The Detroit News's view

DANA POINT, Calif.–The Ortega Highway slices and twists its way northeastward from somnolent San Juan Capistrano through the drab and barren Cleveland National Forest. The surrounding brown, dusty hills are perhaps the last substantial tract of undeveloped land in southern California’s overpopulated Orange County.

And yet we’re never quite alone in the new 2003 Audi A4 Cabrio.

With the top down in the A4 Cabrio — a simple task that takes less than 30 seconds — it feels as if someone has punched a sizable hole in the ozone layer. Foolishly neglecting to bring either sunblock or baseball cap, the forehead, nose, ears and neck are soon burnt scarlet.

As the Audi hurtles toward Lake Elsinore and a brief, air-conditioned respite from the punishing, unrelenting sun, the sandy beaches and cool breezes of the Pacific shoreline seem a thousand miles away.

The A4 Cabrio journeys effortlessly up the Ortega, negotiating without protest a side trip along a roughly paved one-lane road that eventually peters out in the forbidding San Mateo Canyon Wilderness. Soon enough, we are whisked safely back to civilization — as it were — in a fine German convertible that seems equally at home in tony Temecula and staid San Clemente.

The A4 Cabrio is just now making its first appearance in North America, after being introduced earlier this year in Europe. Americans for now can buy only a single front-wheel-drive model, equipped with a twin-cam 3.0-liter V-6 and six-speed Multitronic transmission, priced from $41,500.

Early next year, a more affordable variant, with a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, will arrive, to be followed in the fall by a pricier, all-wheel-drive Quattro edition.

The A4 Cabrio has several notable competitors in this narrow segment, including the Saab 9-3 convertible (which is being redesigned for model year 2004), the Mercedes-Benz CLK Cabrio (also being revamped in the coming year), the BMW 330Ci and the Volvo C70 (which is being discontinued because of buyer disinterest).

Curiously, none of these fancy European droptops has as much rear-seat room as the Chrysler Sebring convertible, which, unlike the A4 Cabrio, is an honest four-seater and costs thousands less. I tried without success to find a comfortable position in the rear seat of the Audi. Be forewarned that only smaller children and pets are liable to settle in that cramped space without complaint.

For singles or childless couples who can afford the stiff price tag, however, the A4 Cabrio is a sweet ride, even without the choice of a manual gearbox. The two-door is responsive and forgiving, and its road manners are impeccable.

The V-6, which makes 220 horsepower, revs freely, feeding ample torque to the front wheels through the continuously variable transmission. The Multitronic can be shifted manually, without a clutch, but even in automatic mode, it seems well-suited to the power band of the six-cylinder engine. Fuel economy is decent, too, at 19 miles per gallon in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway.

As with all Audis, safety features share equal prominence with performance. Standard equipment includes antilock brakes and side air bags.

To justify its hefty sticker, the A4 Cabrio is also lavishly furnished, with such standard features as leather trim, power windows and locks, tilt/telescoping steering column, keyless entry and CD player. Among the options are a navigation system ($1,350), a Bose premium audio system ($650) and 17-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires ($500).

While quite competent, the A4 Cabrio doesn’t require a lot of effort from the driver, nor does it afford much excitement, outside of its obvious top-down charms. If you’re looking for entertainment behind the wheel, you’ll find the BMW more rewarding. If you seek a more idiosyncratic shape and distinctive cockpit, the Saab will easily fill the bill. And if you really don’t need those occasional rear seats, a Porsche Boxster ultimately will be far more fulfilling for not much more money.

Heading back to the Ortega for the sweltering journey down to the Coast in our A4 Cabrio, my head and shoulders are on fire. I should put the top up. But what the heck. The shadows are beginning to grow longer as daylight wanes.

And, all in all, this topless Audi is a pretty cool car.