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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  11 years old still great - 1997 Audi A4
  By oldaudi - February 16 - 12:43 pm

  This car is now 11 years old and it still drives great. It has 128,000 miles on it and still feels like new. The interior holds up well as does the exterior body and paint. It handles great in snow and ice. Repairs are very costly on these cars. I think reliablity is better than a lot of american cars but comes nowhere close to a Honda or Toyota. Ive have to replace 2 controls arms, which was a common problem with these early models. I replaced the clutch after 60 miles which seems pretty weak to me. As far as routine maintenance the most expensive is 90k miles about $1000.

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  I wouldnt buy it again - 2007 Audi A4
  By franek - February 13 - 8:33 am

  When I bought my 1.8T AWD, dealer insisted it would last over 100k with no problem. As soon as mine went off the warranty it several major failures: headlight switch (common in all Audis), tensioner gasket (huge oil leak demanding entire engine disassembly), instrument panel (dead horizontal lines), and 2 secondary air pump failures. Not to mention the quarterly visits to the dealer while the car was still before 30k to fix check engine light (leaking hoses). This is my last German car. Driving it was lots of fun but I cant deal with thousands of dollars in repairs and repeat visits to the $120-an-hour labor dealer. Buy at your own risk - and read the forums before you do!

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  Love the Car - 2003 Audi A4
  By Johnny Q. - February 8 - 2:00 am

  The car in my mind, is your best buy, pound for pound.

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  more than i expected - 2002 Audi A4
  By mr. mortgage - February 1 - 10:00 am

  bought mine 5/16/02. was also considering a jag, or bmw 3series. how ever i ended up at an audi store only to kill a few minutes. came back the next night and made a deal on the car before driving it.well anyway i picked it up the next day and im more than satisfied. i look forward to driving this car every day.the car is put together beautifully, and has all the toys anyone could want. i highly recommend this car.

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  Wicked Awesome Car!!! - 2002 Audi A4
  By K. - February 1 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the A4 1.8T 5M for two weeks and Im very happy with it. My first car and my first Audi. It handles really well and is great to look at. I cant wait till the snow falls to really put the Quattro to good use. The standard safety features are plentiful and the trunk space is generous. My main disappointment is the alarm...its just a beeping noise that sounds like a truck backing up. Im not convinced that it will deter a thief. The red console lighting is rather bothersome. Blue would be better, like in VWs.

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  I love my A4 but will never buy again - 2001 Audi A4
  By Gerardo - January 31 - 12:04 pm

  I bought this car as I am a german car lover. Unfortunately ever since I owned it I have had to change timing belt, tensioner, h2o pump, o2 sensor, 2 window regulators crushed, front door speaker bursted, 1 ball joint, 1 cv joint, name it. I hope by mid 2008 I will be able to trade it!! That is a pill hard to swallow.

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  Just a super car... - 2007 Audi A4
  By JF - January 28 - 6:17 pm

  I recently bought my second Audi. This one is an 2007 A4 that I bought as a CPO with 12G KMS. It has a sport suspension with 17 in. MAGS. It is a great combination of style, comfort and driving performance. The 2.0 FSI has a bit of turbo lag in automatic mode but is way less noticeable than in the 1.8T. Frankly, it is no big deal as it is not very apparent and basically disappears in manual mode. Interior is second to none and the handling is crisp and clean. In the process of contemplating this purchase, I have tried out all the competition and came back to Audi because they put everything into one great package.

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  A4 3L AWD 2002 Seattle - 2002 Audi A4
  By Seattle99 - January 26 - 10:00 am

  Build quality is excellent, car is quiet, powerful, and smooth. No rattles. Front driver seat is almost too small for people 6 feet and over. Have never been able to get the linked keyfob remotes to activate the correct mirror and seating program. Throttle control takes some gettng used to as it is not linear.

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  Zoom Zoom - 2003 Audi A4
  By mcmuney - January 26 - 10:00 am

  WoW, what a great car. I went for the the V6 220HP because I dont like driving 4 cylinder cars for some reason. The design and performance of this car is just amazing. The power just oozes out when in tiptronic mode, its really fun to drive. All the little gadgets are a plus, not to mention the red interior color. My A4 lacks some comfort, but only because I went with the sports suspension. If you want more comfort, dont get this option. Otherwise, its grrreat!!

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  My Audi - 1998 Audi A4
  By Nehoda - January 20 - 2:10 am

  I love the quattro, it makes you stick to the road like no other. The five speed manual tranny shifts smooth. The clutches on these cars are weird, itll have lots of life left but still grab late.