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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  Dont be fooled by Das Vagen - 2005 Audi A4
  By JJW - September 11 - 2:00 am

  The vast majority of SUV owners avoid mud and rocks but everyone thinks they need one. Wagons are underpriced because they are not fashionable and that works for me. More versatile than a sedan and as much interior space as most small SUVs. Split rear seats have plenty of legroom. The Audi Vagen is best of both worlds legendary AWD performance and handling.The 2.0 engine is peppy and when you select S "overdrive" outrageous acceleration. Leather power everything dual AC premium sound the list goes on. We bought the wagon 23,00 now at 45K could not be happier. Drives well carries dogs, bikes ,supplies. "Gets up and Audis" on the highway. Only complaint they have stopped making wagons

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  Fantastic - 2010 Audi A4
  By Lee - August 31 - 11:23 am

  My third Audi A4 and my favorite so far. The Turbo 2.0 FSI is strong and turbo lag is almost non-existent. Watch it on the highway as it creeps up to 80 MPH quickly and it doesnt feel like you are anywhere near that speed. The Premium Plus package has some really nice features and the MMI is very easy to use. Voice command feature with the NAV is awesome! No problems at all with the vehicle after 9000 miles. Amazing highway fuel economy!! 200 mile highway trip yielded 38 MPG at 70 MPH on a Quattro! Not hard to get high 20s in stop and go traffic.

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  This car is horrible - 2009 Audi A4
  By peter - August 30 - 2:57 pm

  Worst decision of my car buying life. It was the only 2009 left on the lot and had every conceivable option. Problems arose quickly - 1. The steering feels like something is rubbing or a belt it loose - back to dealership 3 times before I was told that there was a service bulletin out on it and no fix yet. 2 Transmission lurches in the dynamic mode - after 3 visits was told that there was a service bulletin out on it and there was no fix yet. Filled out more than one survey on it and never received help. For an almost $50K car, this is a disgrace. Have written Audi many times to just give me my money back. How do you think that is going. Bad mistake.

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  Impressed - 2010 Audi A4
  By drseid - August 26 - 9:55 am

  I intended on buying a BMW 128i, but after taking a test drive and being a bit unimpressed (as well as being unimpressed with the dealer), I decided on the A4 and could not be happier. Other cars I considered were the Mini Cooper S and the Mercedes 300. My previous car was a 2007 Audi A3 which I definitely enjoyed. I thought the A4 would just be a larger version of the A3 and would offer a similar driving experience. I was definitely wrong! In just about every area the A4 is the better car (and this is coming from someone who liked the A3). It drives more surely with the Quattro, is *much* more comfortable, and handles brilliantly. Bottom line is I am glad I went with the A4.

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  A4 has performance but costly repairs - 2005 Audi A4
  By td - August 25 - 12:34 pm

  I love to drive this car. The performance is great the ride is like you are glued to the road even when traveling well over 100 miles per hour.The problem is when dealer warranty runs out and you only have extended the little constant repairs are very costly. The windows have a really bad problem with their regulators ($500/window) that I have had to replace on three windows. The trunk latch ($450) is a problem. Compressor went out ($1700). Timing belt is $1650 to replace. All of these things have been problematic for me and the car only has 79,000 miles at this point. I had a 2003 and it had all of the same problems, repairs, and the transmission went out in it costing $10,000. Just beware

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  Research before buying - Burns Oil - 2007 Audi A4
  By Jay - August 24 - 3:27 pm

  I love the Turbo, love the car. However I have 1 very large issue. It burns oil, as you can read in others reviews and if you search the web this thing drinks oil and Audi says it is normal and will do nothing about it. I too carry a quart in the trunk and keep a case in the garage. I have had the consumption test done, however 1 quart every 1,-1,500 miles is acceptable (for Audi). Even service guys at the 2 Audi dealers I get my car serviced at admit it is a fairly common complaint but they are not authorized to do anything. Not every car has this problem, but Audi is not doing everything it can to retain loyal buyers who have bad ones. I am sad that I will never buy an Audi again.

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  Better than A5 Cab - 2009 Audi A4
  By solido - August 22 - 8:21 pm

  I have owned a 2009 A4 Cabriolet for about a year now and let me tell you the experience has been great! I wanted a convertible that was TRULY a year round vehicle, and this car definitely fit the bill. I looked at the BMW 3 series, Volvo C70 and Volkswagen Eos prior to purchasing this A4 and I am very happy with my decision. The 3 series is RWD which did not give me a good sense of security when driving in the snow. The others (Volvo and VW) just did not have the aesthetics I was looking for. The A4 cab is just a beautiful car, and handles well in all types of weather conditions. The Audi A5 cab is also a very nice car, but for the price it does not make sense to purchase one.

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  So much fun to drive - 2006 Audi A4
  By Jake - August 13 - 5:19 pm

  Best car i have ever owned. 25+ MPG in the city and 30+ MPG on the Highway. Super fun to drive. Its an all around great compact sports car. Very Minor maintenance issues, but there isnt a car out there that doesnt

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  Expensive repairs - 1997 Audi A4
  By spotmaker - August 12 - 11:30 pm

  Paid about $6200. for the A4 2.8 quattro 6 cylinder. Engine seized about a year later, cost $5,500 to replace with a used 50,000 mile engine. A/C just packed it in, at the tune of $2,200 to fix. Drivers door window falls into door. LEDs on stereo are mostly burned out. Very annoying buzz from rear wheels.

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  1999 Audi A4 2.8 AWD - 1999 Audi A4
  By alex - August 10 - 5:35 pm

  The 1999 audi has really been one of the best cars i have ever owned and i have owned a lot in the past. The reliability of it has been very good i got it with 116,000 on it and it now has 153,000 with only one little problem in the middle of the mileage. It was a valve cover gasket, just leaking a little bit of oil, not a big deal replaced it myself in just under a hour. otherwise havent had any other problems. the 1999 audi is a great car for someone who cares about cars and knows how to maintain a car.