Overview & Reviews

The Audi A4 holds the distinction of having single-handedly revived the Audi brand. Launched in the mid-'90s, the compact A4 quickly became a favorite among luxury car buyers thanks to its beautifully finished cabin, sharp handling and available Quattro all-wheel drive. Although the A4 has offered these core characteristics from day one, it has become increasingly polished and high-tech with each successive generation. No matter which year you're looking at, the A4 promises both engaging performance and suave style inside and out.

The sedan body style has been a constant for the Audi A4, but depending on the vintage, you may also find wagon and convertible variants. Turbocharged four-cylinder power is typically found under the hood, yielding both reasonably spirited acceleration and satisfactory fuel economy. In road tests, we've consistently praised the A4's refined character, with more recent plaudits going to its spacious backseat, which has adequate room for full-size adults.

User Reviews:

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  Fun to drive, but a steep investment in repairs. - 2004 Audi A4
  By chash1982 - April 12 - 2:16 pm

  Ive had an opportunity to drive all kinds of cars, from BMWs to Volvos, to high end japanese vehicles and NOTHING has handled and performed like my Audi. This car feels like you are going 60 miles an hour at 100. You can barely feel the body roll as you effortlessly carve through corners at high speeds, and no automaker has a better interior. On the downside, prepare to set aside about 3000$ a year for repair and maintenance! Even oil changes will run you 100$, and when your fuel pump dies (and it probably will!) You can expect to spend 1000$ at the dealer if its out of warranty. This is a driving enthusiasts car thats also a comfortable commuter. I love my Audi, expensive or not!

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  THINK TWICE BEFORE BUYING! - 2004 Audi A4
  By lenti - March 29 - 2:02 pm

  Bought the A4 convertible new. I only used it as a second car and have driven 32,000 miles now. When it still was under warranty a warning light come on and I was told it is nothing serious and AUDI service made it go away. The light came on and off several times in the last year. Recently the car was hesitating when accelerating. AUDI now quoted $2,200 for repair of the transmission control box. When it was in repair they told me they have found problems with the transmission and the repair would be $7,000!! Can anyone imagine that on a car for $50,000 with only 32,000 miles.

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  2007 A4 Cabriolet Quattro - 2007 Audi A4
  By djroch - March 27 - 2:36 pm

  Purchased this car with 51k miles on the odometer and have been excited it drive it every single day. The unusually warm weather on the East Coast has allowed me to drop the top and enjoy motoring in this fine automobile. While I would never call the A4 Cabriolet a fast car, it is a fantastic cruiser. Step on the accelerator trying to merge into traffic and you will not be disappointed. Keep your foot on the floor and the car will hit triple digits and keep on pulling. The fit and finish are fantastic. When sitting in the car you easily forget that you are in a convertible. The ride noise is minimal (for a convertible) and the headliner looks like it belongs in a hardtop.

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  A4 Disappointment - 2012 Audi A4
  By a4avantguard - March 12 - 4:24 pm

  at approximately 1000 miles on the odometer of my 2012 Audi A4 Avant Quattro, a strange noise began from the front area of the engine. The noise happens at the first startup of the engine regardless of ambient temperature. After about 2 minutes when the engine idles down the noise stops. Different Audi technicians at two dealerships have diagnosed the noise as 1) cam tensioners, 2) a bad bearing inside the cam case, 3) secondary blower motor and, 4) lash in the VVT system. None of the technicians have put a wrench on any of the named components because, according to the dealerships service managers, Audi USA will not authorize repairs. According to Audi USA, the strange noise is a normal fu

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  Reliability isnt bad, but could be better - 2001 Audi A4
  By eddy_e84 - March 2 - 5:47 pm

  I bought my 2001 Audi A4 1.8T in November of 2010 & its now March 2012, so 15 months (almost a year & a half). Keep in mind this car was 10 years old when I bought it... 4 months into owning it I need a new flex pipe: $250 parts and labor At 12 months I needed to change some hoses: $50, change the boost value for the turbo: $150 and fix a leak in the brake assembly: $50 for a total of: $250 parts & labor. At 15 months (today) I needed to fix the turn signal relay: $50 and do 1 of my rear bearings: $300. Total: $350 parts & labor So Ive $850 in repairs. Excluding regular maintenance items, ie Ive changed the brake pads, windshield wiper, tires and the oil changes.

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  2010 Audi A4 Buy used, Its a better bargain!!!! - 2010 Audi A4
  By lcmm55 - February 26 - 1:29 pm

  I bought the A4 Prem Plus with Nav and Backup camera USED and certified from local Audi dealer. A 2012 would have been up around $45,000, I picked up the 2010 with 40k for $24,448. The car is absolutly amazing to drive considering I was driving an 04 Suburban daily. There is a huge learning curve with all the gadgets. I can live with that. Performance of the 2.0T is really nice. Took it on the highway around the corner and goes like hell, was doing 100 before I knew it. Then on another day took it to the casino about 75 miles one way, 36MPG at 60MPH on cruze. At these gas prices in CT that is a real pleasure. I was going to buy a new one year old Lacrosse(2011), but this was better.

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  MISTAKE - 1999 Audi A4
  By mnels - February 20 - 9:09 pm

  This is a terrible car. Do not do it. I sold my Lincoln hoping the AWD would help me out in the winter and I sold the car within 2 months of having it. My clutch was bad, the back axles were screechy (500 fix), wiring for blinker was bad (200 fix), the CD player didnt work right, the tape player ate tapes, the cigerrete lighter wouldnt open(I couldnt charge my phone or gps) one of the rear windows wouldnt roll up or down, the display screen was broken, the bumper began to fall off after 2 weeks, the buttons were coming off on the key fob.. AWFUL

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  Oil Consumption issues resolved - 2007 Audi A4
  By carissa - February 20 - 11:42 am

  This is for all consumers having Oil Consumption issues. I purchased my 07 A4 used with 54,500 miles on it. Right away I noticed the oil consumption problem. I tracked the consumption for about 10,000 miles and made sure the dealership knew the mileage everytime I had to put another qt in. The light was coming on down to just less than a 1000 miles to add a qt. I paid the out of pocket expense and the test came back that there was an issue. Audi Corp covered 85% of the repair and the dealership I purchased from, Elk Grove Audi, covered the remaining balance. Audi replaced the Piston rings. I now have close to 8000 miles since replacement and holding strong. Added 1 qt at 5000 mi.

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  Cannot duplicate - 2012 Audi A4
  By a4avantguard - February 15 - 11:54 am

  Purchased Nov 8, 2011. Odometer now shows 4015 miles (as of Feb 10, 2012 when it was towed to dealer). Beginning at about 1000 miles, engine made serious noise when first started in the mornings. To an untrained ear, it sounds like a bad bearing noise emanating from something at the front of the engine. Car has been to dealer service twice for a cumulative 9 days. Techs and Service Advisor have listened to audio recordings of the noise, but report that they cannot duplicate the problem hence, they cannot fix the problem. I found several YouTube postings by A4 owners with the same problem. Dealer says, "its normal," yet, it did not make the noise for the first 1000 miles.

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  So far, so good. - 2012 Audi A4
  By saw5343 - February 10 - 9:38 am

  I decided to take a chance on a German vehicle with reservations about reliability. Ive put 4k miles on the car so far with no issues. Very happy with all aspects of the car. Handles well, gets good mileage (right at 25 overall) and is very comfortable. I have the sport package and was concerned that the ride might be punishing, however it is just firm and still very comfortable. The dealer experience has been excellent. Ive had no issues with it burning excessive oil as some others have had. Hopefully the positive trend will continue.