There’s nothing quite like the confidence of driving with all four wheels.  Case in point:  2004 Audi A4 versus surprise early-spring Michigan snowstorm. As the snow came down and the salt trucks were sluggish to respond, drivers were fishtailing left and right.  The medians were full of overconfident sport-utes. Meanwhile, our serene silver sedan plowed through the worst of it without a complaint, illustrating the results of Audi’s long-term love affair with all-wheel drive.

The A4 is Audi’s lowest-priced entry into the sports sedan market, and it’s a familiar face. Getting to know Audi means talking on their terms:  “quattro” is the A4′s all-wheel drive system, and “Avant” is the station wagon version.  The A4 can be had in sedan and Avant configurations.  The 2004 A4 is much the same as it’s been for the past few years, with a few evolutionary refinements and satellite radio pre-wiring.

The understated good looks are shared with larger Audis like the A6 and A8.  Thanks to low-clearance door handles and flush-mounted lighting, the A4 looks like it was milled instead of manufactured. The rounded, aerodynamic design is, at heart, a conservative three-box shape.

Audi does nice interiors.  Our test car’s black leather was a bit more somber than we’d have liked, but the comfortable seats and indirect nighttime cabin lighting spoke of German luxury in a way that few things do.  There aren’t as many storage cubbies for small items as in other cars, but the bank-vault build quality makes up for that deficiency handily.  In fact it was that obviously Teutonic construction that brought our attention to the things the A4 lacked, such as heated seats, a trip computer, and steering-wheel mounted controls.  Granted, all of the above are available on the A4, but our lightly-equipped test car didn’t have them.  On the other hand, the satellite radio wiring can accept either XM or Sirius subscriptions, making it one of few cars that offers a choice of major service providers.

Confident, communicative handling is the A4′s forte, especially on quattro-equipped vehicles.  When the road gets twisty, an aluminum-intensive four-link front and trapezoidal-link rear suspension offers fantastically quick reflexes.  The suspension offers a good compromise between soft and taut.  Audi also includes a permanently-engaged Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) that reads the car’s intended path and individually brakes the wheels to keep the A4 on course.  During the week’s ugly weather, ESP only flickered on and off once, a testament to the inherent sure-footedness of the quattro system.  Although it’s a back-road carver, the A4′s suspension is supple enough for relaxed freeway cruising as well.

A choice of turbocharged four-cylinder or six-cylinder power is offered.  We drove the 1.8 liter turbocharged four.  It’s a versatile powerplant, available in several Audi and Volkswagen products, but it’s aging.  170 horsepower gets the A4 moving in an acceptable fashion, but the powerband is very finicky.  At low revs it’s easy to catch the turbo napping, and the A4 is sluggish.  When the power comes on, it rushes gleefully to redline but can be difficult to modulate.  The five-speed automatic transmission didn’t help, with lazy shifts and a mushy feeling.  To make best use of the 1.8T engine, the six-speed manual transmission is a better choice.  For drivers who don’t like turbo lag, the torquey, 220-horse 3.0 liter V6 will deliver greater satisfaction.

Overall the A4 remains a good choice among compact sports sedans, but it’s aging rapidly.  Pricing starts at $25,550 for a two-wheel drive, 1.8T model, and goes up to just under $29,000 for the quattro.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2004 Audi A4 1.8T quattro, which we tested.
Length:         179.0 in.
Width:            69.5 in.
Height:            56.2 in.
Wheelbase:        104.3 in.
Curb weight:        3550 lb.
Cargo space:        13.4 cu.ft.
Base price:         $28,800
Engine:         1.8 liter DOHC turbocharged inline four-cylinder
Drivetrain:         five-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Horsepower:         170 @ 5900
Torque:         166 @ 1950-5000
Fuel capacity:        17.4 gal.

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