New Car Profile of the 2004 Audi A4 Series Near Luxury Sedan
Description: Near Luxury Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $25,550-$47,800
Invoice Price Range: $23,085-$43,178
Audi's A4 compact-class sedans emerged in 2002 with new generational designs that expanded the structure and stretches the wheelbase to forge a larger package with more cabin space for riders. In 2003, an airy drop-top variation showed up as the A4 Cabriolet with two powertrain options. For 2004, Audi adds a new quattro AWD version to the convertible to create the A4 3.0 quattro Cabriolet, while the sedan gets a racy S4 quattro special edition.
The S4 quattro stocks Audi's 4.2-liter V8 pushed to 340 hp and linked to a six-speed manual or new six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. It has large front brakes, xenon HID headlamps and 18-inch AVUS cast-alloy wheels with 235/40 high-performance tires. Also, the exterior for S4 varies from other A4 sedans with large front air intakes and a double grille mounted up front, aluminum mirror housings on flanks and a spoiler on the trunk. Special paint colors apply, such as Imola Yellow or Goodwood Green.
Inside, ultra-sport seats of Recaro design are clad in leather, while the leather-wrapped sport steering wheel holds Tiptronic shift paddles for hands-on gear changes. Entry issue in the A4 series is the 1.8T sedan with a 1.8-liter turbo plant in FrontTrak format linked to a manual five-speed gearbox. In addition, Audi offers its multitronic CVT shifter. To ensure tire traction on pavement, A4 1.8T is available with Audi's quattro system and this year it brings a new six-speed manual transmission as the standard.
Audi also casts the A4 sedan in luxury mode as the A4 3.0. This version is fired by an aluminum-block 3.0-liter V6 that generates 220 hp. A4 3.0 quattro gets either a manual six-speed or five-speed Tiptronic automatic. A4 Cabriolet stocks the 1.8-liter turbo plant in FrontTrak format or the 3.0-liter V6 with FrontTrak or new quattro traction. The fabric-lined convertible top has three layers for insulation plus a rear window constructed from glass and imbedded with a defroster element. Top opens and closes by either a manual mode or optional semi-automatic power. Automatic Rollover Supports (ARS) are also aboard the convertible. The bars, lurking behind backseat headrests, will deploy instantaneously if on-board sensors detect potential vehicle rollover movement.
