2002 Audi A4...Continued

Audi's styling has been exceptionally sleek in the last two iterations of their entry-level platform. With the latest redesign of the A4 they have captured the styling queues of its glamorous sibling, the A6.

Like a Henry Moore sculpture, the exterior styling hints at its purpose through graceful, clean unadorned curves and edges. There is nothing 'busy' or 'fussy' on the exterior of this car. The 'B' pillars are blacked out giving the side the look of one full sheet of glass from the front pillar to the rear window. Further the bottom line of the glass slopes downhill from the rear to the front, imparting a rake to the car. The A4 simply exhibits elegant and exciting styling.

All A4 models' interiors ooze quality from their design, materials and fit and finish. Open the door and you're treated to one of the best vehicle interiors available on the market. Again, the styling is clean - great gauges, easy to use climate controls and audio system. The attention paid to how individual pieces fit together, which provides a harmonious whole that is the envy of the industry.

The seats follow the German school of firm support; you sit on them not in them and are exceptionally comfortable over long distances. The seats in the 1.8T engined cars can be upholstered in cloth or vinyl leatherette; the 3.0 V6 can be had with optional full leather seats.

The engine selection and choice of driven wheels determine which drive train options are available. The 1.8T front wheel drive or Quattros (all wheel drive) standard transmission is a five-speed manual. The optional automatic transmission on the 1.8T, front wheel drive is the fabulous new Multitronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The Multitronic automatic transmission is a truly outstanding piece of engineering. It is an automatic that continuously varies the transmission's ratios, taking full advantage of the engine's powerband. There are no gears as in most transmissions, and the available ratios are infinite, so the car can select the optimum ratio at any one time. It can deliver power when needed, and economy when just cruising.

It uses an electronically controlled 'wet' multi-plate clutch, rather than a torque converter to couple the transmission to the engine. This further aids in producing good fuel economy. Curiously, the Multitronic has six electronically simulated preset gear ratios that give the driver the impression of a standard geared transmission. Audi apparently doesn't trust us to understand the smooth, seamless CVT shifting. Using this ploy, a driver can manually "shift" using either the shift level or switches on the steering wheel.