2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro Tiptronic

Elegance, Performance and Luxury in Smaller Crossover

by Jim Woodman

2011 Audi Q5 2.0T

My wife and three boys – ages 12, 10 and 6 – would put the Q5’s seating and cargo capacity to a stern test.

For those that may recall, the Audi Q5 was one of our ALV finalist vehicles for Luxury Onroad for 2009. When it was introduced in ‘09 as a smaller crossover alternative to the Q7 – and mainly to compete with the Mercedes GLK and BMW’s X3 – I was convinced it could be my next car. Of course, somewhere a few extra bundles of cash would have to fall my way as the Audi is certainly one of the pricier options when looking at smaller crossovers. Read the rest of this entry »

2012 Audi A7 Sedan

Five doors, four passengers, and one stunning design

By Nina Russin

2012 Audi A7

The collective eyes of my neighborhood are focused on the Audi A7 parked in our driveway. The new A7 combines five-door practicality with coupe styling. To call the exterior breathtaking is not an exaggeration.

Audi’s press materials claim that the five-door sedan has the versatility of a wagon. It doesn’t. The roof’s severe rake makes the cargo area too shallow to hold bicycles and other large cargo which could fit into a wagon or a more traditional hatchback. But with its folding rear seats, the A7 can easily hold long items such as skis and snowboards. Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system makes getting through the snow a non-issue.

Power comes from a supercharged 3-liter V-6 engine rated at 310 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque. Superchargers have a reputation for providing exceptional low-end power with no throttle lag: the block in the A7 is no exception. Peak torque is available as low as 2900 rpm.

Equally impressive is an eight-speed automatic transmission with manual gear selection. The Quattro all-wheel drive system maintains a 40/60 front-to-rear torque split under normal driving conditions. It can prevent understeer by applying the brakes to the inside rear wheel if the car starts to push in a corner.

Base price is $59,250, not including the $875 delivery charge. A prestige package on the test car adds larger wheels, navigation, a connectivity system, four-zone climate control, upgraded Bose audio system, a rearview camera with ultrasonic parking sensors, adaptive headlamps and a seven-inch information screen ($6330).

Twenty-inch rims with performance tires cost $1200, while Audi’s blind spot detection system adds $500. Special metallic paint ($475) plus the options above bring the price as tested to $68,630. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Audi A8 quattro

High performance meets high style in the passing lane

By Nina Russin

2011 Audi A8

From its unique LED headlamps to the Bauhaus interior, the A8 looks like nothing else on the road. Styling is modern without being faddish. I can picture Bucky Fuller chatting with students in the back seat and feeling completely at home doing so.

Power comes from a 4.2-liter direct injection V8 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission with manual gear selection. The engine reaches peak torque of 328 foot-pounds at 3500 rpm for powerful acceleration.

Base price is $78,050, not including the $875 destination charge. A Bang & Olufsen premium audio system on the test car adds $6300. A convenience package includes keyless entry and start, power opening and closing trunk and a rearview camera with ultrasonic park assist ($2350).

There are two interior upgrades: leather trim ($750) and a premium package which adds 22-way climate controlled front seats with massage and wood decorative inlays on the seatbacks ($2000).

LED headlamps cost $1400, while 20-inch wheels with summer performance tires add $1200. Dual-pane acoustic and security glass costs $600, bringing the price as tested to $93,525. Read the rest of this entry »

2011 Audi A5 Cabriolet

Sexy drop top for driving enthusiasts

By Nina Russin

2011 Audi A5 Cabriolet

Audi’s A5 cabriolet is really two cars in one. With the top in place, it performs very much like its sibling, the A5 coupe. The standard soft top is remarkably well insulated, to protect passengers from temperature extremes and minimize noise intrusion. A high level of torsional stiffness prevents the cowl shake some convertibles suffer from.

With the top deployed, the sporty A5 offers the sensuously satisfying experience only a cabriolet can. A single switch on the center console lowers the top and stows it the boot automatically: the whole operation takes 17 seconds.

Power comes from a two-liter turbocharged engine rated at 211 horsepower and a six-speed Tiptronic transmission with a manual gear selection mode.

Base price for the all-wheel drive test car is $44,190, not including the $875 destination charge. Buyers who can live with front-wheel drive in lieu of quattro save about $2000 on the MSRP and get slightly better gas mileage.

However the front-wheel drive A-5 comes with a continuously variable transmission in place of the Tiptronic. In addition to its nice crisp shifts, the Tiptronic automatic transmission also yields faster zero-to-sixty times.

A premium model upgrade adds xenon headlamps, Bluetooth interface, 18-inch alloy wheels, a rain/light sensor and Audi music interface ($3700). Navigation with a rearview camera costs $2400.

A 19-inch wheel upgrade ($800) and dual exhaust tips ($130) bring the price as tested to $54,545. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Audi S4 Sedan

Supercharged V-6 engine takes A4 performance to the next level

By Nina Russin

2010 Audi S4

The Audi S4 is the high-performance sibling to the A4 sport sedan, with a more powerful engine, special wheels and styling for the true driving enthusiast. A supercharged V-6 engine in lieu of the A4’s two-liter block produces 333 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque. Not only does supercharging enhance throttle response; the blower reduces power loss at high altitudes.

Buyers can choose between a standard six-speed manual gearbox and a new seven-speed automatic transmission. Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system is standard, transferring engine power to the wheels with the best traction.

A unique front grille, quad exhaust pipes, special badging and 18-inch aluminum wheels dress up the sedan’s exterior. Inside, the S4 comes with leather sport seats, a black headliner, brushed aluminum trim and more unique badging.

Base price is $45,900, not including an $825 destination charge. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI quattro Cabriolet

Open-air love affair

By Nina Russin

2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet

Used to be, owning a convertible was a love/hate relationship. While nobody would argue with the visceral appeal of open-air motoring, drivers had to compromise ride and handling due to poor torsional rigidity that plagued many cabriolets. In addition, the soft tops did a poor job of insulating the interior against road noise and cold temperatures.

I owned one of those convertibles: a 1972 Olds Cutlass. While I enjoyed every day through seven summers of driving, I stored the car from October through April. In the winter, I drove a sedan.

The Audi A5 cabriolet is a different kind of animal: with a stronger skeleton and four-season performance. Engineers used high-strength steel throughout the body structure, enhancing  torsional rigidity without adding weight.

Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system maintains a rear-wheel bias on dry roads, and sends power to the wheels with the best traction on wet and icy surfaces. The top is insulated enough to keep out road noise in the summer and cold in the winter.

A two-liter, turbocharged engine produces excellent power while conserving on fuel. Audi’s direct fuel injection system delivers the gasoline directly into the engine cylinders, enhancing throttle response while reducing carbon monoxide emissions. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Audi A4 Tiptronic Sedan

Mid-sized sport sedan sprints to the head of the pack

By Nina Russin

Audi A4 Tiptronic Sedan

Audis are to the automotive world what wide receivers are to football: solid as a rock, yet lightning fast. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the A4: a mid-sized sport sedan that competes against the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class.

Engineers imbued the two-liter, four-cylinder engine with exceptional throttle response, thanks to direct injection: a technology used throughout Audi’s model lineup. Unlike traditional port fuel systems, injectors deliver the gas directly into the cylinder, bypassing the valves. Doing so reduces the amount of unburned gas, enhancing fuel economy. Because the fuel vaporizes instantly, direct injection also improves throttle response.

The six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission includes a sport mode for more aggressive performance. The driver can manually select gears if he prefers.

Quattro all-wheel drive makes the wheels stick to the road like glue, whether driving through rain, snow, or on dry pavement.

Use of aluminum throughout the body and suspension gives the A4 the ‘light on its feet’ feel that I alluded to in the opening paragraph. Read the rest of this entry »

2009 Audi Q5 3.2 quattro Tiptronic

Style meets performance in Audi’s first compact SUV

By Nina Russin

2009 Audi Q5

This year, Audi expands its sport-utility lineup with the Q5: a compact alternative to the full-sized Q7. Built on the same chassis as the A4 sedan, the Q5 melds Audi’s race-inspired performance with sleek, upscale styling. Base price for the Q5 is $37,200, not including a $825 delivery charge.

Power comes from a 270-horsepower V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission. The Q5 accelerates from zero-to-sixty miles-per-hour in 6.7 seconds. Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system maintains a rear bias under normal conditions, but can transfer engine torque between axles and wheels to maximize traction.

The Q5 tows up to 4400 pounds: well above our 3500-pound ALV minimum standard. A new navigation system displays maps with three-dimensional graphics, and includes real-time traffic updates ($3000). I found the graphics hard to read while I was driving: simpler is better to keep drivers focused on the road. Read the rest of this entry »

2009 Audi Q7 TDI Premium quattro Tiptronic

Full-sized SUV with a green footprint

By Nina Russin

2009 Audi Q7 TDI

Which technology is greener: gasoline-electric hybrids or clean diesel? Engineers on both sides of the fence can make good arguments in their favor. Hybrids yield exceptional fuel economy in stop-and-go traffic, whereas the fuel economy gains for diesel cars are smaller, but more consistent across-the-board.

Over the long term, owners of hybrids must address the issue of battery life and disposal: a problem that doesn’t exist for diesel. On the other hand, gasoline is still more readily available than diesel in the US, and in many cases, costs less.

Traditionally, American drivers have shunned diesel technology, primarily because of bad experiences with vehicles built several decades back. I can’t emphasize enough how different the current generation of diesel cars are from their predecessors. A relatively recent technology known as common-rail diesel uses on-board computer controls and very high fuel-line pressures to give the new cars power and performance comparable to gasoline cars.

The new clean diesel cars have excellent throttle response, and vastly reduced diesel tick. Audi has reduced particulates out the exhaust by 98 percent, compared to cars built in the late 1980s. Torque is up 70 percent. In short, the cars are environmentally friendly, fun to drive, and remarkably fuel-efficient. Read the rest of this entry »

2010 Audi S5 Quattro

Stylish sport coupe for driving enthusiasts

By Nina Russin

Audi S5

The S is the performance grade of the Audi A5 coupe. Last year, the A5 edged out the Lexus IS F to win our Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year award in the luxury category. Athletes loved the A5’s styling and exceptional handling.

The S5 replaces the V6 engine on the Audi A5 with a 4.2-liter V8, giving it stronger acceleration. Zero-to-sixty times are 4.9 seconds for models with the six-speed manual gearbox, and 5.1 seconds with the Tiptronic.  Given that the less powerful A5 is a wonderful car, the S5 becomes ‘wonderful squared.’

Styling is classic Audi: a long bullet-shaped hood and snub rear end, with the automaker’s signature trapezoidal grille. Strings of LEDs below the xenon headlamps function as daytime running lamps, and punctuate the front end. A strong beltline gives the profile extra muscle. Large wheel arches frame 19-inch wheels with low-profile tires. Read the rest of this entry »