As the bestselling model in Audi history, this all-new 9th generation A4 shoulders great
responsibility.
Compact sedans do much of the heavy lifting for luxury marquees and Audi considers the
A4 representative of the best in every detail the brand has to offer.
In this crossover-happy world, the Q5 is by far Audi's most sought after vehicle but
on the car side of the ledger it's still the A4.
Popular German competitors from BMW and Mercedes-Benz double up the A4's sales, but those who've
experienced the joy of four rings know they've made the right choice.
With greater street cred than xDrive or 4Matic, quattro all-wheel drive has long since been
the A4's ace in the hole and my tester is so equipped.
But no longer are all A4s using the same quattro setup.
If you consider yourself a knowledgeable car shopper there's much to know about the new
A4.
All of them get the 2.0-liter turbo but certain front-drive models receive a detuned, more
fuel efficient version designated as 'ultra.'
Confusing matters is the fact that all quattro equipped models can be specified with a 6-speed
manual transmission.
But those cars get quattro with ultra technology – a new take on Audi's storied all-wheel
drive system that'll likely upset some loyalists.
Quattro with ultra is designed to preserve fuel economy by decoupling the rear axle until
the car's computers determine the rear tires need to join in.
But this car still uses the original self-locking center differential crown gearheads have come
to love with its rear biased drive configuration and torque vectoring for wheel-specific power
distribution.
If it were mine, I'd swap out these all-season Pirellis for a set of rubber with more grip
in the winter but even so, this A4 always feels hooked-up and contributes greatly to
driver confidence in both slippery and dry road conditions.
And considering there are a number of high performance variants in the pipeline, this
A4 delivers a benchmark level of capable handling and comfortable ride to build upon.
The 2.0-liter engine has been redeveloped to significantly increase output, now capable
of 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, the S tronic 7-speed transmission from the
S4 displaces the previous 8-speed automatic, and despite a small increase in passenger
and luggage volume, the A4's aluminum hybrid construction reduces vehicle weight.
0-to-60mph takes only 5.7 seconds; .5 seconds quicker than before.
And though it no longer accepts E85, this engine now returns 27mpg in combined driving
on premium compared to the previous 24.
The A4 possesses a newfound premium feel to its wonderfully compliant ride quality and
a sophisticated smoothness to its powertrain.
This car is sneaky quick and the dual clutch transmission is as automatic-like as they
come.
The sport seats are perfectly balanced for grip and comfort and fun behind the wheel
still abounds.
The optional sport suspension takes this low slung sedan and makes it even more so and
the standard drive select includes 4 modes for driver customization.
But despite not having the optional comfort adaptive suspension – available only on
the Prestige trim - this car drives as if it's on a pillow of air, with direct, hallmark
Audi steering, paddle shifters with lighting quick shifts and stop dead brakes with stellar
pedal feel.
Other than an underlying burble from the exhaust under acceleration, the cabin is luxury quiet,
too.
If only the interior design impressed as much as the rest of the car.
This new shifter has a very awkward park setting I can envision causing problems, the MMI infotainment
system is feature laden but doesn't include a touchscreen so controls can be cumbersome
at times and the rear seats feel a little tight.
The optional Audi virtual cockpit is this car's oh-wow moment, allowing you to reconfigure
the high-res display including this brilliant navigation setting.
But despite this tester's Premium Plus, Technology and Sport packages, the A4 can't
match the panache of the C-Class.
It's very comfortable but just doesn't look as fancy.
This heavily optioned mid-trim 2.0T quattro S tronic model starts at about $40,000 and
totals $48,725 as seen here.
A delightful car in most every way, the new A4 continues its winning attitude.
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