Audi A4 1.6 S Line 4dr

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Oh yes, Audi have been one of the most renowned manufacturers in the world now. But it wasn't always that way...

Audi are the newest of the 3 big German brands - BMW and Mercades-Benz - and it took them till the 90's to hit the big time. Sure the Quattro got them noticed in the 80's but as far as mainstream models went, it wasn't till the 'A' range was launched in 1995, that Audi was a household name. The A4 model hit the ...
...TT coupe and Cabriolet made Audi huge and the clever little A2 helped that even more.

Now the 4-ring badge has joined the 3-pronged star and the Prancing horse as one of the most recognisable badges in history. It is also quite exclusive to people such as my Dad who owns Company cars.

So imagine our surprise when we received the 1997 company car list. We all looked down the list. The Mondeo, (The car we had at that moment) ... more

In the car market there is no prejudice. Car journalists don't immediately think a BMW will be good just because of the badge. But out of the car market, there are a few names, which stand out. Some good, some bad. Lada for instance isn't a good one. But a good name is Ferrari, BMW, Jaguar and Audi.

Oh yes, Audi have been one of the most renowned manufacturers in the world now. But it wasn't always that way...

Audi are the newest of the 3 big German brands - BMW and Mercades-Benz - and it took them till the 90's to hit the big time. Sure the Quattro got them noticed in the 80's but as far as mainstream models went, it wasn't till the 'A' range was launched in 1995, that Audi was a household name. The A4 model hit the streets in 1995 and took the renowned BMW 3-Series to the cleaners and back. The A8 'all-aluminium' saloon came next, which was followed by the A6, 5-Series rival. The A3 hatch took on the Escort in 1997 too. In 2000 though, the TT coupe and Cabriolet made Audi huge and the clever little A2 helped that even more.

Now the 4-ring badge has joined the 3-pronged star and the Prancing horse as one of the most recognisable badges in history. It is also quite exclusive to people such as my Dad who owns Company cars.

So imagine our surprise when we received the 1997 company car list. We all looked down the list. The Mondeo, (The car we had at that moment) the Vectra, the 406 and the S40 were all there but then at the bottom came a car we weren’t expecting. The Audi A4 1.6 Saloon.

After years of mainstream models, it was time for a bit of class. Even my Mum wanted the car. So the form went through with the Audi sitting on the dotted line. Fantastic!

This op is going to go through the ins and outs of the 1997 Audi A4 1.6 Saloon Small Executive...

STYLING * * * * *

How do you describe a brilliantly classy car? The A4 just emits class and opulence like a heater emits heat. The compact saloon body is smooth and all flows well together. From the front the understated but neatly designed front end makes the Mondeo seem quirky and the Vectra boring - well more than it already is! The well-moulded bumpers jut out of each end and give the A4 a curvaceous stance. The interior is also just a fabulous and simple design. The cluttered offerings from BMW and Ford cant match the A4's simplicity. Slide into the A4’s front seats and you’ll be faced with a great, solid fascia, which is very nice to touch, and it passes the Ollie ‘knock’ test. The reassuring black colours may seem dark but in the end it all adds to the A4’s strong nature.

EXTERIOR * * * * *
INTERIOR * * * * *

ON THE ROAD * * * *

Of course I can’t drive the car – at 15 years old, I obviously can’t drive – which is why I took the courtesy to ask my Dad about the car for all you CIAO readers. When we had the car, my Dad did nothing but praise the cars driving prowess. After the mainstream Mondeos and Sierras of the past, the A4 was a breath of fresh air. Despite motoring journalist’s reservations, my Dad found the car very fun to drive and offered a very rewarding drive around the country roads meandering around my town of Bury St Edmunds. If there was ever a big criticism about the cars tarmac performance, it would be just that. Performance. The small 1.6 engine does business in the VW Golf and Seat Leon at the moment – much smaller cars. It isn’t all that powerful there. So put it into a heavier and bigger car and the problems begin to arise. On the move the unit is refined enough as the Audi refinement shines through the lack of pull from the engine. I often found my Dad struggling to get some go out of the car and in a car full of 5 people and their luggage, the A4 is a bit of a slouch. The engine also had a tendency to chatter under pressure. I’m not sure if that’s normal. The ride is a little harsh and it is quite noticeable after 6 years in the comfortable Ford Mondeo. At the petrol pumps the 1.6 engine is quite a penny pincher next to rivals.

HANDLING * * * *
RIDE * * *
PERFORMANCE * * *
ECONOMY * * * *

GENERAL INFORMATION * * * *

When we bought the Audi it was when prices were higher than they are. The Audi range is also rather renowned for it’s high prices and this £17,000 entry-level model is no exception. But kit wasn’t all that sparse, especially next to the more expensive bottom of the range Beemer. And the list is as follows…

DRIVERS AIRBAG (PASSENGER AND SIDE BAGS WERE FITTED A FEW WEEKS AFTER OUR DELIVERY)
ABS
FOG LIGHTS (IN THE HEADLIGHTS)
ELECTRIC WINDOWS
ELECTRIC MIRRORS
ELECTRIC SUNROOF
ALARM
IMMOBILISER

As I just said, a few weeks later launched the better-equipped models, which included Passenger and side airbags, Air Conditioning and a CD player. On the Reliability front, the Audi rarely went wrong but there were a few snags along the way. For instance the Alarm failed when the car was broken into – only an empty briefcase was taken anyway – and the immobiliser failed, preventing the car to start for a week. Apart from that, the service at the garage was good – same can’t be said about our current car the VW Passat (read my last op).

PRICE * * *
EQUIPMENT * * *
RELIABILITY * * * *
SERVICE * * * *
SECURITY EQUIPMENT * * * *
SAFETY EQUIPMENT * * *

VERSITILITY * * *

At the time we had the Audi, my brother moved to Manchester University and he took most of his stuff with him. Much to the annoyance of my Dad and probably the car. We looked at the pile of stuff and then at the A4’s boot and nearly cried. It was very small and an awkward shape. After literally 3 hours of packing, we managed to get it all in. How remains a massive mystery? After we all piled in – that’s 3 adults and me (aged 12) – the bumper was literally on the ground. The Audi is not a spacious car. My Dad sits very far back and sometimes my knees really pressed hard against the back of the seat which had hard plastic behind the seat covering, much to my frustration. I wasn’t even that big then. I can’t imagine what my 6 foot 2 brother felt! But the firm and supportive seats, which hug your bum, are nice and comfortable.

PRACTICALITY * *
COMFORT * * * *

OVERALL

Having the Audi A4 as a car was a complete joy and we all loved having it sitting on our drive. It brought a little class to our everyday lives and my Dad loved it. However, in just 2 years we had to give it up because the company had dropped the Audi from the list. Instead we went for the Audi derivative the VW Passat estate – there’s an op about it somewhere! – and we love it nearly as much. We say nearly because it did have that 4-ringed badge. Now I’m being prejudice again and I shouldn’t. After all Skoda have made it back and rumour has it that Lada is to be launched into the UK once again in the next few years. It’s a great car and makes a great buy.

EXTERIOR * * * * *
INTERIOR * * * * *
RIDE * * *
HANDLING * * * *
PERFORMANCE * * *
ECONOMY * * * *
PRICE * * *
EQUIPMENT * * *
RELIABILITY * * * *
SECURITY EQUIPMENT * * * *
SAFETY EQUIPMENT * * *
PRACTICALLITY * *
COMFORT * * * *

Hope this has been helpful and thanks for reading…

Oh and MERRY XMAS

SOLEX/OLLIE

P.S - I'm a 'budding' 15 year old journalist and I want to practice. If you've any more tips or you just want to say something about my writing I'd love a comment from all you wonderful people... 

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