Audi’s largest, most-expensive car gets more V8 power and adds a performance model for 2007. A8 comes in regular-length models and in L versions that are 5.1 inches longer in wheelbase and body. Base and L versions use a V8 with 350 hp, up 20 hp for ’07. Based on the L model, the W12 has a 450-hp 12-cyl engine and extra standard features. Added for ’07, the S8 is a sporty regular-length model with a 450-hp V10. All these cars come with Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and a driver-adjustable suspension. S8 has specific suspension tuning and styling. Base and L models offer a Sport Package with uprated suspension and steering wheel gearshift paddles. All these Audis come with front and rear side airbags, front knee airbags, and curtain side airbags. Also standard are ABS, traction/antiskid control, and a navigation system. A rearview camera is standard on the W12, optional on the other models. DVD entertainment is exclusive to the W12. Front and rear obstacle detection, keyless entry/starting, and adaptive cruise control are also available. Note that the 2008 Audi A8 earned the Consumer Guide Recommended label, but further information about this car was unavailable in time for print.

A slightly lower-priced, shorter-wheelbase model was added for 2005; the long-wheelbase version is designated A8 L. A tire pressure monitoring system is standard.

An available Sport package includes 19-inch wheels and an adaptive air suspension. A8s feature a single-frame grille, adaptive front lights, a rain sensor and Audi’s parking system with a graphic display.

An adaptive four-setting air-spring suspension features continuous shock-absorber damping control, and it also permits speed-dependent lowering of the body for increased directional stability. Permanent quattro all-wheel drive is standard.

The Audi A8 comes in three trims: Base, L, and L W12. It comes standard with a new more powerful engine in the 4.2L V8 producing 350 horsepower. The W12 trim increases that power with a 6.0L V12 engine with 450 horsepower. A full leather upgrade is available on A8 L models, while W12 models get the option of 20-inch wheels.

Changes for 2007 include new front and rear headrests, a more powerful Bose surround sound system, a standard driver information system, a MP3 capable CD changer, and an expanded list of options. Two new exterior colors are also available, Ibis White and Phantom Black.

Three versions are available. The standard A8 features a 4.2-liter V8 and six-speed automatic transmission that deliver instant throttle response, while quattro all-wheel drive and an adaptable air suspension provide an excellent balance between handling and ride quality. The A8 offers a supreme sense of control with Gibraltar-like stability, benefits of its lightweight, highly Aluminum Space Frame that bonds the car into one cohesive unit.

The cabin is elegant and comfortable, and tops the class in finish quality. Audi’s Multi-Media Interface, or MMI, integrate controls for various features and electronic systems into a big knob. It’s a little easier to learn than BMW’s iDrive, but it isn’t easy. There is a learning curve and sometimes we find ourselves having to work harder to perform simple functions and wonder whether this is progress or burdensome technology.

The A8 L rides on a stretched wheelbase that provides more room and comfort for rear-seat passengers, not that the standard-length model is cramped.

2007 Audi A8 Models:
2007 Audi A8 Sedan 
2007 Audi A8 L 
2007 Audi A8 L W12 

The Audi A6 continues the firm’s legacy of dynamic excellence and exceptional comfort. The A6 is packed with technology, enhancing convenience and driving dynamics. The attention to detail inside and out is impressive.

The Audi A6 is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sedan or wagon. It is available in 4 trims, ranging from the 3.2 to the 4.2 with Tiptronic transmission. The 3.2 is equipped with a standard 3.2-liter, V6, 255-horsepower engine that connects to a variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive. The 4.2 with Tiptronic is equipped with a standard 4.2-liter, V8, 350-horsepower engine that uses a 6-speed automatic transmission. Adaptive Cruise Control and an adaptive air suspension are optional.

A new high-performance sedan spotlights A6 for 2007. A6 offers 255-hp V6 3.2 sedans with front-wheel drive or Audi’s quattro AWD, plus a 3.2 quattro Avant wagon. The V8 4.2 quattro sedan has 350 hp. The new S6 quattro sedan has a 435-hp V10 and specific suspension tuning and styling touches. The front-drive 3.2 sedan uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT). All other models have a 6-speed automatic. All A6s come with ABS, traction control, antiskid system, front side airbags, and curtain side airbags; rear torso side airbags are available. Available for all but S6 is an air suspension that adjusts ride height and firmness to load, road surface, or driving style. A power tailgate is optional for the wagon, and all A6s offer steering-linked headlights and a navigation system; a Technology Package includes navigation and a rearview camera. Some models include Audi’s MMI (Multi Media Interface) control that uses a console knob and switches, and a dashboard screen to adjust audio, climate, and other functions.

The A6 embodies the look of a refined European sedan. There are no harsh edges and the roofline has a pleasing curve, which, unfortunately, compromises rear-seat headroom. An extra set of side windows aft of the rear-seat side windows lets in a little extra light and prevent an overly wide C-pillar. The A6 sports slight wheel flairs and a front end that looks as if its various parts are precisely fitted together. The grille looks oversize, the better to feed the beast under the hood.

With the Technology package, our test A6 offered all the amenities we could want. Its Bluetooth hands-free cell phone system is excellent, the Bose audio system sounds very good, and the navigation got us where we wanted to go. We also got to try out Audi’s iPod integration.

conventional steel suspension and an optional adaptive suspension that uses air springs are available, and a sport version of the steel suspension that’s firmer and lower is included with the S Line package. Other S Line performance modifications include a choice of either 18- or 19-inch wheels. My test car had the S Line package with 19-inch wheels and summer tires.

The A6 with the S Line package rides wonderfully on smooth pavement, as most cars do. On anything but perfect roads, the experience is a bit less pleasant; every pothole, highway expansion joint, bump and pavement crack is transmitted back to cabin occupants through the sport suspension and the super-low-profile P255/35ZR19 tires. In exchange for tolerating the punishing ride, you’re rewarded with a car that exhibits very little body roll when flung into a corner. For a potentially less-brittle driving experience, consider the less-aggressive tires and the non-sport suspension.

There’s also some shuffling of options package content, and the S Line group — which includes a sport suspension, 18-inch wheels and performance tires, headlamp washers and assorted trim items — is newly offered on the wagon, which Audi calls the “Avant.” For 2007, the S Line package additionally includes a new four-spoke, multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters for the transmission; 19-inch wheels and tires can now be specified as an upgrade.

New exterior colors include Quartz Gray Metallic, Ibis White, Phantom Black Pearl Effect and Daytona Gray Pearl Effect; a Cardamom Beige interior is also newly offered, along with a leather-clad dashboard as a stand-alone option.

2007 Audi A6 Models:
2007 Audi A6 3.2 
2007 Audi A6 3.2 with Tiptronic 
2007 Audi A6 3.2 Avant with Tiptronic 
2007 Audi A6 4.2 with Tiptronic 

Audi’s top-selling car line features sedans, Avant wagons, and Cabriolet convertibles. All come in A4 and high-performance S4 trim. There’s also a super-performance RS 4 sedan. A4 2.0T models have a 200-hp turbo 4-cyl engine, A4 3.2 versions a 255-hp V6. S4s and RS 4 have V8s with 340 and 420 hp, respectively. Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive is standard on wagons, 3.2 Cabrio, S4, and RS 4. It’s available for other models in place of front-wheel drive. Transmission choices, depending on model, are manual, automatic, and continuously variable automatic (CVT). Sporty S line packages include 18-inch wheels and a firmer, lowered suspension. S4s and RS 4 have unique trim and specific sport suspensions. Cabrios have a power fabric top with heated glass rear window. All models come with ABS and antiskid system. Sedans and wagons include front side airbags and curtain side airbags, with rear side airbags available. Cabrios come with front side airbags that protect the head and torso and rear support bars designed to pop up automatically in a rollover. A navigation system is optional and includes Audi’s MMI control for audio, climate, and other functions. S4s get revised front and rear styling for 2007.

Audi’s all-wheel-drive Quattro system gives the 2007 Audi A4 2.0 T incredible handling, its most impressive feature. The audio quality from the sound system is very nice, too, but everything else in the A4 is merely good. This little sedan gets around the city and highways adroitly and is fun to drive even with the six-speed automatic that we had in our test car.

Audi got on the tech bandwagon early, which earned models from previous years high points from our tech-centric perspective. With navigation, premium stereo sound, and Bluetooth cell phone integration, we couldn’t help but like these cars. But car companies have long product cycles, and the car systems that looked so good in the 2005 model haven’t changed any for the 2007 model. The navigation interface in the A4 looks clunky, and the glove box-mounted CD changer doesn’t support MP3 CDs.

Like the model it replaces, the new A4 Cabriolet features an insulated power-operated roof with a glass rear window that can be raised or lowered while driving at speeds up to 19 mph. An optional acoustic roof makes use of denser fabrics to further reduce road noise — Audi claims a Cabriolet fitted with the optional headliner is as quiet as the sedan, even at highway speeds. The A4 convertibles feature an occupant-protection system in which two protective bars located behind the rear seats pop up within milliseconds if sensors detect the vehicle is about to roll over.

Other than the changes to the convertible models, the A4 carries over with only minor updates for the 2007 model year.

The base 2.0T models are powered by a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder. The 3.2 versions come with a 255-hp 3.2-liter V6 borrowed from the larger Audi A6. It thrusts the car to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds.

The 2007 Audi A4 is available in a full spectrum of body styles including sedan, convertible (Cabriolet) and wagon (Avant). The names of the two trim levels indicate which engine is employed: 2.0T and 3.2. The 2.0T’s standard features include 16-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power driver seat, an in-dash six-CD changer and, for convertibles, an automatic top. The 3.2 adds 17-inch wheels, leather seating (with a power front-passenger seat) and real wood cabin accents.
For those wanting more, Audi offers three main option packages. The S line Package includes sport suspension tuning, 18-inch wheels with 235/40 performance tires, unique front and rear fascias and aluminum cabin accents. The Premium Package (available for the 2.0T) includes a glass sunroof, leather seating and 17-inch wheels. The Convenience Package includes a HomeLink transmitter, rain-sensing wipers, a power passenger seat, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, a trip computer and auto-dimming mirrors. Stand-alone options include Sirius satellite radio (which includes a Bose premium sound upgrade), a navigation system, power rear and manual side sunshades, rear parking sensors, and various wood and metallic cabin accents

Not so with Audi’s A4 Cabriolet. With its well-insulated three-layer top and available quattro all-wheel drive system, the A4 Cabrio is useful year-round. I’ve just finished a week with one, with daytime temperatures varying from highs in the mid-60s (top-down weather for winter!) to the high 30s. While none of that is extreme to anyone in, say, Fargo ND or Prudhoe Bay AK, with the A4 Cabrio’s top up at 40 degrees, it’s as snug and well-insulated as a sedan. Conversely, when the first-generation A4 Cabrio was introduced in late summer 2002, I drove it in a Southern California heat wave. 100 degrees out? No problem, heat stroke is no fun, put the top up and turn on the air conditioning.

And as always, that top goes up and down automatically at the touch of a button, no manual latching necessary. Structural reinforcements give the A4 Cabrio rigidity on a par with its sedan counterpart, for precise handling and a luxury-car level of refinement. In standard trim, with Audi’s 2.0-liter, 200-horsepower FSI direct fuel injection four-cylinder engine and FrontTrak¨ front-wheel drive or quattro¨ all-wheel drive drivetrains or the 3.2-liter, 255-horsepower FSI V6 engine and quattro, it’s a fine sport-oriented luxury car. Both engines significant improve upon the previous 1.8T and 3.0 V6 offerings of the past few years. Add the S-Line sport package, with a firmer suspension tuning, plus-one wheels and tires, and sport-look cosmetic upgrades, and the sports quotient is increased. Need more power? Then there’s the S4 Cabrio. “S” denotes Audi’s high-performance line, and S4 Cabrio means a 340-horse V8 under the hood, driving all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic with “Tiptronic” manual shifting.

2007 Audi A4 Models:
2007 Audi A4 2.0 T 
2007 Audi A4 2.0 T with Multitronic 
2007 Audi A4 2.0 T quattro 
2007 Audi A4 2.0 T Avant quattro 
2007 Audi A4 2.0 T quattro with Tiptronic 
2007 Audi A4 2.0 T Avant quattro with Tiptronic 
2007 Audi A4 3.2 with Multitronic 
2007 Audi A4 3.2 quattro 
2007 Audi A4 3.2 Avant quattro 
2007 Audi A4 3.2 quattro with Tiptronic 
2007 Audi A4 3.2 Avant quattro with Tiptronic 
2007 Audi A4 2.0T Cabriolet with Multitronic 
2007 Audi A4 2.0T Cabriolet quattro with Tiptronic

The 2007 Audi A3 is a good-looking little car, and particularly noticeable with a Misano Red Pearl paint job, which our test car had. Our car also came with the S Line Sport Package, new this year, which gives it a bevy of cosmetic options, along with sport seats, a trip computer, and sport suspension. However, don’t let the S Line fool you, it’s not an Audi S3, as that European-only car gets a more powerful engine than either the two-liter turbocharged four cylinder or 3.2-liter V-6 available in the States. The S3 also gets Quattro all-wheel drive, which isn’t even available on the turbo four-cylinder A3.

This 4-dr hatchback shares some underskin design with the Jetta and Rabbit from Audi-parent Volkswagen. The A3 is smaller and less costly than Audi’s A4 compacts. The A3 2.0T has front-wheel drive and a 200-hp turbocharged 4-cyl engine. The A3 3.2 quattro S line has a 250-hp V6 and Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive. The 2.0T comes with a 6-speed manual transmission. Optional for the 2.0T and standard on the 3.2 is Audi’s Direct Shift Gearbox, which is a sequential manual transmission (SMT). ABS, traction/antiskid control, front side airbags, and curtain side airbags are standard. Rear side airbags are optional. Leather upholstery, sport front seats, alloy cabin accents, and sport-tuned suspension are standard on 3.2, optional for 2.0T. A navigation system is optional. New for 2007 are an available wireless cell phone link, and a 2.0T S line Package with 3.2 styling cues.

But performance is still in the equation. Our test car, a 2007 Audi A3 with the two-liter turbocharged engine and the Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), proved fun off the line and in the corners. Front-wheel drive meant traction wasn’t all it could be and torque steer was a factor, but that added to our rowdy Audi’s character in our estimation, though it might throw off more timid drivers.

The Audi A3 2.0T is front-wheel drive and powered by the heralded 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, rated at 200 horsepower. Two transmissions are available: a standard six-speed manual or optional Direct Shift Gearbox (DGS) automatic. The A3 3.2 Quattro has all-wheel drive and a 250-hp 3.2-liter V6.

The A3 2.0T is available in three trim levels, 2.0T, 2.0T S line, and 2.0T Premium. In line with the A3′s near-luxury market placement, there’s no dearth of appropriate amenities. The base A3 2.0 T ($24,620) comes standard with automatic climate control with pollen filter and sun sensor; cloth upholstery; tilt and telescoping adjustable steering column; 10-speaker 140-watt stereo with satellite prep; central locking with remote keyless entry; power windows; electronic cruise control; anti-theft vehicle alarm; two cup holders in the center console; and vanity mirrors in the sunvisors.

Designed to be as much sporty driver’s car as well-tailored transportation module, the A3 comes standard with upmarket technologies. These include a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension; an electronic stability program (ESP); standard full-time traction control (ASR); ABS with an electronic differential lock (EDL); Servotronic electro-mechanical steering; and 17-inch alloys with all-season radials. Low-profile 225/45 performance radials are a no-cost option. These elements all contribute to a persona that begs for tight, winding mountain roads, thrives in the slice-and-dice of urban traffic and quietly relieves the tedium of commuter slogs.

Audi’s A3 shares its platform and some mechanicals with Volkswagen cousins the Rabbit and Jetta. But it has a sleeker roofline and unique styling cues, including Audi’s now-ubiquitous trapezoidal front-grille design. Its interior is also more luxurious.

The Audi A3 debuted for 2006 as a sportier alternative to a small wagon or SUV. It’s more practical than most compact sport sedans by virtue of its upright roofline and rear hatchback, but American consumers still seem to prefer traditional sedans with a trunk or regular wagons, such as Audi’s A4/S4 models. Despite a 59.5 percent jump in sales through November 2006 versus the same period last year, the Audi still sold far fewer A3 models (7,460 units year to date) than A4/S4 models (42,573 units year to date), which declined in sales 1.9 percent year over year.
2007 Audi A3 Models:
2007 Audi A3 2.0 T 
2007 Audi A3 2.0 T With DSG 
2007 Audi A3 3.2 With DSG