're thinking and where we hope this blog is going.
After spending the past weekend in the 2009 Audi A4, I have to say I'm impressed. This is one well-rounded car. Ed's comments pretty much sum up the situation--it's a looker, feels stout yet supple, and I hope I can land some more seat time in it before word spreads around the office that it's as good as it is and its keys "go missing."
One minor letdown, if you can call it that: the 2.0T's engine note isn't nearly as fruity as this same engine is in the VW Rabbit GTI. In the Audi, it sounds more agricultural.
So I did a little investigation. It turns out the Audi doesn't use a sound pipe snorkus like the VW. This snaky plastic tube channels certain frequencies of the intake sound over to the firewall where they can be lapped up by the ears in the cabin, and is in large part responsible for what we know as the 'engine note.'
Here's the VW's engine bay:
That plastic pipe is what I'm talkin' about.
Now note the the lack of said pipe in the lead shot of the Audi's engine bay (engine cover was removed for clutter's sake).
Cost cutting, or Audi doesn't think its customers care as much about such trivialities?
I've always enjoyed wagons, but last night our 2009 Audi A4 Avant long termer proved pleasantly useful. The hatch lifts high and out of the way of my head, while the low lift-over height not only makes loading stuff easier than an SUV, but it's also pretty good for tying one's baseball shoes. The trunk itself is well lit with two lights on both sides along with a light in the hatch that shines downward providing plenty of illumination for changing out of one's baseball pants post game. The cargo cover that slides upwards is also a nice touch. Of the many vehicles I've driven to softball, the Avant made my pre- and post-game rituals the easiest. Plus, I think it looks pretty darn cool.
In a sorta related note, the Edmunds softball team clinched first place in our league and we're presently undefeated with two games left. We rule!
Took the A4 to Vegas to cover the SEMA show. Could have driven the R8 instead or even the GT-R, but I went practical and never regretted it. The seats are comfortable, the interior is well-laid out and it feels big inside. Even with the larger wheels and tires, it rides smoothly and the wind and road noise is minimal. The steering, brakes and throttle response all feel dead on and I got 27.0 mpg even though I averaged roughly 80mph through the desert. Strangely enough, the prior tank only returned 17.3 mpg, so the mileage varies quite a bit depending on driving conditions. That said, I could deal the big swings as this car just feels right. Who knows, maybe I'll get tired of it in six months, but right now I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy this car for myself.
Took my first drive in long-term 2009 Audi A4 Avant last night and right away I was impressed by the ease of getting in and starting the drive. Our car doesn't have keyless start, but like the current-generation 3 Series, it has a fob without a metal key on it (probably has one within, though) that you stick into a slot to the right of the steering wheel.
But, you don't have to go through the awkward motion of also pressing an extraneous start button. As long as you have your foot on the brake pedal, the A4 starts right up when you put the fob in its slot. It's quick and satisfying.
