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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  great car for the money - 2005 Audi A4
  By Mike Burman - December 27 - 8:03 pm

  I bought this car with the premium package and 17" wheels. The car drives like it is on rails. I also have the cold weather package it makes life a lot happier on long drives and cold days.The quality of this car is better than any car I have ever owned and I have owned my fare share of them. Do not be scared off by the bad reviews this car is well built, like I said I have owned many cars and some of them had many problems too. The power of the 1.8t is fun enough to get you into trouble with the police but the bottom end could use more oomph. Over all a very well made fun to drive car.

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  Better than my grand cherokee in snow - 2005 Audi A4
  By Dave - December 27 - 1:11 am

  Overall great vehicle, and I am happy with it. No major problems, although minor annoyances have been an issue. The paint job on the bumpers is horrible (but I attribute this to the dealership that sold me the car, not AUDI), and in the winter I have this annoying squeal that comes from the engine compartment (all the dealership will do is grease things down, which works for about a day). Car is great in snow, an amazingly comfortable ride (I do not have the sport suspension), great fuel economy (33 mpg highway easy, although mpg suffers horribly in the cold months). Some improvements can be made, but overall the car is great for me, an incredibly picky car person.

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  I can not believe Audi sells this VW at Audi price - 2004 Audi A4
  By Daryl - December 26 - 7:42 pm

  We purchased this 10 months ego and after 10 months of pain and problems it has stranded us 180 miles from home at 11pm. We are replacing it with a Lexus RX300. This has needed new catalytic converters, coils,O2 sensors, control arms, wiper mechanism, trunk actuator. Sunroof is stuck, brake caliper is not working right and wears pads too fast on 1 side, tranny shifter gets stuck sometimes, 1 wheel is bent, power steering pump squeaks, and now the fuel pump gave up the ghost. All between 75k and 98k. First month we owned it, it spent 3 weeks in shops and 1 week on the road. Most parts are VW. I can not believe Audi sells this VW at Audi price. Dont be a fool and buy one.

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  New Transmission - 2007 Audi A4
  By USAE9Ret - December 26 - 6:08 pm

  When we test drove the vehicle we did not notice the hesitation when accelerating from a stop. Mainly because we did not encounter any situation where we needed to hurry into or across an intersection. After purchase and we began to drive the vehicle under normal conditions the hesitation was scary. The engine RPM was increasing but the car was not going. The dealer told it that it was the "new transmission". Therefore, nothing has been done to correct the problem. Pretty junky for such a renowned and expensive car. Month later the radio dies and the replacement is junky.

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  Beautifully refined car - 2004 Audi A4
  By Eric - December 26 - 4:46 pm

  I have the 3.0 A4 with UltraSport package. The rims and trim associated with this package turn this car into a head turner. My previous vehicle was a 1991 MR2 Turbo. Although it might be the slowest car in its class, I love it. The biggest difference I experienced (compared to Japanese brands) is the attention to detail. Things such as storage under the seating, lights under each door to illuminate where you are going to step, and a cool hidden trunk release, just to name a few. It feels super solid on the road, especially in rain. I chose the 3.0 over the 1.8T because I dont want to deal with all the problems associated with high-mileage turbos.

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  Great quality, reliable, fun to drive. - 1998 Audi A4
  By Denis Abramov - December 15 - 1:50 pm

  I have driven my pearl white Audi for about 3 months now. Before this Audi, I was driving a 2002 Volvo S60 (great car also). I have all factory packages that were available for this car. My car has a 30v V6 which sounds lovely before 4k rpms, after that, it builds up this roar, all the way to redline of 6800. The sport package is outstanding (if you prefer comfort, you wouldnt like it). The sport seats are somewhat hard but support you when entering a corner at 40+mph. Suspension is a bit harsh too but the car handles like it is on rails. Cruising at 80mph is a breeze and my friends cant even tell were going 80. Take care of it, it will last forever!

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  Fun & Then Some - 2008 Audi A4
  By Mia - December 9 - 11:21 am

  I bought this car used a few months ago and have loved it since I got into it. Overall the performance is good and the turbo is great compared to many I have driven in the past - very smooth. Fuel economy is good if you lay off the accelerator, you can easily get 35-40mpg with good driving and 20-25mpg being more aggressive. Also, the car is for lack of a better word spunky. The styling will get you looks and the car loves a winding road. Hitting the accelerator on a hard curve is pure joy. Overall great car with a solid foundation.

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  Love my wagon - 2003 Audi A4
  By bananadan - December 9 - 2:00 am

  My BMW X5 had constant niggling breakdowns. The A4: otally reliable. Fantastic acceleration. The car will go as fast as you can stand to drive it, in any weather, although with a little less grace (but more traction) than my ex-328i BMW. Wonderful and highly adjustable seats. Not roomy in back, but great for post-kids. Very well built (no defects, and I havent seen my dealership since purchase!) Gas mileage, which was mediocre at first, has improved over 7K miles to what Audi says on sticker. Climate control needs to be futzed with to stay comfortable in changing outside conditions. Awesome brakes! Overall experience: fantastic with just very minor quibbles.

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  Too expensive to own out of warranty - 2003 Audi A4
  By Steve Fox - December 6 - 4:44 pm

  My Avant 3.0 quatro is a great drivers car, but it is too expensive to own once the warranty expired. Fuel injection system, numerous ignition coils, power steering unit ($2,350), windshield wiper motor, etc. With just 65,000 miles, you have to question the benefit-value relationship of hanging on to a car with reliability problems.

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  Fantastic Car! - 2009 Audi A4
  By SBC - December 4 - 8:46 am

  I have the Audi for six months now. I have grown to enjoy it more the longer Ive driven it. It is comfortable, zippy (especially in manual mode), quiet (even with the top down with the wind screen installed), and a blast to drive! This has become my favorite car Ive owned/leased, slightly nudging out the Honda S2000. The S2000 was much more fun to drive, but the added convenience of a full sized trunk, and back seat in the Audi, plus the fun to drive factor, have it beat. I recommend this vehicle (or its replacement the A5, which I cant wait to get!) without reservation. There are great deals on any A4s left in stock, since this is the last year. Go get one and start having fun!