Long-term test review: Audi A4 saloon ~ station of gear

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30 Jun, 2016 10:30am Stuart Milne

First report: Classy, tech-laden new compact executive joins our fleet

Two years ago, I covered nearly 6,000 miles in an Audi A3 saloon, a car that I found so roundly talented, I questioned why anyone would spend more on an A4. If that was the case then, it certainly isn’t any more, because the new A4 has been improved in almost every measurable way.

That’s especially true of the way it drives. Usually, we’d recommend deleting the firm suspension you get as standard on S line models in favour of the softer standard set-up, but our car features the optional adaptive sport suspension with damping control. The £600 extra electronically regulates the damping and works in tandem with the car’s Audi Drive Select system, allowing the driver to also
configure throttle response, steering weighting and gearshift points.

It’s a large amount of cash to lay down on something we’ve not yet sampled. But soon after sales executive Christoph Rousseau handed over the keys to our A4 at the vast, impressive West London Audi dealership in Brentford, Middlesex, I discovered it’s well worth the cost. The result is an A4 S line that rides and handles better than any before it. And while it can’t match the thrills offered by an equivalent BMW 3 Series, it’s as least as comfortable. On my kind of journeys, that’s what counts.

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Long-term test review: Audi A4 handover interior

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We also took the slightly unusual step of choosing a 2.0-litre TFSI engine over a diesel. Unsurprisingly there’s a fuel penalty for doing so – our average so far is just 34.4mpg against an official average of 53.3mpg. Still, thanks to the more efficient seven-speed S tronic automatic box, CO2 emissions stand at just 119g/km, although it’s worth noting that figure is for models with 18-inch wheels. Choose 19s, and the car will move up to the next VED band.

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The engine is exceptionally refined, even when worked hard, but it rarely feels as quick as its claimed 7.3-second 0-62mph sprint time suggests.

Not that you’ll notice, as you’ll be spending more time taking in the range of advanced technology fitted to our car. Christoph took us through all of the features, some of which aren’t entirely obvious straight away. One is the handwriting recognition function on the MMI wheel, and the fact that the S tronic gear selector doubles as a wrist support. Clever stuff. Christoph also demonstrated the myriad settings for the smart Virtual Cockpit, which can be customised with all manner of different views, and the damping settings which are operated through the Drive Select buttons.

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Long-term test review: Audi A4 rear quarter

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Despite all of the technology, you don’t feel intimidated when you slide behind the wheel of the A4. Equipment like the Virtual Cockpit works with rather than against you, and it’s mostly very intuitive to operate.

The exceptions are the smartphone connectivity options, including Android Auto. Sadly, my 18-month-old phone is too dated to use most of the functions, so I’m waiting for an upgrade to use more than just Bluetooth and audio streaming.

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But for all that, the A4 is my family car first and foremost. Fortunately the boot is a decent size – identical to that of the 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class, at 480 litres, but larger than the Jaguar XE’s 455-litre space – and the bootlid gives good access.

The Audi isn’t quite as spacious in the rear, with slightly less legroom than its rivals. And like the XE, the A4 is low-slung, meaning it’s not that easy to lift my daughter into her rear-facing child seat. But that’ll be made easier once we convert it to forward facing in the coming months.

It’s early days, but the new A4 is shaping up to be a real star of our fleet, with Audi injecting some driving fun into this predictably well rounded package. It wasn’t hard to add over £5,000 of options, but with them the A4 feels as desirable as it should.

Model: Audi A4 Saloon 2.0 TFSI S line S tronic
On fleet since: June 2016
Price new: £30,995 (£36,250 including options)
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol, 187bhp
CO2/tax: 119g/km/£30

Options: Technology Pack (£1,450), Light and Vision Pack (£975), adaptive suspension (£600), privacy glass and front acoustic glazing (£450)
Options continued: Multifunction steering wheel (£225), folding door mirrors (£225), Monsoon Grey paint (£645)
Insurance: Group: 26
Mileage/mpg: 682/34.4mpg
Any problems?: None

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