Thursday, February 22, 2007



Audi

The first time I saw the Audi S4 sitting alone in the parking lot, it overpowered my feelings with its shapely design, smooth lines and graceful style. I quickly came to learn that this Audi is an impact vehicle that lives up to its reputation, and capacity for performance and speed. Its neat packaged presentation appears small but it has the punch of a powerful automobile. White in color with a smooth running back and sleek front, it hugs the ground with its lowered suspension and from a distance it appears as an evil beast on the prowl. The first object that attacks the viewer’s eye is the Audi rings on the front grill. It speaks silently a message of prestige, yet it looks as if it is an Olympic symbol for world unity. Each time I see this symbol, it says, this car is welcome any where on the face of the earth. Its small size gives the immediate impression of personal control over it while avoiding the bulky feel of a larger automobile. The 17inch Pro Racing wheels punctuate its sides with awareness that it is in itself movement of speed and force. Five spokes reaching out to four thin tires like the North Star giving balance and grip to the road. One does not have to fret on a cold and icy morning as to a secure and safe reaching of their destination; with “Quattro All Wheel Drive”, it is a reliable vehicle. The front lights on its fender provide a well designed pattern that fits into its body as if it born naturally like that. Vehicles lights on many cars appear as after thoughts stuck for convenience on a car but not so for the Audi. It appears as if one were observing a perfect evolutionary mechanization of mechanical perfection.

The inside is as perfect as its exterior for class and comfort. There is a personal “joy” in driving such a car where its headboard lights up as if the fourth of July. A dim red hue; contrasted by a vibrant bold blue emitting from the dash stereo system, gives the driver a calm relaxed mood. Lights provide interior visibility but never an interference with outside observation. Seats are not merely bucket seats but comfort armchairs where one simply sinks into another dimension. The driving body feels as if the seat was ready made like a suit of cloths. Tinted windows allow the driver a sense of motorway privacy where one can see the other but the other can not see the driver.. It may be over describing it but it feels as if this may be the divine attribute of omnipresence; its power is all present yet invisible. The appearance is styled to perfecting both on the outside and the inside. The driver becomes one with the comfort of one’s senses and it is truly an exhilarating experience. There are many and varied functions that went into the consoles for the driver’s comfort and control. Designs such as, controls for the stereo and overdrive on the steering wheel, automatic climate control, even the tiptronic transmission, which blend the manual and automatic transmissions as a sacred unity. The finalizing sense is its stereo system with two 10inch subwoofers placed in the trunk. To know and feel ones body vibrating not because of defects in an old engine but to the rhythms of a musical beat.

The Audi; known for its safety record because it contains front, side, and in seat airbags in case of any accident. It also offers a security in its capacity to get from point A to B in the least time possible and within legal restrictions. To know that one can get into the Audi and drive from Denver to New York and still arrive safely with no concerns for engine or tires is a comforting feeling. It is a secure feeling to know that you have a reliable means of travel when movement is necessary. To cap its wonderful descriptions is the “Quattro All Wheel Drive” where concern for weather or change of seasons has little negative effects upon its travel. It is an automobile balanced in exterior and interiority but divinely rewarded by the stability and performance of its engine. It is a jigsaw miracle that fits perfectly together in performance and in handling by its driver.

It does have drawbacks that affect its ownership. It is a four seated car but questions the size of the people that can fit into the back seats. I feel the back seat was made for two leprechauns and not two grown people. It is uncomfortable when one has to travel a long distance with their knees literally in their mouth and their rigid calf’s pulsating with muscle spasms. It is not a four seated but in all honesty a two seated and it would be acceptable if the maker acknowledged that fact when it came to the assembly line. However, for some extremely unintelligent reason there is a huge trunk, with ample storage space, which in my opinion could have easily been transformed into leg room for the rear seat passengers. As we live in an age where possessions are important and baggage heavy why not have more space for things than for passengers.

It’s an automobile that before a mechanical task is done one has to pay several hundred dollars for a mere technical diagnostic. With the heavy overlay of computer chips and codes for mechanical redundancy, working on repairs is usually quite difficult and costly. Repair jobs that are reasonable on American cars become outrageous on the German import. It can eat away at the little savings one accumulates over the years or it can sit outside your door until one figure’s out where the money is going to come from to pay the next invoice for repairs. This of course is when you have found a reliable mechanic that actually knows how to fix the machine and is willing to stand up to his reputation.

Audi is a car designed not for a specific gender or culture, rather as a way of life. It is designed with the Autobahn in mind where there are no actual restrictions on the road other than safety of themselves and others. Audi takes care of both; excellent performance combined with unrivaled safety features. While Audi as not the least expensive car on the market, by any means, it does have a reputation, and a name that is worth its cost in safety and performance.

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