A3 New for 2006!

Impressions:
It's no secret that, as a manufacturer, if you can get younger buyers into your showrooms now, chances are good they'll be buying A6s and A8s when they get a little older. That means the new A3 has to be impressive enough to keep their owners loving Audis once they take their first one home. First off, this is a serious motor vehicle, bristling with technology, features and style. The A3 is already a big hit overseas where it's available in a wide variety of models. Audi has brought only two of these across the Atlantic, both five-door Sportback (wagon) models. The first is powered by 200-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engines driving the front wheels through six-speed transmission (manual or automatics). Next up is a Quattro all-wheel-drive version with a 250-horsepower 3.2-liter V6. The A3 stands out because of its style and impeccable interior. Space is a bit tight in the rear but suitable for a couple of good friends, pre-teens or child seats. Front-row occupants are treated to a first-class environment. Audi normally provides great interiors and the A3 does nothing to diminish that reputation. Fit, finish, quality of materials and design are all world class. Standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, four-wheel disc brakes, climate control, stability control to keep you driving in a straight line and cloth seats (leather is optional). If previous efforts by competitors to establish a premium compact segment on these shores fell short, then the new A3 makes up for it with more style and substance than you might expect for its reasonable base price.

A4

Impressions:
Audi A4 sedans and wagons arrived in showrooms about a year ago with new front and rear styling and a host of new engine choices and a new little brother: the A3 wagon. The base A4 1.8-liter turbo motor was boosted to 2.0 liters and horsepower took a corresponding jump to 200, up 30. Replacing the optional 220-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 was a new 255-horse 3.2-liter V6 while the high-performance S4 kept its 340-horsepower 4.2-liter V8. The four-place drop-top convertible Cabriolet is carried over for the time being with its base 1.8- and optional 3.0-liter engines. Quattro all-wheel drive, a system that automatically moves the power to the wheels that have the grip, is optional, unless you specify a wagon or S4 model (all three body styles are available in S4 trim) where it's mandatory. The Cabrio is also offered with Quattro, but you have to upgrade to the 3.0 from the 1.8 to get it. Unique features on this model include brushed-metal trim on the outside and a soft top that's absent of "tent" peaks and won't bubble in the wind. In terms of rollover protection, the Cabrio comes with strengthened windshield supports and pop-up bars behind the seats. The base transmission for the redesigned models comes with six forward gears --automatic or manual--while the convertible's automatic has just five forward gears). With the new A3 reeling in Audi first-timers, the A4 sedan and Avant wagon move up a rung this year and offer three new models (3.2-liter-V6 wagon and sedan with six-speed manual transmissions and a front-drive 3.2 sedan available with a continuously variable transmission). There are also numerous package and trim adjustments for 2006.

A6

Impressions:
Audi is there when you want to move up from your Volkswagen and into another German-built vehicle that offers more cachet. You might think that that's a natural progression, but Audi competes in one of the toughest automotive segments, made that way by a number of Japanese and German manufacturers that take their luxury cars just as seriously. The company with the best technology usually wins and the 2006 A6 has loads of it along with stunning good looks. Originally introduced only in all-wheel-drive-sedan format for its total redesign in 2005, the 2006 A6 lineup adds a front-wheel-drive model with a 255-horsepower 3.2-liter V6/continuously variable transmission combo. A wagon also joins the lineup this year with the 3.2, standard Quattro all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic manual control. This model will be of particular interest to all-wheel-drive All-Road wagon fans since it has been discontinued this year. If youÕre looking for a little more power, your A6 sedan can be ordered with a 335-horsepower 4.2-liter V8 that also comes with a six-speed automatic transmission. Among the car's unique appointments is a single knob located on the console that operates in conjunction with a dash-mounted seven-inch video screen to control the cabin temperature, central locking system, vehicle diagnostics, audio controls, navigation system, cellular phone and gauge cluster. The parking brake is even controlled by an on/off switch rather than the usual pull lever.

A8/A8L

Impressions:
The all-wheel-drive A8 isn't the most popular Audi that was ever built, but it has always led the lineup as a rolling showcase of the company's technological ability. The A8 begins with an all-aluminum space frame (a cage that supports the bolt-on body panels), to which Audi adds absolutely everything it has learned since the last A8 was unveiled in the mid-1990s, which, as it turns out, is substantial. For example, the suspension is completely pneumatic. That means there are no conventional springs of any kind. A computer constantly adapts the system to changes in the road. You can even raise the long-wheelbase A8 L to get through deep snow. Driver-operated systems, everything from entertainment to the suspension, are controlled through a console-mounted turn-and-push selector knob and a seven-inch screen. Under the hood is the familiar (if you're into Audis, that is) five-valve-per-cylinder 4.2-liter V8 that funnels 335 horsepower through the six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic manual control en route to the standard Quattro all-wheel-drive system. To say the A8 L has plenty of power amenities and a leather interior is stating the obvious and pales in comparison to what this larger-in-every-dimension automobile really has to offer, such as an optional 450-horsepower 12-cylinder engine. Changes to the A8 for 2006 include a gorgeous front-end makeover with the new familial "single-frame' grille and a new optional sport package that includes larger wheels, a "sport" mode for the adaptive suspension as well as a new steering wheel with integrated shift paddles.

TT Coupe/Convertible

Impressions:
Since the beginning, the two-seat TT coupe and roadster always had the looks and the power to back up those looks. It's also the car that showed Audi's fun side to a buying public that was more used to sensible family cars. Since weÕre eagerly awaiting a new 2007 model that will be based on the new-generation Volkswagen Golf platform, 2006 is stand-pat year for the TT. Three engines choices include a 180-horsepower turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder, a 225-horsepower high-output 1.8 and a 250-horsepower 3.2-liter V6. Base models come in front-wheel drive while Quattro all-wheel drive is optional on most TTs and standard when you opt for the V6. With the base engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, it's a sporty little number, for sure. With the 250-horse V6/AWD/six-speed paddle-shifted manual (without a clutch), it's more than just "sporty," the TT becomes a real driving machine. The 3.2 models get a larger rear spoiler and other distinctive exterior bits, bigger brakes and a modified exhaust. Xenon headlamps and leather seats are standard across the line. The smart-looking roadster has a manual folding top (with heated glass window), a tonneau cover and dual polished aluminum roll bars as its signature.