Reviews & Road Tests
4 Season S4 Cabriolet: Report 10
By by: George Achorn
Apr 4, 2006, 15:08

March – Report 10
19,243 – 20,650 miles

March can be give and take in the Mid Atlantic. While there’s still snow, the seasons are definitely changing. We take a gamble that the snow is over and throw the 19-inch BBS wheels back on the car. It just looks too darn good with them not to do so.

For those who collect wheels like Imelda Marcos did shoes, this is a great time of year. Going to a smaller diameter in the Fall is novel, a change of pace, practical, and probably several other reasons you tell yourself as the mercury drops. However, going back to the big shoes in the Spring is purely a choice of the heart.

Sure, you could take it into the dealership. However, if you’re like us, then you more than likely take pleasure in putting each wheel back on – corner-by-corner. You step back after each one is re-installed, taking it in, comparing to the side not yet changed. It’s an addiction… a guilty pleasure. We know. We’re afflicted.

Fortunately, we chalked the tires in the fall, and know precisely from which corner they came. That’s a wise move if you have an all-wheel drive car, making doubly sure to take heed of your tread wear.



19,351 – The S4 rides a bit more smoothly with the 19s re-installed. Just as before, it’s not that harsh and very composed with such low profile tires.

-George Achorn

20,098 – You get surprisingly more looks at the car just by changing the wheels. Though I like the staid look of the standard Avus wheel from Audi, the larger and more aggressive-looking BBS wheels demand much more attention, especially in image-oriented neighborhoods like Washington’s suburban Bethesda downtown area.

-George Achorn

20,501 – Airport runs aren’t so bad in the S4, even with the trunk bin for the cloth top in the down position so that the top can be lowered. One can still fit a carry-on rectangular suitcase into the trunk behind the bin without having to raise it, allowing for a top-down run to Dulles, International Airport

-George Achorn

21,235 – There’s no B-pillar post on the Cabriolet. Put all four windows down with the top up, and airflow is great. The look and feel is akin to that of the General Lee, the Dodge Charger that starred in the ‘80s television show ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’.

-George Achorn

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