Occasionally a car comes along that’s so good looking it achieves instant and universal praise. The Audi A4 cabriolet is the perfect example.

While its saloon and estate brothers look a tad bland compared with executive rivals such as the BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class, with a canvas roof the A4’s tasteful lines suddenly shine through.

Introduced to the UK in 2002 — nearly two years after the demise of Audi’s previous cabriolet, based on the

Audi 80 — the A4 became an instant hit. Waiting lists stretched through to the following year and even today a 2002-registered car will still fetch about £16,000, or about two-thirds of its list price.

As with all cabriolets, buyers should choose their car with care. Not only is there a range of engines and transmissions to consider, but getting the colour and trim combinations right is important.

With a cabriolet the interior will be on display almost as much as the exterior and few buyers will settle for anything less than their ideal combination.

Under the bonnet the choice between diesel or petrol power should be based on your annual mileage: if you cover less than 12,000 miles a year then plump for the petrol.

Smoother and quieter than the 2.5 litre diesel they are also more readily available. The entry-level 1.8 litre turbo producing 163bhp struggles a little in the cabriolet which, because of its extra strengthening, weighs about 200kg more than its saloon equivalent.

The 2.4 litre engine produces only marginally more power than the 1.8 turbo so the pick of the bunch is the 3 litre V6. With 220bhp and 221 lb ft of torque it feels smooth, decently quick and suitably warbly for most tastes.

Your decision whether to buy a manual or automatic is entirely down to personal taste. Both the multitronic and tiptronic auto boxes work well and do nothing to dent performance, while the five and six-speed manual boxes are slick and strong. And perhaps best of all Audi offers all models with an auto and manual option, something unique in this category of car.

Audi’s obsession with quality certainly shows with the A4 cabriolet. Not only is the exterior panel fit and finish superb but the interior detailing, which Audi knows will be on show when the electric roof is folded down, is also faultless.

When you are looking at a used example, virtually regardless of age or mileage, expect the interior to look brand new. Wear should be expected only on leather upholstery and if present can be easily rectified by a professional leather treatment.

On the road the A4 cabriolet drives nearly as well as it looks. The extremely rigid body shell banishes any hint of scuttle shake and the multilink front suspension virtually dismisses the sensation of torque steer. The steering is also nicely weighted and provides good feel.

Pick up a Sport model, which comes with lowered, stiffened suspension, sports seats and leather steering wheel and the drive gets even better, although you will be paying a premium of about £800 for the pleasure.

Buying a used Audi A4 cabriolet may not be the cheapest way of enjoying a spot of open-top motoring but it certainly is one of the most elegant.

Boot
A total of 315 litres with roof up, 246 when stowed — about the same as a BMW 3-series convertible but smaller than the 386 litres available in a Mercedes CLK

Upholstery
Leather upholstery was an option only on smaller-engine models but few cars left the factory without it

Drive
Front-wheel drive or quattro four-wheel drive available on virtually all models, giving the A4 cabriolet an advantage over competitors. Expect to pay around £750 more for a quattro model

Safety
No Euro NCAP test results have been completed but all models come with multiple airbags, ABS and electronic stability program as standard

Servicing
Variable service interval on many models. Check the service book carefully and call the servicing dealer to confirm authenticity of the stamp if in doubt

Gearbox
Manual or automatic available on all models. Expect to pay around £750 more for a multitronic or tiptronic compared with a manual

Climate control
Standard on all models

Roll-over protection system
Automatically activated in the event of a potential roll-over accident

THE ONE TO BUY

A 2003 03 Audi A4 cabriolet 3.0 quattro Sport with 40,000 miles. Pay £20,500 at a dealer or £19,500 privately

Mileage 10,000
2003 03   Trade £21,100    Retail £23,500
2004 04   Trade  £22,500   Retail £24,750
2005 05   Trade  £24,150   Retail £26,500 

Mileage 20,000 
2003 03   Trade £20,150   Retail £22,500
2004 04   Trade £21,450   Retail £23,750
2005 05   Trade £23,000   Retail £25,500

Mileage 40,000 
2003 03   Trade £18,250   Retail  £20,500
2004 04   Trade £19,550   Retail  £22,000
2005 05   Trade £21,000   Retail £23,500

Alternatives  (FOR SIMILAR MONEY)

2000 W Jaguar XK8 convertible
2001 Y Lexus SC 430 coupé cabriolet
2003 53 Mercedes CLK 320 Elegance
2003 03 BMW 330Ci Sport convertible
2004 54 Saab 9-3 2.0T Aero convertible

Figures based on CAP November 2006 edition

 © Bumper Media Ltd January 2007