Meanwhile, the front-wheel-drive A4 with a continuously variable automatic transmission gets an EPA-estimated 22/30 mpg. The all-wheel-drive A4 is rated at 21/29 mpg city/highway with the eight-speed automatic, which represents a 2 mpg improvement in highway fuel economy compared with the six-speed 2010 model. The A4 gets better gas mileage with the new transmission, which is especially welcome because the car requires premium gas. A Sport mode holds the transmission in lower gears longer, and there’s a clutchless-manual mode for driver-controlled shifts. If it needs to, the transmission will skip a few gears to get to the one it needs, rather than step down one at a time. However, one editor noted that the transmission had a tendency to hesitate under light acceleration.ĭownshifts come quickly enough with a jab of the gas pedal. Despite the high gear count, the transmission doesn’t seem overly busy, and that’s partly because of its relatively seamless shifts. Our test car had the newly optional eight-speed automatic transmission. Credit the turbo four-cylinder’s healthy 258 pounds-feet of torque at a low 1,500 rpm. All in all, it feels just as strong as the BMW 328i with its inline-six-cylinder engine. There’s even a little power in reserve on the highway when a burst is needed. Whether accelerating from a stoplight or merging on the highway, the engine feels bigger than it is, bringing you up to speed more quickly than its specs suggest. To see a side-by-side comparison of the A4 and some of its competitors, click here.Īudi has wrung quite a bit of performance from its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which powers all versions of the A4. This version starts at $34,500, but with options our as-tested price reached $43,220. I tested an A4 sedan with Quattro all-wheel drive and the new-for-2011 eight-speed automatic transmission. The R8 supercar might grab more publicity, but the A4 is the car that average customers are most likely to encounter.Īfter driving the sporty A4 with its refined interior, it’s clear that it’s not entry-level: it’s near the top of its class. With sales more than double any of its brand siblings, the Audi A4 entry-luxury sedan is effectively Audi’s ambassador in the U.S.

To see what’s new for 2012, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. Editor’s note: This review was written in March 2011 about the 2011 Audi A4.

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