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 but - 2005 Audi A4
  By S_G_Y - August 5 - 9:25 am

  Purchased the car 9 months ago with 49,000 miles seemingly low mileage for the year. So far the car has needed 2 ignition coils, a cam shaft adjustment, the coolant seal/gasket replaced and a wheel bearing replaced after racking-up a whopping 4,500 miles. Luckily the car was Certified Pre-owned, so actual out of pocket expenses have been next to nothing, other than time spent waiting at the dealership. This is a great driving car, and its still under warranty for 16 more months, but dealership maintenance costs would be pushing $3000 after driving less than 5000 miles. Love the look and feel of the car, but worried about long term ownership expenses.

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  Sooo fun to drive, when its not broken - 2003 Audi A4
  By paul - August 4 - 1:04 pm

  I bought the car new over 7 years ago now. Shouldve known after 2 weeks when my AC compressor blew up that this was going to be a love/hate relationship. Ive had it in the shop for: AC compressor, AC condenser, engine speed sensor, engine temp sensor, power steering pump, power steering rack, brake light switch, instrument panel malfunction, rear window regulator, and of course the common coil packs. And just now, the AC compressor blew AGAIN. And this is only off the top of my head. Its a shame because i LOVE driving the car, it handles like a dream, is great in the snow, but its just NOT reliable.

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  Do not buy AUDI A4 - 2006 Audi A4
  By Marty - August 4 - 12:33 pm

  I may never own another Audi, 10,000 miles over warranty and $11,000 dollars worth of engine problems. I drove this car 25 miles per day only back and forth from work, no hard driving, all interstate. Check engine light came on one day and took to dealer and told $11,000 to fix, need new camshaft, turbo out, and a list of things. I will never own another Audi and this is my second with problems like this, and no help from Audi USA.

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  Love my car, But - 2003 Audi A4
  By John - July 26 - 9:32 pm

  I purchased this Audi A4 about 18 months ago, and i have loved it! Its a blast to drive, super comfortable, and amazing in snow! But all this does come with its down sides. About every month it seems like something else breaks on it, from the alarm horn, to the Ignition coils, to the gauge cluster, to the ignition read coil, to the water pump, and timing belt. These are fun cars, but they cost A LOT to maintain! Be prepared!

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  Audi A4 3.0 Quattro with Manual - 2003 Audi A4
  By Mike - July 25 - 10:59 am

  I have owned this vehicle since new. At 145K miles, engine gave out, with $6K repair needed to replace major engine components. Serviced regularly with oil change q 5K miles. Never driven hard, still has original clutch. However, both catalytic converters had to be replaced at 82K and 110k miles. Multiple parts inside needed replacing as well. When Audi USA was contacted over the engine problem, they blew me off (which I would understand if this engine defect were unique to my car, but it isnt!) I would highly recommend that anyone buying A4s with 1.8 or 3 L engines carefully read other similar events on the internet before buying a used Audi. Dont make a big mistake.

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  Great Car, but it has its Highs and Lows - 2005 Audi A4
  By James G - July 24 - 12:43 pm

  Ive owned my Audi A4 Ultrasport since 2006 when I bought it with 12K miles and it looked brand spanking new. It now has 138K miles on it and a lot of storys to tell. The car looks great, I get compliments on it all the time. The car gets decent gas millage (22 combined, 28+ on road trips) and is fairly mechanically sound, but has had many little things go wrong with it which adds up to a great annoyance. The car is expensive to own especially if you want everything working properly and looking good, I was used to Hondas before and the Germans clearly have a different outlook on vehicles. My take Great car for the enthusiasts, not for your average commuter.

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  Costly to drive - 1998 Audi A4
  By spnj - July 24 - 9:34 am

  Bought it new 1998. Six V cylinder engine with a manual stick. Fun to drive and a lot of pep, but repairs way too much and suspension design and transmission not worthy of German engineering (mechanical engineer myself). 12 years and average maintenance/repair cost $1,000/year. First the lower suspension arms replaced, twice each side (Audi recall eventually), then new leaky radiator, wheel bearings on three wheels, timing belt and water pump at 90,000 miles, 142,000 miles new clutch ($1,300), control arm upper front, and exhaust pipe clamps (3 times) plus regular maintenance. I think this is my last Audi and I will turn it in

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  Reliable and fun for 180,000 miles! - 2003 Audi A4
  By vballannie - July 19 - 2:21 pm

  Ive been driving this car 120 miles round trip to work every day along with taking the family all around town and it has been fantastic! Ive done nothing but scheduled maintenance over the last eight years. And its not your average station wagon. I scream by those monster SUVs on the high ways. The best part is driving in the snow. On a day when every car was unable to get up a steep road, only I reached the top out of about 50! My only disappointment is that I cant replace this car since the Avant no longer comes in stick. Thank god I can rely on this car for many more miles!

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  Quattro! - 1999 Audi A4
  By raudi - July 18 - 2:18 pm

  This car handles like no other car I have driven in my life. The Audi grips and grips, and that more than makes up for the lack of power from the 1.8t. I have more confidence in the handling and the solidity of the Audi. The only thing that Ive had to replace is a window regulator on my car. It cost 250, but that was reasonable.

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  Dont get the CVT - 2010 Audi A4
  By columbiaguy - July 15 - 12:45 pm

  I was given this car as a loaner car while my 06 A4 was being repaired. Even though my older A4 was broken, I still prefer it ten times over this new model. The CVT hesitation is absolutely unbearable! Do not buy the front wheel drive car with the CVT because you will regret it. The new A4 redesign is nice, but I actually think that the old A4 was prettier, and more engaging. This new one just feels similar to a Lexus, with less reliability. You feel disconnected from the road, and in a German car, that is not a good thing since that is the whole reason you buy one.