Unofficially, there are two kinds of convertibles. You have your flashy, look-at-me ragtops, with sexy sheetmetal wrapped around a pair of often color-keyed leather seats and a big engine. Those are your BMW Z4s and Ford Thunderbirds and Jaguar XKs. In the other corner, you have the more conservative convertibles, for folks who want to enjoy a nice sunny day but would rather do it without acting like movie stars.
The Audi A4 cabriolet, new for 2003, falls solidly into the latter category. Its conservative, bar-of-soap design is elegant, but not apt to turn many heads. With a docile yet powerful 3.0 V6, a rigid body and a luxurious, quiet top-up ride, the A4 just might be the perfect executive cabriolet.
The Cabriolet shares the A4's smooth, rounded face and tail and double-deck grille. With the roof cut off, the A4's high-waisted lines look more formal. It's set apart from the sedans with subtle brushed aluminum trim. Top-up, the large, blocky convertible top actually looks good with the slab-sided body. The top is fully automated, and drops flush into the deck. There are no levers to flip; just a single button to push and 24 seconds to wait for the top to raise or lower. A hard tonneau cover drops over the top, so when the A4 is in open-sky mode, there's no hint of the folded soft-top. Audi's obsessive attention to detail has resulted in the cleanest-looking convertible possible. Even the stereo antenna has been integrated into the trunklid.
Audi interiors are lovely places to be, and the A4 Cabriolet is no exception. The materials and build quality are first-rate. This is a four-passenger convertible, but rear seat space is best defined as cozy. The soft-top is triple-padded, with a glass rear window, so it's quiet inside the A4 Cabriolet when the top is up. Twelve-way adjustable front seats are standard; it takes some time, but any passenger can find a comfortable position. We had only one gripe; the seatbelts, mounted low where the B-pillars have been lopped off, are hard to reach. Heated mirrors and heat-insulating glass are standard equipment; seat heaters and self-leveling headlights are options, but welcome ones on a dark and chilly night.
Thanks to quirky spring weather, we had the opportunity to drive the A4 Cabriolet in sunny, 70-degree weather one day, and through an ice storm the next. The A4's four-link front suspension uses lots of aluminum, reducing weight and improving reflexes, and is blissfully happy on curvy roads. A trapezoid-link rear suspension keeps the A4's center of gravity low. We found the ride to be slightly firmer than that of the hardtop A4. The A4 Cabriolet has a gait that's less hard-core than the true sports cars, but sporty enough to be entertaining. When the roads turn slick, Audi's Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) limits oversteer or understeer. The A4 Cabriolet also features standard anti-lock brakes. The quattro all-wheel drive system is not offered.
Under the hood, Audi's smooth 3.0 liter V6 handles motivational duties. The five valve per cylinder engine makes 220 horsepower, and it's torquey enough that it never seems to be strained. Coupled with Audi's smooth Multitronic continuously variable transmission (CVT), the A4 Cabriolet is able to motor around town or down the autobahn with a very relaxed feel. The CVT enables the engine to remain at steady revs, instead of spinning up to the top of a gear before shifting. Audi's 1.8 liter turbocharged four-cylinder is also offered.
In spite of the impressive build quality, luxurious appointments and excellent performance, the bottom line came as something of a shock, and not in a good way. Although the handsome and elegant A4 line has a reputation for being something of a bargain (prices for V6-equipped A4 sedans start at just over $31,000), the A4 Cabriolet starts at $41,500. With its leather interior, 17" wheels, heated seats and BOSE sound system, that pushed the pricetag on our friendly little Cabriolet perilously close to $45,000. It's a very impressive alternative to relentlessly sporty convertibles, but unfortunately executive ragtops don't come cheap.
The Fact Box:
All specs are for the 2003 Audi A4 Cabriolet, which we tested.
Length: 180.0 in. Width: 70.0 in. Height: 54.8 in. Wheelbase: 104.5 in. Curb weight: 3814 lb. Cargo space: 10.2 cu.ft. Base price: $41,500 Engine: 3.0 liter 30-valve DOHC V6 Drivetrain: continuously variable automatic transmission, front-wheel drive Horsepower: 220 @ 6300 Torque: 221 @ 3200 Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal Est. mileage: 20/27
