Audi A4

The Audi A4 has been a well-deserved success for Audi. Mixing neat styling with high quality and great refinement, it makes drivers feel like they’re driving a much more expensive car.

That improved even further in 2011 with a facelift and some subtle tweaking, liberating extra performance and fuel economy from a few models. If you place quality and ambience over excitement and fun, the A4 should be right at the top of your shopping list.

Interior

Audi rules the roost when it comes to interior quality. The A4 offers the sort of quality you’d expect from the much more expensive A8 luxury car. The fit and finish of the materials really is world class, with not a surface in sight that doesn't feel top-quality.

Ergonomics are a mixed bag. While the A4's dashboard design and layout is about as good as it gets, several testers have found the A4 has an offset driving position. Not only is this a bit of an oversight, it also affects comfort for some drivers. That's a shame, since the seats front and rear are comfortable and the cabin is refined - making the A4 a good long-distance cruiser. Space in the cabin and boot is good though.

Driving

The A4 has never really matched the BMW 3-Series for driving fun and the critics still have a few issues with aspects of the car’s drive. Steering lacks feel and ride quality can be a little uncomfortable on occasion, a problem exacerbated by S-Line variants on larger wheels.

Grip is good though in all models, and when you're not pressing on the A4's other talents become more apparent. It munches motorway miles with the best of them and all the controls are well-weighted.

Engines

There's a huge engine range available in the A4. Starting with the petrol options, there two 1.8 TFSI petrols with 120 and 170 PS power outputs, and a 2.0 TFSI with 225 PS and standard quattro all-wheel drive.

The diesel range comprises four different 2.0-litre models - kicking off with two 'TDIe' models, with mpg in the mid-60s. 150 and 177 PS TDIs are also offered, each of which scrapes into the 60s for mpg with manual models, dropping a little as you add a dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. A 245 PS 3.0 TDI tops the diesel options.

Right at the very top of the range is the S4, with its 3.0 supercharged petrol engine and 333 PS on tap - good for 62 mph in five seconds and a respectable 34.9 mpg. All the engines score highly for refinement.

Value for money

A4s represent good value, and are often priced very close to rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. For that you get high quality interiors and good equipment levels. The strong economy of all A4s, diesels in particular, means that running costs should be relatively low.

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Worth noting

S-Tronic is Audi parlance for the ubiquitous Volkswagen-Audi dual-clutch transmission. These models drop a few MPG compared to manual variants, and they also cost about £1,500 extra - but they're quick, smooth and easy to use.

Several versions are also available with Audi's famed quattro four-wheel drive, which gets ever more appealing as the British climate deteriorates! Expect to pay just over £1,500 for the quattro option.

Conclusion

The A4 is a solid car, both in chiselled appearance and in its range of talents. Its quality is beyond reproach in the class, even given stiff competition from BMW, Mercedes and Lexus. It also offers a range of dependable engines and a few sportier options.

It does lack the fun found in some of its rivals though, so keen drivers will likely look elsewhere. But in its own way, the A4 is just as appealing as any other car in the class.

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