Test drive Audi A4 B7 2004 - 2007 Sedan

Ice and flame

The choice of a winter extremist
Winter, cold, slippery streets of ice. A well -known recipe against this is all -wheel drive, winter tires and piloting skill. And so that it was not bored with two and a half liters motors. Well, so that everything is honest at the start of the big three: BMW 325xi, Mercedes-Benz C 280 4Matic and Audi A4 3.0 Quattro. In the role of an unbiased judge, our test Pilot Alexei Vasiliev. And the snow whirlwind from under the wheels.

Audi A4 3.0 Quattro

Big overhang, the main reason for non -confusion in the turn. But there is no unnecessary buildup.
The shedding steering wheel does not allow the moment when the wheel falls on the rib.
When resetting gas, it is easy to load the front axle for a confident start of maneuver.
Audi soft suspension licks irregularities very well.
The fast car passes the turns exclusively habitually. And this does not require much effort.
 
Under the hood
Engine: working volume 2976 cm3,
compression degree 10.5: 1,
max. Power 218 l. With. at 6300 about/min,
max. moment 290 nm at 3200 rpm/min
Fuel consumption (EU): 11.2 l per 100 km
Fuel tank volume: 70 l
Maximum volume: 460 l.
Maximum volume: 440 l.
The average trunk and medium opening.
Moderately deep and not too high optimal
   
The number of places 5
The drive is complete
Suspension
The front is multi -link
The back is multi -link
Gearbox aut. 6th.
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed, km/h 238
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 8.7
common data
The mass of equipment./Full, kg 1630/2105
 
Mercedes-Benz C 280 4Matic

Mercedes is a real snow plowman. A little higher the suspension and would be an SUV ...
Mercedes turns the wheels best.
4Matic to knock down the path is almost impossible. Even with full load, it remains on the course.
Rounded rear lights almost do not collect snow dust, despite the fact that the C-class most plowed the virgin land beyond the limit of the highway.
C 280 4MATIC can be obedient even when it goes sideways.
 
Under the hood
Engine: working volume 2996 cm3,
compression degree 11.1: 1,
max. Power 231 l. With. at 6000 vol./min,
max. moment 300 nm at 2500-5000 rpm/min
Fuel consumption (EU): 10.1 liters per 100 km
Fuel tank volume: 62 l
Maximum volume: 455 l.
The trunk is great, and the lid is good, but the loading width below is very
strongly reduce oblique lanterns.
IKEA boxes will not fit here
   
The number of places 5
The drive is complete
Suspension
The front is independent
The back is multi -link
Gearbox aut. 5-Test.
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed, km/h 247
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 7.6
common data
A mass of equipment./Full, kg 1640/2120
 
BMW 325xi

High -quality tires The main condition for successful piloting of any BMW.
Small rolls and a decent road clearance allow you to easily overcome small snowdrifts even in a controlled skid.
A beautiful car is not easy to make you move beautifully. This is a job for a real professional.
A hard suspension is very shaking on irregularities and is more intended for perfect asphalt.
The mumbled door is the merit of previous pilots.
Full -wheel drive will always pull out of a drift.
The front overhang is extremely small. Therefore, all tremors from BMW have a very sharp steering wheel.
Under the hood
Engine: working volume 2497 cm3,
compression degree 10.5: 1,
max. Power 218 l. With. at 6500 vol./min,
max. moment 250 nm at 27504250 vol./min
Fuel consumption (EU): 9.2 l per 100 km
Fuel tank volume: 63 liters
Maximum volume: 410 l. The smallest trunk with the shortest lid. The opening opening, but the level of the connector is high, and stretch far to the front wall
The number of places 5
The drive is complete
Suspension
Front MacPherson
The back is multi -link
Gearbox aut. 6th.
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed, km/h 242
Acceleration to 100 km/h, from 7.5
common data
A mass of equipment./Full, kg 1315/2060
 
Who is what
Audi A4
The price of a tested car is $ 63,000
Max. Power 218 l. With. at 6300 vol./min
Max. speed 245 km/h
Acceleration 0100 km/h 6.9 s
 
Mercedes C280
The price of a tested car is $ 56 280
Max. Power 231 l. With. at 5500 vol./min
Max. speed 248 km/h
Acceleration 0100 km/h 7.7 s
 
BMW 325xi
The price of a tested car is $ 54,000
Max. Power 192 l. With. at 6000 vol./min
Max. speed 240 km/h
Acceleration 0100 km/h 8.0 s

Safety
Audi A4 *****
The result of the Euro NCAP crash test in 2001.
Front 12 out of 16 (75%)
Side 17 out of 18 (94%)
General score 30
This car protects the front passenger even more than the driver. Nevertheless, the body is exclusively strong, and with a lateral blow, the risk of getting damage is minimal.
 
Mercedes C280 *****
The result of the Euro NCAP crash test in 2001.
Front 14 out of 16 (88%)
Side 17 out of 18 (94%)
General score 31
A durable Mercedes body is very well opposed to the impact. The driver's door after the test easily opened. There is a small danger to the driver’s legs and the advantage of a three -point medium belt in the back in standard performance.
 
BMW 325 *****
The result of the Euro NCAP crash test in 2005.
Front 16 (100%)
Side 17 out of 18 (94%)
General score 35
The car demonstrated the minimum transfer of shock energy to the driver and passenger. The controlled movement of the pedal node helps to avoid serious foot injuries.
How they will look
Audi A4

Audi has a characteristic, protruding front -wheel drive muzzle, and very calm lines
The steering wheel with a familiar trapezoid hub is asks for in his hands. The seats are easy to adjust to any height and weight, and, in addition, any driver will be comfortably settled on them
Audi seats combine pleasant softness with support. In addition, they are the most beautiful
Audience devices read the flight. More clear and simple dials are hard to imagine. The display in the center is optimal in size and contrast
The seats adjustments on the side of the pillow should be recognized as the most optimal. Their size and shape allow everything to be done to the touch and quickly
BMW 325

The predator sat on the front paws. And he pressed his nose to the ground. Ready to jump only!
The three -spoke steering wheel hold and twist it pleasant. The hexagonal hub, although it looks the most impressive of all, does not close the scale and light bulbs, and the buttons on the steering wheel of Bavarz are the most obvious
The legs behind the back in BMW are the most. The threshold and sock cling to the rack when exiting, but sitting is very convenient
The Bimer shield lost his temperature indicator, but retained the family arrow flow meter. The pitching of this arrow under the right device pleasantly warm the soul to the longtime fans of the brand
The front seats are profiled, but deprived of electrical regulations. I set up once from the category, and no one is behind the wheel!

Mercedes C280

The Mercedes has the thickest rear racks, and this seems more massive from this. And overweight in this case is quite to the face
The four -spoke steering wheel with unexpectedly smooth forms lies perfectly in the hands and does not completely block the dashboard. Mercedes has the most comfortable selector handle and internal door opening handles in the right places
The largest -sized Dmitry compares the landing from the back with his ceshee of the previous generation. It has not become closer
The dashboard is good. Small devices with zero not on the side look a little strange, but below, but this
Voluminous seats will fit for anyone. They go back and forth without borders. Only now the mother pumped up. Kirza in Merce nonsense ...
 
OUTSIDE
How do they look? Yes, great: thoroughly and a little aggressively. True, aggression becomes noticeable only in such a company as this one, where the triple turns into militarily irreconcilable rivals in the struggle for the souls and hearts of consumers. All representatives of long -established brands. In this regard, in their design you can not notice a drop of admiration for momentary fashion. They are classics. Cognitiveness from the face, thanks to a long -formed style characteristics, is clear and instant. However, Mercedes is also identified by its class belonging, because the pharyn-far like C-Class has no one else in the modern DaimlerchrySler line. The Audi style in relation to the family hierarchy is less determined, and in conditions of insufficient visibility, the four can be mistaken for an older member of the family of four rings. The face of the BMW treshka demonstrates the characteristic of Bangle's handwriting, and its personality is easily manifested. The side is simply beauty in its true sense. What lines, what silhouettes! Strange, but German love for order no longer strangles emotions. However, due to the high window sill Audi line, they look a little heavy, and the impression of excessively brutal form does not even save the image of the sports car. Another thing is Mercedes. The swift and ease of its lines will remind both S and SL, while each owner will see something of his own, although necessarily belonging to the signs of the family and its style. The BMW profile is, of course, the extremely minimalized front overhang and the reverse tilt of the rear rack S. behind all stylists, as if conspiracy, put a fat point in recognition using the shape and pattern of the rear lights.
INSIDE
In a reasonable German design, it has always been accepted: everything is identical inside and outside, and it seems that the exterior and the interior drew and did the same designer. Finally, the American Bangle pulled up to this level. However, this does not impoverish perception. On the contrary, it only enhances the feeling of integrity, reliability and comfort. Despite the fact that the architecture of the instrument panels is clearly T-shaped and organized according to the unified ergonomic scheme of the panel are different. Different exactly as much as these cars are different from the outside. Here are the steering wheel, their design clearly works out the given topic: Mercedes, sports charisma in BMW and congenital intelligence in Audi.
SUMMARY
What can I say? Trust your intuition and eye. In the end, the style of a small sedan with clearly expressed sports charisma is corrected precisely for individuality. Yours, including.
Distribution of the moment
BMW
The main difference between the latter generation of all-wheel drive tremors X-Drive system instead of the usual interdosseous differential. The kinematics of the transmission is such that the rear axle is constantly connected, and the proportion of torque to the front can change from 0 to 50% using an electronically controlled multi-disable coupling. Its super -construction is obliged to ensure instant control and power to each of the wheels together with the system of adjusting the chassis of the DSC. Thus, the disk coupling in the handout of the box to some extent connects the front wheels, and the DSC brakes each of them, and is also able to remove excess gas. The DSC system can be turned off.
Mercedes-Benz
The design of the transmission has a handout after usual. From it, drive shafts depart to the rear and front wheels. The rotation is transmitted through a free center differential. ESP stabilization systems and traction force 4TS purposefully slows down the slipping wheels and transfer the drive moment to the wheels that have the best adhesion. In calm conditions, torque is distributed between the front and rear axles in relation to 40:60.
Audi
The all -wheel drive transmission of QUATTRO is based on the Torsen intericoses differential located in the shank of the gearbox. Its main advantage is the possibility of smooth mechanical blocking of the axle axis. In addition, the machine is equipped with a disabled ESP course stability system, branding a slipping wheel. Torsen is the most compact of the center differentials.
Ergonomics
Let's start with the eternal brand. Mercedes was, is and will be faithful to the spirit of a happy three -beam star. Each interior detail is thoroughly made, despite the fact that this is just a cake. Without making discounts on the year of the appearance of the model (2001), we note the Pseudokirza of the seats, which is somewhat discouraged. The plastic of the finish is soft, pleasant to the touch and expensive.
In general, there are no noticeable miscalculations in the cabin. The seats themselves optimally cover the driver's body, limitless electroregies in length and height allow anyone to get a job. Even behind the place is enough for two tall uncles, plus one subtile teenager. The third fed here is superfluous. The historical branded iconostasis of the console button does not look archaic here, but makes the car slightly closer to the senior brothers. The dashboard replaced the usual pale yellow glow with the same in saturation, but bluish. Using the ignition key to use simply. He, like his usual predecessor, is inserted and rotated, without forcing the driver to solve the rebels of the cunning launch.
The four -spoke steering wheel with unexpectedly smooth forms lies perfectly in the hands and does not completely block the dashboard. Mercedes has the most comfortable selector handle and the inner handles of opening doors in the right places.
The doors of the little Mercedes are clapping with a juicy sound, and if it were not for the traditional steamed one -lever, overloaded with functions, but now legitimate state scanner, the car’s interior could be recognized as traditionally impeccable.
The noble sound of the motor and excellent sound insulation are a couple of familiar qualities of the brand. As well as the excellent sound from the speakers of the stereo system. External mirrors delight with their sizes and a clear image, the right is ready to sink if you are moving back. Finally, another familiar chip. The button on the panel lowers the rear head restraint, opening the view back. Traditions and once again traditions.
Against the tradition of landing from behind. Places in length are frankly small, and transferring the legs through a high threshold is not easy. Mercedes was terrified in the back.
The Bavarian angel in the Baroque style ... So called the first post -war model BMW. How long it was. And was it? I will allow myself a small amount of emotions. Looking at the interior of the youngest of the tested cars, there are no associations not only with the historical (and personally revered for many years) the leg of the brand, but also with very recent cars. From the neutrally strict and deliberately simplified lines of the torpedo and the console, it blows the cold of the bottomless abyss of the ocean, separating Europe and America. Even a very warm orange lighting of devices and buttons does not save.
Maybe, over time, new Bavarians will be used to the new Bavarian style, which will explain that it is modern, stylish, cool and somehow like that, but the exclusively organic interiors of many predecessors from putting this machine on the par with them. In pursuit of the transcontinental client, BMW stylists renounced the old world. And revolutions rarely bring positive results ...
Treshka loses to competitors in terms of status perception. Tough lines of torpedo are also firmly to the touch, and the relief of surfaces resembles not the best texture of the skin of the Mercedes seats. Of course, everything is exclusively adjusted, the appliances on the console are well grouped and visible, but in general, the BMW interior looks cheaper. Despite the fact that he, we repeat, is the latest.
Dense seats have very good support, the range of their adjustments is great. But for the driver preferring a high landing, there is no convenient position here. However, most likely, the owner of such a car will want to sit lower. In general, the BMW seats liked the least.
The three -spoke steering wheel hold and twist it pleasant. The hexagonal hub, although it looks the most impressive of all, does not close the scale and light bulbs, and the buttons on the steering wheel of Bavarz are the most visual. Taking an example with Opel, BMW got non -fixing levers of turn signals and wipers. Why are there such a swift car? To develop a little more than adrenaline?
Far from the mirrors are small, and the distortion area is much more expected. A separate story of the ignition key. To adopt the motor by pressing the key first, and then the buttons is possible, but is it necessary? The windows buttons on the driver's armrest are located on a surface tilted from the driver. And the doors are clapping with some kind of sharp scrap, and sometimes the second time ... The weak sound insulation of the wheel niches alerted at 60 km/h, and during the recruitment of hundreds in the cabin, a constant rumble reigns. Winter wheels, of course, are far from harmless noise generator. But in other machines, more toothy and studded tires did not crawl into the salon so much.
And one more detail. On the upper edge of the doorways there is a rather impressive corner of the roof upholstery panel. And in front and behind him, our tall passengers constantly touched his caps. A lot of small nit -picking, will you say? So. But competitors have much less. And the cars are by no means cheap.
What BMW unexpectedly surprised was the planting from behind. Suddenly, because it has always been a Mercedes advantage. Bavarz has the most spacious rear seat. And the most convenient. The same can be said about the rear head restraints with an armrest. The wheel arches are slightly interfered and the roof is low, but the doorway of the BMW behind is the largest. Not a Driving Car?
Audi stably pleases us with a thorough approach to the organization of living space. The gold balance between severity, luxury and functionality engineers from Ingolstadt can withstand best of all. Devices, handles and buttons, displays and selector windows will satisfy anyone. The steering wheel with a familiar trapezoid hub is asks for in his hands. The seats are easy to adjust to any height and weight, and, in addition, a forty -kilogram and a stoosorokakilogram driver will be conveniently settled on them. Supervaling quality.
Cosiness is emphasized by light tones of the finish and excellent quality of the skin of the seats. The mirrors are large and are located above all. The red alarming light of the devices tunes in a strict way.
You can’t call the rear seat spacious, but compared to competitors, planting favors the entrance and exit and does not limit passengers in height. Bose audible music emits a juicy volume sound and is very simple to handle. She does not have to fight external noises. The proprietary sound of the motor at the top is the only accompaniment caressing the ear of adherents of the brand.
The most pleasant is the fact that all controls in this car have always been standard. No addictions or solving algorithms are required. The motor starts and stops with a button. And the key from your pocket can not be removed. A long -known system, but everything is simple and convenient!
Dynamics
In this discipline, BMW definitely won everyone. The Bavarian riding motor and responsive box respond to any change in traction and most importantly do it without the slightest delay and one hundred percent. The transmission in the machine is inconspicuous and becomes more sharp only in manual mode. Bravo! A good Bavarian German did not seek this. So everyone would! BMW brakes are more than corresponding to overclocking dynamics: powerful, but hard -to -do. A little overwhelmed ABS. The slowdown was slightly not bombarded. You have to play very subtly with the left pedal. In this, the car is similar to many Frenchmen requiring gentle handling of pedals.
Audi won a little Mercedes in terms of a jerk, although both lost to Bimer. When driving, they demonstrate approximately equal acceleration, and almost the same delay after a sharp stress on gas. This feature of all modern machines, the designers of which make a jump to the sacrifice of environmental restrictions. And so I would like a little faster ... Powerful constant acceleration squats slightly when switching, and there are practically no delays on the course.
The conditions of our test somehow excluded the issues of fuel economy. Ice, all -wheel drive, often gas in the floor, total eight liters of volume and six hundred forces for three. What kind of savings there ... And yet, Audi ate the most, a little smaller Mercedes, and BMW pleased the most modest appetite.
Management and comfort
First, we checked our horses on a frozen metropolitan asphalt. Two out of three of our Germans have noticeably heavy rudders. Mercedes just seemed slightly clamped, and BMW showed a frankly heavy bagel. Moreover, the car itself is redundant for every raft longitudinal irregularity. Even barely noticeable cracks cause a serious led to the side, but more and more than a greater nature is a rearrangement of the entire car. Moreover, quite sharp. It is amazing that having quite sporting habits, the car has to be literally kept on a straight line. Uniform straightforward movement does not work.
At the same time, the weighted steering wheel has almost one hundred percent feedback, which exacerbates the whirlwind of the entire apparatus as a whole. All this contributes little to comfortable driving, which you expect to a greater or lesser extent from a thoroughbred machine. Shock absorbers with springs (especially the rear), in full accordance with sharp reactions, are capable of shaking even a very strong athlete.
Mercedes behavior, taking into account the heavy steering wheel, is simply infinitely different from the Bavarian beauty. As he planned, he drove his motto. It seems that under a thin layer of snowballs, rails are hidden along which our tram rolls to turn it out of the way. We also did not feel special shaking on city streets. Well, eminent Germans with an sight on the hood have always been valued for this. We will check how such reinforced concrete will turn on the turns on ice.
Audi soft cat in this pack. Light, even very light steering wheel. No sharp movements, no screening or rearrangements. Everything is predictable, and, despite the total all -wheel drive of competitors, a front -wheel drive dominant is felt in the Audi’s taxi, and Mercedes is classic. As expected. The well -known audit heavyweight of the nose, even on an icy road, is not too annoying the city driver. Unless, of course, do not abuse gas in corners.
Comfort in all places is an excellent achievement of Ingolstad pendants. Audi the most person -bearing car in the test. There is no heavyweight in it, but there are no small annoying accelerations. The optimal ratio of springs, shock absorbers, stabilizers and multi -link suspensions are the key to success.
The main exam for controllability, the cars had to be taken on the ice of the rowing canal in Krylatsky.
All according to merits
The most serious result of our test was the general opinion that at least in the junior grade the great classical German brands changed with each other image and sled qualities. Not in everything, but in many ways Mercedes-Benz and BMW exchanged purchasing AudiTiors. And if earlier people have always preferred a Merce, and Beshka was a daredevil, now the owner of Mercedes-Benz C 280 4Matic will receive much more adequate and at the same time a comfortable drive, and a fan of dyeing and demonstrating the pleasant chubby of the wallet, and at the same time the status Choose BMW 325xi. If not for the hard bimer suspension, cars would completely replace each other.
Audi, like initially a front -wheel drive car, and due to traditions it is somewhat aside and is not going to change with anyone.
If in the yard are summer, pure dry asphalt and other landfill, the results could be completely different. But in our area for half a year is winter, and at least two months of constant ice. So estimates with the winter slope.
Our ice races absolutely clearly placed competitors in places. Hard and small BMW could not show off the miraculous electronics of X-Drive. Its uncontrollable flights in most turns and a general assessment, which does not quite reach the standard of a hundred percent German car, allowed the car very stylish outside only to third place. Apparently, it is no coincidence that this machine is cheaper than anyone.
Audi and Mercedes-Benz went to the nostril in the nostril, but the driver of our test and more predicted and confident behavior on clean ice put forward a Merus forward. So no one could go calmly and with dignity. In addition, it is decent cheaper than the Audi competitor, although it loses a little the latter in terms of comfort with extreme driving. Thus, the more comfortable A4 Quattro, thanks to its lazy nasal movements, took second place. And unshakable C 280 4Matic is the first, with which we congratulate him.
Text Eugene Khapov
Photo by Leonid Grandfather
 

Source: Cars