Our view: 2002 Audi A4

We’re quite certain Audi doesn’t specialize in marital counseling, but if it did, the German automaker would have the cure for the seven-year itch down cold.

We thought Audi scored a winner in 1995 when its A4 sedan first wooed a few buyers away from BMW, Mercedes and Lexus and started a whole new love affair with aspiring drivers in the entry-level luxury market.

Seven years later, there’s a renewed fire in the romance. Timing, apparently, is everything. So is driving. For a car that once turned heads, saved Audi from near-disaster and added a new player in a competitive market, the 2002 version of the A4 isn’t just a rekindled spark – it’s a forest fire.

Just in time for a little seven-year sedan boredom, the A4 gives you more vroom. And head room, leg room, shoulder room and flat-out zoom.

Webster would struggle for the right A4 adjective. Danielle Steel would steam.

Need we say more? Must we leave the driver’s seat?

Shame on us for being surprised. Shame on Audi for producing such a great ride at a shade less than a traditional BMW price. And that might be where its beauty really shines through.

When the A4 debuted in the United States in 1995, it set forth a revitalization of the Audi brand. The automaker had been on life support, nearly bankrupt by lawsuits from drivers who claimed their cars had a tendency to rocket forward unexpectedly.

The problem was, those same drivers couldn’t tell the difference between the gas and the brake.

That settled, Audi set out to redefine itself. The A4 helped pave the way. It meant credibility, respectability and a whole new way to drive the compact sedan world. Today, it’s close to setting its own tone. No longer a BMW wannabe, the A4 is an entry-level luxury sedan inching ever closer to its Bavarian neighbor.

Separated by just 10 minutes on the E6 Autobahn – the distance between Audi’s Ingolstadt headquarters to BMW’s Munich lair – it might be even closer to that.

The all-new A4 is more sharply styled than before – clear glass headlights, dual exhaust, a high waistline – and it is larger than previous models. A car that used to come with some stingy accommodations, now has a lengthened wheelbase (1.3 inches) and a longer overall length (2.7 inches). What that means is more leg room for both front and rear passengers along with extra space for head and shoulders.

That doesn’t mean limo proportions. But this is a compact sedan after all. But it’s not a sleeper.

Where the A4 really roars is under the hood. With an a brand new all-aluminum 3.0-liter, 220 horsepower V-6 and a standard six-speed gearbox, Audi throws in the kind of fun that you shouldn’t be allowed to have in a car with four doors.

It will flat-out fly.

And with a 45 percent improvement in torsional rigidity thanks to a new, rear multilink suspension (that replaces the outdated rear torsion beam), driving is an exercise in pure road feel. Steering is res ponsive and, equipped with a sport package that includes a tightly tuned suspension and sticky tires, there is a reason to red line.

Two engines are offered – the V-6 and a 170-horsepower, 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder – as is Audi’s usual front-wheel drive or quattro all-wheel-drive. The beauty of quattro, the automaker’s full-time AWD, is its ability to stay poised in the rain and snow. It also helps keep you centered in those tight corners and twisty roads that the A4 will beg you to sample.

No palm sweating wondering whether the front end will meet the back end if you hit the gas too hard.

For those who prefer an automatic, models equipped with quattro are available with a five-speed Triptonic transmission. For front-wheel-drive models, Audi has also introduced a continuously variable automatic transmission known as multitronic – the speed and smoothness of a manual and the convenience of an automatic.

Inside, there’s elegance without all the expense ix-cylinder models come with a 12-way power adjustable seats for both driver and passenger, with four-stage lumbar adjustments. These are superbly supportive and comfortable, especially on 300-mile trips, and there is a tasteful bit of faux wood, a six-CD changer, a 10-speaker sound system, straight-down-the-middle climate and radio setup and plenty of cupholders, storage bins and a glove compartment that could hold a gas can.

On the outside, it’s imposing. With the back end more rounded, the front end low to the ground and the stance more aggressive, you’ll notice it from the street.

And you’ll notice there more security in anti-lock brakes, brake assist, stability control and front, side and head-protecting side curtain air bags. There’s good mileage – about 20 in the city on the 3.0-liter V-6 and 25 highway. And there’s a decent price.

Base figures on the A4 start at $26,650, which includes an Autobahn of standard stuff – automatic dual-zone climate control, power everything, cruise, headlight washers, and heated mirrors. Top it out and you’re paying $38,410 – still less than the top BMW 330i, Saab 9-3 Viggen or Jaguar X-Type 3.0.

Unabashedly, we can say Audi has scored a winner in its A4.

Undeniably, it’s also so many other things: Luscious. Tangy. Velvety. Torquey. And a seven-year itch that’s only scratched the surface of good things to come.

AUDI A4 SPECS

Rating: 4

High gear: All-wheel drive, a robust engine, sharp handling and a tasteful interior make this BMW challenger a near-winner. With rounded-out sheet metal and the option of a sporty package, the A4 rolls in a close second in the near-luxury market.

Low gear: If you want the full experience, price might become an issue, something that heats up in a hurry. Squeezing three adults in the back is also a tight fit.

Vehicle type: Front- or all-wheel drive, front engine, four door, five-passenger sedan.

Standard equipment (3.0 model): Six-speed manual transmission; ABS; Brake Assist; rack-and-pinion power steering; automatic dual-zone climate control; power windows; cruise control; power locks; 12-way power front seats; split-folding rear seats; driver information display; in-dash six-disc CD changer with AM/FM stereo; front, side and inflatable air bags.

Competition: BMW 330i, Cadillac CTS, Jaguar X-type, Lexus IS300, Lincoln LS, Saab 9-3

Engine (3.0 model): 220 horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6

Torque (3.0 model): 221 foot-lbs. @ 3,200 rpm

Wheelbase: 104.3 inches

Length: 179 inches

MPG rating (3.0 model): 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway

Manufactured: Ingolstadt, Germany

Warranty: Basic warranty is four years/50,000 miles; powertrain warranty is four years/50,000 miles; rust perforation warranty is 12 years/unlimited miles; roadside assistance is four years/unlimited miles.

Base price (1.8 model): $26,650

Price as tested (3.0 model, includes options, destination and delivery c harges): $38,410