Not perfect, but very good (Audi A4 2.4)

Member Name: PNT

Product:	Audi A4 2.4
Date:	19/07/00 (538 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ride, handling

Disadvantages: Leg room in the back, boot openng

I've been driving a 2.4 SE for about 15 months.

My previous car was a Saab 9000 CSE (i.e. a
hatchback) - both a pleasure to drive and
practical, and I wanted the replacement to be
the same.

At the time, I test drove a Saab 9-5 and a
couple of models in the A4 range. The 9-5
was nice, but, well, it just wasn't a
positive pleasure to drive. The A4 was, and
in the end, that was one of the things that
swayed me in its favour.

So, have I been pleased? Yes, no doubt about
it. To drive, it manages to be both civilised
and responsive, the engine is even throughout
the range (I much preferred the V6 to the engine
on the smaller models), and it's comfortable for
as long as I've had to sit in it. The M6 has
never seemed so short! All the gadgets you'd
expect are present and correct, and I've had
no serious problems at all since I've had it.

Disadvantages? A few. The leg room in the rear
seats is tighter than you might expect. Not
unbearably tight - it is a reasonably sized
car, after all - just not luxurious. The boot
space is fine, but the opening (in the saloon)
is disappointingly small after my previous
Saab hatchback. So this isn't a family car.
(Though the Avant - i.e. estate model - is
another matter, and my small amount of
experience is that it still handles well.)
Fuel consumption is good on longer journeys,
only average on urban driving. But hey, what do
you expect?

Overall, I'm still pleased with it. Next time,
I may look at the estate, and/or at one
of the larger models, but Audi will certainly
be at the top of my list of things to look at.

Summary: