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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  Perfect Car - 2004 Audi A4
  By neverfollow - January 26 - 2:16 pm

  Traded in my 2001 Audi A4 quattro 5 speed for a 2004 A4 1.8T quattro 6 speed. I didnt opt for the sport package that was on my 2001 model. This made for a softer smoother ride which is nice since most driving is done sensibly and not pushing the limits (though that is amazingly fun in this car too). The 6 speed transmission is a must, it keeps the RPMs down at highway speeds. I never had any troubles with my 2001 model and have not experienced any so far with my 2004. It is fun to drive, a better value than BMW, and sportier then Mercedez-Benz. This is the perfect car!

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  2001 Audi A4 1.8t quattro - 2001 Audi A4
  By chris thames - January 26 - 12:39 am

  My 2001 Audi A4 is great. Ive only had it for six months but its performance is out standing, a little on the slow side but very fun to drive. Ive driven a lot of cars in my lifetime and this one just does it for me. The performance upgrades are endless.

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  A4 3.0Q 6spd Man - 2003 Audi A4
  By A4Effort - January 24 - 2:46 pm

  I wanted a sports sedan with AWD. At the time, the G35x was still a few months away. The 225hp BMW330xi decently optioned was $43,000+. The BMW doesnt have an in-dash 6CD, dual climate control or a compass - garage door opener could be installed "after-market" and it costs $43,000? My 6spd 220hp A43.0Q stickered $39,000, but sold for a lot less. I had one problem with headlight washers - nothing more. Im getting only about 20 mpg, which is pretty poor for this size car. My previous car, a 95 Nissab Maxima easily got near 25 mpg. The interior is beautiful, except for the bizarre set-up with the armrest / brake, and the worst cupholder this side of Yugo. The acceleration could be better, but I love the AWD. The transmission pretty rubbery vs. BMW

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  Understated but fun - 2003 Audi A4
  By sjpalmer - January 24 - 2:00 am

  Flowing exterior design with a world- class interior. Got the ming blue pearl with platinum leather intertior which is an outstanding color combination. Fun to drive and comfortable. Fuel economy has been particularly good.

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  Get out your wallet, this car is junk - 1999 Audi A4
  By ShamusFu - January 18 - 12:33 pm

  You would have to be INSANE to buy an Audi A4. I drive mine 12,000 miles per year TOPS and have done $3,000 worth of repairs with less than 60,000 miles on it. Ive had bad wheel bearings, timing belt (which will destroy the engine if it ever breaks), water pump, radiator hoses, mass airflow sensor, and now the thermostat. The dealer charges $400 to replace the THERMOSTAT!!! (a $30 part). Even in peak operating condition, this car would get killed by a Honda Civic in a drag race, and gets lousy gas mileage. Do not be fooled by the Audi badge, these are Volkswagens in disguide, except the maintenance is twice as expensive. Get a Lexus.

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  Convertible Top Troubles - 2004 Audi A4
  By Charles - January 13 - 5:53 pm

  This past December while lowering my soft top, I heard a rip. After raising the top, a small tear was noted. With Audis inclusive warranty, I called Crown Eurocar (my dealer) and was given an appointment for 2 weeks. When the car went in to Crown the service department rep said, "yea it is ripped and would need to be replaced (first day lostthey had refused to just look at it without appt.). Returned 2 weeks later for repair.Loaner given and told it should take a day to repair. Next day the only tech who could repair it was out. Finally it was determined that a defect was responsible, the car had slipped quality control and the entire top had to be replaced (after ok from Audi)

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  Black Beauty - 2003 Audi A4
  By Audia4 - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Fantastic luxury & comfort features for a car in this price range. My only complaints are lack of power,car is too heavy for a 1.8t engine, and had problems with excessive wind noise above 50 mph from the drivers side door. Latter complaint was somewhat fixed by dealer.

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  Absolute performance - 2003 Audi A4
  By silkjetfun - January 13 - 10:00 am

  For those of you who thibk the BMW 3 series is better, think again. I have a 1.8T quattro 5 speed manual with the sport suspension. I added a chip for $500 and the car absolutely screams-and still costs thousands less than the quite common 3 series. I think the A4 sport suspension is better than the BMWs. Plus I have no fear in the rain or the snow due to quattro. You cant say that about a 3 series. Less common, better looking, and ready for any season. What a ride!

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  oustanding - 2003 Audi A4
  By hellireckon - January 13 - 10:00 am

  fabulous car, ive owned many differnt cars over the years and i must say audi has been one of my favorites.

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  Audi Rules! - 2003 Audi A4
  By jsbenoit - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I sold a 1-yr old 3 series to buy the 02 Audi Quattro. The Audi blows it away. The 3 series understeers and is incompetent in the wet. Trunk is also microscopic on the Bimmer, and the whole car is overpriced. But you knew that!