Topic: Test Drive: 2013 Audi A4

[Autos_Editor]

The Audi A4 offers a "balanced mix of functionality and luxury that seems to resonate with a wide variety of tastes."

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[Rupert]

   Oh...I'm not in the market for a high priced car and have never even driven one. Possibly if I did...like someone buying you an expensive bottle of wine...you would be raised to a new level, from which there would inevitably be a let down from there on. Still there is a commonality of operational ergonomics between all vehicles which can be commented upon.
   This car and the just prior Honda may not be stablemates but cross at extreemes of price. Front or rear or all wheel driveing does not matter here I suspect...the limo aspect taking precedence over the sporty one; in my eye anyway. Both blue even. I think that I like this shape better than it's contemporarys too but dissagree about the dials. Neat cluster...like most others...but same size and jammed in speedo numbers. Why do we even need RPMs...who cares and who even looks at these numbers...except on rare occasions when one thinks one should because the tach is 'there'. So we have a smaller speedo that carries important information in order to squeeze in the tach. With this view in mind I submit that the Honda instrument cluster is better from a practical viewpoint.
   Tachs were used in full out race cars in the old days because of the danger of a piston appearing through the hood. However they did not have a speedometer...the speed was always full out...with due regard for the piston. The tach is there to emit aura of bygone years of the race, which we should not be doing on the highway...and even if we do we would not have time to look at it in traffic. Gosh, even ecconomy cars have them.
   

   

[mixmanmash]

I think a tach is necessary in a manual car.  I use mine to determine shift points in my DD, and in my sports car, I use it on the track to make sure I am not revving too high.

[Rupert]

You drive a manual transmission car by sound and feel. You should be looking through the windshield not down at the dash surely. Manual transmission cars were driven for many or most years without tachometers anyway.

[Mike]

You drive a manual transmission car by sound and feel. You should be looking through the windshield not down at the dash surely. Manual transmission cars were driven for many or most years without tachometers anyway.

Only for cost savings.  Anyone who would race their cars at the strip or track would install an aftermarket tach immediately.  Race cars have tachs...not speedos.  Tachs serve a lot more purposes than just when to change gears.  I use/look at the tach on my manual equipped cars several times during every drive and even use them in automatic vehicles.

[Fobroader]

You drive a manual transmission car by sound and feel. You should be looking through the windshield not down at the dash surely. Manual transmission cars were driven for many or most years without tachometers anyway.

Ummm....while I agree while for the most part I shift by ear, the tach is a crucial piece of engine monitoring equipment, how do you know your car is idling at the right speed? Does it fluctuate at idle? Does it miss at higher RPM? Id rather have gauges telling a wealth of info about what the engine and drivetrain are doing and the speedo to be a small little HUD projection on the windshield.

[johngenx]

It's not an all or nothing system.  I can glance at the gauges while looking at the road most of the time.

Early Saturday morning I was engaged in some, uh, spirited driving on a very quiet mountain road that also involved a new Boss302.  Keeping the little Miata-engine above 5000rpm was key to keeping big Boss in sight.  The tach is a very useful.  I might not need it when just trolling along in stop and go traffic, but when working the car hard, it's essential.

[nsmyhte]

Not a fan of the new headlights and taillights.  They look a lot cheaper than the old ones and are a definite step backwards.  Hey carmakers, if it isn't an improvement, leave it alone!  I hate changes for change sake.

[Jaeger]

One of the most handsome sedans on the road, IMO.  Very spendy once you add the options that make it so nice, though.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

You gave the Audi to Yarkony? That's like giving a drunk a bottle of Thunderbird! Of course he's going to love it!

I still love Audi styling inside and out. Performance always seems pretty good. The only bugaboos are spotty reliability and crazy option pricing.

[Mike]

You gave the Audi to Yarkony? That's like giving a drunk a bottle of Thunderbird! Of course he's going to love it!

I still love Audi styling inside and out. Performance always seems pretty good. The only bugaboos are spotty reliability and crazy option pricing.

I actually ended up liking it more than him.  But not to worry...I am keeping the S5 to myself next week.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I actually ended up liking it more than him.  But not to worry...I am keeping the S5 to myself next week.

S5

[lebowski]

[...] its 4,307-mm (169.5 in.) length is shorter than either of its German competitors by a wide margin [...]

You've mixed up your stats there, Jonathan. The B8 A4 is nowhere near that short. #proofreading

[Mike]

[...] its 4,307-mm (169.5 in.) length is shorter than either of its German competitors by a wide margin [...]

You've mixed up your stats there, Jonathan. The B8 A4 is nowhere near that short. #proofreading

Thanks I'll fix that.  Who proofreads the proofreaders work anyway

[lebowski]

Thanks I'll fix that.  Who proofreads the proofreaders work anyway

No prob - and if that's a veiled announcement of a job opening, kindly look no further    I'd be willing to be paid with GT-R S5 Kia Rondo seat time

[Soram6275]

   Oh...I'm not in the market for a high priced car and have never even driven one. Possibly if I did...like someone buying you an expensive bottle of wine...you would be raised to a new level, from which there would inevitably be a let down from there on. Still there is a commonality of operational ergonomics between all vehicles which can be commented upon.
   This car and the just prior Honda may not be stablemates but cross at extreemes of price. Front or rear or all wheel driveing does not matter here I suspect...the limo aspect taking precedence over the sporty one; in my eye anyway. Both blue even. I think that I like this shape better than it's contemporarys too but dissagree about the dials. Neat cluster...like most others...but same size and jammed in speedo numbers. Why do we even need RPMs...who cares and who even looks at these numbers...except on rare occasions when one thinks one should because the tach is 'there'. So we have a smaller speedo that carries important information in order to squeeze in the tach. With this view in mind I submit that the Honda instrument cluster is better from a practical viewpoint.
   Tachs were used in full out race cars in the old days because of the danger of a piston appearing through the hood. However they did not have a speedometer...the speed was always full out...with due regard for the piston. The tach is there to emit aura of bygone years of the race, which we should not be doing on the highway...and even if we do we would not have time to look at it in traffic. Gosh, even ecconomy cars have them.
   

   

If you look at the tach that way, we don't really "need" anything.  I like the tach on my manual equipped car.  Also, on my old car, it helped me to diagnose how bad my idle motor part of the car was doing.  It's just useful, period.  In the same vein, we don't "need" outside temperature gauges, km to empty digital readouts, etc. but they're pretty standard these days and glad to have them.  "A tach-less car is tacky".

[Mike]

   Oh...I'm not in the market for a high priced car and have never even driven one. Possibly if I did...like someone buying you an expensive bottle of wine...you would be raised to a new level, from which there would inevitably be a let down from there on. Still there is a commonality of operational ergonomics between all vehicles which can be commented upon.
   This car and the just prior Honda may not be stablemates but cross at extreemes of price. Front or rear or all wheel driveing does not matter here I suspect...the limo aspect taking precedence over the sporty one; in my eye anyway. Both blue even. I think that I like this shape better than it's contemporarys too but dissagree about the dials. Neat cluster...like most others...but same size and jammed in speedo numbers. Why do we even need RPMs...who cares and who even looks at these numbers...except on rare occasions when one thinks one should because the tach is 'there'. So we have a smaller speedo that carries important information in order to squeeze in the tach. With this view in mind I submit that the Honda instrument cluster is better from a practical viewpoint.
   Tachs were used in full out race cars in the old days because of the danger of a piston appearing through the hood. However they did not have a speedometer...the speed was always full out...with due regard for the piston. The tach is there to emit aura of bygone years of the race, which we should not be doing on the highway...and even if we do we would not have time to look at it in traffic. Gosh, even ecconomy cars have them.
   

   

 "A tach-less car is tacky".

   

[Rupert]

Well the two instances of readout that you quote are at least meaningful in the sense that you can do something about them. Get some gas or wear warmer underdrawers. But....3,000rpm oh...thats nice...er mmm.

[Northernridge]

If I was buying in this segment the A4 would be my starting point. I prefer it to the C Class and aesthetically, at least, to the 3 Series. I've driven 4 or 5 of them and like all aspects for normal driving. Also like this size sedan quite a bit. Nice looking interior and exterior, nice wheel options and the S4 seems a decent driver. Good price too.

[mixmanmash]

You drive a manual transmission car by sound and feel. You should be looking through the windshield not down at the dash surely. Manual transmission cars were driven for many or most years without tachometers anyway.

You make it sound like you don't even look at the speedometer.  A quick glance is all I need at the tach.  And as others have mentioned, there is a lot of use in a tach.  But surely, you wouldn't understand.

I agree, in an automatic, it has less meaning.