Audi A4 2.0T Quattro

Audi A4 2.0T Quattro - New in this case is a sort of "bipolar new." It depends on where you're standing (or sitting). To those on the outside, the look is new, with the mouth on the front saying "Oh!" just as on the bigger Audis. There's also a sharp crease in the sheetmetal running the full length of the flanks, which has the effect of de-blobbing the otherwise soft shape. Behind, the taillights are stretched wider; they now lap onto the decklid—this to visually broaden the shoulders, says Audi.

Of course, the driver sees none of this. To him, the look is same-old, same-old, except for a band of textured aluminum trim sweeping across the dash (this is to make the inside look wider), or when he happens to look down at the center console, in which case he'll see two no-excuses cup holders.

What the old car lacked was an attitude of eagerness. No one will accuse the '05 of that sin. It attacks the road, even with the base 2.0 turbo four that replaces the old 1.8T. The now-standard six-speed manual beats heck out of the old five-speed, too, with much shorter and smoother throws and a fluid motion through the maze.

You can opt up to the new 3.1-liter V-6, good for 255 horsepower at 6500 rpm. It's a stirring performer. But don't be in a hurry to make that choice. Unlike the old 1.8, which needed time for the turbo to get into the mood, and for the revs to make torque, the 2.0 is strong all the time. This is a fresh design using direct injection of gasoline into the combustion chamber, combined with a turbocharger and an uncommonly high 10.5:1 compression ratio. Full torque, all 207 pound-feet of it, is on tap from 1800 rpm to 5000.

With an engine this strong, we're surprised Audi has resorted to hyping the throttle linkage, the old trick of big results from small foot motions early in the travel. It makes launching trickier in six-speed cars and adds unpredictability to acceleration response with the automatic.

Our test car was equipped with the optional Sport package ($750), which includes unique 17-inch alloy wheels (they have five pairs of parallel spokes), 235/45ZR-17 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx summer tires, and a sport suspension that lowers the ride height by 0.8 inch. The tires are commendably quiet over most of the roads we encountered. Impact noise is moderate. Moreover, the tires seem exceptionally resistant to the roaring resonances most high-performance tires produce on textured surfaces.

That said, the editorial blood is merely warmed, not stirred, by these comfort issues. As we pushed harder and harder around one of our clandestine test loops, enjoying the flat cornering, the trusty balance that comes from Quattro torque distribution to all four tires, and the exceptionally predictable breakaway characteristics, the mental ROM flashed up, "Hey, this feels remarkably like that S4 we frolicked with two years ago on this same stretch." Armin Ruscheinsky, the chassis development chief, had told us just a few days earlier about all the S4 steering and suspension components brought into the new A4, including the electric power steering and linkage and the control arms.

Our $35,995 Brilliant Red test car wore the $1425 Lighting package, which includes bixenon headlights that steer the pattern up to 15 degrees into turns at speeds above 7 mph. If you're expecting to delight your friends with these amazing swiveling beams, forget it. The effect is so subtle no one will notice. But the light pattern nicely illuminates far to the sides even when going straight ahead, which is the whole point of high-performance lights.

This new A4 represents the seventh generation of Audi's small sedan, starting with the Audi Fox back in 1973. For most of that time it has been a C/D favorite. Starting now, the old halo is back and fully polished.