2001 Audi A4 Review
Fuel Economy
19 - 23 mpg
Summary
What Edmunds.com says
There may be a host of improvements for the 2002 A4, but we're plenty fond already of this iteration, especially the sleek sheet metal.
Pros
Available quattro all-wheel drive, powerful 1.8T motor, attractive exterior styling.
Cons
Confusing dash layout, not much rear legroom, quattro version can feel lethargic.
What's New for 2001
The entire Audi lineup receives a new 4-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and no-charge scheduled maintenance, a 12-year limited warranty against corrosion perforation, and 24-hour roadside assistance for four years. All A4s are now equipped with head protection airbags, have lengthier oil change intervals and an optional Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP). The 1.8T engine gets a horsepower boost from 150 to a racy 170 and meets ULEV standards.
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
Nice ride, when it's not in the shop...
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 7 | Fun-to-Drive: | 7 | Build Quality: | 4 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 3 |
| Fuel Economy: | 4 | Exterior Design: | 7 | ||
Vehicle
2001 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5M)
Review
The A4 is a nice balance between a sport sedan, family sedan, and luxury sedan. PERFORMANCE: You won't blow anybody's doors off, but its 190 HP and 210 ft-lb of torque are enough to put a grin on your face from time to time. With the AWD, it handles great in all kinds of weather, fair or foul. The ESP is a bit overactive, however, and cuts in on even the slightest hint of any wheelspin. Fortunately, it can be disabled with the push of a button. INTERIOR: The interior is very comfortable and well laid out, and it's loaded with convenience features. There isn't much room for adults in the rear, but it's OK for kids. The trunk is very large and easy to access. The pass-through is handy also.
Favorite Features
Comfortable interior, excellent handling, good powertrain and transmission.
Suggested Improvements
Electrics and rear wheel bearings fail with alarming frequency. These are nothing, however, compared to the CONSTANT front suspension failures: control arms, ball joints, tie-rods. You name it, I've replaced it - twice, and I don't abuse my cars. This was the only reason I got rid of this car.
Loved it--but too many problems
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 6 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 1 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2001 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
Traded my mom an IS300 for it in 9/04 w/ 24k. I just sold it w/ 97k on it. Steering feel & accuracy was great, superb handling & brakes, great road feel & heavy weight. I had a manual trans and sport pkg so it was a blast to drive. Felt expensive & used great materials/assembly. But always in the shop, I had 21 repairs in the 4.5 years I drove it & it needed another 3 repairs (2 of which I previously replaced). Every year the ignition coils needed to be replaced & the engine "sludged" up (repaired under warranty). Lots of road noise and wind rush. Lots of features and thoughtful touches throughout. Great MPG. Uber expensive to fix and maintain (and I'm not cheap either).
Favorite Features
Fun to drive, road feel, handling, connection to car/road, manual trans and sport pkg. Material quality.
Suggested Improvements
Other then reliability and cost of maintenance, not many, reduce road noises and maybe softer seats (great for the back but long trips hurt the backside).
A perfect blend of sport and luxury
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 8 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
2001 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5M)
Review
I have owned my A4 for seven-plus years. Like any German car, service isn't inexpensive, but the key is keeping up with regular maintenance. My car just hit 100k miles and it still makes me smile when I turn the key. No major issues. Lots of fun to drive. The quattro AWD system is a dream in snow. I have owned three Audis (2000 A6 Avant; 1997 Cabriolet; this A4) and I loved them all.
Favorite Features
Audi interiors have been the industry leader for a decade. Quattro AWD. Metallic silver paint (required for a proper German car). Smooth V6 engine. Bauhaus exterior design ("form follows function") still looks innovative, understated and clean eight years on.
Suggested Improvements
Perhaps a bit more horsepower would be nice. Could use a larger back seat area (corrected in future A4 versions).
Love Audis, but not this Audi
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 10 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 7 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 7 |
| Fuel Economy: | 5 | Exterior Design: | 8 | ||
Vehicle
2001 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5M)
Review
I bought my Audi used from a reliable used foreign car dealer. Love the power and handling, and it looks good. Two of my biggest problems that I have come across is the terrible fuel economy and the lack of heat. I'm getting about 18 mpg now, and that is mostly hwg. My heat blows cold air constantly. I recently spent $650 to get it fixed, just for the mechanic to tell me it still doesn't work. But all in all, I would buy another Audi, they're lots of fun.
Favorite Features
Windows roll up when locking the car, tiptronic on steering wheel, power everything, engine, AWD! (awesome in snow)
Suggested Improvements
MPG, heat
87k miles
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 8 | Build Quality: | 6 |
| Comfort: | 6 | Interior Design: | 8 | Reliability: | 5 |
| Fuel Economy: | 8 | Exterior Design: | 8 | ||
Vehicle
2001 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
I bought my A4 at 51k miles and have had it about a year and a half very fun car to drive love the AWD and the turbo is nice to have. So far I have taken the car to the shop 4 times and have had the camshaft ajuster, new coils, O2 sensors, fan clutch, oil leaks, mass air flow sensor, the tires seem to wear down fast, fuel filter, still waiting for audi to fix my timming belt that they do for free at 105k and should pay for damages if brakes before that. engine idiles loud and for a min or two (I always let the engine warm up a min before driving as all turbo engines should) and a turbo timer wouldn't hurt either. Luckly I had it covered by warranty which paid for most repairs.
Favorite Features
AWD is awsome, sports car driving experience, good performance (when it's not in the shop)
Suggested Improvements
reliability, little more power would be nice
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