Audi A4 CABRIOLET RANGE
Like Its Predecessor, Audis A4 Cabriolet Offers A Persuasive Package To Prestige Buyers. Jonathan Crouch Reports
There arent many cars good enough to make potential buyers forget the passage of time, but the original
Audi Cabriolet was one of them. Who cared that it was based on running gear as old as Rod Stewart and handled with all the nimbleness of a Channel ferry? It looked great and anyway, wasnt Princess Diana a satisfied owner? Over 72,000 people bought one and many of them are flocking to sign on the dotted line for the latest version.
At a glance, you can see why. In a class full of particularly pretty cars, this one stands out, even against drop-top versions of the
BMW 3 Series and Mercedes CLK. And it costs less than either which is helpful for the predominantly private band of buyers who tend to fill the order books. Prices start at either £25,390 for the petrol 1.
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8T, £26,030 for the 2.4-litre, £27,815 for the 2.5TDi diesel or £30,330 for the 3.0-litre.
The top spot in the range, meanwhile, is occupied the £41,310 S4 flagship. If you need it spelling out, thats between £3,000 and £5,000 less than
BMW and Mercedes alternatives depending on which model you choose. Heck, its even about the same money as the
Saab 9-3 Convertible, a car usually recognised as the value proposition in this class. Mind you, dont go expecting this
Audi to be a hot rod in the handling stakes: Ingolstadt say that their TT Roadster (which costs similar money) fulfils that role. BMW still leads the class in this respect but owners of the soggy old 91-00 Cabriolet will be surprised how much better this one is. Of course, it darn well should be a lot better, given that the previous model was based on a car with a design dating back to 1986. Sure enough, the latest version is 112% stiffer and, more importantly, tauter than its two main German rivals.
As a result, scuttle shake has been almost banished and general vibrations of all kinds should be virtually impossible to detect. Though the general set-up is soft, roll has been kept in check, enabling you to push on with vigour when the need arises. Youll quickly tire of tyre-smoking antics in this car however, and settle back in the more tranquil mode that suits it better.
"In a class full of particularly pretty cars, this one stands out..."
Your passengers will thank you for that of course and in this case, there could easily be three of them. Instead of providing rear
seat accommodation good only for kids or lifts down the pub, German coachbuilder Karmann (who also build the Mercedes CLK Cabriolet) have worked with Audi to create a true four-seater. They claimed that about the old car of course, but as anyone who had to endure a back seat perch on long journeys will know, they lied. This time, thanks to a body thats 207mm longer, 50mm wider and 99mm longer in the wheelbase, the designers have at last delivered.
According to the figures, theres 52mm more rear shoulder space and 66mm more rear knee-room. So yes, you and your drinking partners really can go touring. Mind you, dont go carrying too much baggage: though the boot capacity is 26 litres up on the old car, that still only means 246 litres with the roof down (or 315 litres with the top up): enough space for two golf bags in real terms. On to the beautifully-lined three-layer roof which hides beneath an aluminium-trimmed solid tonneau cover when not in use. Electrically operated of course, it opens or closes in 24 seconds and there are no fiddly manual latches to break your nails on before you can press the button. The whole thing can also be done from the outside of the car by using the remote control keyfob.
Unfortunately, the wind deflector (essential if you want to comfortably drive with the roof down at speed) costs extra and, to add insult to injury, it effectively reduces your car to a two-seater. The rear window is a proper heated glass affair and there is of course an optional hard top, should you want to drive your car day-in, day-out all winter. Despite the A4 moniker in the cars title, Audi could quite justifiably simply christened this car Cabriolet, since every single exterior panel is new, as is the sharply raked windscreen. Look closely and you can pick up design cues from the TT sportscar, especially around the flush-fitting bumpers and cross-hatched front grille.
Its the same inside, where the five circular air vents and the instrument dials are all circled with aluminium. As with all A4s, the build quality is brilliant, with every control you touch clicking beautifully into place. You can enjoy it all on the move too, thanks to a supple ride and impressive refinement aided by a class-leading 0.30Cd drag factor: this car makes less of a hole in the air with the roof open than the BMW 3 Series Convertible does with it closed. Which is just as well, at least from a fuel consumption perspective, given that the car is so heavy: at some 1580kg in weight, its 155kg more than the saloon and 150kg more than the old car. As a result, youll struggle to get much more than 20mpg around town in the 3.0-litre. Audi has its excuses ready on this one, as youd expect.
Its all apparently necessary to create that class-leading rigidity, incorporate the electro-hydraulically operated roof and meet current safety standards (theres the usual complement of front and side airbags). There are twin roll bars to carry around for example: these automatically pop up in a blink of an eye behind the rear head restraints should the car be in danger of rolling over. Whatever the reasons, the result is that, even in top 3.0-litre form, the performance on offer is likely to feel, shall we say, rather relaxed, even if blank paper figures (0-60mph in 7.8s en route to 151mph) suggest otherwise.
Remember this if youre thinking about one of the smaller-engined versions. At least the 2.5TDi can average nearly 40mpg. In summary though, the A4 Cabriolet is arguably the best desirable drop-top you can buy, short of anything youd need a sizeable lottery win to contemplate.
Just, indeed, as was its predecessor in its day. Audi need only to persuade the young Princes to run one and the story would be complete.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Audi A4 Cabriolet range
PRICES: £25,390-£41,310 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 16-18
CO2 EMISSIONS: 194-233g/km
PERFORMANCE: [3.0] 0-60mph 7.8s / Max Speed 151mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [3.0] (urban) 20.3mpg / (extra urban) 38.2mpg / (combined) 29.1mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ESP, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4573/1777/1391mm
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