Well Audi diesels are great & the fuel economy is excellent, they are reliable and comfortable. Performance wise they are one of the best in the top 3. Costs on diesel are far better then petrol and handling is superb. Build quality there is no comparison.
Audi has tried long and hard to make its A4 as desirable as the BMW 3-Series but hasn't quite succeeded. At least until now. While the BMW may still have the edge on ultimate driver appeal, the 2008 A4 is a better all rounder. As beautifully finished as ever, Audi has ensured the A4 saloon is priced a little lower than premium alternatives and is more generous with equipment. Build quality was never in question, but now the A4 offers unrivalled interior space, superb comfort, improved driving dynamics and excellent refinement - making it our class favourite. There's also a great choice of engines offering everything from economy and low emissions to high performance.
I went for an Audi A4 after having a Grand Voyager, because I was getting tired of how overweight and lumbering it felt. The Audi A4 2.0 S Line by comparison is extremely nimble and energetic, it's almost like returning to my first love, an old Golf with endless modifications.. except this is miles classier and less likely to fall to pieces. The biggest problem, if you want to call it a problem, from the Grand Voyager was that the Audi A4 is a fair bit firmer ride, but it's not a problem for us really.
I was impressed with the increase in speed and overall performance coming to the A4 but it's lacking a little something, maybe because it's front wheel drive, maybe because of something else. The only other real problem has been a bit of a weird stink from the aircon, but that was sorted out under warranty.
The sound of the engine is a real pleasure, especially if you take it up over 5k revs. The only down side is that it's so exciting to drive I often find myself driving like a bit of an idiot, which in the end means it eats up tyres pretty quickly. I suppose this is also why it's in a higher insurance group, makes you want to drive unsafely.
The satnav is great, not just rerouting if you make a mistake but also showing you the route with the least traffic on it. This might be old news to more techie types but it blew my mind when I first saw it. The stereo is amazing as well. I lost count of all the speakers, it's at least 8 of them dotted about, maybe ten, and far too powerful really, I mean you could play music to the other side of the motorway in these things. Great for a good surround sound experience though, I like it for opera.
I get some sneers from people thinking the Audi A4 is a poor man's BMW, but I wouldn't really want one of them anyway, just a different image that I'm not interested in.
Hauling three kids around was getting a bit much in our old Yaris but we didn't want to be paying any more for fuel, so we decided to move over to diesel. We knew Audi had a good reputation for reliability and that's also important for us, we really don't have time to be messing around with repairs and things. Our Audi A4 .9 TDi hasn't disappointed, it's absolutely enormous inside, easy to get the kiddie seat in the back, chuck all their stuff in the boot without having to arrange anything cleverly. Best thing on top of all that is that it gets even better mileage than our old Yaris, easily 50mpg average.
Another big bonus was the parking sensors. Our was second hand and the first owner seems to have spent out on a few of the options. Some of them seem pretty pointless, like headlight washers! But some others are neat additions, like the satnav, and the heated seats which are a real godsend.
It took me quite a while to get used to putting it into the sixth gear on the motorways. I just never knew there were more than 5 available on a car. My hubby on the other hand took to it very quickly and made a lot of noise about power and acceleration even at high speeds blah blah, bless him.
Our Audi A4 can be a bit unforgiving on rougher surfaces, but it's mostly just normal roads for us so that's not too much of a problem. There's an armrest between the front seats which really adds to the comfort factor. It's generally nice and quiet inside but we did notice the difference from our Yaris. I suppose a diesel engine is always going to be a bit noisier, although I have heard that they're a lot quieter in newer cars. The Audi A4 generally feels really safe too, which is a big plus for a family.
The Audi A4 might be, should be ! a good car, but the Multitronic box needs to be avoided. I thought it sounded like a good idea, but it's just kept going wrong. It's had a few other fairly minor problems like with the oil pump and the drive belts, but those have been sorted and not gone wrong again. The multitronic, or multi-chronic, should never have been included in this car, just not ready in terms of design.
Shame cos like I said the Audi A4 could have made a really decent drive. It's lots of fun, likes to be driven fast and keen. It's actually more comfortable at speed.
Fantastic drive with the roof down. Hardly any wind in your face, very clever design around that. Not sure what it's like in the back, probably worse. Put the roof up though and it's remarkably quiet.
Obviously as it's a convertible the 'pillars' are huge chunks of fabric roof, so there isn't really much in the way of visibility out the back. I was ok parking it using the mirrors, especially when the dealer wanted something like £330 or so for the rear parking sensors (quite a bit more for the front ones). Blind spots can be a bit shady though. Don't even think about getting the sat nav option, you could get ten little satnav units for that money!
Comfy seating, pretty good in the back which is a plus point for a drop top like our Audi A4. Quick as well, very agile and sporty, hence being called sport I suppose...
The interior is pretty smart all in all, but the lighting is poor, so hard to see what's what in the dark.
All in all, Audi A4 is a decent car, just don't bother with the multitronic, seriously.
Pete
Published: 1 year(s) ago
This car feels immaculate - solid, safe, fast, reliable, practical, great design, like it could go on for 200k miles or more.
Audi quality is clearly renowned so you get what you pay for, albeit inevitably a bit more expensive with parts and servicing. This model probably offers the best blend of performance, looks and practicality that a buyer might be looking for when choosing an estate car with some driving fun.
Obviously, a car of such size and weight isn't going to handle like a hatchback or rear wheel drive sports car but the four wheel drive offers excellent grip. Once inside and cruising along, you feel like you're gliding down the road not driving on it! Highly recommended to try one out.
All Audi's in general are great to drive but although the Audi A4 doesn't live up to Audi's billing as the sportiest car in its class, the A4 is good to drive with well balanced handling and lots of grip.
The steering weights up nicely at speed, but has a rubbery feel. Ride comfort is reasonable, although larger bumps can upset the A4's composure. Not content to stop there, Audi has introduced an array of excellent new engines to the line-up (with strong diesels), and the DSG gearbox which appears across the VW Group is fantastic: It smoothes out the gear change and even speeds it up, although it’s likely to slow down the delivery date with longer lead times from the factory.
Hope this helps!!
Being of a certain age, when it came to buying a new car I was looking for something practical but sporty, and I found the Audi A4 2.0 5dr S Line had a good mix of both. In the 18 months that I owned this car I covered around 16,000 miles without a single fault. I bought the car second hand and it came with the extras that if new I would of had to pay extra for, arm rest, parking sensors and the BOSE sound system.
Whilst motorway driving I can get up to 55mpg and around 45mpg city driving. One of very few problems I have with this car is that it’s quite sluggish pulling away, but saying that once you get going it’s a very smooth ride. The A4 is comfortable car for the driver and passenger the back seats have slightly limited leg room for taller people. All the controls feel like they are in the right place, the steering wheel controls are also in a comfortable position. The on board computer lets you know if there is any car faults like a faulty bulb or if the screen wash is empty.
When I first started driving this car the suspension felt a bit stiff but after awhile I stopped noticing it. Steering feels secure and handling is top notch. Overall i was very happy with this car and I only sold it because I wanted a 4x4.
As with all audis you get a great car with an excellent ride. There are no rattles and it still gives a smooth ride even though it was made in 2002.
Unfortunately there are some issues. I have had to visit the garage on a number of occasions and shelled out for new coil pack (common fault) and brake servo.
The passenger door has also dropped a little so it now needs a bit more of force when closing and some of the interior has not stood up to the wear and tear of the previous owner, hence the 3 star for the build quality.
The fuel economy is pretty standard for a 1.8 but it soon drops when driving aggressively and the turbo kicks in.
It is a great car and a pleasure to drive, its just a shame I get the train to work now!