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From a young age, like all young boys, I took a keen interest in all things that moved, especially trains. I didn’t have a particularly strong passion for cars until 2012 when my father borrowed my grandfather’s 2001 Audi A6 4.2 FSI Quattro to drive while he looked for a new car. While dad inevitably decided that the A6 was too big and too thirsty to justify keeping (excuses!), the short loan period was enough to convince me that cars – particularly Audis – would become a significant part of my life. While dad went on to purchase an Audi A3 and later an A5 – based on his positive experience with the A6 – it was not until 2018, when I purchased a 2009 Audi A4 3.0 TDI Quattro, with just 78,000 kilometres, that I got to call the ‘four-rings’ my very own.
Whilst next month marks 24 months of ownership of this wonderful vehicle, I have only managed to drive a touch over 10,000 kilometres during this time. Despite what many say about aging German cars, this period has been mostly trouble free, with only regular maintenance being conducted. Having said that, my experience hasn’t been free from the common niggles that plague this generation of A4, including intermittent door lock actuators and a check engine light caused by worn swirl flaps.
The B8 generation of the Audi A4 was praised for its sharp exterior and exterior styling upon conception, and to this day, even over ten years later, I can’t help but agree. Hop into the driver’s seat and you’ll be greeted by a plush leather interior accented by walnut wood trim. The seats are certainly a highlight, consisting of full electronic adjustment including lumbar support in this range-topping example. This, combined with gentle bolstering, assures comfort is guaranteed for all journeys, whether it be a late-night spirited drive or a leisurely cross-country trip.
Push the ‘Start-Stop’ button and you’ll be welcomed by the ignition of six roaring turbo-charged diesel-powered cylinders. The engine is truly the highlight of the car. Few buyers elected to pair the A4 with the 3.0 TDI in its day due to this drivetrain combination’s starting price of $86,056 back in 2009. Resultingly, this engine primarily was at home in Audi’s much larger, heavier Q7 SUV model, but those who choose to specify it with the A4 were certainly in for a treat.
Packing 176kW of turbocharged diesel power along with 500Nm of torque, this smart saloon accelerates to triple digits in a touch over six seconds, which was impressive in its day and remains respectable, especially for a diesel. The 6-Speed automatic Multitronic transmission is a perfect match to motor, keeping it smooth and quiet, but ready to accelerate at any moment in its default drive mode. However, this torque monster truly comes alive in sport mode, revving just shy of redline while providing what could certainly be described as a dynamic driving experience. Even when driven enthusiastically, the A4 has still provided surprisingly great fuel economy, returning 10L/100kms in my urban daily commute. The Quattro all-wheel-drive system certainly lives up to its rally lineage and has ensured the vehicle has never felt at loss for traction, even in heavy rain.
By modern standards, the A4 B8 is certainly lacking in technology, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t without a few useful features. The convenient key system is certainly useful and makes entering and exiting the vehicle much easier whilst the digital speedometer has totally replaced the physical one for me and provides an easy way to check the current speed at a glance. The Audi Multi-Media Interface (MMI) system, although basic, is intuitive to use and covers the essentials, including a Bluetooth hands-free phone system and auxiliary input.
The arrival of the B9 generation marked the end of the six-cylinder diesel option in the A4 for the Australian market, which is a shame in my view, as this level of torque and fuel economy is hard to match in a petrol 4-pot. The A4, and specifically its 3.0 TDI Quattro drivetrain, has certainly exceeded my expectations I had going into ownership and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my hard-earned savings.
It is a marvellous daily driver, with more than enough punch for effortless overtaking and spirited driving if required. You would be hard pressed to beat it for its current value on the used market. While the A4 doesn’t match the sheer opulence and rawness of my late grandfather’s 8-cylinder A6 that I continue to lust for, every time I look upon the Quattro badge I am reminded of that great car and the great man that first owned it.
This is my third A4. I previously owned an
A4 b5 2.4 l v6 quattro with a 5 sp manual ,this was my first experience with a German car .The second was the A4 b6 1.8l s line quattro with 6 sp manual. 10 yrs of ownership and 220000 ks repairs and servicing were worth more than the car so it was sold, bear in mind these cars were bought as "weekend drives"because I use a truck for work through the week. Purchased in 2016 with 35000 ks and only 3yrs old, and having a preference for manual transmission, which are now virtually extinct, made it a reasonably priced true old school drivers car. The handling and grip of the quattro is excellent in all weather, and while critics feel that Audi steering is typically "numb" it's smooth and it sits nice and flat around corners on 19" wheels,which does make the ride a little harsh on some Australian roads. Power is adequate from the 2.0 t 155kw/350nm engine with only slight lag from takeoff, keeping the revs up it's moves along quite quickly when its needed and the 6 sp manual and clutch feels smooth and precise,fuel eco is 7.4 per 100 ks on country and highway and i use 98 ron. Clean fuel and sooner synthetic oil changes are recommended as carbon and sludge buildup can occur.Another reason for the manual were complaints about the s tronic transmission hesitancy, reliability and extra service cost ,by now Audi should have rectified this.Inside its comfortable, quiet and well set out and fairly easy to negotiate the mmi system, bang and olufsen sound system is excellent, seating is a little firm but supportive.Audi have always made improvements in the evolution of their cars but they do have foibles and some reliability issues.Servicing is slightly more expensive
as are repairs .Oil consumption, (pre 2011,my 13 model has no problem being series 2) and premature wear of suspension arm bushings apparently inherent in design( mine replaced at 57000ks) . But overall it's a nice drive, and resale values drop significantly when purchased slightly 2nd hand ( 45% in my case) so experiencing a european car can be affordable if you find the right one.
By accident I appear to have become a place of refuge for the unloved high kilometre Audi. Having previously written an owner review of my 06 Audi A3 with 216,000kms on the odo I am now the proud owner of a 1999 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro Wagon which has driven the equivalent of 9 times around the planet!
So the question is, how has Audi’s original A4 stood up to the test of time and what’s it like to live with a car currently sitting on 360,000kms? Firstly let’s address the cash cow in the room, I acquired my A4 for; wait for it….. $500 with rego and all. So I think it’s fair to say Ingolstadt’s mid 90’s mid sizer has hit the bottom of its depreciation curve. The bad but obvious news though was that it needed $1400 worth of parts to get it properly into shape. Not afraid of a spot of DIY I set about replacing everything over the course of 3 weeks. What I’m left with is an alternative, practical, sporty all-wheel drive wagon that I’m not overly precious about.
First up how does my A4 drive? Honestly pretty briskly, some of my DIY included fitting a new turbo and high flow catalytic converter which combined with a full service probably means it pushes out a little more than its original 132kw. Combine that with Quattro all-wheel drive and the old girl feels suitably surefooted. Pulling hard from 2000rpm up to 6000rpm before running out of puff around 7000. The engine generally stays hushed with just a hint of turbo whistle, exactly how an understated Audi should. 600km’s on a tank of premium unleaded isn’t too bad either.
Fitting new suspension bushes has also firmed up the ride nicely, the car has minimum body roll but thankfully hasn’t been turned into a complete boneshaker. The steering is nicely direct too, weighting up the harder you push. There are some issues though, despite the decent steering feel the nose heavy Audi will always push into understeer a touch too early when you’re really giving it some. And despite the joys of being able to change your own gears there is a lot of slop in the 5 speeds gate, forcing you to really slam the lever into gear to avoid a nasty crunch. In saying that though given the km’s the car could probably do with some new gearbox linkages/bushings!
Back when the original owner, a country GP out Toowoomba way took delivery of his shiny new A4 back in 99 the interior was probably something to behold. Full grey leather seats with wood grain trim inserts, a leather sports steering wheel, trip computer, 6 CD auto changer and a sunroof probably went some way to justifying the $65,000 price tag. 19 years later though despite its luxury connotations I find my A4 refreshingly simple, sitting as low as possible the wheel devoid of any buttons you look out through an expansive glasshouse. The seats could however do with a little more adjustment and the fronts hadn’t held up well, cracked ripped and torn to shreds I did treat the car to new set from a wreckers. The plastics and soft touch dash however have held up well and the doors still close with a reassuring thunk. There aren’t even that many rattles or squeaks on the move, testament I think to that old adage of German build quality. The car even has rear parking sensors which still work!
From the outside I personally think the car has aged gracefully, its bubble like rounded styling holding its own against more contemporary cars in traffic. Being a bit of a wagon fan boy I also can’t help but think this B5 generation A4 looks much better with a hatch than the sedans rear end. And after some time studying the car’s lines I really do prefer the small front grill of 90’s era Audi’s compared to the gawping great grills offered on today’s models. Besides a few scuffs and battle scars picked up from previous owners the paint responded well to a cut and polish, with rust only evident on particularly big stone chips. Probably testament to Audi galvanising their body’s I suspect.
The space offered by the good old wagon body style is immense given the relatively small dimensions of the car compared to the current A4. I use the car like a small van, back seats down most of the time I find it’s the perfect car for a trip to Bunnings, swallowing building materials and gardening equipment or a couple of mountain bikes with ease. The slightly worn look of the interior meaning I’m not too fussed about literally throwing things into it!
What’s that thing they say about age just being a number? I think the same should be said about high kilometre cars. When I’m driving I never even look at the odo slowing ticking another trip round the planet. If you maintain a car and treat it to a few new goodies now and then it will reward you with its service. I like to think I saved my A4 from the wreckers and want to use it as proof of the excellent engineering that goes into these things we use to get from A to B. And like my other Audi I want to proclaim that European cars really do not need to be money pits if you shop smart for parts and attempt a bit of DIY maintenance. It might not be for everyone but if you fancy an alternative AWD wagon, to say a Subaru Outback, why not shop for one of Audi’s offerings.
I’ve had my Audi for over 4 years now and have been meaning to write a review for most of that time. For an owner review, though, later is often better: by now I’ve got plenty of experience to share.
I bought it in 2014, when I was looking at a car to replace my ageing 2005 Lexus IS300. I wanted to stay in the same class, but looked for a car that was 2-3 years old tops (the optimal age to buy a used car, IMO). I wanted to go for another Lexus IS, but two of my friends already had one, so that was out of the question! I then looked at the other usual suspects: the BMW 325i, whose build quality after 80,000 kms was so bad that I stopped looking at any others after I test-drove that first one; and the Mercedes C250, which was good but just a bit too soft for my liking. Overall, I found the Audi A4 was the car that just made me want to keep driving it - it was comfortable enough, yet also willingly sporty when you wanted it to be. Thus when I found this example with no previous owner and just 4,500 kms on the clock, a relationship was born! My mileage now sits at over 10 times that.
First things first, the exterior. I think Audi has done a great job with this B8 generation. It was a significant advancement over the previous iteration - now built on Volkswagen Group’s MLB platform - and yet thankfully the successor (B9) that came out in 2016 actually maintains a similar look (from afar, to the average punter) so this car still looks modern and I would say it has aged pretty well. It helps that my car is the one with those LED DRL lights out front that many have copied afterwards, and LED taillights. The shape itself is classic sedan that both looks elegant and is quite practical. The car certainly looks like it costs much more than it actually does right now, so that’s a positive.
The lights deserve a special mention. I think Audi’s decision to go with LED lights front and back is commendable, as not many cars at the time had them, at least not in this class. The only exceptions are the turn indicators, front and rear, although the mirrors do have LED ones built in. It was fairly advanced for its time, and now doesn’t look out of place with most other cars on the road sporting DRLs. Headlights themselves are bi-xenon and illuminate the road very well at night. I’ve done a few long-distance trips and they proved their worth every time.
Over to the interior. I can’t say it’s particularly plush with luxury materials, but overall quality is good. The leather seats are hard-wearing if a bit rough, the dash is generally soft-touch with some hard plastics used in the centre section. You do get some really nice aluminium inserts which always feel cool to the touch - they are here to remind that you’re in a premium car, after all. One thing that does feel properly premium is the steering wheel - with its perforated leather, it’s very nice to grip and hold, and it has very convenient roller buttons for the infotainment system, ergonomically positioned at your fingertips. You can tell a lot of thought went into its design. To my great pleasure, the centre armrest (which houses some good storage space underneath) is adjustable for both height and length, which makes it easy to find a relaxed driving position for those everyday commutes. I’m one of those people that like to rest both arms while driving :)
Considering this car first came out in 2008, I’d imagine the infotainment was pretty slick at the time. The Audi MMI system doesn’t get enough kudos, but I reckon it’s very easy to get used to and once you do, you can use it pretty much without taking your eyes off the road. I liken it to the old Nokia phones, where you grew so familiar with menus and button shortcuts that you’d be able to send someone a message almost with your eyes closed. It’s the same now if I want to call my wife, or get to my favourite podcast. “Media key, media key, three wheel clicks right, press on wheel twice”... all while driving on a highway without even looking at the screen. Try doing that on a touchscreen. There are also handy shortcuts from the steering wheel, so you can switch to another playlist or call someone faster than Siri can say “What can I help you with?”.
The only glaring omission with the infotainment is that, strangely, it has no bluetooth music streaming support! Bluetooth calls are supported, but not music streaming. They rectified this with the mid-cycle update, but when I first got my car I couldn’t believe it. Thankfully there’s a neat accessory called Tune2Air, and after 2 years of struggling with plugging my phone directly into the glovebox (another strange decision) through the proprietary MMI cable, I’ve finally discovered that you can get this plug-and-play dongle to pretty much emulate what the factory bluetooth connection does - it even lists all tracks/albums/playlists on the infotainment screen so you don’t have to use your phone while driving. All pre-facelift B8 Audi A4 owners - you’re welcome!
Once you’ve finally got your music sorted (there are also two SD card readers and built-in HDD storage for those that want lossless quality), the Bang & Olufsen sound system definitely does it justice. I’m not an audiophile by any measure so I’m sure people may disagree, but to me the sound is crisp with deep bass on a variety of music genres I listen to. It’s certainly better than your average mainstream stereo - and better it should be, because this was a hefty extra-cost option at the time, so I’m glad my car already came with one.
Since we’re talking features and options, overall the car is well specced. The most obvious thing it lacks against its modern counterparts is the active safety tech suite like lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring and AEB - although maybe some of that could have been optioned at the time when buying new. In many other areas, however, it’s very current: on top of the aforementioned infotainment system with an 8” screen, bluetooth and voice control, it’s got a driver info display with digital speedo and trip computer, cruise control, auto headlights, auto wipers, auto-dimming rear view mirror, electronic parking brake, keyless entry and push-button start, tri-zone climate control, parking aids front and back, and a tilt-and-slide sunroof. As you can tell, this feature list would not look too shabby even on a 2018-built car.
There are some practical niceties too, such as the “see me home” headlight function, which leaves some lights illuminated at night for a configurable period of time after you’ve disembarked the car, so that you could find your keys while standing in the driveway. All four windows have a one-touch up/down function, although somewhat annoyingly the back windows don’t go all the way down. Another nice touch is that the keyless entry and locking works on all four doors, as opposed to just the front two. You could also lock the car, then open the boot (with the key in your pocket), close it and the car will lock itself again. One more example of German attention to detail is that the windscreen wipers, when at a high setting, still slow down when you stop at the lights - because obviously you don’t get as much rain in your windscreen when stopped - and then speed back up again once you accelerate.
However, it does have some odd omissions in the spec for a premium car. Firstly, the side mirrors, while electronically adjustable, don’t electronically fold. As in, at all - not just when you lock the car. So if you’re in a tight spot and want to fold ‘em, get your backside out of the car and walk around to manually push them over. Very “premium”. The side mirrors also are not anti-glare, so at night you can get blinded by the bright lights of the cars behind you (especially if they’re an SUV). Another thing I miss is the heated seats (my Lexus had them) and oddly enough, at least in my spec the front seats don’t have map pockets at the back. Also my version misses out on a reversing camera.
In the rear there’s plenty of leg room for sub-180cm people, although it can get pretty crowded with 5 on board (not helped by that transmission tunnel in my AWD version). The back passengers also get rear air vents with a separate (analogue) climate control dial. Owing to the traditional sedan shape, Practicality is strong with this one. I’ll tell you this much: we have 2 small kids - a baby and a toddler - and there’s plenty of space for 2 child seats at the back, 2 adults up front and a pram together with the week’s grocery shopping in the boot. Another fairly small adult (which my mother-in-law happens to be…) can even fit in the back seat in-between the child seats. But you might not want to do that to people too often. Especially to your mother-in-law. And yes, I did have the guts to try it and we still talk, but your circumstances may vary.
So no need to go for a seven-seater just yet. The boot is spacious enough too. Audi quotes 480 litres. The shape of it is nice and square and the back seats split-fold, which helped me on several occasions transporting IKEA flat packs. I’ve also got the optional cargo net, which is extremely handy for securing those grocery bags so you don’t have fruit and veg rolling around your boot.
On the road, the car feels comfortable with a sporty skew. It doesn’t have adaptive dampers (although some versions do, as far as I know) but the standard suspension is tuned well to cope with the challenge that is Sydney roads very nicely indeed. It’s composed over bumps and quiet enough to carry a prestige Euro badge - not the ultimate in sound proofing, but you can certainly carry out a normal conversation with the back passengers at highway speed.
The quattro all-wheel-drive drivetrain is simply excellent and always gives me plenty of confidence in adverse weather conditions, whether it be driving in a downpour or out on snowy mountain roads. I also like the steering, which has a progressive feel to it - it’s very light at low speeds which makes parking a breeze, but then becomes nicely weighted at speed.
The 2-litre turbo petrol engine makes 155 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque down low in the rpm range and revs very happily to the redline. The turbo helps you power off from standstill when you need it. The engine is not without fault, though - more on that later.
When you’re in a sporty mood, the S mode with paddle shifters is your weapon of choice. The car then turns into a very capable corner carver for the occasional country road. In my case, though, most of its time is spent in daily commute to and from work, or ferrying the kids around. And here we do come across some shortcomings.
First issue is the seat comfort. Both the front and back pews are quite firm, and my wife still can’t find a comfortable seating position, especially for longer journeys. The seats in my previous car (the Lexus) were definitely more plush and comfy. Heck, my wife has a 2015 Toyota Corolla and quite frankly the cloth-trimmed bucket front seats are more comfortable there.
Second round of issues is with the infamous Volkswagen Group DSG dual-clutch transmission. Yes, at speed it does very smooth shifts and most of the time gear changes are so accomplished that you barely feel them. But feel them you do, once you start travelling in stop-start traffic or navigating slow city streets and roundabouts. Occasionally you can tell the gearbox gets confused over pre-selecting the following gear and when it realises it made the wrong choice, you either feel hesitation or (worse) a momentary jerk. This makes driving smoothly in the city a bit of a challenge with two kids sleeping at the back. My wife also found it confusing when learning to drive, as the DSG hesitation, coupled with the turbocharged engine often results in a very non-linear power delivery when opening the throttle. Also if you happen to be on a driveway with an incline facing down, good luck trying to reverse back up quickly - the car will sometimes just roll down for a second or so before engaging the reverse gear (which once caught me by surprise and resulted in my bonnet being hit by a closing garage door when I couldn’t reverse out in time).
I understand the benefits of dual-clutch for sports/racing applications. But honestly, I don’t get why Audi (and VW Group in general) insist in shoving these gearboxes into regular cars that spend most of their time driving in city traffic. Given how well conventional autos can be executed by the likes of ZF, this seems like an unnecessary over-complication, with more reliability issues to boot. My personal experience has certainly led me to not want another DSG car at least for the foreseeable future (and after that they’ll all be electric anyway).
That leads us to the ownership experience. As I mentioned I’ve now clocked up over 40,000 kms, and thankfully had no major problems with the car. Servicing has been pretty straightforward, although I’ve always used my own certified mechanic who loves Audi’s and knows them inside out (he owns one too), rather than an Audi dealer. So can’t comment on a dealership experience, apart from my very first service which was a minor one (10,000 kms) at circa $750, including an extra-cost option of a loan car - needless to say, I didn’t come back. After having experienced the Lexus dealership, this was nowhere close. That aside, there was one more aspect of this particular Audi’s ownership that unpleasantly surprised me, which no dealer would have ever told you at time of purchase.
That’s where we come to my final gripe with the car, and it’s not a small one. The car has one of VAG’s earlier versions of the 2.0 turbo-petrol engines, and it drinks oil like crazy! I’ve actually measured it and I’m talking every 800 - 1,000 kms that I have to tip in more oil. Now, before you go “there’s something wrong with your car, mate” - just Google it. I’ve also had it thoroughly checked by my mechanic. Apparently it was a “known issue” with these early turbo engines, and guess what “fix” the boffins at Ingolstadt came up with? They installed a digital oil readout, which regularly prods you with a beep and a message to “Add 1L of oil” (please, sir, thank you). And then, to avoid scaring the bejesus out of you that your engine’s leaking and you need to get it checked immediately, it helpfully adds “You may continue driving”. So what you do is pull up at the servo and buy a litre of oil. And not just any oil - VW 504 00 standard certified, fully synthetic, most premium oil you can buy, usually at around $30 a pop. Then you pop the bonnet, unscrew the greasy oil cap and pour it in. How’s that for a “premium European luxury brand” ownership experience?
It’s worth saying that, again, they quietly rectified that issue with the mid-life update, so obviously if I would have known that, I would have spent the extra bucks and gone with a face-lifted version (and I’d be better off by now).
Apart from oil consumption (didn’t think about quoting that figure, did you Audi?) regular fuel consumption for me has been 10.5 litres per hundred K’s on average, which is not terrific but not bad either. When I lived in the inner-city it was closer to 12.5L / 100km. However, on a highway, it comfortably dips to below 8.5 litres. Which is still well above the claimed 7.4L. The Audi drinks 95 RON petrol as a minimum.
All things being said, though, in summary I think this car is still a very capable all-rounder, over 7 years after it rolled off the production floor. It is certainly fit for purpose and accomplishes most of its daily tasks well - and most importantly of all, I feel good driving it. And I often catch myself taking another glance back at it when leaving it in the parking lot. That’s ultimately what counts, doesn’t it? The car is an emotional purchase, after all. I also still get complemented quite often by friends and colleagues who see it for the first time: “nice car, mate!”
I’ll leave it at that.
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2021 Audi A4 Allroad review: Long-term farewell
