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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  Oil leak Problem - 2003 Audi A4
  By samnim - February 1 - 12:57 pm

  As much fun to drive this car as, as much as the oil leakage does hurt your budget, so far I did spend close to 6000$ on this car in repairs, and yet the issue of oil leak was not fixed. and I was last called by the dealer to tell me, it needs an engine rebuild and this will cost me another 3000-4000 $ and they are not sure if it will solve the massive loss of oil ( more than a quarter of oil every 900 miles )

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  Overpriced and sparse - 2012 Audi A4
  By pensman - January 22 - 8:39 am

  The car is nimble with excellent acceleration and tight steering. But the cabin is bare enough to remind one of Mother Hubbards Cupboard. Everything that is standard on a Kia is an extra here. For a $35,000 car you do not even get a self dimming rearview mirror. The MMI is clunky and anti intuitive. The stereo system is bare bones. Milage is about 17 city and 25 higway.

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  2012 Audi A4 Premium Plus - 2012 Audi A4
  By penpen1999 - January 14 - 2:16 am

  Bought a new 2012 A4 in November. I was shocked that a $40,880 vehicle does not support Bluetooth Audio streaming when a budget car like the Ford Fiesta does! The rear headrests are so large that they block 20% of the rear windshield. The Bluetooth voice command requires a separate phonebook that requires user entry The steering feels artificial and loose and lacks good road feel. My highway gas mileage has been 24 MPG but the spec said 29 MPG. I have been very gentle with the accelerator (less than 2000 rpm) and only drive highway so this is far lower than I expected. I get 30 MPG in my Accord when the spec says 29. The instantaneous MPG on the trip computer says 200 MPG sometime

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  Fun to drive, costly to own - 2006 Audi A4
  By jdr8n - January 11 - 3:39 pm

  Original purchaser, just over 5 years with not quite 60k kms/37k mi on it, all easy miles. All maintenance done by Audi per recommended schedule. Great car to drive, but expensive to maintain once OoW. Low oil pressure light/check engine light 1 month out of warranty. Known issue with oil starvation due to sludge requires a complete engine replacement - $12k. Dealer went to bat for me and Audis covering a portion, but even so, its more than I spent on my last 2 Fords with twice the mileage. Clicking noises come from dash when cold due to known issues with actuators. Audi wont cover even though reported under warranty. Even basic service is 2X my Ford/Honda. Costly lesson.

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  Worst car Ever!! - 2009 Audi A4
  By holms - January 1 - 6:35 pm

  Owning an Audi has been the worst experience ever!! Have owned it for 2.75 years now. Leased it after coming from a BMW I loved the free maintenance but this was an extra $800 for the Audi care package. I was able to negotiate it into the lease for no cost, so glad. My wife and I thought we got a great deal cuz we got all the bells and whistles for the same cost of a BMW base model. Well I hate driving this car and am so happy to give it back in 3 months. Audi service department sucks!!! You are nobody when you walk in. As soon as they see that I have Audi Care they start treating you better but they dont listen to you and dont call you when your car is done.

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  Former BMW/MBZ Driver - Now an Audi Driver - 2006 Audi A4
  By 2bsi2 - January 1 - 4:50 pm

  For the last 15 years I drove a BMW or MBZ, beacause what I like to call "QUALITY OF DRIVE." Downside higher fuel costs & repairs. Another BMW/MBZ is out of the question as pricing isnt sensible and searched until I was surprised by the quality of the Audi A4. My near-new A4 is as surefooted as my BMW, but tons lighter like my MBZ. Luxury is not lacking but, could be better. What I love the most is both my BMW/MBZs ran approx 16-21 mpg -- Im now at 30 MPGs in my Audi A4 2.0T and she gets me 500 miles between fill-ups. This is the best of both worlds! Since I also purchased Near New I purchased the extended warranty -- german vehicles can be fickle -- you just never know.

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  Worth It - 1996 Audi A4
  By kyley1 - December 26 - 9:43 pm

  Ive had my 1996 A4 Quattro for about a year and a half now, and i love this car. Its very entertaining to drive, the 5spd shifts so smoothly and the all wheel drive makes the car feel solid and stable no matter what conditions youre driving in. My car has been very reliable lately, but when things break, youre gonna feel it. I shelled out 700 dollars to fix an oil leak, just because of the awkward design of the engine. If you find a well maintained one, go for it because you wont regret it. But be very strict on your initial inspection of the vehicle.

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  Premium with NAV - 2012 Audi A4
  By mstrongin - December 19 - 9:16 pm

  Have wanted a sport wagon for quite some time. Finally got around to it and found out that BMW 5 series Wagon, Audi A6 Avant and Passat Wagon are no longer being made. The Subaru is too SUV like, the BMW 3 series too small and the Passat Wagon not up to snuff. That left the Audi A4 Avant and the Acura TSX wagon. Was not an easy choice given the $8K to $10K price difference, but I like the look, drive, power and rear seat accessibility much better on the Avant. Only have 1,000 mile on it, but love driving it. Also, its pretty limited and will not be made after this year, so is not something you see every day. Am very happy with the Avant and really glad I bought it.

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  Good Go Kart.... - 2004 Audi A4
  By gabenerica1019 - December 17 - 4:18 pm

  Love the layout and the raw power of the Quat!!! Very fun to drive and take for the long hauls...so comfy...

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  Unreliable Disaster - 2001 Audi A4
  By jscala - December 17 - 2:35 pm

  Read the reliability reports. Everything in there and more has gone wrong with my Audi. The sludge problems w/ the 1.8T, in my opinion, are the engineering equivalent of a surgeon leaving a scalpel inside you.