June 18, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Rickey W. Pearce

The Audi A4 is a popular family car, though it is described as a luxury family car. There are many key features that make certain cars great for families, and the A4 is one of the top ranked. Audi produces reliable cars so you can feel secure that your family is as safe as possible when driving.

What Makes a Good Family Car

Your family needs will dictate which car is better than others. The main key with a family car is versatility: moms will use it for errands, the car will be full when you car pool to school or take everyone to sports practice, and the parents may use it for their evenings out. A great family vehicle is one that is safe, reliable and completely versatile no matter the outing.

Family Features

There are many features in the Audi A4 that were designed for families and to ensure that everyone in the car is comfortable. The interior and the trunk are both roomy, and the back seats can fold down for even more space. Parents and kids will not have any problem fitting all their gear, no matter if they are going on vacation or just to soccer practice. A great feature for larger families is the personalized climate control for each seat ensuring everyone enjoys their perfect temperature.

Safety Features

Safety is always a concern with families as you want your car to provide the maximum protection for babies, small children, teenagers, other passengers and the driver. The A4 has driver, passenger, side head and rear head airbags. There is also an air bag on and off switch if you choose to put a car seat in the passenger front seat. The LATCH system used to secure baby car seats is always a must have for parents with young children.

Included in the A4 is electronic stability and traction control along with a 4 wheel anti-lock brake system. There are reinforced cross members on the chassis, the bumpers are reinforced and you can adjust the seat belts so no matter the person’s height or weight they are properly strapped in. The Audi A4 received 5 stars (out of 5) for all crash tests as well as some of the highest safety ratings you can get for a vehicle.

The Price and Fuel Economy

Family cars should not cost an arm and a leg and there are several different models to choose from, including the Avant, Cabriolet and sedan. Audi offers several additional packages to make the car even more luxurious. The A4 is on the higher end price wise of family cars costing between $30,000-35,000. Since this is considered a luxury family car, the price is no surprise and it is actually still very affordable when compared to many other luxury vehicles on the market.

Anyone with a family should be concerned with fuel efficiency and getting the most miles per tank of gas. The fuel economy on average is 27 mpg for highway and 21 mpg for cities. Considering the vehicle is equipped with a V-6 turbocharged engine, the fuel economy is actually very good. The next release of the Audi A4 will have even better fuel economy as the car’s weight has been dramatically reduced by 300 pounds, which provides much better gas mileage.

Rickey Pearce has a passion for automobiles. From the classic ‘57 Chevy to fuel-efficient hybrids to luxury vehicles such as the Audi A4, if it runs on 4 wheels, he enjoys them. When in the market for a new vehicle, he used CarsDirect’s new car buying guides for all the latest information available. Visit CarsDirect.com, America’s #1 way to buy cars online!

Article Source: Rickey W. Pearce

What Makes the Audi A4 a Great Family Car?

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May 20, 2010 by jameslucas.

By Larmour Tan

Did you know that it basically took Audi 126.5 million years to finally agree with everyone alive that having a tall 4,6 or 8 cylinder engine set up high and way in front of the front axle does not do wonders to the handling of their front wheel drive sedans? Having driven the current A6, the previous generation A4 (B7 series) as well as the earlier ones too, I have to say that massive understeer is the preferred way for these front wheel drive Audis to corner.

On the B7 A4 I remember driving it hard and it felt so nose heavy that even with a pointy nose it felt as if the steering was the one end of the stick and the other end was the large elephant hanging off of it. That A4 was a pretty good car and in 2.0TFSI form was a fast ride but the high speed handling on a twisty road was really bad. I would assume this trait would be lessened in the Quattro or All wheel drive version of the cars, but in the front wheel drive A4, it basically was awful.

Now this brings us to the current B8 Audi A4 1.8 TFSI launched around two years ago. The car I tried is owned by a friend of mine and it is a car that is very familiar to me. His ride pictured above is the 1.8TFSI 160bhp spec that comes with the larger 18inch tires and rims. It looks so much better than the stock 17inch rims that the standard car is specced with.

I suppose it was because of nearly universal criticism of mega understeer that Audi had finally decided to re-engineer the engine and gearbox placement of the A4. The wheels are now at least 8cm forward compared to the earlier setup and this equates to better handling as well steering feel. The car does not drive like you were sitting just slightly behind an arrow’s head in flight. You actually have a car in which does not fight the laws of physics all the time unlike the earlier versions.

This time it feels like you’re driving a front wheel drive car with a normal transverse engine instead of a longitudinally placed one (even though it is still longitudinally placed). Imagine driving a slightly larger Honda Civic (in terms of nippiness). This is the first 4 door front wheel drive Audi ever that behaves decently well.

There is very little sign of it being nose heavy like its predecessors. It is a car which you can fling into corners, of course there’s none of the tail out antics being a front wheel drive and it will only show mild understeer at speeds in excess of 150km/h on high speed sweeping corners. On tighter corners, it is poised and predictable, with the A4 managing to turn accurately and without much of the artificial steering sensation of the previous variable assist steering wheel. It still lacks feel, but it is better than the previous A4.

The ride and handling is sorted unlike previous A4s I had driven or been in. The handling of this car is just right for most drivers. i.e. pointy and the tail is obedient, even in the wet. This one has the switchable dynamic, automatic and comfort damping. The modes also adjust throttle mapping and steering feel too. I prefer dynamic (the slightly firmer setup) over comfort and even automatic as this is just totally fun to be in most of the time.

Of course the ‘comfort’ setting will please a lot of older drivers out there and those that just want this A4 to be transport and nothing more. The damping on all settings are so much better than the earlier ones which seems to be undamped or oversprung. The older B7 Audis have a choppy ride due to the over aggressive rebound shock absorber rates.

This 1.8liter A4 comes with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with 8 programmed shift points that has hardly any CVT yo-yo rubber band-like feeling like normal CVTs do and which I don’t like too much. It feels much like a normal autobox that would move through the gears without the revs seeming to hold at high rpms on normal CVTs. It feels punchy and because of this the A4 seemed to be in the correct gear during a kickdown or when you downshift manually with the flappy pedals behind the steering wheel. Anytime you stomped on the throttle the CVT would go down to at least 2 to 3 of its programmed gear ratios without any hesitation, especially if you’re in dynamic mode. This is by far the best CVT setup I’ve tried to date.

We have found out that the 160ps and 250Nm that the 1.8liter direct injection and turbocharged engine pumped out was more than adequate to take on most 2.0liter cars out in the market right now. You have to trust me on this as it has been done. Even on a damp road the ESP will blink like crazy if you’re wringing the A4 in those conditions. I think the official specs are a little under rated as I think it makes a more than the quoted 160ps.

Even against a 280bhp JDM Subaru Legacy 2.0GT on a stretch of highway it will pull away from the Scooby from 120km/h till approximately 180km/h. This is when the bigger capacity engine with its extra torque gives the large capacity car that top end advantage. Do not even compare with a BMW 320i. In a straight fight (whether on a race track or a drag race) the similar priced BMW will get flattened. You may be able to argue that the 320i is more fun to drive as it is rear wheel drive, but point to point, this Audi is the faster hands down.

It does things very well, but driving the A4 was a slightly clinical experience as it felt a little polished. It does things efficiently and maybe too efficiently in a way. Maybe its that elusive thing called soul which is abundant in cars which are slightly eccentric (like an Alfa Romeo 159). However, I suppose it still is a good upgrade to those who have spent their driving lives in cars like the Mitsubishi Lancer, Honda Civic or even the Golf GTI as its still front wheel drive and if you graduated from the Golf, you won’t get into a surprise driving a BMW 335i which may suddenly punt you tail first into a tree due to its rear wheel drive (oversteer) nature.

As for the interior, the car is larger than the previous model and has better rear legroom. I have only one complaint is that in right hand drive form in that the pedals may be tight fit for those with big feet. The materials used is of class leading standard and if you were to compare between the BMW E90 3 series, the W204 C-class, you’d only have to choose between the Audi and the C-Class as the material quality in the 3 series is taxi like compared to the two.

On the exterior of the car I’d have to say that it is a successful albeit slightly fussy interpretation of the Audi school of design. However, the stance of the car is good, especially with the 18inch wheels. From the front with those daytime driving lights on it looks like an R8 and from the rear three quarter, it looks low slung, like a coupe. However, it has lost some of the clean lines of the previous B7 model and from the A6 (which facelift borrows the rear light cluster setup - in design). But this look will attract people and that’s what Audi wants I suppose.

So what’s my verdict on this Audi? It’s a good car to drive and miles ahead of its predecessor, albeit slightly clinical. But Audis tend to be like this unless it has a either warbling 5 cylinder engine like in the original Quattro, a stonking 4.2liter V8 like in the RS4 or some Lamborghini derived V10 shoved into them. It is a good entry level executive car nonetheless.

The author is an expert in used car and he currently drives a Volvo.

Article Source: Larmour Tan

Audi A4 1.8 TFSI: A Front Wheel Drive Audi That Drives Well

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May 7, 2010 by jameslucas.

By John Eva

The Audi A1 is the newest of the small coupes trying to duplicate the Smart car. The makers claim they are trying to attract the younger hip crowd of urban dwellers in order to capture a market that is easily missed, newly graduated college students looking for a chic brand but a practically attractive car. Well, whether they succeed in gathering the age group they are seeking business or not this is a sweet little automobile. With two trim packages and all sorts of optional extras this is an easily upgraded safe vehicle that also has reliability and durability of branding from the German makers.

Audi is the premier of autos with its Metroproject Quatro hybrid with excellent fuel emissions and mpg. The A1 is a compact car that will rival the Mini Cooper in style and dependability. Its extremely well built interior is not only stylish it is made for ease of use for the driver. The seats are stylish and comfortable with options available. The newest attraction added for those recently graduated is the state of the art up to the minute system with the i-pod or i-phone plug ins, navigation system, rock your world stereo and beyond excellent speakers.

In its bid to out class the mini class Audi has combined luxury sedan interior comfort with sporty exterior and performance you would expect from this one hundred year old auto maker. The car comes with choices in engine and transmissions as well as an hybrid model. It comes in a sporty hatchback or sedan model with choices of interior and exterior trim packages and upgrades.

Made for easy maneuvering around town to zip into parking spaces or easily park in a parallel spot without having to squeeze in with bigger cars jamming the space. In the world of more compact vehicles growing up in the name of going green this awesome vehicle won’t seem like a sacrifice to drive. This sporty luxurious incredibly fun ride will keep you wanting to run errands longer than may be necessary.

When it comes to perfection on wheels in a mini size it is hard to beat this superior design, low to the road easy to handle construction and you have the Audi A1. With its German engineering and heritage this is a car you will keep you riding in style showing off your chic taste but save the world mentality.

When it comes to financing options you can count on several choices including purchasing, leasing and buyers choice. Financing the car with the recommended options from the Audi dealer is an excellent choice for the buyer who wants to get the best deal.

There is always the choice of utilizing a bank or credit union. As for other options there is leasing in one year to four years terms with various mileage options. This is a great deal for anyone interested in exchanging or upgrading to the latest newest vehicle every few years or someone who really doesn’t take long trips or put a lot of mileage on a car during the course of a year.

Another option is to look into buyer’s choice where the buyer turns the car in at the end of the term, or purchases it out right from the dealer or obtains financing from his own sources. This is a great option if you want to walk away free and clear at the end of a term without being upside down on a vehicle. Whatever way you want to own your vehicle the Audi A1 is an excellent vehicle to test drive and then fall for.

Written on behalf of Total Fleet Services by John Eva
Car Leasing - Audi Contract Hire

Article Source: John Eva

The New Audi A1

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