Audi A4 Review 2023

The Audi A4 is a premium saloon that goes toe-to-toe with the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, and Jaguar XE. Exceptional cruising refinement, impressive interior build quality and a generous standard kit are all major pluses. The latter includes Audi's superb Virtual Cockpit digital driver's display, along with a slick 10.1-inch touchscreen for controlling infotainment. The relatively frugal engine line-up includes petrol and diesel models with a 2.0-litre capacity and varying power outputs, but as yet, no plug-in hybrid model. It's available with two- or four-wheel drive, although the quattro models are expensive, and is offered in Sport, S line, and Black Edition trim levels. It's a polished all-rounder that has few flaws. Read on for our full review of the Audi A4 saloon.

The Audi A4 is a premium car that demands few compromises from its owners. Now in its fifth iteration, the latest one is very much an evolution of the previous model's approach, which has seen the A4 locked in a fierce battle for control over company car parks and suburban driveways for 30 years.

This competition with its closest rivals - the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class - has turned all three cars into incredible all-rounders, with stunning interiors, low running costs, and impressive on-board technology.

Traditionally, the 3 Series was the driver's choice, the A4 had the nicest interiors and the all-weather security of four-wheel drive, while the Mercedes struck a nice middle ground. Now however, the differences are more subtle, with exterior design and brand image playing a bigger role.

The strangle hold these three models have on the premium company car market has made it very hard indeed for solid left field alternatives such as the Volvo S60 and Jaguar XE to get a look in, despite each having their own likeable qualities.

First launched in 2015, the current model was given a major facelift in 2019. The makeover included fresh styling that cribbed notes from the larger A6 and A8 saloons, and a paired back engine range.

Both the 3.0-litre V6 diesel models and entry-level 1.4-litre petrol were dropped, leaving buyers with a choice of four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol and diesels, each available in two states of tune. All of the engines are smooth, flexible performers with competitive running costs, and the more powerful diesel model comes with four-wheel drive.

The interior remains a real highlight, with a modern and minimalist design that features high quality materials throughout, seamlessly integrating the impressive array of new on-board technology.

Buyers can choose from three trim levels: Sport, S line, and Black Edition. Even the standard Sport comes amply equipped, with a spec-bump compared to the old SE that includes sat-nav, heated seats, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch set of digital dials that Audi calls its 'Virtual Cockpit'.

Add to this long list a set of front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, and satellite navigation, and it seems hard to understand why anyone would need to upgrade to the pricier models, apart from their increasingly sporty exterior styling kits.

For a four-door saloon, the A4 is pretty practical too, with a decent boot, folding rear seats that split 40/20/40 and room for four adults to travel many miles in relative comfort. However, family buyers and those who need to regularly carry more should opt for the A4 Avant estate, a roomier version that we've reviewed separately.

The A4 excels on the motorway, where its hushed engines, supple ride (as long as you avoid the stiff sport suspension) and excellent cabin refinement make it a relaxing companion on longer trips. It handles winding roads with strong grip and reassuring poise, but several rear-driven rivals are a bit more fun in this regard.

Its premium pricing (it's expensive compared to the mechanically similar Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Passat) is offset by decent residual values and low running costs, with the cleanest 2.0-litre diesel models capable of achieving well over 50mpg in real-world conditions.

Looking for a second opinion? Why not read heycar's Audi A4 review.

Four-door premium saloons are not known for their practicality but the A4 is surprisingly roomy inside. The space for rear-seat passengers is generous, with more leg and head room than in the previous A4 - so adult occupants will be more than happy sat in the back, even on longer trips.

Fitting three across the rear bench will be a tighter squeeze however, with the person sat in the narrow middle seat required to straddle a wide transmission tunnel. 

The boot has a generous load volume of 495 litres, or 460 litres for the Quattro four-wheel drive models, but the saloon body style does limit what you can carry compared with a hatchback or estate.

That capacity is on a par with its nearest rivals, but the A4's load bay is well shaped to make it easier to lug bulkier items inside, and once you fold the rear seats flat the overall volume is big enough for several suitcases or even a bike. The only drawback is that unlike on some of the A4's rivals, you can't drop the rear seat backs automatically with the pull of a lever.

Material quality is excellent and the fit and finish are impeccable. All the switches and dials feel slick and are precise to use, and even the entry-level Technik models feature smart aluminium dash inlays and soft leather on the key touch points.

Like the larger A6 saloon, full leather upholstery is now standard across the range, and only one of the A4's many rivals comes close to matching it for either material quality or fit and finish: the BMW 3 Series.

Cars like the Audi A4 often double up as a mobile office, so it comes loaded with plenty of features designed to keep you connected on the go.

From 2019 onwards, the standard infotainment system was upgraded to include a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen in centre of the dash, and a 12.3-inch digital driver's display that Audi calls the 'Virtual Cockpit'. It's a slick system that includes satellite navigation powered by Google Maps, DAB radio, Bluetooth, eight speakers, and smartphone connectivity via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

On previous models you could control most of the key functions using a scroll wheel close to the gear shifter but Audi removed this feature in the recent facelift, and the touchscreen is less intuitive to use while driving.

Audi has simplified the A4 saloon range to three trims, along with pairs of petrol and diesel engines. This all gets gong with the 2.0 litre turbo petrol Sport 35 TFSI model that costs from £34,870. It comes with the S tronic automatic gearbox as standard, as do all A4 saloons.

Next in the Sport line is the 40 TFSI petrol with a price tag of £36,480, while the 35 and 40 TDI turbodiesel models come in at £37,750 and £39,795, respectively.

The S line trim comes with the same engine options for a £1500 premium over the Sport, while the Black Edition is a further £2000 pricier than the S line.

Since it's been on sale for a while now, there is plenty of choice on available in the second-hand market. A seven-year old 1.4 TFSI Sport can be your's from £11,500, while a two-year old 2.0 35 TDI S line will cost from around £26,500.

If you are looking to spread the cost out with a finance deal, then Audi offers a variety of deals on the A4 to spread the cost and give the option to own the car outright.

With no EV or plug-in hybrid model to give the Audi A4 saloon a headline act to draw in company car sales, it relies on the 35 TDI to offer the best combined fuel economy of 58.9mpg. This is followed by the 40 TDI Quattro with its 54.3mpg best.

This should be closer to a real-world figure than the old NEDC test, but visit Real MPG for a clearer picture.

Choose the petrol A4s and you’ll find the 35 and 40 TFSI models return an identical WLTP figure of 45.6mpg. They both also emit a lowest carbon dioxide emission of 141g/km. The diesels emit 125g/km for the 35 TDI, while the 40 TDI pays the penalty of its all-wheel drive transmission with a figure of 137g/km.

Despite its premium image, the A4's excellent standard safety equipment means it should be relatively cheap to insure, with entry-level models sitting in insurance group 20 (of 50). The highest insurance group rating for the standard A4 saloon line-up is group 32, so it's not prohibitively expensive to get covered.

As a brand, Audi ranks 16 out of 29 in the HonestJohn Satisfaction Index, which might be an indication of reliability issues over a long term period of ownership that are not obviously apparent on newer models.

The A4's handling will vary depending on the trim you choose, as it comes with two different suspension setups.

Sport models are equipped with slightly softer springs and dampers, and ride well over bumps, but lean a little into corners. S line and Black Edition have a 23mm lowered setup that (combined with their larger alloy wheels) makes for a firmer ride on broken or bumpy roads, but control their body movements better.

Still, you can request the standard 'Comfort Dynamic' setup as a no-cost option on the pricier models to avoid the harsh ride (which we recommend) or if the sporty looks are a priority, pay extra for Adaptive Sport suspension, that while firm, has a comfort setting that means less nasty vibration is transmitted to the cabin.

On wet roads, the front-wheel drive models can struggle to bite out of slow or off-camber corners, where the Quattro models will grip and go, but neither is as entertaining through turns as the rear-wheel drive 3 Series.

On the petrol side, the entry-level Audi A4 35 TFSI has a 2.0-litre capacity and a modest 150PS output. That is just about enough to avoid feeling underpowered, but you'll need to work the S tronic seven-speed auto harder than necessarily feels comfortable to enjoy decent performance.

The 40 TFSI uses a 204PS version of the same engine, paired with the automatic transmission, and is considerably more relaxing and responsive to drive as a result.

For buyers covering higher daily mileages, either of the 2.0-litre diesels will be suitable. Those keen to keep their costs down and company car buyers should opt for the 163PS 35 TDI, but private buyers are likely to prefer the 40 TDI with 204PS, since it's quicker covering the 0-62mph dash. Both engines are a little boomier than their petrol counterparts at motorway speeds, but are otherwise very refined indeed.

The current A4 was crash tested by European safety body Euro NCAP in 2015, and receiving the maximum five star rating. It scored for 89% for adult occupant protection, a lower rating than the Jaguar XE (92%), Mercedes C-Class (92%), and BMW 3 Series (97%) but did a better job of protecting children than most. However, Euro NCAP now lists this rating as expired as its testing methods have changed considerably since this test was carried out.

Every model comes fitted with automatic emergency braking, which stops the car for you if it senses an imminent collision, and the optional Tour Pack adds road sign recognition, lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control, which can follow the car in front at a safe distance and ease the stress of traffic. This is a shortfall on Audi's part as the A4's key rivals now include this sort of safety tech as standard.

Saloons are not the most obvious choice of towing vehicle, but if you do plan to regularly tow then one of the four-wheel drive diesels will be the best suited to this task.

The A4 40 TDI quattro has plenty of torque that is available from low in the rev range, and the added grip and security of an extra pair of driven wheels. So specified, the A4 can tow an impressive braked capacity of 1800kgs. The front-drive model have a braked trailer limit of 1700kg, and all A4s can tow an unbraked trailer of up to 750kg.

Most buyers will find everything they need readily available in the Sport model. It might be the most affordable A4, but includes three-zone climate control, bright LED headlights, heated front seats, the impressive 10.1-inch infotainment screen and Virtual Cockpit display, plus all round parking sensors.

The Sport trim also comes with leather upholstery, comfort-biased suspension, keyless ignition, and Audi's excellent 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit main dash display.

The S line comes with firmer sports suspension that lowers the car by 23mm, and there are 19-inch alloy wheels in place of the Sport's 17-inch rims. You also get dynamic rear indicators with the S line, plus plenty of badges to remind you which trim you chose.

Then there's the Black Edition that ups the ante with its black trim detailing, metallic paint, and piano black interior inlays.