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Audi A4 Convertible

229 messages,  Last post on Nov 16, 2009 at 8:30 PM

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What is this discussion about? Audi Cabriolet, Audi A4, Convertible

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#57 of 229 Ugh by scipio1 Jun 19, 2003 (12:18 pm)
My wife and I went looking for a replacement for our 2001 330, and I went in with high hopes that the A4 cabrio would be a compelling alternative. My wife's been dying for a convertible ever since we bought my 2002 M3 cabrio, so off to the dealership we went.   I was really disappointed in the A4. For a 3.0 liter engine putting out 220 bhp, the car just sagged around like it was wading through knee-deep water. Clearly, they put too much weight on the car and it showed.   The CVT was neat, but failed to provide a satisfying experience even for an automatic tranny (my wife wants an automatic slushbox, even though I've been begging her not to give in to the Dark Side... five simple words, dear: six speed short throw manual).   On the bright side, the leather was nice, on par with my M3's nappa and the car seemed to be very well-behaved, if that's what you're looking for. My main complaint is that it lacked any sense of urgency or snap. It's not fair to compare anything less than an S4 to an M3, but my feeling was that the A4 cabrio is sedate even compared to a 325 cabrio much less the 330. Overall, I came away underwhelmed by the experience.   The final straw was the price. Fully equipped, it was comparably priced to a 330ci cabrio. For a large discount, I think we would have considered the Audi, but at those pricing levels it was a no-brainer. No offense, but the Audi is not a BMW, and asking the same for an A4 as a 330 seems ludicrous to me.   On the other hand, I came away thinking that the Audi probably makes more sense if you're looking for a sedate, well-mannered cruiser at a discount to a Mercedes cabrio. I think the CLKs are marvellous cars: pretty, elegant, well-mannered and superbly predictable luxury convertibles. On that comparison, I think you could come away with a favorable price/value basis and say the A4 cabrio has a better value proposition. Unfortunately, it's just not a compelling driver's car.
#58 of 229 i think by justin Jun 23, 2003 (11:26 am)
the A4 convertible is a great addition to the import mid-priced droptop mix. right now you have a 3 series convertible or the aging Volvo or the Saab 9-3 in the same REAL price range - thats it.   if you want a 6 cylinder - it is the Audi or the BMW. and some people won't consider BMW for image reasons and lack of AWD/FWD. the Audi is the only game in town for some folks.   i personally think other car companies should be REQUIRED to copy the Audi interior schemes....
#59 of 229 Choice - 2003 A4 v. Volvo C70 by taylor35 Jun 25, 2003 (6:58 am)
The details are a 2003 A4 (1.8 L) v. a 2003 C70 HT. Both with low miles and in great shape. The C70 is priced $3000 more. We need to haul kids in the back (sometimes even teenagers)and will be doing mostly suburban driving. Thoughts?
#60 of 229 Without knowing more... by scipio1 Jun 25, 2003 (8:33 am)
it's hard to say, because it depends on (1) mileage (2) options and (3) most importantly, what you want in a car.   The only thing I can add of value is a friend of mine has a Volvo, and has always owned them. He says his cars break down a TON, but he lives right by a volvo mechanic who he has a great personal relationship with, and that makes it workable for him.
#61 of 229 My experience by michaell Jun 26, 2003 (2:18 pm)
My wife is thinking about the VW New Beetle convertible. I convinced her a few weeks ago to go down to the dealer and test drive one. Unfortunately, the dealer didn't have one on the lot, so we walked next door to the Audi dealer to look at the TT Cabrio. Wife not sure about only 2 seats, so I direct her to an A4 convertible with the 1.8T engine. She likes the look, so we take a drive.   Like scipio1, we found it to be nice, but more of a cruiser. Unlike scipio1, that's sorta what we're looking for. The acceleration is adequate; better than my wife's current ride, a VW New Beetle with the 2.0L gas engine with a 5-speed. She was blown away by the construction of the interior, however. Way nicer than anything she's been in before. Evverything felt screwed together well and the switches moved with precision. The lining of the roof was nice; with the top up, it felt like a sedan. The totally automated roof was a nice feature; with the frequent summer t-storms we get, getting the roof up in a hurry can be quite important. Not a huge amount of room in the rear seat .. we have teenagers, and they would probably complain.   The price tag took my wife's breath away. Optioned with leather a couple of other things, it stickered at $38K. Tough to swallow for a 4 cylinder; almost impossible when you can get the same engine in the New Beetle Cabrio for over $10K less. And, you can get the NB with a stick, which is my wife's preference.   Bottom line: nice, but the spouse will want to drive the NB convertible first before making a final decision.
#62 of 229 NB by scipio1 Jun 26, 2003 (2:40 pm)
isn't the NB considerably roomier than a TT? I haven't driven one, but I would have guessed that to be the case. Also, shouldn't the TT be a LOT faster than the NB? I remember reading somewhere that the NB took over 11 seconds 0-60 in its base trim.   if you're in the $40k price range, and want a cruiser, have you thought about the toyota solara as a cheaper option? Much as it galls me to admit this, we rented a Sebring convertible and for $23,000, I felt it was a superb cruising convertible if you can get over the American nameplate (I couldn't). In fact, I thought it was light-years superior to a Mitsubishi Exclipse Spyder we rented later.   At $38,000, aren't you into the lower end of the price range for an A4 cabrio?
#63 of 229 michaell by justin Jun 27, 2003 (5:47 am)
i hate to say it, but if you wife is looking for the ultimate inexpensive 5 speed convertible, look no further than the Miata. tell the kids to take the bus   if a 5 speed is what she really wants, with a quick up and down roof, the Miata is the only game in town. no one can make a better manual transmission than the Miata. and it is $18k less than the base A4 convertible!
#64 of 229 sebring? by sphinx99 Jun 27, 2003 (5:57 am)
Just curious as to whether anyone here has driven both the A4 and the Sebring convertibles? I know some people truly hate domestics but I've always liked the Sebring - it has nice measures of luxury and elegance at a good price, and is a pretty soft ride. The A4 seems to offer double the luxury and elegance for double the price but also has the pretty soft ride. I don't know why, I just think of these two cars appealing to the same sort of personalities and differentiated mainly by the pocketbook of the buyer... just my thoughts. I could be totally off-base on this.
#65 of 229 justin/scipio1/sphinx99 by michaell Jun 27, 2003 (6:21 am)
Believe me, I've given a Miata a lot of thought. I've also been subtlely trying to get the wife to think Z4 or used Boxster, though that's pretty unlikely as well. The next car is the wife's, so she'll get to make the choice.   We've got a New Beetle currently; that's one of the reasons why the NB convert is high on her list. She knows the ergonomics well, and ours has held up pretty well in the 50K miles that we've driven it.   Yes, the TT is faster (180hp vs. 150hp in the NB), but it's not outright speed she's looking for. Her commute is 20 minutes on rural roads, pretty much in a straight line with only 2 stoplights. The A4, with 170hp from the 1.8T, certainly has enough "pop" to satisfy her.   The other car the wife really likes is the T-Bird, but I think (and she agrees) that it's pretty large for just two seats. I admit to not having given the Solara or Sebring a lot of thought, to be honest.   I'm hoping to get her into an NB convert next weekend, just to drive it and see what she thinks. It's possible that she'll like the A4 more -- I'm also trying to sell her on the free maintenance that Audi offers, plus the nicer experience overall.   We'll see.
#66 of 229 sphinx99 by scipio1 Jun 27, 2003 (1:55 pm)
That was precisely where I was going with that Sebring thought. For it price point I thought the Sebring was an absolutely magnificent "cruiser" convertible, for comfy beachside drives. The car was well-mannered, roomy, nicely optioned with things like a power top, and drove quite well. Soft, but quite capable of cruising very comfortably.   The Mitsu was smaller, less practical, and had a joke of a trunk. For all of it's extra intended "sportiness", the Eclipse didn't seem to do anything as well as the Sebring. I fully admit to having doubts about American car build quality, but the Sebring came the closest out of any American car to getting me to take a chance.   I felt the A4 was very similar to the Sebring, albeit with higher quality and production values. However, I revolted at the thought of paying twice as much for a similar, mild-mannered comfortable cruising convertible. I was willing to fork out for a 330ci or M3 cab at that pricing level, but for the A4 cab, I'd say if you're willing to take the hit on the badge, go with the Sebring.   One quick note: the Camry Solara is also supposed to be quite good, although I've never driven it. Pricier than the Sebring, most reviews say it's about comparable in terms of room, power and comfort, if you absolutely cannot bring yourself to buy a Chrysler.

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