One Week Test Drive: 2018 Audi A4
Slideshow: Audi cars get better year after year. Here is another example.
2018 Audi A4
There are some car buffs who say Audi cars are nothing but less expensive Volkswagen's with a higher price tag. I can assure you this isn't true. Yes, there might be some basic platform and small parts sharing, but almost all luxury brands will borrow a few off the shelf parts from economy brands to cut production costs. It is the end product that counts, and Audi didn't do such a great job of competing with BMW and Mercedes by doing badge engineering. Case in point is this excellent A4 we acquired for a weekly test run. This is a true sports sedan, and we didn't want to give it back.
Audi has a wide range of engines to purchase.
The base engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 190 horsepower. We wanted the larger 3.0-liter 354 HP turbo motor, but this wasn't available. Instead, we received the optional 2.0 liter 252 horse engine, hooked to a 7-speed automatic gearbox. Fuel economy is listed at 24/34 mpg. The computer showed that in previous 1153 miles of driving, 25 mpg had been obtained. We planned to put many more miles on the clock to see what our real-world mileage would be.
>>Join the conversation about the one week test of the Audi A4 right here in the Audi World Forum!
German performance doesn’t come cheap.
The base price of an A4 is about $36K. Our all-wheel-drive quattro with the more potent engine starts at $40,500. Then there are the options. A prestige package has a Bang & Olufsen stereo, power seats, 360-degree camera system, navigation, radar cruise, and more for $9,500. Another $500 gets us the cold weather package, but with outside temperatures near 100 degrees, we don't need it! With shipping, the tab came to $51,825. It's easy to see why many of these are leased.
>>Join the conversation about the one week test of the Audi A4 right here in the Audi World Forum!
The Audi A4 cabin is first-rate.
For this money, you are getting one of the nicest interior designs in the industry. All the materials are super nice, and the seats are top quality, comfortable for long drives. The digital instrument panel presents information in a clear manner. At night, most controls and knobs light up for ease of use, just like a small aircraft.
>>Join the conversation about the one week test of the Audi A4 right here in the Audi World Forum!
The master controls require practice for proper operation.
The infotainment and navigation system is controlled by a center knob on the console. As a rule, I don't care for this setup, preferring simple manual buttons instead. But after a few days of practice, the system is easy to master, and far better than what we get on other German brands.
>>Join the conversation about the one week test of the Audi A4 right here in the Audi World Forum!
Xenon headlights are standard.
The A4 comes standard with xenon headlights. At 100 feet, the light is super bright on low beam setting, and super bright on high beam. At 300 feet, the high beam mode is still very bright, and wide enough for any road condition. The low beam setting is good for about 225 feet. Overall, these are excellent headlights.
>>Join the conversation about the one week test of the Audi A4 right here in the Audi World Forum!
Audi A4 rear view
In our weekly test, we clocked about 450 miles. This was done in city driving, highway trips, and racing around tight mountain curves. This is a true sports sedan, with fantastic handling, stable high-speed stability, and powerful brakes. That German engineering provides a very smooth ride in the process. Fuel economy was 24 in the city, and 30 at highway cruising.
The A4 isn't cheap to buy, but well worth the drive. Now if only we could get our hands on the more potent V-6 turbo version.
>>Join the conversation about the one week test of the Audi A4 right here in the Audi World Forum!
For help with servicing your Audi, check out the how to section of AudiWorld.com.