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 car to drive! - 2001 Audi A4
  By fbellay - May 8 - 2:00 am

  This is a very comfortable and fun car to drive. I like the feeling of control when driving the car, thanks to the Quattro transmission. Ive had only one minor problem with it. An aligment wheel which got covered by the waranty. The sad thing with these luxury cars is the depreaction which is pretty steep. My only regret with this car is its lack of power (1.8T engine). It sometimes feel underpowered. My next car will also be an A4, but this time with the bigger engine V6 or even the S4 if I can afford it.

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  Great Mountain Car if you can afford it - 1997 Audi A4
  By skirat - May 6 - 2:00 am

  I love this car! I bought it used at 85k miles and have a 117000 now. Its smooth, good pep- not a barn burner, but adequate. The naturally asperated FI V6 is very nice. The car is solid like a Benz and has a strong hint of Porche in it. Its a cat in the snow. The wheels never spin-never! I recently bought a 2004- I like it even more! Repairs are expensive- Its cheaper to lease a new one covered in warranty, then to keep pouring big bucks into the old babe- Nothing lasts for ever...

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  Only Oil and Gas - Great car - 1996 Audi A4
  By RichGilb - May 3 - 2:00 am

  This has been a great car. It is fun to drive, its been VERY reliable (only oil and gas), and it has a great stereo. Definately get the 2.8 quattro. It hugs the road and does well in snow. I was worried about Audi because of the 5000 issues in the 80s. But this car has won me over!

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  Audi VS Detroit - 1998 Audi A4
  By Bill Anthony - May 3 - 2:00 am

  Past owner of Corvettes and just traded in a 1994 Z-28 that I loved with 140,000 miles on it. This Audi handles corners like it is on rails. The power is less than my Z-28 but very usable with the 5 speed automatic slap shift option. Loves the highway. Great car !

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  A4 3.0 Cabriolet - 2003 Audi A4
  By Kyu - May 2 - 10:00 am

  After driving 7K in this new car It is more fun to drive than my previous A4 which was a 1.8TQ. I would recommend getting the sport package as when I test drove the cab w/o the sports package it did feel a bit spongee.

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  Not perfect but pretty good - 2003 Audi A4
  By jth - May 2 - 10:00 am

  After about 1500 mi of mixed driving I find that I am still getting acclimated to this car. I special ordered to avoid the sunroof and had to wait 4 months for the car. Fit and finish are first rate, handling is excellent, gas mileage is about what I expected, which is to say mediocre so far. My two significant complaints center on the radio which has absolutely horrible AM reception, and the back end which doesnt fit my golf clubs(my bad for not checking).

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  Good styling, Terrible power. - 2003 Audi A4
  By dirk - May 2 - 10:00 am

  You have to give props to Audi for their styling of the A4, but talk about lack of power and torque, it is very sluggish and the front wheel drive is not a characteristic of a true sports car. Other than that the quality and build are good.

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  Great Car! - 2003 Audi A4
  By crypto - May 2 - 10:00 am

  A smooth ride, even with the sport suspension. Effortless operation (one touch) of the convertible top.

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  2001 A4 1.8T FWD - 2001 Audi A4
  By asb149 - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Great car...only wish I had held out for the new body style in 2002. The only problem I have had in the 3 years since I bought it new (knock on wood) was a reoccurring blown front door- speaker. I do not regret not buying the quattro as I do not live in snow- country.

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  Better than I could have imagined - 2003 Audi A4
  By AudiConvert - May 1 - 2:00 am

  After looking at MB c240, BMW 330ci and the Audi 1.8t I finally bought a 2003 3.0, Quattro, 6 spd and can I just tell everyone, its probably the best car I have ever driven. I mean, the BMW was nice... but not worth the extra cash (plus the interior of the Bimmer is bland). The c240 was solid, but wasnt much fun to drive. Moreover, the interior looked like someone just started sticking stuff on the dash (very poor layout) My suggestion is to take the plunge, get the Audi, you wont be disappointed (but an Assured car might be a good idea... just in case).