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Audi’s A4 Cabriolet is a delightful combination of style and substance. It blends the elegant design of the new A4 sedan with a driving personality that is sporty enough to be fun without being one-dimensional.

Convertibles are about top-down driving enjoyment, and dropping the one-touch power top takes just 24 seconds, according to Audi. The top automatically stows under a hard tonneau cover and intrudes only moderately on trunk space. The padded top has three layers, sealed to prevent leaks, and a heated glass rear window. When the top is in place the car is almost as quiet as the sedan. Brushed aluminum trim around the windshield and along the base of the cockpit lends a touch of class.

A stiff body structure is required to keep a convertible from shimmying over bumps like Jello on a plate, and the A4 is excellent in this regard. With the top up or down, I felt no sign of unwanted cowl shake or wiggle through the steering wheel. There were no squeaks or rattles, either. The suspension has been tuned to deliver agile handling and a firm ride without sacrificing comfort, and it is nicely balanced. The convertible A4 is not intended to handle like a sports car, but then it won’t be driven like one.

Audi’s interiors are models of elegant simplicity. The instrument panel on the A4 Cab has nicely contrasting textures of wood, leather and metal. The controls are easy to use and well laid out. In low light, the gauges can be a bit hard to read, but lighting them all the time would solve that. While the Cabriolet is a four-seater, the rear seat is a bit snug.

The A4 Cab is powered by a 220-horsepower, aluminum V-6 that drives the front wheels through Audi’s multitronic continuously variable transmission. This engine has a wide power band because it uses a dual-stage intake manifold, five valves per cylinder and variable intake and exhaust camshafts. The throttle is responsive at almost any speed. Audi claims this model accelerates to 60 miles per hour in 7.5 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. A manual transmission or quattro all-wheel-drive system is not offered in the convertible at this time. Later in the model year, Audi’s four-cylinder 1.8-liter turbo engine will be available.

Audi’s CVT is one of the nicest examples of a continuously variable transmission I have sampled. Instead of shifting gears, it subtly changes ratios by varying the size of its drive pulleys. Computer controls simulate shifts, and a special steel belt assures longevity. During acceleration, the engine maintains a fairly constant rpm. Audi’s press materials describe the CVT this way: “During acceleration: speed and rpm’s increase; after reaching the desired speed, the rpm’s go back down and settle at a lower, more economical rpm. This stepless and completely jerk-free shifting is especially a comfort in city traffic and on long stretches.” Audi says its CVT outperforms a manual transmission in both acceleration and fuel economy.

Computer controls enable the CVT to mimic a Tiptronic transmission when the gear lever is moved into a separate slot on the right side of the console. It then becomes a six-speed transmission that can be shifted by moving the lever or using small buttons on the steering wheel. When the throttle is floored in this mode, the transmission automatically shifts to the next gear at maximum engine speed. Shifting with the buttons on the steering wheel is more fun than a manual gearbox.

Convertibles are all about fun, and the A4 has tons of that and good looks, too. Plus, it is a four-seater.

Price
The list price of our test car was $41,500. Options included leather upholstery, Bose sound system, 17-inch cast wheels and the Premium Package, which included a Homelink remote transmitter, wind deflector, auto-dimming mirrors, driver’s seat memory, Xenon headlights and multi-function steering wheel. The sticker price was $46,685.

Warranty
Four years or 50,0 0 miles.