Price as tested: $39,860

Base price (fwd): $36,250

Type: four-door, five-passenger
compact sedan

Layout: — longitudinal
engine/all-wheel-drive
Engine: 2.8 -litre V6. SOHC x 2.
12 valves, fuel injection
Horsepower: 172 @ 5,500 rp.m.
Torque: 184 ft-lbs. 3,000
rpm.

Transmission: five-speed manual
Tires: 205/55 HR-16 perfor-
mance all-season

Curb weight: (465 kg (3,228
Ibs.)

Wheelbase: 2,617 mm (103.0 in.)
Length: 4.522 mm (178.0 in.)
Width: 1,733 mm ( 68.2 in.)
‘Height: 1.418 mm (55.8 in.)
Fuel consumption: City — 12.6
V100 kms (22 mpg); Hwy —
8.1 1/100 kms (35 m.p.g.)
Warranty: three years/80,000

front

Greg
Wilson :

IN CANADA, Audi’s compact
90 sedan has never enjoyed
the same popularity as other.

‘European hixury sedans like ~

BMW’’s 3-series, despite the
fact it’s the only veiticle in its
class to offer the safety and .-
poor-weather traction of all-

SEE US AT 845
MARINE DRIVE

wheel-drive.

Ata recent press conference,
Audi vice-president Gerd Klauss
admitted frankly that “We have
neglected the Canadian market.”

But Audi hopes to reverse the
sagging fortunes of its entry-level

‘neas-luxury* sedan with a bigger
and better 90, now called the A4.
(‘A’ represents Audi, and ‘4° stands
for Audi's mid-size platform).

Apart from its familiar 2.8-litre
V6 engine and manual transmission,
the A4 is a different car. It is 50 mm
(2 in.) wider, 25 mm (1 in.) taller,
and 76 mm (3 in.) shorter than the
90, the latter due to reduced over-
hangs.

Its sleek new profile roan a

_ wider Stance, a lower hoodline,

shorter hood, a BMW-like rearcend,
and standard 16-inch alloy wheels
with low-profile tires. The A4 retains
the high, bathtub-like sides that have
been the trademark of the 90 since
its introduction in 1988,

Like other Audis, the Ad’s styling

is clean and devoid of styling gim-
snicks —- which means ‘boring’ to
some people and ‘sophisticated’ to
others, | think it's a handsome car.

New for 1996 is an optional five-
speed automatic transaiission (late
introduction onthe Quattro model),
anew multi-link front suspension, a
larger *greenhouse’, a bigger trunk.
increased crash protection, and more
standard equipment, Like the Audi
90, the Ad is available with front-
wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive and
offers a standard 172 horsepower V6
engine and a five-speed manual
transmission.

The base price has risen about
$1,100 to $36,250 — but that seems
reasonable considering this is an all-
new model and there's more stan-
dard equipment. The Quattro model
is $2,300 more, but the premium for
all-wheel-drive has dropped by more
than $1,500 since last year.

In the Fall of 1996, a new tur-
bocharged 150 horsepower 1.8-litre
four-cylinder engine will be intro-

FINANCING IST YEAR OF S YR. AM. 0.A.C.

MAXIMUM FOR YOUR TRADE

S'S ARE ARRIVING SD WE'VE
SQUEEZED THE PRICES LOW

AS WE CAN GO!

ALL NEW
ALL USED

WHO TO CALL:

Auta Editor

Andrew McCredie

985-2131 (147)

duced, and sometime later, the all-
powerful S4 will arrive.

1 tested both the front-wheel-
drive and all-wheel-drive A4’s and
would highly recommend the AWD
model because of its increased win-
ter and summer traction, cornering
control, and active safety.

During normal driving, the AWD

system is virtually undetectable. The ”

system includes a centre Torsen dif-
ferential that distributes half the
engine's power to the front wheels
and half to tae rear wheels, If trac-
tion is lost at one end, more power is
sent to the other end, With the aid of
an electronic differential lock, the A4
is one of afew AWD cars that accel-
erate when only one wheel has grip.
Though it’s not well known.
AWD is also useful on dry surfaces
because itimproves dynamic stabili-
ty, thereby indreasing earnering and
steering control — and Safety.
However. there is a weight penal-

“ty to be considered with all-wheel-
. drive, The Ad Quattro weighs 115

new . A4 offers
improved: ride and
handling, a bigger
‘interior, more trunk
space, a. nev five-
speed automatic
transmission, and a
Standard 172 horse-
power 2.8-litre V6
engine. :

kilograms (252 Ibs.) more than the;

: front-wheel-drive-Ad, slightly affeci-

ing acceleration times. -

The Ad's powertrain is unusually
quiet and smooth and offers excel-
lent standing start acceleration. But I
found a certain amount of louseness
in the drivetrain with the nianual
transmission. And there’s a tack of
mid-ringe torque in the SO to 80,
knvh (31 to 50 m.p.h.) range, unless

». you keep the revs above 3G00 rp.m.

The standard five-speed manual
transrnission is a slick, comfortable
shifter, but first. gear is too low and
second gear is too high. meaning

shifting into second.

I preferred the new'tive- speed
automatic transmission which offers
seamless gear changes and well-

spaced gear ratios. This five-speed:

automatic fransmission compares...

See System page 26

BLAZER

_Metar lrend'’s tres sch of the year!

ALL NEW. TAHOE/S1EURBAW

There is nothing an. the market to compare!

you have to rev-the engine up before, _