2005 Audi A4 Review
Fuel Economy
19 - 24 mpg
Summary
What Edmunds.com says
The A4 is luxurious, sporty, winterproof and a few grand cheaper than BMW's 3 Series. As such, it's one of our favorite entry-luxury cars.
Pros
Classy, well-constructed interiors, sharp handling, precise steering, available all-wheel drive, generous maintenance program.
Cons
Engines short on low-end torque, sport package makes for a choppy ride.
What's New for 2005
A4 sedans and wagons get new bi-xenon headlamps along with a new satellite/navigation/AM and FM radio antenna. Satellite radio (XM or Sirius) is now optional on the A4 Cabriolet. OnStar is no longer an available option. A substantially refreshed A4 debuts as a midyear release, and boasts new engines, an upgraded chassis and revised styling.
Consumer Ratings & Reviews
Nightmare
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 7 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 2 |
| Fuel Economy: | 7 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Audi A4 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
Coils, electrical system, various gaskets. The engine light on our car has been on constantly since we bought it. We put a lot of miles on our cars and my sense is that the Audi models just aren't built for the mileage. We bought extended warranty thankfully and our local dealership repair shop has been great to deal with, but sitting in the Audi repair shop is not my favorite pastime. We'll never buy an Audi again. Ever.
Favorite Features
Great looking car fun to drive and comfortable.
Suggested Improvements
Need to address reliability.
1 out 1 people found this review helpful
Audi is worth it
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 9 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 7 |
| Fuel Economy: | 7 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Audi A4 1.8T quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
Review
My in-laws leased this car new and we bought out their lease after 3 years for a great price. I have owned 3 Hondas and a BMW 3 series previously, and this A4 is my favorite. Steering and handling are precise, AWD has been top notch in even heavy snow and the turbo 4-cyl provides plenty of power when you need it, but good fuel economy the rest of the time. My in- laws did have the transmission replaced under warranty, and I've had a coolant flange and a window regulator replaced under warranty. German cars can be like that, but the dealer/repair experience is first rate and makes up for the inconvenience. Both times I had the car back the same day. Cost/benefit is totally worth it.
Favorite Features
Safety, AWD, sound system, turbo, exhaust note, high quality materials, European driving feel, understated luxury, generous warranty/CPO program, dealership/repair experiences
Suggested Improvements
More head/leg room, quicker responding shiftronic, better cup holders for American market. In Germany, driving while sipping a drink is frowned upon and is illegal at high Autobahn speeds. I get it, but in America we like our cup holders! Let me go 140mph and I'll pull over for a sip!
A great used car
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 10 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 9 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Audi A4 New 3.2 quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (3.1L 6cyl 6A)
Review
Bought this car used, a first for me. It is the third Audi I have owned, the second A4. A tremendous used value and more reliable than a BMW (I have had 3 of those, too). Smooth ride, great ergonomics, extremely comfortable. My only complaint is that the auto tranny has trouble finding 1st gear, it can be rough. Other than that, a tremendous road car with great performance that I recommend highly.
Favorite Features
Suggested Improvements
A Big Car In A Small Wrapper
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 9 | Fun-to-Drive: | 9 | Build Quality: | 10 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 9 | Reliability: | 9 |
| Fuel Economy: | 7 | Exterior Design: | 9 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Audi A4 3.0 quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 6M)
Review
This review is on the 2005 3.0 A4 Quattro Sedan. I owned a previous generation A4 and this one blows it away. This B6 is larger in every way than the B5 model. I came out of a 03 Passat 4Motion into this and surprisingly the front and rear interior dimensions are almost identical. The only place you lose room in the A4 is the legroom in rear. (-2 inches) and the trunk. Hard to believe if you park them side by side. I think that is why this car is so fun to drive. It pushes the wheels to the edge of the car in each corner giving it great handling. The 3.0 has plenty of torque and acceleration while still avg. 23mpg w/ 50/50 hwy & city driving. Overall a great car and have had no issues
Favorite Features
Engine, handling, exhaust note, interior design, fit & finish of entire car.
Suggested Improvements
More rear legroom (Adressed on 2009 model) Sport seats as an option.
An Awesome Automobile
Overall Rating
| Performance: | 8 | Fun-to-Drive: | 10 | Build Quality: | 9 |
| Comfort: | 9 | Interior Design: | 10 | Reliability: | 10 |
| Fuel Economy: | 10 | Exterior Design: | 10 | ||
Vehicle
2005 Audi A4 1.8T quattro AWD 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
Review
I was attracted to the Audi A4 as an entry level luxury sedan primarily because it is one of the few that offer all wheel drive. The BMW 325xi was my other option, but turned out to be more expensive. I really like the look of the A4. The ride is smooth, quiet and firm. No rattles or shakes. Fit and finish is top notch. The warranty is generous, includes free maintenance to 50K miles.The sound system is excellent. Overall I am very happy with it so far ( owned it for 6 months). Planning to boost the HP by reprogramming the ECU.
Favorite Features
All wheel drive + traction control makes it fun to drive in the snow. Total control. Power driver seat with lumbar support, sliding box under driver seat, full size spare, large trunk with net, hooks, ski-bag, rear armrest with first-aid kit.
Suggested Improvements
170HP is not quite enough for this car- I plan to get the ECU upgraded ( "chipped" ) to bump it up. Front cupholders are useless and so is the cassette deck. I wish it had an Aux input to plug in my MP3 player.
View Pricing for Other Years
- 2009 Audi A4
- 2008 Audi A4
- 2007 Audi A4
- 2006 Audi A4
- 2005 Audi A4
- 2004 Audi A4
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