I test-drove the new Audi cabrio last weekend at a dealership in Atlanta. The car is stunning in person...though the satin-finish chrome windshield surround is a bit over the top. The interior is attractive in that functional, unemotional German way. There are a lot of features on the car, and the back seat seemed relatively roomy. There's less space in the trunk than in a Saab 9-3 convertible.

On the road, the Audi sounds...weird. I'm not sure if it's the CVT (continuously variable transmission) or just an abused tester...but the car sounded mad every time I floored the accelerator. Not aggressive mad, more like whiny mad. Speaking of acceleration, the Audi is p-o-k-e-y. This thing is supposed to compete with the BMW 330ci, but the Bimmer will tromp it in acceleration. The Audi dealer told me that Audi's research shows very limited interest in a manual transmission at this price range, so not to expect to see a stick. The 1.8 turbo will debut next year, which should knock the price down, but it will probably be even slower.

This car shines, however, in stability. I took a railroad crossing at 45mph that would have the (much-preferred) Saab shaking like a 1940s-era weight loss machine. The Audi literally did not quiver. I did it twice just to be sure: the rearview mirror never even moved. So this thing is solid as a rock. A beautiful rock. A slow rock. A terribly expensive rock.
Amount Paid (US$): 42,000+