2005 Audi A4 User Reviews

About The Audi — When you hammer the gas in the A4, there's a brief delay and then you get a nice spurt of acceleration. Same with the steering. There's a little play in the wheel when you corner; then the sporty sedan bites into the pavement. The A4 takes to the road the way a debutante enters a party: There's a period of deferential reserve before it warms to the scene. You want the A4 to get up and boogie. Its shapely design suggests performance, and its curves resemble those of the more exotic Audi TT roadster. The cockpit grips you snugly, as if preparing the driver for some serious throttling. But the A4's head wins out over its heart, at least in the entry-level 1.8T model. It provides a refined ride that is spirited at times, but this car is too prim to let its hair down. The "Tiptronic" shifter that comes with the optional 5-speed automatic transmission reflects the A4's button-down soul. I was skeptical when I first pushed the gear selector out of conventional drive and over into clutchless shift mode, expecting a lazy driver's version of a stick shift. There is some of that. Moving through the Tiptronic's six gears requires nothing more than an effortless flick of the wrist. And in case you forget, the transmission downshifts for you when you slow down or stop. But there was some functionality on top of the faux racing schtick. The Tiptronic shifts gears the instant you tap the stick forward, without the delay there would be with a clutch. It will keep the transmission in any gear you choose, if you feel you need the power, while providing a broader range of choice than a typical automatic transmission. But for regular driving, why bother? The Tiptronic got boring after awhile, especially since it didn't serve much of a purpose. And it began to seem like an innovation designed to enhance the A4's image as a road car more than the actual driving experience. There's a lot of that identify confusion going on in the A4, which strives to fulfill the luxury and performance expectations that come with the Audi brand while staying squarely under $30,000 at the low end. A leatherette interior is standard, for instance, but the same trim level doesn't include power seats. There's both luxury and performance in the A4, but not quite enough of either.

If They Made It More Reliable, I Would Shop For Nothing Else For The Rest Of My Life. — From a stop, the CVT takes some time to engage so acceleration is not so great. However, once the car is moving, if you stomp on it, maaaan it goes. Brakes are good, handling is sporty but not totally engaging. It's needed more repairs than I like, and suspiciously not long after warranty expiration to boot. Outside is clean and purposeful; inside is classic Audi beauty/function. Mileage is good when not pushing. It's German, so maintenance is pricey. The car is most definitely fun.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Good Car Overall — Mine's a six speed manual, can get pricey when you have to replace the clutch because of high mileage. Also, had a few minor issues but only from wear and tear. (left windshield wiper stopped working). Looks great, fun to drive since its turbo and gets decent mileage.

Primary Use: Family transportation

A Great Car For Long Distance Drives To The Mountains. — Great performance for 30 mpg. Now every other company is installing Turbo chargers in their cars. Handles like a sports car and drives quietly and comfortably. The 4-link suspension and performance tires grip the road, you'll never hear a sequel out of your tires around turns. I can't drive this car to it's full potential as the Highway Patrol has been out on 88 in force, Rats!. Audi built these cars to drive 100,000 miles before any major repairs. Handles well in the snow with the Quattro drive-train.

Primary Use: Family transportation

Fun — everything is good. acceleration is fast braking is fast handling is amazing, AWD is always helping. the rear ash tray and the glove box broke. same with fender but easily fixed. looks sporty and fast, and, window tint makes a hge difference.

Primary Use: Commuting to work