The A4 is a pleasant car to live with, with a comfortable ride, secure handling and a nice cabin. But a number of factors prevent it from being a truly great car. It isn't as exciting to drive as a BMW 3-series or Mercedes C-class and its engine is noisier than most competitors. Also, the A4 doesn't have as many safety features as some of its rivals.
Compared to its rivals, the A4's interior is well-appointed and impressively built. However, the design is more utilitarian than upscale and it suffers from an oddly small center console. The stereo's CD changer is atop the dash and it doesn't hold as many CDs as competing systems. The Bluetooth cell phone integration works well, though our test car couldn't pair with a Motorola V551.
All A4s come with Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system for added foul weather traction and good road holding. The A4 is available as a sedan, Avant wagon or Cabriolet convertible. It's powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 200 horsepower and a six-speed manual or Tiptronic automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive models get a six-speed manual. The A4 is a solid choice for those who want a sporty European sedan or wagon with good fuel economy. But if you're looking for a fun-to-drive car with a more pronounced personality, consider the more powerful S4. It has a 340-horsepower V8 and can accelerate to sixty in 7.4 seconds. It can be a little noisier than the A4 but it's also more luxurious and better equipped.
