2005 Audi A4 Owners Manual

2005 Audi A4 Owners Manual - Thanks to those who have reviewed about the 2005 Audi A4. Just like here, one of Audi A4 owner, Ashim writes about the audi — When you hammer the gas in the A4, there's a brief delay and then you get a nice spurt of acceleration. Same with the steering. There's a little play in the wheel when you corner; then the sporty sedan bites into the pavement. The A4 takes to the road the way a debutante enters a party: There's a period of deferential reserve before it warms to the scene. You want the A4 to get up and boogie. Its shapely design suggests performance, and its curves resemble those of the more exotic Audi TT roadster.

The cockpit grips you snugly, as if preparing the driver for some serious throttling. But the A4's head wins out over its heart, at least in the entry-level 1.8T model. It provides a refined ride that is spirited at times, but this car is too prim to let its hair down. The "Tiptronic" shifter that comes with the optional 5-speed automatic transmission reflects the A4's button-down soul. I was skeptical when I first pushed the gear selector out of conventional drive and over into clutchless shift mode, expecting a lazy driver's version of a stick shift. There is some of that. Moving through the Tiptronic's six gears requires nothing more than an effortless flick of the wrist. And in case you forget, the transmission downshifts for you when you slow down or stop. But there was some functionality on top of the faux racing schtick.

The Tiptronic shifts gears the instant you tap the stick forward, without the delay there would be with a clutch. It will keep the transmission in any gear you choose, if you feel you need the power, while providing a broader range of choice than a typical automatic transmission. But for regular driving, why bother? The Tiptronic got boring after awhile, especially since it didn't serve much of a purpose. And it began to seem like an innovation designed to enhance the A4's image as a road car more than the actual driving experience. There's a lot of that identify confusion going on in the A4, which strives to fulfill the luxury and performance expectations that come with the Audi brand while staying squarely under $30,000 at the low end. A leatherette interior is standard, for instance, but the same trim level doesn't include power seats. There's both luxury and performance in the A4, but not quite enough of either.

Original 2005 Audi A4 Owners Manual