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Show The Salt Lake Tribune Section D AUTOMOTIVE ‘IECLASSIFIEDS/ D-2 FRIDAY, JANUARY29, 1999 Advertising supplement produced by the Newspaper Agency Corporation New A4 quattro 1s jewelof the Audiline By ALAN VONDERHAAR CINCINNATI ENQUIRER By AL Haas The Audi A4 quattro with the 2.8- KniGHT-Rupper NEWSPAPERS liter, 30-valve V6 engineis a step up @. I have been cursed by the auto demons and have spent the past year trying to remove this cursefrom myautomobile. T have a 1994 Ford Explorer from the base ‘configuration, which features a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder tur- bocharged powerplant. On theoretical grounds, one would expectthe V6 to be a better mate for the optional five-speed automatic transmission. After all, it delivers 26 percent more horsepower (190 ys. 150) and 33 percent more torque (207 vs. 155). This is worth a full second in with 93,800 miles on it. The the 0-60 dash, the factory said, comparing quattro to quattro. The six-cylinder-engined car can doit in 8.8 seconds, whileit takes the turbo machinea leisurely 9.8. Andyet, in the kind ofdriving flatlanders normally do (mountain work might be differentsituation), felt the turbo was more fun. I suppose it’s because the V6 didn’t feel overwhelmingly more potent, as the raw output numbers would suggest Another interesting factor is that the turbo makes its maximum amountoftorque (which is what you feel when the powerhits the wheels) at a remarkably low 1,750 rpm, while the six doesn’t doits best work until 3,200. In real-life situations, evenwith the blunting effect of both The 1999 Audi A4 quattro’s all-wheel-drive system providesexcellenttraction in bad weather. Nowin its fourth generation, the Better still, give some serious price. There’s about a $4,500differthought to going with the manual ence between an A4 with the four system can send as muchas 66 pertransmission.If speedy getaways are your thing, that will be a more satis- fying choice. Butif you can shift for yourself, then the V6 might be more attractive because with the quattro drivetrain,it’s an appreciably better sprinter than the turbo. Both engines have a preference for premium (91-octane) fuel, but have enough computer smarts that they and one with the six, and frankly, friends, it's not worth it, even though they throw in metallic paint with the Butit can be added tothe turbocar, driverinput, but the net effect is that the car will go if only one wheelhas front-wheel-drive in The tester has the all-wheel-drive which guise it is not that much more desirable than its cousin, the mechanism for $1,650; the auto- 4 sedan is alsooffered up as a machine feels more eager, more in the game. whatreduced output. EPAestimates are 17 mpgcity, 27 Nowletit be said thatif you are buying an Audi quattro machine because you've heard it’s a nice foulweathercar, and you buyit with the option,is the glory ofthe Audiline, premiumfuel. The automatic transmission is a andunless youlive wherethe pave- automatic because shifting is such a bore, you'll probably be better off with the six (or a Subaru), Butif youlike driving, as opposed to being transported fromPlace A to Place B as effortlessly as possible, check out the turbo before you're seduced by the promisesofthe V6. Tiptronic mechanism, which allows ‘oneto row the gears with the flip of a switch. Audi hasplaced the up-down switch onthesteering wheel, which 1 found quite convenient,if still gimmicky. Another considerable factor is subdivided onceit gets to the front 100. Just to add to the confusion, the can get byon87, albeit with some- superb unit(five forward ratios help) that utilizes the Porsche-designed fore oraft, and that poweris further or rear differential, under computer guidance. Noneof this requires any the automatic andthe all-wheel-drive quattro mechanism, the turbo highway. I was pleased tolog 22.1 on cent of the engine’s output either six, and I mustsay, the Santorini blue ofthe tester wasluscious. machine, VW Passat. The quattro, available as a $1,650 mentis as perfect as the weather, you'd be doing yourself a major disservice decliningit. The quattro uses a center differential in addition to the onesfront andrear todistribute power according to the needs(as defined by the traction available) ofthe individual wheel: somekind ofgrip. Base price on the A4 is $28,390. matic transmission for $1,075; audio system upgrade for $1,200; leather wrapped steering wheel, $160; power moonroof, $1,000; leather seating, $1,320; and anall- weather package consisting of heated seats, heated driver’s door lock and heated windshield washer nozzles, plus expandable ski storfor $630. , with freight, was a hefty perhaps the weight should be expressedin carats,forit engine knocks orrattles when I go up an incline. The noise is louder than your average engine “ping.” So far, I’ve dumped about $1,100 into solving this problem and have replaced the following: the EGR valve, spark plugs, mass-air-flow sensor, throttlePositioning sensor, crank sensor, and thermostat. Nothing has solved the problem. Pleasehelp. A, Bob Moyta, service manager at Philadelphia’s Pacifico Ford, told me that the oxygenated fuel used during the winter can cause | this problem. But the fact that it has persisted for a year would suggest another culprit: a carbon buildup on the pistons. Moyta’s advice is to use a topend cleaner to flush out the crud on the pistons. If that doesn’t work, he says you probably have a fuel-injector problem. Q. We would like very much to visit some good auto museums this spring and would appreciate it ifyou would mention some east ofthe Mississippi River. We're not muchinterestedin carsfrom 1960 on, and we don't wantto exclude museums in the Michigan area. A. I’m glad you don’t want to leave out Michigan, because that’s where some ofthe very best are. The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn is an obvious must-see,and so is the Alfred P. Sloan Jr. Museum in Flint. Sloan was General Motors’ first Mr. Big, and as a result, the museum has a GMslant. But there are lots of other automakers represented there. While you're in the neighborhood, Dave Brownell, editor of Hemmings Motor News,the bible ofthe old-car hobby,stronglyrecommends the Gilmore Museum in Hickory Comers, Mich. “They have wonderful Packards, Duesenbergs, Cadillacs and other classic cars,” he told me. Brownell also contributed the Detroit Historical Museum tothe list, terming its collection “small butinteresting.” Q. What is the Shelby Series 1? Is it going to be a kind of updated Cobra? A. This new Carroll Shelby sports car is similar to the legendary Cobra he built during the *60s only in the sense that it is very high-performance (0 to 60 in little more than 4 seconds). | Unlike the Cobras, which were essentially modified AC Aces powered by Ford V8s, this car was designed by the Shelby organization from the ground up. The only significant non-Shelby-designed componentis the 4-liter Oldsmobile Aurora V8, which has been hot-rodded from its stock rating of 250 horsepower to 320. ‘The car reportedly has ride to matchits superlative handling and acceleration. It’s also a great looker. Shelby plans to build 500 at a new plant on the grounds of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this year and peddle them for about | 100 grand. Send your automotive question to Al Haas, The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101. is a jewel me UUNOL LVAD GO oe | | 1999 OLDS EIGHTY EIGHT 1999 OLDS ALERO Gi msrp $26,065 MSRP 5 1999 OLDS BRAVADA msrP $34,675 20,495 now 99 VENTURE VAN 99 ASTRO VAN 8 PASSENGER tii e/ _eroan 99 CONVERSION VAN | 99 4 DR TAHOE STARTING AT 454 VB AUTO, ALL POWER OPTIONS KEYLESS ENTRY CAS & CD CUSTOM WHEELS RUNNING ‘QUARD AND MORE ust $35,552 BLOWOUT @ 5.7 VORTEC V-8, CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS, RUNNING BOARDS, CD/CASSETTE, ‘& MUCH MORE . “temer Bust $31,880—."%° ae 99 PRIZM $12,995 hs 2 IN STOCK = SALE Ta Ree oc 99 SUBURBAN 4X4 99 SILVERADO 4X4 1/2 & 3/4 TONS! STARTING AT STARTING AT | aes | Neck 99 BLAZER 4X4 STARTING AT 120,995, OR>14 in stock $B <x money lous, 12,000tlie par yesr.Excess mileage charge .20 per mic. 1.800 total out of pocket Inching first payment. _—_ a 9 S-10 PICKUP “11,995| Onccee] STARTING AT “16,695 | econo 99 CAVALIER STARTING AT *12,495. OR S21 w stock & *30 month lease, 12,000 mils per year. Excess misage charge .15-.20 per mite. 1,600 toti! out of pocket Inching Ist payment. | |
