Audi A5 Cabriolet

The good: Audi's new navigation system has the most beautiful maps in the business, and route guidance functions are excellent. suspension technology in the 2010 A5 Cabriolet makes the car fun in the corners.

The bad: The convertible top ruins the styling of the A5, and the engine feels a little weak providing the power to exploit the handling.

The bottom line: With its high cabin, the 2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet is a comfortable cruiser, but it is not powerful enough to drive like a sports car.

he Audi A5 is a stunningly beautiful coupe with excellent power and performance. Unfortunately, the 2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet is not that car. In an effort to please drop-top lovers, Audi cut the roof off of the A5 Coupe, an element that accounted for the majority of this model's looks. The cloth top taking its place has a humdrum style, merely purpose of covering the occupants' heads.

In a further blow, the 3.2-liter V-6, still an option in the hard-top A5 Coupe, isn't available with the 2010 A5 Cabriolet. Instead, Audi uses a turbocharged 2-liter fou We appreciate the use of turbocharging to get performance out of a small engine, and we wanted to like the high-tech power plant in the A5 Cabriolet. But the engine lacked thrust needed to push past that big rig on the highway, or make good use of the car's advanced handling technology in the corners.

Audi A3 2.0 TDI

The good: With its diesel engine, the 2010 Audi A3 TDI delivers exceptionally good fuel economy. integration and the Bluetooth phone system both work very well.

The bad: The DVD-based navigation system is slow and tedious to use. tronic transmission didn't always operate smoothly.

The bottom line: Although diesel driving takes some getting used to, the 2010 Audi A3 TDI's excellent fuel economy makes it worth it, and its cabin tech provides modern conveniences.

While test driving the 2010 Audi A3 TDI for this review, we showed it to friends and relatives, the fact that it gets about 40 mpg fuel economy. Inevitably, they asked us "Why aren't we all driving diesels?"

Being too close to the subject matter, we recited the history of diesel cars in the U.S., emissions regulations, and how the recession caused some automakers to pull back on their diesel plans. Five minutes into our lecture, our subject would go glassy eyed and comment on how the A3 looks like a really nice car.

Although the A3 is at the bottom of Audi's model lineup, it holds up Audi's premium car reputation with an overall look of quality and good materials. It really is a nice little car. However, being at the bottom of the lineup, Audi hasn't kept its cabin electronics up with opting for what looks like the first generation of Audi's Multimedia Interface, with a DVD-based navigation system and interface controls mounted next to the LCD.

Audi S4

The good: The 2010 Audi S4 doesn't compromise between good performance and fuel economy, offering both in the same package. optional Drive Select package delivers spectacular handling, and Audi offers a seven dual-clutch transmission. Maps show detailed 3D information and the driver can control most functions with voice command or the steering-wheel buttons.
The bad: For aesthetic and usability reasons, some of the cabin tech screens could use some work.

The bottom line: A smooth driver for a commute and an exciting ride for fun, the 2010 Audi S4 offers refined cabin tech and good fuel economy. It comes close to being a perfect tech car.

Audi's newest S4 proves that power and fuel economy are not mutually exclusive. Pushed by upcoming European and U.S. regulations covering CO2 emissions and fuel economy, the company created a 2010 Audi S4 that delivers exciting performance, everything you would expect from an Audi S, and very reasonable fuel economy.

The new S4 gets rid of the previous version's 4.2-liter V-8 in favor of a supercharged 3-liter direct-injection V-6, giving it much better fuel economy with no real loss of power. The new S4 also benefits from Audi's improvements all-wheel-drive system, its powered 3D navigation system, and Bang Olufsen audio quality, along with other features making it a créme de la créme tech car.