2007 Audi A4 Avant 3.2 and A3 3.2 S-Line Reviews - What a Woman Wants Behind the Wheel

2007 Audi A4 Avant 3.2 and A3 3.2 S-line Designed to Please

By Donna Vissing
Travel and Woman's Editor
Louisville Bureau
The Auto Channel
September, 2006

SEE ALSO: New Car Buyer's Guide for Audi

Research has proven that women buy or influence 80% of all consumer purchases. Listening and connecting to female consumers has become a matter of life or death for every business, including the automobile industry. Audi has demonstrated they are paying attention with the release of the 2007 models - A4 Avant 3.2 Quarttro AT6 and A3 3.2 S-line Quattro S-tronic. If you haven’t driven an Audi lately, you should, and expect to be both surprised and impressed. What a Woman Wants Behind the Wheel can be found in two of the 2007 Audi models.

Beginning with the Audi A4 Avant 3.2 Quarttro AT6, this higher-end model offers versatility, functionality and luxury to the sophisticated female purchaser. Women are always looking to create a great first impression, and the ‘07 Audi A4 is a perfect fit! You immediately notice the subtle combination of classic yet sporty exterior style, offering medium-size interior capacity. The front-end grille sets the stage and lets you know it is part of the Audi family. Adding to the flair are a plethora of exterior color choices, including a metallic Deep Sea Blue Pearl effect, providing one of the finishing touches to a lasting great impression.

The interior is as lush as the exterior with premium leather seats, wood trim throughout the console, leather-wrapped sport steering wheel with multifunction controls, glass sunroof, heated side mirrors and the Audi Symphony AM/FM radio with in-dash 6-disc CD player and satellite radio pre-wiring. Between the front seats is a special designed center console with dual cup holders, adjustable tabs and an extra 12-volt power outlet.

Storage being equally important, the ’07 Audi A4 Avant offers the 60/40 split-folding rear seat option, opening up a load and storage area. There is additional storage space under the front seats, a glove compartment, and separate smaller areas throughout the automobile. Flexibility and convenience are the two words that can be used to describe storage space within the A4 and A3.

Appearance is important, but safety is everything to a woman when choosing an automobile; Audi really steps up to the plate in this category. In addition to driver and front passenger airbags, there are side airbag supplemental restraints and SIDEGUARD inflatable curtain airbags. Seat belts chime when not secured, and the car has LATCH – lower anchors and tethers to insure the safety of children. Both the 2007 Audi A4 and A3 have the Quattro permanent all-wheel drive system with the Electronic Differential Lock (EDL). The all-wheel drive system holds close to the road especially under adverse weather conditions. There are additional features included in the “Convenience Package” that are strongly recommended to further insure a safe driving experience.

Audi A4 and A3 provide automation technology beginning with the door locks, interior and exterior. The Audi A4 offers 12-way power front seats, and both Audi models offer automatic dual-zone climate control, front and rear power windows with “on-touch” and pinch protection, electronic cruise control, and power central locking system with selective unlocking.

Women love the feel of luxury but are practical buyers, considering safety, functionality and value when making a purchase as important as an automobile. I drove both the Audi A4 and A3 for a couple of weeks, in town and on long drives. I was most surprised by the sense of security and comfort I felt driving both vehicles, the ease of learning all the “bells and whistles” the 2007 Audi A4 and A3 provides, and the sense of luxury surrounding me during my driving experiences.

Audi offers a variety of packaged extras to further personalize your automobile:
• “Convenience Package” focusing on memory, auto and trip features;
• “Sport and Titanium Packages” focusing on the exterior and heightening the sporty look for the vehicle;
• “Cold Weather Package”
• “Audio Package” focusing on BOSE premium sound system and Sirius satellite radio system;
• “Technology Package” including Bluetooth phone capabilities;
• “Audi Navigation Plus” system.

If you are looking for the same Audi quality and many of the same special features, but at a less expensive base price, try out the 2007 Audi A3 3.2 S-line Quattro S-tronic. The sleek and stylish look of the Audi A3 3.2 sets this car apart from the competition in the sporty premium compact segment, making it a new favorite, especially with the young professional audience.

Showcasing an exterior feature that has become distinctive of the Audi family, the A3 3.2 has the same front end single-frame grille. Add to this the powerful rear end featuring a dual exhaust system, the S-line model carries off the sporty nature of the total Audi look. The interior design provides the same comfort and luxury as the Audi A4 Avant, but in a typical sports car style.

For more information on all Audi models, you can visit their website at www.audiusa.com

The base price for the 2007 Audi A4 3.2 Avant begins at $37,440 (6-speed manual) and $38,640 (6-speed automatic tiptronic).
The base price for the 2007 Audi A3 3.2 S-line Quattro S-tronic is $33,980.

Awards:
2005 – A4/S4 won:
• “Auto Interior of the Year” from Ward’s
• “Top Safety Pick” – Silver rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for occupant protection
• “Recommended” list for new vehicles since 2005 by Consumer Reports

2006 – A3 2.0 T/A3 3.2 won:
• “Best Sport Compact” in Car and Driver
• “Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• Additional awards from the New England Motor Press Association, Ward’s, and others.