2002 Audi A4

Audi Raises The Bar For Entry-Level Luxury Models

By Bob Storck with contribution from Hugo Becker

PRICE RANGE: $24,900 - $36,000
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FUEL ECONOMY (city/hwy): 22/31 MPG

SAFETY FEATURES: Driver, front passenger, side front and rear, head curtain airbags. Antilock Brakes are standard. Electronic Stabilization Program is standard.

IMPRESSION: Audi was unjustly criticized in the sensational press but has returned with industry leading innovations, First all-wheel drive, now CVT transmissions.

(Middleburg, VA) August Horch entered the automobile business in 1899 and built cars bearing his name. Herr Horch formulated the HORCH philosophy as, "in all circumstances, build only strong, good-quality cars". After a falling out with the board of directors in 1909 the old company carried the rights to the HORCH name, so he used a foreshortened Latin form of his name which can be construed as "to hear" in German. That Latin verb is "audio" and subsequently the "Audi" badge has been on cars since then.

Unfortunately in the 1980s, Audi's name was unjustly besmirched in the US by some questionable and self-serving 'investigative' reporting. Since those bleak days, Audi USA has made a spectacular comeback based on the strength of its product. That comeback can be traced directly to the philosophy that August Horch espoused for the company that bore his name.

The entry-level luxury market is getting crowded. The ever-popular 3 series BMWs and C-class from Mercedes have been joined by up and commers like the X-Type from Jaguar, the ES300 and IS300 from Lexus, the Infiniti GS35 and a host of others. Most of these cars are external symbols for the buyer's personas. The Audi A4, however, is an internal statement.

Without the cachet of a recognizable image, like a three-pointed star or leaping cat, the Audi must play to the internal musings of its potential buyers. It is Audi's recognition of their buyers' desire to have a harmoniously designed, luxuriously appointed, vehicle that drives them to produce their extremely elegant lineup of vehicles and they don‰t rely so much on brand image for their appeal.

Audi's quality can be seen throughout its current product line and most notably in its entry-level A4 series. Encompassing sedans, wagons, cabriolet, and sports tuned variants, the A4 lineup is probably the most complete entry-level luxury series on the market.