Road Tests: Full Test

System Score: 8.0

Components: The audio systems in Audi and VW vehicles have been some of our favorites in the last few years. They always seem to sound good and are generally appointed with solid ergonomics. The two companies take a somewhat different approach to speaker placement than the rest of the industry. Instead of loading the back deck with hefty 6-by-9s or a second set of conical speakers, the Audi/V-Dub folks opt for speakers in all four doors. This may seem odd to American consumers, who generally ascribe to the bigger-is-better philosophy; but if you stop to think about it, it makes a lot of sense. After all, home loudspeakers come in their own enclosures, and sound better because of it. A sealed or semi-sealed enclosure produces a partial vacuum, which in turn creates "speaker damping" — a design technology that improves communication between the amplifier and the speaker, in the process reducing the excursion or "throw" of the speaker cone. Not only does this improve sound, but it also increases the power-handling capabilities of the speaker. That, in short, is why Audi and VW sound systems sound so good.

This Bose setup begins with a nicely appointed head unit boasting 18 AM/18 FM presets, a cassette deck and a built-in six-disc CD changer. Surprise-and-delight features include round, ridged detented knobs for both volume and tuning, a "mid" tone control for increased sonic flexibility, a wide topography with plenty of space between most controls and excellent radio positioning in the upper-center portion of the dash. It also has a cool-looking red display that matches the rest of the interior controls.

Speakerwise, the vehicle has the identical setup in all four doors: a 6.5-inch mid-bass driver coupled to a 1-inch tweeter. These sound pretty good by themselves, but the Bose folks have gone one better by positioning a 10-inch subwoofer on the back deck. No, this doesn't shoot holes in our statements above. The subwoofer is specifically designed to work in a "free air" environment, with built-in suspension that controls the excursion of the cone (essentially working as a vacuum) and improving power-handling and speaker-amp communication.

Performance: This is a very good-sounding system. The door speakers produce a punchy and tight mid-bass attack, complemented in the lower frequencies by the 10-inch Bose subwoofer. Highs are clear and unsullied without being brassy, mids have excellent definition and detail, and the overall sound of the system is superb. We did, however, take off some points for the soundstage, which we felt could have been improved by better positioning of the tweeters. Also, the high end, on selected cuts, got just slightly overcooked, producing a strident response. Other than that, you'll love the sound of this system.

Best Feature: Sonic accuracy and balance.

Worst Feature: No steering wheel controls.

Conclusion: We liked this system quite a bit. Nevertheless, we took off points for soundstage problems, as well as a lack of steering wheel controls. It seems to us that a car in this price range should offer at least the rudimentary volume up/down and seek/scan controls on the steering wheel. After all, these features are commonly found on competing models. We've also seen these controls in cars costing thousands less than the A4 and missed having them in this otherwise excellent system. — Scott Memmer