Awesome Vehicle
This car looks great and drives even better. It has comfortable seats and the engine runs very smoothly. The A4 convertible is a cross between a sports car and a luxury car and it clearly has good features of both. While there is always room for improvement, I am very pleased with how it handles and the multitude of features.
So Far So Fun
Bought as an Audi certified used car - 4 years of bumper to bumper warranty. The car is a joy to drive, the S-line suspension is tight and grips the road with the all-wheel drive. I use the paddle shifters to kick up the turbo and hit the gas - its a fun little 4 cylinder! Doesn't have the low end torque, but it does get 24 miles to the gallon in the city and 30 on the highway! No issues with oil or anything else other reviews have stated (knock on wood). The interior is very comfortable and stylish - it is pretty cramped, though, in the back seat. Trunk has lots of room. Almost every time I drive it some stranger gives a turn and a compliment!
- 2.0T AvantMSRP: $5,90035 mi away
- 2.0T quattro SedanMSRP: $4,995164 mi away
- BaseMSRP: $4,9998 mi away
Less Impressed Than I'd Hoped
Purchased this car in 2014 after my 2006 A3 2.0T was totaled by a hit-and-run driver. The 2008 A4 had 28K miles from a warm-weather state and was a one-owner car from a vacation home - well cared for with full service records based on time, not mileage. I would have preferred Quattro, but the price and mileage were hard to beat. I should have listened to my instincts. Vastly different character than the A3... this A4 feels like a luxury car without any sporting pretense. The CVT transmission is horrendous - slow to respond in standard mode, jerky engagement from dead stop... in Sport mode, it holds RPMs far too long at low speeds before initially "upshifting." Engine vibration is far more apparent than it should be for any luxury vehicle - the same engine in the A3 was less prone to vibration. Brakes on the A4 are less direct, more difficult to modulate and with longer pedal travel than the A3 - might be fixed with stainless steel brake lines. Steering is much lighter and less dynamic as well; same with the suspension which is calibrated for a compliant, soft ride over handling - lacking the balance of a BMW 3-series. Lastly, the climate control is noticeably less accurate than the A3... the interior temp seems to be about 5 degrees higher than the set point during all seasons. Might be a faulty part or just the nature of the system - hard to tell and not worth tearing apart the climate controls to find out. On the good side, the car is indeed comfortable as a highway cruiser. The interior materials are top notch. The trunk seriously swallows more cargo than my wife's Ford Escape. Instruments are legible and direct. For the price paid, the car came well optioned for a 2008 model - although bewildering that certain features now standard on mid-level cars (like heated seats, Bluetooth and USB/AUX inputs) were nowhere to be found on my A4. It's a handsome car that will serve as a good family hauler for a couple of years - a car that I wouldn't be ashamed to take clients between point A and B. Lesson learned though - it's not a driver's car in the same way a 3-series might be. No major mechanical issues so far (knock on wood)... replaced post-purchase: an A/C diverter valve, the engine thermostat and the window lock switch. Not bad for a mid-2000s Audi. Overall, I'm not sure I would buy the A4 in this configuration again... at this price point for a used vehicle, there are more competent sport sedans and more reliable family sedans that cost less to operate.
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2008 Good commuter but definitely not a 3-series.
Bought 2008 Audi A4 2.0T AWD with 29K miles to replace a 2003 3-series that was starting to nickle and dime me to death; the moonroof breaking and soggy floors (from the doors not moon roof) was the last straw. Bottom line is I appreciate the A4, but it lacks the getup and go of the 3-series, granted the 325xi BMW was a 3.0L-5 speed manual. I commute about 70 mi. per day mostly on the interstate, the A4 with sport suspension gives a decent ride and is extremely comfortable for a 35 minute commute with an aver. 24.7 MPG but it lags substantually off the line until you get to about 2500+ RPM, however, at hyway speeds it kicks into passing mode just fine and you'll be going 90 before you know it. I've driven it 6500 miles and haven't had any maintenance issues yet however I've broken the latch to the storage area in the armrest and broke the hook that holds the sun visor. I've read these are common complaints; I don't think I've been overly 'hard' on it. The A4 has been good for me by softening my somewhat agressive driving style. If your looking for a nice comfortable ride with some sportiness the A4 is right up your alley.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
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Burns oil
My 2008 Audi A4 Quattro burns oil at a rate of 1 quart per 1000 miles. The oil level warning came on at 6000, 10000 and 14000 miles. Each time I had it checked at the dealer where it was purchased and was told each time that no leaks were found and that it was operating normally. They also measured the aforementioned burn off rate according Audi guidelines and informed me that it was "well within Audi specifications and no action is required." These engines are problematic and Audi knows it.