Used A4 Question - Worth it?
 

Hey guys,

I live in east coast.. yeah it snows.. but I've always got around with Front Wheel Drive before.. Just curious if this Audi A4 is worth it.

$25,000 for Automatic A4 2010 2.0T Prem FWD with 22,000 miles? The car is in Excellent condition.

Meteor Gray Pearl Effect.

I live in Cleveland and I am driving a 2010 A4 P+ with 18K miles. Huge improvement in the snow compared to front wheel drive. The stability control system gets your car straightened out quickly if you skid after going around a snowy corner a little too fast. In last year's blizzard (2 inches of snow per hour), other cars were bumping into each other as they tried to make their way out of a slightly uphill parking lot. Mine never skidded. You can get around with front wheel drive, but you have a lot more control and grip in the snow with all wheel drive. The only negative about this Audi in winter is that the wiper blades freeze over with slush and ice while driving in heavy snow.

BTW, if the car you're looking at doesn't have all weather tires, you will need them in the winter.

I can't comment on whether the car you're located at is fairly priced. Try kbb.com or edmunds.com for some information about that.

I do not think this car is worth it. FWD Audis come with a CVT which sux. I am always curious why people would consider purchasing an audi which is renowned for its quattro AWD system in order to save $1500. I have a 2011 P+ 6sp manual quattro. Love it whether its snowing or summer. Handles fantastic. Dont get me wrong, an Audi is absolutely lovely inside and out whether its quattro or FWD, trust me, you would be happier with the quattro. The 8sp auto is also fantastic tranny, but I am a manual guy.

Manual guy here too. I have an 8-speed loaner right now while waiting for the Stasis ECU update and I'm very impressed with this transmission too. It does misshift sometimes, but it's ages ahead of my wife's 6-speed auto in her IS250.

I agree, the problem with fwd a4 is not even the fact that it lacks the legendary quattro, but that the cvt transmission really does not do the car justice. I have the 8 speed auto and it is incredible for an auto tranny. While the price isn't bad, my personal suggestion would be to go for a slightly older quattro with a non-cvt. But I'm sure regardless of the exact model you chose, you are going to love the car, audis are very impressive cars.

Manual guy here too and I think ya'll are daft :) My wife's car is a 2012 q5 with the autotrans and I wouldnt say I like it.. But to each their own.

Not being able to control where you are in the rpm range with a 4cylinder forced induction motor is like having a 35ft sailboat without a genoa. It's just lacking that fine control of handling and speed.

But I guess compared to other auto-trans, its not SO bad... everytime I get a loaner I absolutely cannot wait to get my car back. Even the auto s4 they gave me one time. Not sure how auto people do it, and no, that "shifting" stuff that autotrans' do doesnt even remotely make up for it :) Still rocking a torque converter.

But, we're in the FAR minority now, less than 5% of new cars sold are 6speeds and within the next 10yrs or even less, 0% most likely.

They'll have to pry this car out of my cold dead fingers, since trying to find a b8 a4 prestige sline in 6speed was almost impossible.... almost....

Also a manual guy and I flat-out despise Audi's Tiptronics. I feel like I can take a sip of coffee betwen when I force a shift with the paddles and when the gear actually kicks in. It's infuriating. I can almost tolerate the S-tronic in the S4 and A3, but it's still not a proper 3rd pedal. I adore the 6 speed manual in my 2011 A4.

+1. Who's ever heard of an Audi w/o Quattro :(

If I am not mistaken, FWD outsells quattro worldwide. And even in the US, where Audi=quatto in people's minds (unlike in the rest of the world), I see more and more dealerships stocking up more FWD/CVTs than quattros.

Audi makes one of the best FWD powertrains and there is a lot more to the car than just AWD. I think those who say why bother with Audi if you are not getting quattro are just snobs.

Having said that, I wouldn't buy a CVT. But I might consider compromising on a FWD/manual package for the sake of fuel economy and probably some nimbleness. It should weigh 300-350lbs less than a quattro/tip. But for the engine we get in the US, I agree that quattro is probably a better choice given the power of the engine, especially for enthusiast drivers. Still, a CVT A4 is still a very nice and capable vehicle.

Coming back to the original question. You can get a brand new FWD/Premium for around $31.5K+TLR. You have to decide if the savings are worth it. As to snow, my take is that if it snows enough that it matters, then you should get snow tires anyway, which is far better than quattro with all-seasons. Quattro does give you an extra safety margin when you accelerate, but remember that it won't help you when braking. It's nice to have in the snow as long as you don't drive more aggressively than you would a FWD car.