2010 Audi A4 Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2014 Audi A4 as a used buy. A major player in the trio of prestigious German cars Audi has become very strong in Australia in recent times. The Audi A4 is a midrange model that’s sold as a sedan, a two-door cabriolet and an Avant station wagon.  A further

For years Audi struggled to gain equal footing with BMW and Mercedes in Australia, but that has all changed and sales have been climbing at double-digit rates for several years now. Though the Audi range is extensive and growing even larger all the time the A4, with its smaller brother the A3 at its side, has

High-riding wagons are the car of choice for a large number of motorists today.

Fuel efficiency is becoming a giant focus in Australia, even for luxury car brands.  We have yet to see a stop-start system in a Rolls-Royce, or a petrol-electric hybrid Bentley, but both are probably on the way and Ferrari and Porsche are already committed to hybrids in their lineups.At Audi, the efficiency message is spreading fast with all sorts of changes.  Its current green flagship is an A4 called the 2.0 TDIe, although it is also mightily proud of the E-Tron plug-in electric concept cars based on its R8 supercar.The A4 fuel miser is a super-efficient turbodiesel with rated fuel economy of just 4.8 litres/100km, and the sort of car which will happily clock 1000 kilometres and more on an interstate highway run. Audi proved its potential with a fuel economy run last year through the outback which reflected its claims on the car.But this test is not about the diesel hero. Instead, we have a car that is much more like the Audi an ordinary person would buy. It runs on petrol power and, despite a couple of economy tweaks, is basically an everyday prestige car.DrivetrainThe Audi in question is official the A4 2.0 TFSI quattro manual, which picks up a stop-start engine system and a gearshift advisory which points you to the most-efficient gear for any driving situation.Audi Australia says work on the 'regular' A4 petrol has cut its fuel consumption by 20 per cent since the 2005 model year, yet the current car still has 155kW of turbo power with economy of 7.3 litres/100km.  "Being green is a bonus and a competitive edge," says Roxanne Persehais of Audi Australia."We will put a diesel TDIe through the Carsguide test soon, but in the meantime the basics of the A4 are much as before with a four-door body, quattro drive in this model, and the petrol turbo engine with a six-speed manual gearbox.PricingThe A4 is not cheap, and a few pieces of optional equipment - pearl pain, MMI navigation, wood inlays and special leather - take the test car just a whiff below $76,000. That's hefty, particularly as Audi quotes a basic price of $69,300.Driving - Paul GoverThe A4 has always been a smooth operator and this car - with its sweet turbo petrol powerplant - is particuarly good.  I come expecting a definite efficiency focus but the only giveaway is the stop-start system which triggers at the first lights - and re-lights the engine as well as any system I know - and a small gear number light which gives a green hint of the next ratio when it's time for an early upshift to save fuel.I do not know if it's anything special in this car, or just a top-of-mind focus on economy, but my time with the A4 goes quickly and I have no trouble matching the official 7.3 litres/100km fuel figure.  The engine gives a nice surge of power from very low revs and I'm not really tempted to head for the redline, relying instead on six gears to keep things moving along. The shift is good and the car is very, very quiet at freeway cruising speeds.I'm less impressed - as I have always been - by the dynamics of the A4, even with quattro all-wheel drive. It does not feel as planted and responsive as the latest C-Class Benz or the 3-Series from BMW, and the all-new Volvo S60 I drove last week in Portugal will also be a better choice for keen drivers.But that's not what this A4 is about - it's a prestige family car.  So I like the space in the cabin and the fit-out - but not the price of the extra options - the giant boot, the Xenon headlamps and the clear dials and easy-to-use controls.Time with this particular A4, which I had planned to focus on efficiency, actually serves as a reminder of the all-round strengths of the mid-sized Audi. It has definitely moved up a few points on the Carsguide score chart and is a car I would easily recommend, although not as an all-round winner over the Benz C.She says - Alison WardWow, I didn't expect this car to cost quite so much. I'm a bit ho-hum about it in the beginning, but it grew on me over time like a nice glass of wine.  I also have to remember it's up against BMWs and Benzes.I love how incredibly smooth it is to drive, and the quietness. Even the blinker is relaxing, and that's coming from someone who cannot stand the clang-clang-clang reminder you get even in some very expensive cars.I also really like the boot, which is huge and easy to use, and the leather seats which are comfy and also give protection against the bub and those messy dogs who come riding sometimes.  I hate that it doesn't have a reversing camera and the industrial styling inside does nothing for me, but it is a quality car that is very easy to live with every day.I know if you had one of these you would still like it in 10 years time, and that's a major plus.  So I guess it has won me over and I really like that it is so easy on fuel, without resorting to hybrid gadgets.Score 79/100The Bottom LineA sweet car with impressive economy, but not cheap.Audi A4 2.0 TFSI quattro (stop-start)PRICE $69,300ENGINE 2.0-litre turbocharged four cylinderPOWER  155kW at 6000 revsTORQUE 350Nm from 1500-4200 revsTRANSMISSION Six-speed manual, quattro all-wheel driveECONOMY 7.3/100km combinedEMISSIONS 169g/kmRivalsBMW 323i: 79/100 (from $59,100)Mercedes-Benz 250 CGI: 82/100 (from $65,900)Lexus IS 250 Luxury: 76/100 (from $77,400)  

IN this country, you might as well market a car without wheels as one with a manual transmission.  Australian drivers have become shiftless slobs for whom changing gears is as inconceivable as flicking channels without a remote. But would you  (re-)learn the art of stick-shifting to save the planet?I ask because the leanest-running sedan in the country is not Toyota's taxpayer-underwritten fleet machine, the Camry Hybrid. It's one that, while $10K more expensive, plays in a different class and benefits from an exemption to Kevin Rudd's idiotic luxury car tax.Bizarrely overlooked by certain media outlets at its launch, the `e' version of Audi's A4 diesel can, in ideal conditions, return a Prius-approximating 124g of CO2 per kilometre and 4.8L per 100km — 1.2 better than the stolid Camry.  More tangibly (and perhaps more impressively, after spending last week solely in Sydney's ever more appalling traffic), we averaged 7.7L per 100km.A small part of that is due to the "stop-start'' system that switches off the engine when you're halted, gearstick in neutral. It re-starts seamlessly when you depress the clutch (automatically, when it feels it has been off for too long) — a system compatible only with a manual transmission.Other consumption-enhancing tweaks are a lowered ride height; a higher final-drive ratio; low-resistance tyres; a system that recovers energy lost under braking; and an instrument-panel readout that tells you when to change up for optimum economy.Although a petrol-electric hybrid will almost always drink less in the city, the Audi would always do better on the open road.  The A4 TDIe's eco-friendly tweaks do nothing to compromise its driveability, which is acceptable for a front-wheel-drive diesel, rather than exceptional. Steering feel is, as ever, Audi-lite.As an engaging experience, the A4 isn't within a bull's roar of BMW's 320 diesel. For that matter, it isn't up to the Mazda6 oiler either, but the former is unacceptably expensive and neither runs as lean as the Audi. And, objectivity out the window, neither looks nearly as cool.Even more to the point for an Audi buyer, the luxury packaging and quality feel it does almost peerlessly is present and correct.  No doubt some will complain of the diesel's noise, and they'd have a point if you could drive with your ear pressed to the bonnet.It's refined and smooth, with all the mid-range punch of the conventional A4 two-litre diesel.  A pity, then, that the only real caveat goes to the heart of the TDIe's manual operation.We've asked before, we'll ask again: what is it with positioning the pedals so far to the right? This is especially noticeable with the constant early shifting required to obey the dash display. Nor is there sufficient room in the footwell.  Then again, this is for the planet, people — so harden up and stop being a soft cog.Audi A4 TDIePrice: $49,900Engine: 2L/4-cylinder 100kW/320Nm turbo dieselTransmission: 6-speed manual, FWDThirst: 4.8L/100km (claimed)Rivals: BMW 320d ($58,300); Mazda6 Diesel Sports Hatch ($42,815); Toyota Camry Hybrid Luxury ($39,990)

The A4 range is littered with drivetrain options and the latest in the ever-increasing Audi line-up isn't another go-fast model, but a go-further variant.  The A4 TDIe follows in the tyre marks of the smaller A3 with the same badge that launched here in mid-2008, boasting even better fuel economy than the already-frugal diesel models.Engine and gearboxThe TDIe shares the same engine with its TDI sibling - a four-cylinder double overhead cam 16-valve four-cylinder engine with a variable-geometry turbocharger and a particle filter.  The TDIe produces 100kW - down by 5kW - with the same 320Nm of torque.The frugal version actually boasts a higher top speed by 5km/h (it's 215km/h, thanks to a higher final drive ratio) but is only 0.1 of a second behind.  Sitting 20mm lower, the A4 TDIe lays claims to an ADR laboratory-derived figure of 4.8 litres per 100km and 124g/km, which is one litre per 100km and 30g/km better than the mainstream diesel model with the CVT.Priced from $49,990, it's also $3000 cheaper, thanks in part to its LCT exemption but the payoff there comes from the lack of any automatic transmission - six gears and a clutch pedal is the only choice here.Fit-out and equipmentThe leather-trimmed cabin is not much different than the bulk of the A4 range - quality materials and assembly, functional layout and a features list that isn't too bad.  The safety features list has dual front airbags for the front occupants, as well as side and curtain airbags for front and rear passengers, stability control and anti-lock brakes.The TDIe gets fog lamps front and rear, remote central locking, climate control, cruise control, power windows, a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, manually-adjustable front seats and a 10-speaker single CD (MP3 compatible) sound system.Among the options are Bluetooth phone link, which should really be standard, for $1006, the multi-media MMI satnav system, which has a hard-drive and Audi Music Interface for $3390 or a pack that comprises electric seats (with memory function for driver), exterior mirrors (with folding, auto dimming and heated) and an auto-dimming centre rearview mirror for $4226.Cabin space isn't overly abundant, but it's enough for average-sized adults and a couple of kids in the back and they will all be pretty comfortable.DrivingThe driver gets a vehicle that is light and easy to drive, although the clutch takes a little getting used to for feel and the gearbox can thump a little if you're over eager on the change.  Short-shifting is easily achieved with the engine's strong bottom-end, which also helps to keep the thirst down.Audi isn't the only brand with diesels devoid of an automatic option and it will limit the car's appeal in the Australian market, given the high percentage take-up of autos.  But the boffins at several companies - not just the Audi engineers - are working on Start-Stop functionality within an automatic.  The Start-Stop function takes some getting used to but works well.The engine turns off at a standstill when out of gear and the clutch pedal is released, and kicks over again as soon as any pressure is put on the pedal again.  The standard system is at its most effective during traffic-choked city driving, where Audi claims as much as 1.5 litres/100km can be saved.Some similar systems require the clutch to meet the firewall.It's better than having to floor the clutch before it re-fires, making it a little less worrisome at the traffic lights.  The fuel-saving list also includes a partially-enclosed front grille, underbody aero panels and regenerative braking, which stores energy in the car's battery and redeployed to the car's systems as needed.A shift indicator also prompts the driver's gearshifts for maximum efficiency.  The diesel needs a few revs on board before it really gets into the swing of things, but once on boost there's plenty of drive on offer.It's a smooth and quiet drive, although the lowered sports suspension may be on the firm side for some.  The Audi A4 TDIe is a good example of what can be done to reduce fuel use and emissions without going over the top and detracting from the real-world useability.Audi A4 TDIe sedanPrice: from $49,990.Engine: two-litre DOHC 16-valve common-rail direct-injection turbocharged 16-valve four-cylinder.Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive.Power: 100kW @ 4200rpm.Torque: 320Nm between 1750 & 2500rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h 9.5 seconds, top speed 215km/h.Fuel consumption: 4.8 litres/100km, on test 7.4; tank 65 litres.Emissions: 124 g/km.Suspension: Five-link front suspension, upper and lower wishbones, tubular anti-roll bar (front); independent-wheel, trapezoidal-link rear suspension with resiliently mounted subframe, anti-roll bar (rear).Brakes: front ventilated discs, rear discs, with anti-lock and stability control systems.Dimensions: length 4703mm, width 1826mm, height 1407mm, wheelbase 2811mm, track fr/rr 1568/1555mm, cargo volume 480/962 litres, weight 1475 kg.Wheels: 16in alloysRivals:Alfa Romeo 159 1.9 JTD, from $52,990.BMW 320d, from $58,300.Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI, from $$61,400.Volvo S40 D5, from $42,950.