Automotive News
The Audi Touch: Performance and Styling
By Roger Witherspoon
May 29, 2003, 17:26

The Audi A4 Cabriolet 3.0

The rain was light, the road was wet, the speed was over 70, and the bus changed lanes ahead of me without warning on a graded, curved stretch of I-95 rolling through the Maryland highlands.

I pushed a button on the steering wheel, automatically downshifting from sixth to fifth gear while accelerating and changing to the right-hand, outer lane, counting on the Cabriolet's automatic, electronic stabilization system to ensure traction as I zipped by the Greyhound and a few other cars. Another touch of a button shifted the car smoothly back into sixth gear as I changed lanes, getting back to the left and continuing south.

Rain or shine, the 2003 Audi Cabriolet is a good car to be seen in and a pleasure to drive. The hand controls are certainly not as sensitive as, say, the paddle shift in the high-performance and much higher-priced Maserati. There is a slight hesitancy before the Audi's new gear kicks in, though the lag is reduced if you are shifting down. But they serve the same dual functions of providing performance and safety during higher speeds, by letting you change gears to meet any road conditions without having to take a hand off the wheel. The feature certainly is good to have in the rain, and it makes the car a lot more fun to drive.

The Cabriolet is the latest entry into the dual-mode transmission field, allowing the driver to operate either an automatic or a six-speed manual. But instead of going through the normal work of balancing the movement of a rigid stick shift with a floor clutch, the Audi has a computer-controlled clutch that does the foot work for you. This is especially convenient in stop and go traffic, when manual shifting amounts to manual labor.The car is rated at 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. The test car averaged in between these figures, at 22 mpg in New York City and 26 mpg on the open road.

The Cabriolet is billed as a sports car, and the 220-horsepower aluminum V6 engine delivers the expected power. It is not a muscle car, but it can cruise at 100 mph without straining or looking out of place. The test model was a convertible with a retractable cloth top that folds neatly into the trunk, so nothing disturbs its smooth lines. And it has heated front seats that offered comfort on chilly days when it was just too sunny and beautiful to keep the top up.

The Audi is designed for comfort. The test car featured leather seats with built-in storage compartments underneath. There is enough room in the rear so average-sized passengers don't have to amputate their legs to sit comfortably. And the interior design -- the center console and dash -- were as attractive and well laid out as the exterior. The Audi's Bose sound system includes a six-disc, in-dash CD changer.

One complaint this driver has is the relative sizes of the ash tray and cup holders. While the Audi's ashtray is more than adequate for multiple smokers, the cup holder is not big enough for a standard Starbuck's coffee cup, let alone bottled water. One would think German designers would know their American market better.

But that's a small complaint for a really fine car. The ads show the Cabriolet streaking by so fast the paint changes color. It doesn't streak quite that fast -- but feels like it could. And it sure is a joy trying.

2003 Audi A4 Cabriolet 3.0 CVT

MSRP: $46,735.00

Engine: 3.0 L 220-hp DOHC aluminum V6. Audi multitronic Continuously Variable Transmission; anti-lock brake system; front-wheel drive; electronic stabilization program; 4-link front suspension, rack and pinion power steering.

Comfort/ Convenience:Power retractable cloth top with heated rear window; automatic dual-zone climate control with dust and pollen filter; front and rear power windows; electronic cruise control; power central locking system; leather sport seats; 12-way power front seats; storage tray under front seats; genuine wood trim; 3-spoke leather wrapped sport steering wheel; Bose premium sound system, AM/FM radio and 6-disc in-dash changer

Safety: Driver and passenger front and side air bags; electrically adjustable, heated outside rearview mirrors; antitheft alarm system and ignition immobilizer; auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors; memory for mirrors and driver side seat.

Test Model:2003 Audi A-4 Cabriolet 3.0 Convertible

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