2007 Audi A4 3.2 Avant S line
It's hard not to like the Audi A4 Avant: the convenience of a stylish, mid-sized station wagon with the handling and all-weather capability of a sporting AWD sedan. In standard trim, equipped with an automatic transmission, it's a very good wagon, uh, excuse me, Avant. Good but not great. In years past, BMW has done it better, particularly since they've offered a great manual transmission and killer Sport suspension in their 328xi AWD Sports Wagon.
Now Audi is fielding a worthy opponent. And all of the key content is available with a mere tick on the order form. Here's the formula. Base A4 3.2 quattro with the no-charge 6-speed manual. That'll be $38,160 including destination charge. Then check the box for the S line Sport Package ($2,750). Opt for the no-extra-cost high-performance summer tires and you're done. The driving dynamics of the very competent but uninvolving A4 Avant are completely transformed. It's also a quantum improvement over the standard AWD A4 Avant.
Part of the deal is purely cosmetic: S4 bumpers, side sills and grille plus the requisite S line badges let others know that the quattro GmbH boffins, Audi's in-house tuners, have massaged your ride.
The most critical element of the S line package is the suspension and running gear. Wheels are upsized from 7.5 x 17-inch shod with 235/45 H-rated all-season rubber to 8.0 x 18s wearing Y-rated 235/40 summer performance tires. Both Michelin Pilot Primacy and Continental Sport Contact 2s are used. (The test car wore Michelins.)
Equally important, suspension tuning is significantly altered from the baseline model. Shock valving is tightened up substantially, spring rates are higher, bushings are stiffer and the anti-roll bars are heftier.
My test car had the Titanium package ($500), available only on S-Line models, which adds a black front grille and black side window moldings, roof rails and headliner. Attractive 15-spoke alloys in the same 8.0 x 18-inch size round out the package.
The interior is a pleasant place to do business. The Premium Leather seats ($1,000) option supply an excellent driver's sport seat: supportive and comfortable with aggressive side bolsters to keep you anchored. The 60/40 split rear seat is comfortable for two and, when folded flat, increases cargo room from 27.8 cubic feet to 59 cubes, large enough to accommodate both of your Pyrenees and their doggie carriers for trips to the vet.
Control layout is logical and effective. The primary gauges are where they should be and easy to read. Interior trim is either wood or brushed aluminum, your choice. The shifter is reasonably direct and you'll never miss a gear if you're paying attention, but its action is rubbery and it lacks the precision found in any BMW or many other sporting sedans, for that matter.
The quattro setup is the traditional Torsen center diff with variable front/rear torque split plus electronically-locking front and rear center diffs. Front suspension is double wishbone; rear is multi-link. Body roll is negligible, turn-in is excellent and it tracks effortlessly at any speed.
The 2.0 turbo four is a terrific engine and does a competent job of propelling the A4. But the car is no featherweight at nearly 3700 pounds, and fast forward progress demands high revs and liberal use of the gears when coupled with the four-cylinder.
In contrast, the 3123cc long-stroke V-6 gets the job done in a much more relaxed manner. The engine employs FSI--Audi's name for high-pressure direct fuel injection--and a lofty 12.5:1 compression ratio to generate 255 hp at 6500 rpm. Maximum torque is 243 lb-ft, 90 percent of which is available from 1900 to 5900 rpm. Fuel economy also benefits: I saw 22 mpg in mixed driving and 25 mpg at a steady 75 mph cruise, an achievement of some note.
In general it's an easy engine to live with but it hangs onto revs too long, making it tough to drive smoothly. Fortunately, clutch takeup and feel are both quite good. The brakes are the same 12.6-inch-diameter fronts/11.3-inch rears as other A4s, offering good pedal feel with substantial stopping power.
Steering feel from the speed-sensitive Servotronic electronic system is better than some but it confuses effort with feel. It weights up with speed but there's no corresponding increase in feel. This is one area where the BMW is clearly superior.
The aggressive suspension setup and sticky tires help mask the steering issue and with the driven front wheels pulling, it's possible to carve up mountain roads at substantial velocities. Enough torque is on hand to permit modest entry speeds, then adding full power even before the apex and exiting with the engine well up in the powerband to deliver a slingshot departure. Final understeer is always present but for a vehicle with 58 percent of the weight on the front axle, it handles far better than you'd expect. And the ESP program has its threshold set high enough to keep from being intrusive.
Performance with the manual transmission slightly eclipses that of the available 6-speed automatic. Top speed in all S line models is limited to 130 mph but 0-60 mph rolls around in about 6.5 seconds and midrange acceleration is very good, provided you're in the appropriate gear.
It's the 6-speed and suspension that really set apart the S line from other A4s. Non-enthusiasts would be advised to avoid the S line option; on cratered pavement impact harshness is very noticeable and can sometimes be objectionable, even to someone accustomed to driving race-prepared sedans. I suspect the quattro GmbH chassis guys could have backed off on the shock valving with little or no penalty to handling. But maybe they used their development A4 S line for weekend autocrossing, something you could also use the production version for--after first removing the kid's car seat and groceries.
The BMW 328xi has the advantage in ride comfort and with near-50/50 weight distribution it handles slightly better at the limit. A performance disparity will be noticeable, however. The 3.0-liter inline six of the BMW, the only engine offered, produces 230 hp and 200 lb-ft, down 25 hp and 43 lb-ft from the A4. The Audi is slightly lighter than the BMW and the extra power of the 3.2-liter V-6 gives it a clear advantage in acceleration. But not top speed. Despite fitting the A4 Avant S line with Y-rated tires, Audi insists on limiting it to 130 mph. Equipped with summer performance tires the BMW is good for 147 mph. It's your call if that makes a difference.
Other than the S4--or better yet, the RS4--the A4 Avant AWD S line is the Audi enthusiast's ride of choice if you need the extra cargo room. It's far more involving to drive than the S8 or even the A6 Avant. At $47,810, which includes just under 10 large in options, it's a very viable alternative to the BMW 328 xi. (A 328xi with similar equipment costs $50,775.) So if you've got cargo to carry but decline to compromise on handling and performance, this Audi definitely merits a close look.
