The Audi A4 Is Reliable And Practical
The Audi A4 looks like a new car but instead it is a heavily revised version of its predecessor. It is slightly spacious inside but dynamically very similar. The handling is very precise and road holding is very good. The A4 is fun to drive but becomes unsettled on bumpy surfaces. The grip is decent and goes around bends smoothly. Although the A4 is not on the same level as the BMW 3 Series but it is seriously fun to drive. The best Audi A4 diesel engine is the 2.0 TDI that gives out 138bhp and on average of 47.9mpg. The diesel range also includes 2.5 litre, 2.7 litre and a 3.0 litre V6. The diesel engine Audi has a far better resale value than the petrol versions. The best petrol engine is the 2.0 L turbo charged FSI. The 3.2 litre petrol Audi A4 engine is rare and not exciting however, the 4.2 litre produces 414bhp and rivals BMW’s M3. There are more powerful versions of the A4 but they return lower fuel economy.
Audis are built with clarity, quality and comfort inside the cabin and the A4 keeps this tradition. The controls are laid out logically and are durable. It can seat four adults with ease and comfort. The road, wind and tyre noise are barely audible. The A4 is relatively cheaper to run than its rivals. The residual costs are strong so it should prove reliable. The 2.0 litre diesel engine is the most frugal engine and sits in the 12 insurance rating. The 2.0 TFSI petrol engine gives 36.7 mpg and sits in a more expensive insurance group 15, hence the resale values are not as strong as the diesel variant. The 4.2 litre models give the performance of supercar but running costs are very high. It has a special servicing schedule and returns only 20mpg. The base level trim is poorly equipped so the mid level SE trim with four electric windows and a CD player is the better choice.
The S-line model comes with Audi’s MMI which is like BMW’s iDrive, it lets you control the radio, CD player, sat-nav and ventilation system. The Audi A4 is reliable car and there haven’t been that many reported problems. The 2.0 litre diesel burns oil over time so it’s best to check the level of oil, if not done this can cause serious or permanent damage to the engine. The central locking can fail on older models and this is not fixable quickly. Audi offers a good servicing package so you wouldn’t be paying that much for fixing your car if it needs fixing. There is space for four full sized adults in the cabin. Although the headroom is not that much but the legroom compensated for it. The boot space is similar to that of the BMW 3 Series and cleverly designed. The rear seats can be folded flat to accommodate more luggage at the back. It comes with many safety features as standard like six air bags, traction and stability control etc, that make the Audi A4 a safe car to be in.
