Car of the week: Audi A4

So I've been slacking off with the car of the week. My apologies to the three people that read my blog.

That said, this week's car of the week is the Audi A4. I have LOVED this car since I first went with my parents to test drive one back in 1997. I have a very clear memory of being at the well appointed Audi dealer in Palm Springs, CA. There was a beautiful woman that worked as a salesperson at the dealer. As they pulled the Champagne colored A4 in front of us, the woman smiled at me and said "this is a sharp car!" My reaction to this was "OMG, rich people use the word sharp!" Unfortunately, the A4 was way too small for a family of six. We did test drive the larger A6, but it was WAY too expensive at the time. Alas, we ended up getting a 1997 VW Passat. A much more affordable and comparable sedan to the A4. (The original body style of the A4 shared the same platform with the 97 VW Passat) Sigh.

But I digress. It wasn't until 2000 that an Audi A4 Quattro appeared in the front driveway of my parents house. But it was my older sister's car. No joke, I used to stand in front of the car just taking in the soft beautiful lines of the design. I'd walk around the perimeter of the car to see how many pieces of sheet medal were used, and how they fit on the car. The interior wasn't my choice, as it lacked the life-altering wood trim. But she loved that it didn't have wood trim. The one drawback that I see with the Audi A4, is the amber glow of the interior dashboard lights. I cannot stand this. It pretty much ruins the car for me. I'd prefer a clean white light, similar to that of the interior glow on the latest Honda Accords. Or even (possibly) the yellow glow that Mercedes-Benz uses in their cars. I've pretty much alienated myself from all of the Audi enthusiasts out there by suggesting using styling cues from MB or...*gasp* Honda...... but I stand by my suggestion. I just don't know that I can get passed the red amber.

Here's a visual history of the Audi A4 from its inception in 1994 to the latest 08 Model. You may also enjoy more personal opinions of each redesign!

1995-2001


2001-20005

THIS IS MY FAVORITE BODY STYLE to date! I LOVE how they took the soft lines of the previous generation, and made them more aggressive and sharp. If you look closely at the 2002 Passat, they have similar front fascia lines around the headlights! Beautiful!

2004-2007

HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. It looks like a pig.

2008-present

They recovered nicely from the previous generation. I sat in one the other day when I went to pick up the VeeDub from the dealer. VERY nice. This design has renewed my love for the Audi A4. (However, there is a slight design flaw in the interior of the 08 A4: When the parking break is up, the center console cannot be completely down. It's as if they were trying to fit a 3 foot wall into a 2 foot space. Not cool Audi. Not Cool.)