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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  Very Nice Car! - 1999 Audi A4
  By Shane Stamper - January 13 - 12:02 am

  I recently bought a 99 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro and I seriously am happy with this buy. Its the fastest, most comfortable car I have ever been in. Its very reliable so far and I hope it stays that way for awhile. The features in it are outstanding for a 99 car and I just love it. I do not regret buying it one bit. The best part is that its my first car and I completely own it!

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  First Luxury Sedan--Value Decision - 2015 Audi A4
  By Steve - December 12 - 8:03 pm

  I am a practical individual and conservative to a fault but I also love style. The 2015 Quattro A4 sedan fits me perfectly. The 2015 styling is retro 2009 but has held its own over the intervening six years. After comparing this sedan with the other two primary competitors, the BMW 3 series, and the Mercedes C class, I found the A4 standard features exceeded both. Sure I could pay another four thousand dollars for a sun roof, leather seats and hands-free bluetooth but why? The C-class had the best interior but the A4 tipped the scales over the BMW. The ride comfort and road noise were subdued compared to the BMW but not as good as the Mercedes. After comparing the total acquisition cost, I would have paid another eight thousand dollars for the C300 with similar options. I ended up adding Nav and heated seats to the other standard features to my A4. I am very satisfied with my decision and look forward to every drive I take in timeless, efficient luxury.

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  Excellent car - 2002 Audi A4
  By Sasa - November 23 - 1:58 pm

  02 audi a4 1.8t quattro manual speed. I owned it for a very long time and now has 225000 miles on it with still original head gasket, starter, turbo, alternator. No engine leaks and performs fantastic. No issue on shifting or anything else. Just a regular maintenance. AMS oil every 4000 miles, and 93 octane and it goes. I love it. Always Audi owner.

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  2006 Audi A4 2.0 Turbo Quattro - great car - 2006 Audi A4
  By john s - September 21 - 10:18 am

  Audi got it right with this car. I have 187,000 miles on it and it runs/drives great. Paint is a little chipped from the constant driving and I hit a deer that made a dent in the drivers side door but other than that the car handles great on winding mountain roads and in the snow/rain. I change the oil every 5000 miles with full synthetic and the engine hums like new. Only complaint is changing the timing belt and water pump every 100,000 miles ($1600). I would highly recommend this car to anyone looking to pick up a used car for a teenager.

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  I love my Audi, my Audi loves my wallet! - 1996 Audi A4
  By Gabe - September 10 - 3:51 pm

  Bought my 2nd Audi A4 in May, 2015 after the automatic transmission burnt out on my 1st one (2.8 non-Quattro) during the harsh Chicago 2014-2015 winter... Decided to go with a stick shift Quattro this time & I love it more than my last one! Manual transmission performs so much better than automatic & responds quicker, only issue for me is its not fast enough. My opinion, a 2.8L motor should put out at least 200HP & should have better gas mileage (mine got about 16mpg city /25highway). The car weighs A LOT (approx 2 tons) and has poor acceleration & fuel economy for that reason. Ive added a few modifications including coilovers, air intake & straight pipe exhaust system & basic weight reduction which in turn I noticed large increase in acceleration (a little more acceptable for me), increase in gas mileage (20 city/28 highway), & improved handling (car scrapes going over speed bumps & cracked oil pan once since putting on coilovers) Common issues: both of the 96 Audi A4s I bought had a lot of small issues which needed to be addressed: heated side view mirrors not heating, factory radio in safe mode, driver side window wont roll down, armrest cover broken in two pieces, leather seats ripped up, need something to prop the hood with, needed upper/lower control arms, inner/outer tie rods, front/rear struts & strut mounts, required entire tune up Automatic 96 A4 (2.8 non Quattro)@144K had extra issues: sunroof would get stuck open when opened all the way, smoking from motor (required valve cover seals replaced), bad alternator Manual 96 A4 (2.8 Quattro) has extra issues: odometer/tripometer doesnt show (all other dash lights & components work), whirring noise (required a wheel bearing), radiator leaking (required a hose replaced) Forked out a lot of cash (almost $3000 cash in repairs) for mechanics to fix my first Audi just to have the stupid automatic trans get effed up by 6 inches of snows Learned my lesson & did most of the repairs/modifications on my 2nd Audi myself... Sure I broke a nut or a bolt, or got lost / didnt know what to do at some points but I learned a lot & Have the pleasure to say that I know my Audi like the back of my hand... Now I feel safe working on any B5 & will never consider selling my 2nd Audi! Im saving up to get a 2nd car to keep my baby off the road, my first car was a Honda CRX & I want another one just for the killer gas mileage! Long story short, buy this car if you want something sweet & worthy of saying "Yup, thats my car!"

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  Smoothest car - 2014 Audi A4
  By Seattle Car enthusiast - August 7 - 3:20 pm

  After owning a few BMWs and a Lexus, I was dead set on getting something cheaper. Walked into the dealer to buy a GTI and left with a 2014 A4 with the Black Optics package. First off - astounding looking car. Audi has come a long way from the bubbly design of early 2000s. Secondly, its the smoothest car Ive ever driven. Thats coming from someone who owned a 550, 135 and RX over the past decade. Its undoubtedly due to the higher torque at lower revs as well as amazing steering feel. One thing I wished: I think the car could do with a bit more power at the higher end (3-4k revs) but it doesnt necessarily need it for most Americans driving style. Overall, amazing car, buy it and dont worry about a thing.

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  Audi A4 Wagon, great car but is an oilaholic! - 2010 Audi A4
  By David TW - July 30 - 10:12 am

  I love my 2010 Audi A4 Avant, its the third Audi Ive owned but it slurps down oil at an average rate of a Qt every 670 miles. My previous cars which included two Audis (a 2004 S4 Avant and an 2007 AllRoad V8 never needed the hood opening between services. That is true for the four BMWs (three 7 series and a 535 xi wagon). Its just not right. My dealer Audi of Fairfield County tells me the consumption is within range but we all know thats a sham. Audi agreed to settle a lawsuit last year where they agreed to replace the crankcase pressure regulating valve. front crankshaft seal and front crankshaft bolt, they will also update the engine control module control software to match the new parts, all free of charge. I intend to take this up with them next week. I really love this car and hope this can be resolved or it will be time to move on. I will keep you posted

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  Great Car!! 185K - 2007 Audi A4
  By a4lasvegas - June 3 - 6:42 pm

  I bought my A4 2.0T FWD new in 08. It now has 185K miles and still has the original clutch. Maintenance has been: timing belt at 90K, engine hood piston (holds the hood up when open) and the normal - Tires, brakes, Headlights, taillights, battery, ignition coils. The only thing that has ever broken is the latch on the center console. I went from a 2001 Porsche 911 to the Audi (kids got to big to squeeze in the back) and while it doesnt have the HP of the 911 it has been a fun car to drive with fantastic gas mileage. Vegas to LA usually 32-33 MPG at 80mph+

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  2nd owner of this wonderful vehicle - 2006 Audi A4
  By Jan Chambers - March 24 - 9:59 am

  I bought this car with 45K miles on it as a 2nd home car for Arizona. I had an A4 convertible in NJ, a 2007, and loved it. I love this car too. Great pickup and go, been a great car (now with 67K miles on it). Car looks almost new as I get it detailed inside and out every year in AZ. The only problem are the cloudy headlights which Id like to get remedied.

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  great new toy - 2014 Audi A4
  By idcal - December 20 - 11:23 am

  Long term ex-Acura guy who loves manual transmissions. I really dont understand where Acura is shifting its target demographics, which is a pity, as they used to have such sweet packages. They no longer offer manual transmissions in cars worth buying. After long research the manual A4 quattro hit the sweet spot for features, quality and price. Drove one and got instantly hooked. So much technology, so nicely packaged on top of a mechanically exquisite car. A car that shares an engine and transmission with the Golf GTI, but packaged so much better. A blast to drive.