|
From YourSITE.com Reviews & Road Tests Editor’s Note As the temperature has dropped and interest in top-down motoring has waned, we begin to look at other aspects of ownership of the S4. Contributing editor Chris Stewart, a family man, took the S4 in November to see just how flexible this four-seater was. With a newborn and a toddler, we figured interior flexibility would be stretched to its maximum on a long family drive.
I was driving so I knew it wasn’t going to be my problem… or was it? Installing the seats was not a big deal aside from the fact that I had to put the top down to avoid pulling a muscle in my back. Not having a roof on a car does make access to the rear much easier. Fortunately, the Audi does have the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system; however they chose not to include rear tether hooks. Who really needs those tether hooks anyway? We didn’t have them as kids and we turned out ok. So far this trip had been exhausting and we hadn’t even left the driveway yet. The trunk was surprisingly roomy for a cabriolet. I was able to fit a Graco Pack-n-Play, three carry-on sized luggage pieces and a laptop bag. Of course, a full trunk also meant no top-down thrills or chills on this sunny November weekend. With the kids strapped in and wife already complaining about her knees against the dash I was ready to slip the S4 into first gear and exit the driveway. Wait! The navigation was not set up. “Intuitive” is not the first thing that comes to mind with Audi’s navigation system. Compared to our Honda Odyssey’s nav, the Audi’s system left me disappointed. For $60k, where is the touch screen interactivity? I do give high marks for the look and font usage. The brand police at Audi made sure the text was consistent with the all other printed materials. The system seemed determined to return me to the Fourtitude office. After a few minutes I did manage to figure out an alternate route to our destination. So as far as the navigation system was concerned, we were on the way to the Fourtitude office in Maryland by way of a minor detour to Pennsylvania. Back into first gear, we finally left the driveway. At first I thought the car seemed underpowered. Though it wears an S4 badge, it is still a heavy convertible. For the past decade I have been piloted turbocharged cars, so feeling torque below 2500rpm was a welcome change. By comparison though, not having a power rush around 3500rpm took some adjustment. The pull of the eight cylinders is smooth and constant. Without a doubt, the V8 sounds fantastic. The shifts are smooth and the clutch action easy. The European shift knob installed in our 4 Seasons S4 Cabriolet feels ‘just right.’ During my mostly highway commute I averaged 20mpg, a not-so-friendly figure with today’s fuel costs. The engine truly shines on the highway and there is plenty of passing power at and above 65mph. This cabriolet and engine combination is best served as an autobahn cruiser. For those taking test drives I would recommend, where possible, taking the S4 for 24 hours. A short 15-20 minute test drive will not give this car a fair shake.
The 19-inch BBS wheels were surprisingly comfortable. Expecting teeth chattering and bone jarring bumps, I came away feeling they were no more severe than any other 17- or 18-inch wheel with performance tires. Like most Audi cars, the handling was tight and the steering was responsive. By the end of the trip I realized that the S4 cabriolet is not a good choice for thirty-somethings with a three-year-old and an 8-month-old. Entry and exit are too difficult and the front passenger sacrifices too much legroom if there is a rear-facing infant seat in back. For a weekend jaunt the S4 was fine, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a daily driver to and from pre-school. The S4 Cabriolet is a beautiful, comfortable car for two adults. For the price there are definitely better alternatives in Audi’s stable for those looking for a family friendly, sporty German tuned vehicle. Perhaps Audi could consider a true adult four-seat convertible based on the A6. Bentley is currently the only manufacturer to offer a full-sized convertible that would suit the needs of space-ravenous parents who might be coaxed out of their minivans, but at what cost? From this $60k, 2005 S4 Cabriolet, I walked away longing for more. More room, more power, more child safety, more cup holders and more fuel economy. Counterpoint – by: Brad Beardow Like Chris, I also got some travel time in the S4 Cab and also like him, I invited my wife and two kids along for my 300-mile journey. I suppose I had an advantage in that my two kids are aged 3 and 10 years old, and as such I only needed space for one child seat in the Audi's less than commodious back seat. My wife is somewhat small of stature, so it really wasn't a big deal to have her scoot up a bit in the front passenger seat so that there was plenty of room for the child seat behind her. Even so, things were tight enough that my daughter soon learned that a steady and rhythmic style of kicking the back of the front passenger seat was a sure-fire way to effectively annoy my wife, and as a result we learned to remove the 3 year-old's shoes any time she was placed in her child seat. That strategy helped, but rest assured the phrase "Stop that!" was heard more than a few times throughout the road trip.
It's a damn shame to spend so much time talking about child seats, rear seat accommodations, and trunk room in a mega-horsepower, mega-dollar German performance cabriolet, so let's just summarize and say that though it was certainly a tight fit at first, once underway none of us were complaining about very much at all. My wife and I are quite used to recent Audi products and the S4's navigation system greeted us like an old friend. Gassed up on $3.00/gallon premium unleaded, the four of us and our elegant ride hit the open road. As mentioned, the S4 Cabriolet is a heavy car, and adding a family of four and their luggage only makes things worse. Still, the 4.2 V8 is barely stressed and the ratios within the 6-speed gearbox offer all the opportunity one needs to properly exploit all 340 horses. The S4 Cab makes for a sedate and also ferocious highway companion - it really depends on your mood. To make good time we stuck to the interstates, but once we were within 50 miles of our destination we decided to find some uncluttered back roads and reset the nav-system from there. A beautiful day, some lonely and twisting blacktop, and an S4 with no roof made for a happy arrival. Our return trip was less glorious with monsoon-type rains following us for almost the entire journey. Typically, traveling in such nasty weather in a convertible is a recipe for white knuckles, but the Audi's multi-layered top with heated glass rear window and legendary quattro all wheel-drive, and 3 sleeping passengers proved the S4 Cab is a fine all-weather companion. Does the S4 Cabriolet fit my family's needs as an all-around, do-everything kind of car? No, we have a Honda Element for that. But as my kids get older and we're willing and able to make more long distance road trips, Audi's wonderful S4 Cabriolet will be welcome in the Beardow family driveway any time.
© Copyright 2004 by YourSITE.com |
