Audi A4 2.5 TDI SE Multitronic review
by David Finlay (13 May 2005)
The first time I drove a six-cylinder turbo diesel Audi A4, I was amazed by its performance (it could keep up with almost anything without exceeding 2500rpm) but aghast at the way it handled. It didn't seem to want to go round corners at all, and you only had to open the bonnet to see why. Pretty much the whole of the large, heavy diesel lump sat ahead of the front wheels, which made the A4 very keen to continue travelling in a straight line and largely uninterested in changing direction.
In this latest version, the engine still sits very forward. I know, because I checked. I checked, because after driving for many miles along some of the most entertaining and challenging roads in the country I could hardly believe that the current A4 had the same layout as its predecessor.
Mounting a heavy engine so far forward is still basically a bad idea in terms of handling (though of course it's great for opening up space in the passenger compartment). The laws of physics haven't changed recently, so it must be the case that Audi's suspension people have played the rather dodgy hand they were dealt as well as they possibly could have done. You're simply no longer conscious of the heavy nose, and as a result the ride and handling of the A4 TDI are several leagues ahead of what they once were.
In a straight line, the new version doesn't feel quite as impressive as the old one did. There could be several reasons for this - extra weight, the fact that the improved handling means the car doesn't feel as hairy as before, or perhaps simply the fitment, in this case, of automatic transmission.
Frankly, it doesn't matter, because the 2.5-litre, 161bhp turbo diesel V6 is quite strong enough for its purpose. Overtaking is easy, cruising is fuss-free, and unless you really push hard it should be possible to achieve the combined economy figure of just under 40mpg without difficulty.
No complaints about space either for front passengers or for luggage. The boot carries 460 litres, extending to 720 litres if you fold down the rear seat. If you avoid this course of action and intend to transport adults in the rear, they should ideally be not much more than medium-sized.
There isn't as much room as you might expect, and Audi's attempt to improve kneeroom by putting leg-shaped channels in the back of the front seats doesn't entirely work. It's not too bad once you're installed, but you have to force your kneecap against a central mass of unyielding plastic to get there. Ford's system of hollowing out a much wider space is far more effective.
Audi has a strange official pricing structure for the A4. In the case of the test car, things like the SE trim level and the Multitronic automatic transmission are listed as optional extras on top of the basic price. That price, of £26,185, assumes that these are standard items, though in fact our car had some many other options that it would cost just over £29,000.
The cheapest and least appealing item on this list was the £140 front centre armrest, which is so badly placed that you have to fold it upwards - thereby destroying its effectiveness as any kind of armrest - before you can properly use the handbrake.
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