Seats are well bolstered, and well lumbared, perhaps too well for relaxed, long distance cruising. The standard cloth upholstery feels durable and provides a bit of grip. The optional leather surfaces are elegantly stitched and fit our posteriors well. The fold-down, height-adjustable front center armrest aligns with the driver door armrest, encouraging a restful, upright driver posture; it does, however, interfere with the handbrake, requiring either a wrist-contorting, forearm-straining pull-force or folding it up out of the way to gain access to the lever.
Round gauges shaded by a hooded instrument panel look out through the top half of the three-spoke steering wheel. The information display, reporting such data as radio frequency, trip mileage, service interval warning and such, separates the tachometer and speedometer, with fuel and coolant gauges tucked away down in the corners. The seats, mirrors, steering column and other features adjust in every conceivable direction. A minimalist set of secondary controls on the steering wheel spokes manages audio and other functions. Steering column-mounted stalks operate the usual array of features and are clearly marked except the rear window wiper and washer on the Avant, which is controlled by the right-hand lever.
Old-fashioned knobs and buttons control audio selections and air conditioning settings, and all easily deciphered and within easy reach in the center stack console. A nice touch is a drawer the size of a credit card above the in-dash CD changer. When DVD navigation is ordered, the stereo panel gives way to the map display, which then doubles as a stereo panel. The navigational display is one of the best of the current generation of such systems. Readily understood controls orient the cursor and shift the map scale, with on-screen telltales stealing very little real estate from the map. The map offers both a flat, two-dimensional and a bird's-eye perspective, the latter with a distant horizon visible running across the upper area of the screen. Audi adds MP3 capability to the A4's step-up stereo with an inventive placement behind the tilt-away map display of pair of slots for Secure Digital memory cards. Still, only stereo volume and pre-set radio stations can be changed without first pressing Accept" on the opening display panel each and every time the car is started. And the stereo is on all the time the navigational system is active; you don't turn it off, you turn it down.
Interior space in the new A4 matches that of the previous-generation model. It's generally adequate in front but somewhat limited in rear leg room. This is not a car for the full-figured or for people much taller than six feet. Cargo volume remains the same in the new A4, with cubbies in the cargo area's interior side panels and numerous tie downs. In the Avant, a two-way cargo cover also houses a pull-up, vertical netting to restrain stacked objects. Inside pull-down grips on the trunk and liftgate spares fingers from road grime. Front doors have fixed map pockets. Net pouches on the rear of the front seatbacks hold magazines, snacks and other sundries. The glove box isn't especially deep and loses substantial space to the CD changer when the navigational system is ordered. A power point in the center console bin is provided in addition to the cigar lighter in the front ashtray. A flip-down armrest in the rear seat contains two cup holders.
On the finer points, we like the lane-change signal feature, where a tap of the turn indicator lever delivers three blinks, although we'd like four blinks. We wish the beep confirming the remote lock would sound more promptly, as we constantly found ourselves pausing for a moment to be sure the doors had in fact locked. We like the one-piece wiper blades for their sleek looks, slicker aerodynamics and solid seating against the glass at autobahn-level speeds. And we're thankful for the red Stop button on the driver's memory settings panel for those times when we pressed the wrong memory setting button."
