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Let's establish, right at the start, where I am coming from: I own a 1997 Audi A4, and I like it a lot. So when given the opportunity to test-drive the redesigned 2002 A4, I jumped at the chance.

I was not disappointed. Any Audi owner is likely to feel immediately at home, as I did, in the new A4. All the controls are clear and easy to operate. Those accustomed to the previous model will notice that the materials are better, easily equal to those of the larger, more expensive A6.

The car drives as well as ever, and it has more safety features. It is available with a new, much better V-6 engine, and with a continuously variable transmission that is a real breakthrough. As before, it offers Audi's excellent quattro all-wheel drive.

One's taste in styling is subjective, of course. Those who liked the look of the old A4 will have no trouble recognizing the new car as an Audi. But those like myself who thought the old A4 was exceptionally attractive, with a design that was simple and minimal, yet sporty and even elegant, may find the new model has a bit too much of Audi's sculptured corporate style -- the A6 look, if you will. The back end and the roofline, in particular, mimic the A6's.

The first A4, introduced in 1995 as a '96 model, was not just a terrific sales success. It jerked Audi, a division of Volkswagen, out of a deep slump and refocused the company, whose prices had risen too high and whose quality had slipped. Also, before the A4, Audi did not have a small, relatively inexpensive car to compete with the Japanese in the low end of the luxury market.

Sales in that segment have exploded, and new competitors have raised performance standards for the class. The A4's primary rivals include the BMW 3-Series, the Lexus IS 300, the redesigned Mercedes C-Class and the new Jaguar X-Type -- all excellent cars. The old A4 was still competitive, even at age six, but it had begun to feel dated.

Every automaker proclaims its latest as "all new," and Audi is no exception. The A4 has new architecture and an impressive list of new features. The object was to retain the character that had made the A4 so popular, yet upgrade the performance in class-leading ways. The new car had to make the same emotional connection with drivers; they had to know immediately that this could only be an Audi.

The redesign was required, in part, because of the need to add interior space. The new body is 2.3 inches longer, 1.3 inches wider and a half-inch taller. There is more headroom front and rear, more shoulder room in front and, most important, almost an inch more of legroom for rear passengers (who will still find the quarters tight).

The new body uses more aluminum and high-strength steel to stiffen the structure. A stiff body not only enhances crash safety, but provides a stable platform for the suspension engineers to tailor the ride and handling to meet their desires. Thus, the '02 A4 has the crisp driving dynamics of the previous model with the sport suspension, but the ride continues to be smooth. The sport suspension is still an option.

In this class of car, one expects a full range of adjustments for both the seat and steering wheel. But one might not expect the turn signal to blink three times after you nudge the stalk just once. Nor would you demand that the windshield wipers make a delayed pass after the wash cycle is over, to pick up stray droplets. Over time, thoughtful details like these make a big difference in how you feel about your car.

The new A4 offers two engines. The turbocharged four cylinder is the same size -- 1.8 liters -- as before. Only slightly modified, it produces 170 horsepower.

The aluminum V-6, with five valves per cylinder, is new, and develops 220 horsepower and 221 foot-pounds of torque. It is smoother than its 2.8-liter predecessor and feels much stronger.

Both engines use knock sensors and adaptive controls to allow a range of available fuel use. In practical terms, this means that regular fuel may be used if maximum performance is not required. (In fact, I have driven my own 1.8 T on regular fuel for 50,000 miles with no apparent ill effects.)

As before, the A4 is available with front- wheel drive or quattro all-wheel drive. With quattro, the 1.8 T comes with either a five- speed manual or a five-speed Tiptronic transmission that allows the driver to select gears manually, and offers a new "S" program that raises the shift points for sportier driving. The 3.0 Liter quattro offers the Tiptronic or a new six-speed manual.

But the real transmission news is reserved for front-drive models: a continuously variable transmission that Audi calls a multitronic.

C.V.T.'s, which provide an infinite number of gear ratios, rather than a few discrete gears, have been around for decades, promising the performance and economy of a stick shift and the driving ease of an automatic. Until now, they have appeared mainly in economy cars, but Audi has developed a version that can handle high levels of engine torque. At least initially, the multitronic is available with both engines, but not with quattro.

The transmission appears to work very well, providing seamless performance with no lags, bumps or hesitations when either accelerating or decelerating.

The front brakes are larger on all A4's and incorporate an antilock function and a brake-assist system to help drivers in panic stops. These braking features are incorporated into a stability control that helps to keep the car on track in emergency maneuvers.

While most modern cars have the requisite smart air bags that can tailor their deployment to the severity of a crash and the angle of the impact, the A4 has a pair of sensors at the car's front end as a sort of early- warning system before a crash.

There are also side air bags in the front seatbacks and optional bags for the rear. New is a side-curtain bag that, when deployed, covers the entire area of the side windows from the front to the back. This curtain remains inflated for several seconds, providing protection from secondary impacts or rollovers.

The sensors for all the bags are integrated into a master safety system. After any crash that deploys an air bag, all doors unlock, the interior lights come on, the engine and fuel pump turn off and the emergency flashers switch on.

So how does all this come together on the road? On my drive through hills and valleys in New England, I got a clear impression that the new A4 fulfills the goals of its planners. The driving environment is comfortable and seems well tailored to a variety of physiques.

While BMW took away the dual- zone climate controls in its last redesign of the 3-Series, Audi has added dual-zone controls to the A4. They effectively establish different climates for the driver and front passenger.

I found the ride as smooth and comfortable as in the past A4, and the handling, while not quite as quick to respond to the steering, was in every way true to the definition of a sport sedan. The brakes were typical of an Audi, which is to say they are quite sensitive to pedal effort -- I like that -- but still easy to control.

I drove several versions of the new A4. The V-6 with the six-speed manual transmission was, as might be expected, much more responsive than the old V-6. But the six-speed was not easy to use; the gears were often difficult to find and the shift action was not as crisp as that of my older Audi's five-speed manual.

The 1.8 T with a five-speed manual did not feel as responsive, nor did it run as smoothly, as my old car. Perhaps that has to do with the break-in period, or with the new models' much cleaner emissions. The 2002 A4's are ultra-low-emission vehicles.

In my judgment, the star of the line is the V-6 with the multitronic transmission. This engine's smooth power, combined with the C.V.T.'s seamless delivery, was wonderful. Unfortunately, you can't yet get this combination with quattro.

The multitronic is fairly priced at $1,150 more than the five-speed version of the 1.8 T sedan. Base prices range from $25,475 to $34,715 for the Avant wagon with quattro.

In the highly competitive market between $30,000 and $40,000, all the cars are impressive and well- equipped. Emotional driving involvement is high and brand loyalty is strong. The new A4 should certainly hold on to Audi owners, and probably grab some customers from Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

And there is another pool of potential buyers: those who have grown disenchanted with sport utility vehicles and whose leases are running out. An A4 with quattro offers just as much all-weather security in a more comfortable, better-handling, more fuel-efficient package.