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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  excessive oil consumption and many other problems - 2009 Audi A4
  By Christine Hoang - October 26 - 10:35 pm

  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR AT ALL !!! BUYER BEWARE !!! We first leased and bought a 2009 A4 car and it uses oil extensively. It did not even pass its first smog check and now the car is considered a total loss. The Audi dealer said that it will cost $14,000 to replace the WHOLE engine. We have tried many cars from the past from BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus and this is the worst car in our lives!!! I just read the class action lawsuit on this car extensive oil usage ... it is outrageous and we brought in the dealer twice and they did not warn us. I hope Audi this review and rectify their problem. This is unacceptable!!!

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  Save some money and buy a Jetta - 2009 Audi A4
  By Justin - October 13 - 1:40 am

  I have owned more cars than I can count. The Audi A4 was hands down the worst car I have ever owned. I bought the car with 40,000 miles on it. It was beautiful and drove great. As the 60,000 mile mark started to tick on the odometer, it started to fall apart. Every 1,000 miles the oil light would come on. I would take it in and the dealer said "add a quart of oil!" Thank you but is my car burning that much oil that I need to add a quart every 1000 miles or less? They offered to replace the turbos that "might" be the problem... Then the transmission problems started in. A very loud "clunk" every time you hit the gas pedal from a stop. Back to the dealer, "past the warranty, 7,000$, sorry, dont know what to tell you." Apparently the transmission slips into neutral when you stop and then clunks into "gear" (CVT transmission) when you hit the gas. It sounded and felt like the transmission was falling out everytime you stopped at a stop sign. It was embarrassing. It had to be driven like a manual and ease it in. Then the interior rattles started. It sounded like something was loose in the doors, every door. The kicker was when I started dating a girl that drove a 1 year newer Jetta. It was THE EXACT SAME CAR with the same features for way less money. She opted for the manual transmission so no tranny problems for her. The good things about the car is that it has comfortable seats and the interior design is comfortable, although, coating on the plastic will start peeling off so your interior will look 10 years old after 5 years. I had enough and traded it in. After 2 years of ownership I realized I could have bought a new car for cash with all the repairs and losses. The first thing the dealer asked when I traded it in and before he looked at the car was "Let me guess, Tranny or electrical?" Sums it up right there...

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  Worst car Ever!! - 2009 Audi A4
  By holms - January 1 - 6:35 pm

  Owning an Audi has been the worst experience ever!! Have owned it for 2.75 years now. Leased it after coming from a BMW I loved the free maintenance but this was an extra $800 for the Audi care package. I was able to negotiate it into the lease for no cost, so glad. My wife and I thought we got a great deal cuz we got all the bells and whistles for the same cost of a BMW base model. Well I hate driving this car and am so happy to give it back in 3 months. Audi service department sucks!!! You are nobody when you walk in. As soon as they see that I have Audi Care they start treating you better but they dont listen to you and dont call you when your car is done.

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  Worst Car Ever - 2009 Audi A4
  By kaltsc9867 - July 13 - 12:41 pm

  Please Test Drive this car extensively. Dealer will NOT tell you that the car goes forward when you put car in reverse. They say this is normal for cvt transmission. This was not disclosed before purchase. I dont think they would ever sell any cars with cvt if this was disclosed. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR.

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  Worst car ever owned - 2009 Audi A4
  By eoc42 - June 2 - 7:36 am

  I am 600 miles into an Audi A4 Quattro and it is the worst car I have ever owned. The driver seat is so uncomfortable I can only sit in the car for no more than 45 min. All the dealer suggested is to get a pad. The ride is awful - pebbles become large rocks, rough roads rattle your teeth. I am missing my old Ford 500 more every day. If you are considering this car be wary, take a long test drive.

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  Never buy an Audi - 2003 Audi A4
  By Toppro - August 31 - 1:59 pm

  After owning a 1998 A4 1.8T quatro, and an older Porsche Boxster I traded them both in due to age not condition for this A4 Cabriolet. What a mistake! After 8 months of ownership the car has been in the shop for a variety of problems ranging from electrical problems with the fuel injection system, to stupid items like the front windshield fogging up in the summer with the A/C on and top up. The car constantly has an issue with it to the point that you cannot enjoy it. Youre always waiting for the next issue to occur. Audi has gotten over confident of their product since 98 and the quality is now very poor. I would recommend you look elsewhere for a vehicle in this price range.

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  hunk o junk - 2003 Audi A4
  By Robert Pelton - May 2 - 10:00 am

  the car broke down within 24 hours. An apparent problem that Audi is aware of but prefers to have it done as warranty work rather than recall

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  Ding Dong the Witch is DEAD! - 2016 Audi A4
  By ZCT - September 21 - 6:11 pm

  I just had the misfortune of renting this car for a week. Wow, what a joke. I had the base model with the S-Line package and a few extras like navigation. The car was wholly unpleasant to drive. The CVT an obvious annoyance, the interior, instrumentation and controls utterly mediocre and old fashioned. It wasnt antiquated like a Subaru, but it seemed like a step down from even a VW, which is inexcusable for the cost. Everything about the driving experience made me completely puzzled as to why anyone would cross shop with this a similarly priced BMW 3 Series and pick this Audi. Im not a BMW fanboy or anything, but the two vehicles are incompatible in driving experience, and yet they are about the same price. Audi is supposed to be the premium arm of VW, and yet frankly this car is so easily bested in this segment by so many alternatives. Thank goodness that the 2017 model is a complete redesign.

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  A4 is a total Lemon - Wish we didnt by the Audi - 2010 Audi A4
  By Ken - April 19 - 7:25 am

  This car has been a total lemon. It is constantly in the shop with one expensive repair after another. The Audi dealership in Raleigh also makes it even worse. Lexus provides a much better experience when we bring in our cars there.

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  freaking garbage - 2010 Audi A4
  By rj - February 21 - 1:08 pm

  excessive oil consumption, great ride ,excellent handling. my camry se can do that and cheaper too.