AUDI A4 REVIEW

List price from £24,385 Lease price from £299 The verdict 7 

If you’re after a small, premium-badged saloon, the Audi A4 should be on your list

The Audi A4 might wear an upmarket badge, but like rival saloons from BMW and Mercedes it has become a viable alternative to mainstream family cars such as the FordMondeo and VauxhallInsignia.

The A4 does cost more to buy, but strong demand on the used market keeps resale values high and leasing rates low. And with several efficient diesel engines in the range, it's an attractive company car choice.

Space

A reasonably practical saloon

There’s plenty of space for the driver and front passenger, but those in the rear aren’t quite so lucky because headroom is a little tight for six-footers. Legroom is more impressive, although it still falls short of what you get in a BMW 3-series and some of the non-premium alternatives.

The boot is the same size as the BMW’s, which means it’s big enough for your golf clubs or a large suitcase. And unlike the 3-series, the A4 gets folding rear seatbacks as standard so it can manage longer loads when required.

Comfort

Let down by firm suspension and offset pedals

The pedals in the A4 are offset to the right of the seat, which can cause aches and pains when you’re driving in town and regularly pumping the clutch.

To make matters worse, the A4 tends to bump and fidget on poor quality roads, significantly detracting from its comfort for both the driver and passengers. 

Dashboard layout

Some rivals have better layouts and classier materials

Audi is famed for the quality of its interiors, but while the A4’s looks smart enough in isolation, it isn’t as classy as the one in the rival BMW 3-series. In fact, Audi’s smaller, cheaper A3 saloon has a more upmarket interior than the A4.

The A3 and 3-series also have better control layouts than the A4. After a bit of familiarisation, you can operate most of their functions by touch, whereas you frequently have to look away from the road to find the right button in the A4. 

Easy to drive

Gutsy engines and easy to see out of

All of the engines are strong, but the 2.0-litre diesels strike the best balance between performance and fuel economy.

The manual gearbox that’s standard on these models is nice and slick too. And an automatic gearbox is available as an option as long as you avoid the most efficient models - which are badged TDIe - and the versions with Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system.

Visibility out of all models is fine, although it can be difficult to judge exactly where the back of the car ends from the driver’s seat, so the standard parking sensors are useful. 

Fun to drive

Composed rather than fun

The A4’s firm suspension helps the car stay nice and composed in bends, but it still doesn’t feel as sporty as a BMW 3-series.

The standard steering is light at all speeds. And while Audi does offer the option of a Drive Select system, which lets you change the weighting of the wheel, it does little to improve the fun factor.

Bigger engines merely highlight the lack of involvement for the driver, so they’re best avoided. 

Reliability

A4 owners are pretty happy, but Mercedes offers a better warranty

The A4 performed pretty well in the 2013 JD Power customer satisfaction survey, finishing 32nd out of 116 cars. However, it was still behind the Mercedes C-class, which came 12th.

Mercedes also offers a three-year warranty with no mileage limit, whereas Audi’s cover lasts for three years or 60,000 miles - whichever comes first. 

Fuel economy

Competitive, but not class leading

The most efficient version of the A4 is the 2.0 TDIediesel, which averaged 65.7mpg in official Government tests. That’s less than equivalent versions of the BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class, although not a lot less.

Even the more powerful 2.0 TDI engine offers more than 60mpg according to official figures, although opting for quattro four-wheel drive or an automatic gearbox will increase both the consumption and CO2 figures. 

Affordability

Makes a good company car, but is beaten by Audi's newer A3 saloon

Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are directly linked, with the latter determining how much company car tax you pay. As a result, the most efficient A4 sits in a higher tax band than the equivalent BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class, but the differences in the amount you pay each month are minimal.

There are two other prestige saloons that will save you a significant amount, though, and that’s the Lexus IS hybrid and Audi’s own A3 saloon.

The A3 is also much cheaper than the A4 as a private buy, yet it’s actually a newer and better car. 

Safety

Should keep you and your passengers safe

Front, side and window airbags are fitted as standard, along with a stability control system that works to counteract skids.

Together these features helped the A4 earn a five-star rating when it was crash tested by independent safety body Euro NCAP, plus the A4 scored higher than the Mercedes C-class for adult occupant, child occupant and pedestrian protection. The BMW 3-series performed better still in two of the three areas, though, while equalling the A4’s child protection score.

Like its key rivals the A4 makes it easy to fit child seats by having Isofix mounting points on its outer rear seats and front passenger seat. 

Standard spec

All A4s come well equipped

The A4 competes with some tough rivals, so Audi fits lots of standard equipment to boost its appeal.

Even the cheapest, SE specification features alloy wheels, climate control, parking sensors, a Bluetooth hands-free phone connection and a socket that lets you play an iPod through the stereo.

We’d be tempted to upgrade to the SE Tecknik model, though; for a small premium this adds leather upholstery, satellite-navigation and metallic paint.

The S-line spec is also a popular choice because it brings sportier styling inside and out, and Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights. Unfortunately, S-line cars are quite expensive and they have bigger wheels and sportier suspension settings that make them less comfortable.

Only the TDIe models miss out on a space saver spare wheel; they get a can of tyre repair foam instead.

Our favourite version	2.0 TDIe SE Technik, list price £28,300
Options you should add	Rear side airbags (£255), three-spoke multi-function steering wheel (£100) and tyre pressure loss indicator (£75)

Source : telegraph[dot]co[dot]uk