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The car was a puppy — snub-nosed, short tail, deceptively cute. The temptation was to pet it. But it would have none of that. It was the 1997 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro. It wanted to run.

Weather didn’t matter. Sun or snow, it wanted to go. It moved with ease, traversing the sizable bumps and potholes of the District of Columbia’s streets without a hint of upset. It had poise — lots of it.

I took the 1.8T Quattro for longer runs through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The car was a driver, an absolutely splendid driver. Except, well, “absolutely” may not be the best word. There were moments when the 1.8T Quattro behaved as an under achiever.

Those transient troubles occurred on especially cold mornings at initial start-up. The 1.8T Quattro would crank just fine, seemingly ready to roll. And then, moments later, it would do a major downshift — as if it suddenly had decided not to go anywhere at all. Then, it would upshift quickly, as if to say, “Heck, I was just kidding.”

Though annoying, the downshift-upshift episodes did not ruin my overall enjoyment of the 1.8T Quattro. I mean, some cars have no quirks at all, and yet remain thoroughly joyless. It’s much harder to live with that than it is to live with a fun car that causes you to curse occasionally.

Background: The Audi A4 sedan is another entry in the contest for mid-size car buyers — “mid-size” being a term of art in a market for cars larger than a Geo Metro and smaller than an S-Class Mercedes-Benz.

That kind of segment elasticity allows for a wide range of car prices, styles and tastes — with theA4 designed to appeal to buyers who want a taste of luxury at a price they can swallow.

Two A4 models are available: the 1.8T and the A4 2.8. The model names describe the engines in the cars.

For example, the 1.8T I tested is equipped with a 1.8-liter, turbocharged (thus, the “T”), four-cylinder, 20-valve, double-overhead cam engine rated 150 horsepower at 5,700 rpm. Engine torque,or twisting power, is rated 155 pound-feet at 1,750 rpm. The A4 2.8 gets a 172-horsepower, 2.8-liter V-6, a substantially smoother engine than the one found in the 1.8T.

Audis are available in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, the latter demarcated by the name “Quattro.” Simply stated, the Audi all-wheel-drive system electronically distributes drive power to all four wheels — increasing or reducing that power depending on road conditions. The practical result is improved traction and vehicle handling on slippery roads.

The Quattro system is optional — $1,600 extra. But 60 percent of all Audis sold in this country are sold with that system.

There is standard equipment aplenty, including dual front air bags, air conditioning, five-mile-per-hour bumpers, cruise control and electronic differential lock (which functions as an electronic traction assist). Also standard are power-assisted, four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated front/solid rear) with anti-lock system and a five- speed manual transmission.

A five-speed, yep, five-speed automatic transmission is optional.

’97 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro

Complaints: The cold-start downshifting in the test car, equipped with the optional five-speed automatic, was the most noticeable bugaboo. Also, this alleged five-seater is only comfortable for four.

Praise: An overall enjoyable car. Truly fun to drive on highway trips. Exceptionally maneuverable in urban traffic.

Head-turning quotient: Cute, friendly, free of ostentation.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Double aces for ride and handling. Excellent acceleration after warming up. Excellent braking on wet and dry roads. Please note that “wet,” in this case, does not refer to ice. You will slip and slide on ice, with or without all-wheel drive.

Mileage: About 25 miles per gallon (15.9-gallon tank, estimated 390-mile range on usable volume of recommended premium unleaded), running with one to four occupants, mostly highway, with light argo (13.7 cubic feet of trunk space).

Sound system: Optional 8-speaker AM/FM stereo radio and cassette with six-disc CD changer (trunk-mounted). Speakers by Bose. CD by Alpine. Very nice.

Price: Base price for the A4 1.8T is $22,990. Dealer invoice on base model is $20,246. Price as tested is $27,225, including $3,735 in options and a $500 destination charge. Prices based on latest Automobile Invoice Service reports.

Purse strings note: Compare with BMW 3-series, Nissan Maxima, Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight, Subaru Legacy, Volvo 850.