Road Tests: Long-Term Test

There's a saying in the car world that the first question out of a guy's mouth regarding a vehicle is "How fast is it?" while the first question a women asks is "What colors does it come in?"

Our editor-in-chief, Karl Brauer, doesn't put much stock in "old sayings," but he did know his top priority when it came time to order our 2002 Audi A4 long-term vehicle. "I want it in Denim Blue. This point is non-negotiable," he told our Consumer Advice Editor and all-purpose car shopper, Philip Reed.

Other requirements were the 3.0-liter V6 engine, continuously variable transmission (CVT) and the Sport Package. Most performance fans will question the combination of the CVT and Sport Package, but when mated to the 3.0-liter engine, Audi's CVT is coping with more horsepower (220) than any other CVT currently available. In cars like the Honda Civic and Insight, Mini Cooper and Toyota Prius, the CVTs provide improved fuel mileage and performance over a standard automatic, but they are dealing with less than 120 horsepower. Even the Saturn Vue's CVT (which has been delayed) can only be had on models with the smaller four-cylinder engine that makes only 143 horsepower. If the A4's CVT can stand up to 220 horsepower — and a year of Edmunds.com editors' driving styles — without problems, it will prove that this technology is ready for prime time (and that Audi is ahead of the game in utilizing it).

In addition, with a CVT, the 3.0-liter is rated at 19/27 city/highway mpg, which is almost as good as a 1.8T quattro version (19/28). Unfortunately, a CVT cannot be combined with quattro...at least not yet.

After scouring the local dealer lots, via the Internet, one issue became painfully clear: Denim Blue is indeed a rare color. There were plenty of silver, black and even Ming Blue A4s, but we only found two Denim Blues, and they were both 1.8Ts. It was time to elevate our search to the next level. As an experiment, we sent leads to six local dealerships within a 10-minute period. In less than two hours, our request for a quote was answered by Denise Justice at Rusnak Automotive Group in Pasadena, Calif. No other dealers responded to our e-mail queries, and those we contacted directly by telephone were rather unhelpful.

Denise told us that no 3.0 CVT Denim Blue models were on her lot. She searched state-wide, but still couldn't find one. However, she said, there was one "on the boat," and it was due to arrive in a week. It had the Sport Package (17-inch wheels, high-performance tires and sport suspension) and the Preferred Luxury Package (sunroof and leather upholstery). We actually would have sprung for the Premium Package (auto-dimming and power-folding mirrors, driver-seat memory and HomeLink transmitter), as well, but she said it didn't have it. "We have one like that in Ming Blue," Denise told us. After a few moments of consideration, our editor-in-chief responded. "We'll take the Denim Blue one, and I'll just deal with adjusting the seat whenever my wife and I switch driving duties." After some negotiating, we settled on a price that was exactly $1,000 below MSRP and within $200 of TMV^®. We were also offered financing at 4.9 percent.

We'd hoped the Audi would be "off the boat" and in our hands quickly, but it took a few weeks before it was ready for delivery. When Denise called us to say the A4 was ready, she also offered to bring it to our Santa Monica offices. Upon her arrival, we were given a thorough run-through of its many features, then a careful walk-around to confirm that no damage had occurred during transport (it hadn't). The car was everything we'd hoped for in terms of equipment, but the color was difficult to make out under the fluorescent lights in our parking garage.

It wasn't until Karl got the car outside that the hassle and wait for Denim Blue Pearl proved worthy. "This color is sooo cool," was his first statement (articulate, ain't he?). "It's sort of like the Topaz Blue metallic that BMW M3s come in, but even better."

The only thing better than looking at our A4 is driving it. The CVT works well, though it can feel a bit sluggish when pulling away from a stop. This isn't due to any power deficiency but, instead, the CVT's method of letting the engine ramp up a bit before engaging the front wheels. This makes for more efficient (and ultimately quicker) starts, but the slight delayed response after hitting the accelerator can make one think that the car isn't as quick off the line as it should be. It only took Karl a few days of driving before he acclimated to this trait.

"The best part of the CVT is how smooth it is when 'up- or downshifting.' (Actually, a CVT never really "shifts" at all. Instead, it varies the gear ratio via a belt or chain attached to two pulleys. You can read all about it in our CVT technology story.) Using the steering wheel buttons to downshift at highway speeds produces a turbo-like effect, with the tachometer shooting up and the car effortlessly rocketing forward," Karl stated. It also has that classic German driving demeanor, meaning excellent steering feel and properly damped suspension movement. Part of Karl's month behind the wheel included time in a 2002 BMW 7 Series test car. When he considered the fact that the 7 Series' MSRP is more than twice the MSRP of our Audi, Karl's response was pretty harsh. "Is the 7 Series a fine luxury sedan? Sure, but so is the A4, and it costs half as much. Obviously, the 7 Series customer must need the added status-symbol effect of owning a 7 Series, because in terms of luxury and driving dynamics, the price difference simply can't be justified."

One mechanical flaw did pop up with only 500 miles on the A4's odometer. Upon running the car to near empty and filling the gas tank, we immediately noticed that the fuel gauge (and light) still indicated an empty tank. Karl assumed that a few starts and stops of the engine would "kick" the gauge into operation, but that less-than-scientific repair strategy failed to help. After several days, we made an appointment with Rusnak Westlake Audi in Thousand Oaks, Calif. We left a message after calling their service number, and got a call back in less than 5 minutes. They said they could take the car that afternoon, so Karl and his wife drove over and dropped it off late in the afternoon.

Karl's wife, Stacie, was treated politely, and the dealership even offered a free replacement vehicle because the visit was prompted by a warranty issue (as opposed to standard service). She declined the replacement car, but was happy to get a call before noon the following day saying the car was ready for pick up. The receipt listed the problem as a "poor wiring connection at sender unit" with the fix stated as "remove sender unit, repair two wires." There was, of course, no charge, and when Karl and Stacie arrived to pick up the A4, it was washed and fully gassed.

The A4 left the Brauer garage far too quickly, in Karl's opinion. He only drove the vehicle a few times, with his wife enjoying it for most of the month. Both of them found the Audi to be a delight to drive and attractive to behold. Anchor points on the rear package shelf made installing child safety seats easy and kept them secure, and the trunk held a large number of books and boxes during the Brauer family's move to Camarillo, Calif.

Cars may be overshadowed these days by more colorful market segments, like SUVs and crossovers, but Karl's time in the A4 reminded him that the boring old four-door front-wheel-drive sedan can still be a compelling form of transportation.

Check back here on the first day of the next 12 months to see how this all-new Audi holds up under Edmunds.com scrutiny.

Current Odometer: 760
Best Fuel Economy: 20.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 16.7 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 18.4 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: Broken fuel gauge — faulty wiring, repaired under warranty.