Reviews & Road Tests
Audi A4 Cabriolet 3.0 Multitronic
By by: Brad Beardow, photos: George Achorn
Oct 17, 2003, 14:24

In the grand scheme of the Volkswagen Group, we are told that it is Audi that is most likely to capture the true driving enthusiast’s heart, and at the same time, provide for a somewhat smaller feast at the BMW dinner table. Mention alphanumeric nameplates such as S4, S6, or better yet, RS4 and RS6 to said enthusiast, and there’s little doubt there’ll be a noticeable rise in heart rate, and a moistening of palms. And though any debate regarding such Audi models vs. class competition from Munich can never truly be resolved, there’s no doubt that Audi has targeted BMW as of late, and even less doubt should be reserved when suggesting that they most certainly have done their homework, and done it well.

It seems Audi has an answer for anything “M” these days, and some models, such as the S3 and S8, are answers to questions BMW has yet to even ask. But these high profile M and S/RS cars are not the proverbial bread and butter for BMW and Audi, respectively, and it’s really the run of the mill 330 or A4 that provides for these two car companies their buttered bread, meat and potatoes, and other necessary sustenance. So again, with BMW’s renowned flair for driving excellence focused narrowly in their cross hairs, how’s Audi doing with their “average” A4? We’ve driven all the different examples, and for the most part, these cars have what it takes to please even the most demanding drivers. Good job, well done…

Are cabriolets (coupe-based convertibles) supposed to be, for lack of a better term, sporty? How about Audi cabriolets? If we gather any preconceptions based on Audi’s previous convertible offering, the 80/90-based model that sold here from 1994 - 1998, it seems obvious that any aforementioned pulse check is largely going to be unnecessary. You remember this car, don’t you? Handsome, expensive, 3,500 lbs, 12v V6 with 174-hp, FWD, automatic only… And please forgive this rather un-PC observation, but the owner demographics had a very feminine slant to them, as well. So, back to the question asked above – do we really expect Audi cabrios to be sporty? Well, here’s a question to answer that question – are 3-series BMW convertibles sporty? By most accounts, they certainly are, and it is this acknowledgement that had somewhat raised our expectations as we prepared to drive Audi’s latest convertible, the A4 Cabriolet. Base price is $42,490, but add HID, leather, Bose stereo, and other assorted goodies such as those found on our test vehicle, and the price jumps quickly to $46,685.



For now, Audi offers this new Cabriolet with only one engine choice, the 220-hp 30v V6, and one transmission, the front wheel drive-only CVT. Hmm… no quattro, automatic only, and a curb weight of more than 3,800 pounds. Maybe Audi doesn’t know that BMW sells a 330ic with a manual transmission? Either way, and to quote Yogi Berra, this does seem a bit like deja vu all over again.

There can be no doubt that the new A4 Cabriolet is a very handsome car. It has some fairly dominant A4 genetic material coursing through its veins, and nowhere is this more obvious than when looking at the exterior. Yet every body panel on this new Cabriolet is substantially different from its more humble sedan brethren. Aggressive, yet pretty, our test car, with its sport suspension and 17” wheels and tires, seemed to say all the sporty things we wanted to hear, and additionally, it didn’t take a whole bunch of squinting to believe that Audi really ought to hurry up and build us a Coupe to round out this very attractive stable of A4 models. This car seemed to talk the talk, but could it also walk the walk? Certainly yes, but also no, and we’ll get to that shortly…

An attractive exterior would be all for naught if the interior were any less pretty, especially when we’re talking about an Audi product. Arguably, Audi has been designing and building the best interiors in the business over the last seven or eight years or so, and they’ve done it by way of using beautiful and ergonomic designs combined with the very best interior material the industry has ever seen at each model’s respective price points. The new A4 Cabriolet is certainly not going to ruin Audi’s current winning streak – there’s not a single thing wrong with this interior. Typical A4 fare for the most part (no bad thing, that), but with bits of TT-flavor here and there to jazz things up a bit, such as the vent trim rings constructed out of real aluminum. The best leather three-spoke steering wheel in the car game is found exactly where one might expect, and real wood that actually looks like real wood is spread tastefully throughout the cabin. And this cabin can actually seat four regular-size adults. Seating surfaces on our test vehicle were leather, and the well-bolstered front sport seats feature a very neat trick which has the upper release lever doubling as an electric fore and aft switch, greatly enhancing ingress and egress capabilities for the back seat passengers. The convertible top is electrically operated, and requires no more than a push of a single button to open and close. Not the quickest we’ve tested, but it does stow neatly below a very gracefully shaped tonneau cover.



As previously mentioned, the only driveline available as of now is the buttery-smooth three-liter, 30-valve V6, producing 220 horsepower and mated to the all-new Multitronic CVT transmission. With a curb weight of 3,800-plus pounds, these specifications hardly seem to be the stuff of which enthusiast’s dreams are made, but don’t judge this car too harshly just yet. Most folks know by now that Audi’s new 3.0 V6 is a gem - smooth and powerful, and it also has an aggressive drive-by-wire throttle that gives the engine a very eager demeanor, no matter in what vehicle it might be placed.

Audi’s new Multitronic CVT gearbox is truly an advancement in the world of automatic transmissions. CVT stands for Continuously Variable Transmission, and in laymen’s terms it basically describes a transmission that uses pulleys and belts (or in Audi’s case, chains) to constantly adjusts its “gearing” so that it can operate in a prescribed engine rpm range, according to conditions and computer input. For example, under cruising situations, the transmission selects a gear ratio that provides the best fuel economy. For passing, it will shift the ratio to a point that spins the engine first at its torque peak, and then let it rev to its horsepower peak and beyond. It’s a bit eerie at times as it makes the car feel almost as if it’s powered by electricity rather than gasoline, while other times it gives the sensation of a severely slipping clutch. Audi has programmed the transmission to subtly mimic the shift points of traditional automatics, so it’s not quite as unnatural as you might think. No matter how one might interpret the sensations delivered by the CVT, there can be little doubt that the system works, and works quite well, indeed. The transmission always seems to be one step ahead of you. Fuel economy is considerably better than a traditional slushbox because no matter what speed the car is traveling, if it’s a cruising situation, the engine is spinning at a relaxed RPM. If sudden acceleration is needed, there’s no two or three gear kick-down – the transmission quickly selects the gear ratio needed, and off you go. Efficiency is what Audi’s Multitronic CVT is all about.

But this CVT is no one-trick pony. Audi has engineered the CVT to operate in manual mode by way of synthesizing six distinct gear ratios from which you can choose in a sequential Tiptronic operation. Using either the gear shift or buttons on the nine and three positions on the three-spoke steering wheel, you can make the car hold any gear of your choosing, and it will keep it there until redline. Up and down shifts are quick and crisp, and if you’re in the proper mood, there’s no doubt this type of operation is much more fun than leaving the shifter in “D.”



So, are we saying that Audi’s new A4 Cabriolet, even in FWD and Automatic transmission, delivers the goods in a head-to-head battle with BMW’s 330ic? Well, no – not really. No matter how you slice it, or more specifically, how neat this CVT is, there’s just no way to pretend this car wouldn’t be a whole lot better with a good old manual gearbox, all-wheel drive, and a couple hundred fewer pounds of pork. While 220-hp isn’t exactly weak, it’s simply not that much when you’re lugging around close to two tons of iron and other assorted metals, composites, and plastics. The car certainly isn’t slow, but it’s not exactly what you would call fast, and Car and Driver magazine came to the very same conclusion when they tested the A4 Cabriolet, and timed it from 0 – 60-mph in 7.5 seconds.

While Audi claims this new convertible is 112% stiffer than the previous version, we were more than a little surprised at just how much cowl shake we experienced from time to time. To be fair, it never quite seemed like the chassis was actually flexing, per se, but there was often a bit more jitteriness to the steering column, pedals, and rear view mirror than we had expected.

The A4 cabrio is no canyon carver, but something tells us it was not designed to be such a car in the first place. Even equipped with a firmer sport suspension option, and 17x8 wheels shod with 235/40-17 tires, the Cabriolet still feels a bit soft and dull. At highway speeds, the car literally floats over bumps and undulations, and sometimes long after the road returns to smooth. This can be somewhat disconcerting at very high speeds, and it’s quite obvious that the culprits are springs and shocks designed to be comfortable at lower speeds, rather than precise and controlled at higher rates. It would be nice to try an A4 Cabriolet fitted with Audis air spring set up, as found on their flagship A8 and allroad models.



Keep in mind however, that this car will hustle ‘round corners when you want it to, and it will hang on, up to and beyond when any sense of reason might suggest you rethink what you’re attempting in the first place. Grippy tires, traction control, ESP and a bunch of other willing microprocessors make sure this car carves corners much faster than any law would allow. Thing is, it’s just not a bunch of fun while doing it, and anyone who’s driven a 330ic in anger will not find the same sort of therapy here. Which brings us back, full-circle, to the original question – are Audi Cabriolets supposed to be sporting vehicles? The answer would seem that no matter what BMW is thinking with their 3-series cabrios, Audi has very much decided that the A4 Cabriolet will serve its public very nicely just by riding comfortably, pissing off absolutely no one, and looking damn good in the process.

And as was stated earlier, Audi’s had a knack recently of matching BMW’s M cars tit for tat with S cars of their own. Those of you knowledgeable in all things BMW will already have wondered by now how Audi can let the M3 Cabriolet go unanswered, and it’s our duty to tell you to fear not, as Audi has just announced that this fall will see the release of the 4.2 V8, 340-hp, quattro-equipped, 6-speed manual, S4 Cabriolet. And an S4 Cabriolet begs another question, should we dare to ask - is an RS4 Cabriolet in our future?

Perhaps Audi is paying attention, after all.

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