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L & # 39; A4 was, for a long time, my favorite vehicle in its entry-level luxury category
sedans
. Then
Audi
introduced the
A5 Sportback
with its deliciously cut profile, athletic performance and flexible underbody design, and I have not been able to look at the A4 in the same way since.
But all this is subjective. For the driver looking for a traditional compact sedan with a discreet boot, a clbadic look and one of the best cabin and safety technologies on the road, the Audi A4 2018 is still one of the best best choices in its category.
Quattro? Ultra? Quattro with Ultra?
Like the other members of the A4 / A5 family, the A4 Sedan is powered by Audi's turbocharged four-cylinder, producing a power of 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. This couple is quite approachable, smoothly and strongly from just 1600 rpm, helping the A4 to feel good and responsive in the city and agile of the line.
But unlike the A5 Sportback, which is only offered with AWD and an automatic transmission, the A4 can be had with three different drivetrains.
The turbo engine of the A4 Quattro makes 252 horsepower. However, front-wheel drive Ultra models are less powerful.
Antuan Goodwin / Roadshow
Quattro S-tronic
The best configuration for dynamic performance is Quattro S-tronic. The S-tronic seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission is really smooth, with carefully selected gearshift points for fast acceleration and smooth overall driving. Here it is paired with the excellent Audi Quattro all-wheel drive system that can send up to 70% of front-axle engine torque or up to 85% at the back. The distribution is continually adjusted, but the four wheels always receive some of the power.
This sportier configuration is good for a sprint from 0 to 60 seconds of just 5.7 seconds before moving to a maximum (limited) speed of 130 miles per hour. In the scariest end of the performance spectrum, you look at 24 miles per gallon city, 34 mpg highway and 27 mpg combined – not bad for this clbad, and competitive with the
BMW
330i xDrive (27 mpg combined) and the
Mercedes-Benz
C300 4Matic (26 mpg combined).
Quattro with Ultra
A six-speed manual transmission is available for the A4 Quattro, giving drivers the satisfaction of shifting gears with three pedals. However, this choice also comes with a different version of the Quattro all-wheel drive. Known as "Quattro with Ultra Technology", it is the all-wheel-drive Audi on-demand, which defaults to front-wheel drive under most conditions and transmits power in cornering or skidding
. -Demand configuration does not save A4 fuel. The city and the combined estimates are the same as the S-tronic, while the estimate of the route falls at 33 mpg. It seems that the seventh additional cruiser of S-tronic gives him an economic advantage.
Ultra Forward Traction
The most efficient A4 version is the "Ultra" front-wheel drive. Featuring the seven-speed S-tronic gearbox, but not the rear differential or the Quattro drive shaft, this lighter model climbs to EPA ratings of 27 mpg in the city, 37 mpg in the highway and 31 mpg in combination.
However, this added fuel economy comes at a cost of performance. In this configuration, the 2.0-liter engine goes down in power up to 190 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, which should help limit traction with half the number of drive wheels. The 60 mph sprint now extends to 7.1 seconds; it's still not too bad for a premium suburb
A more laid back ride
The setting for the four-armed and five-armed independent suspension of the A4 is a little softer than the A5 models. The sedan is more relaxed and comfortable around the city and on the bumps. At the same time, it still feels good and planted in turns, with the Quattro system helping to keep the car running in every corner without much understeer that many AWD systems sometimes exhibit.
All A4 models feature an active acoustic treatment and speakers to cancel unwanted road noise. This results in a quieter cab and less driver fatigue on long journeys. However, this system also generates a bit of false noise to soften the engine note in its sportier mode. Fortunately, the A4 system is significantly less aggressive than the A5 Sportback that I've recently tested, and I appreciate that the performance of the sedan is less artificial for her. .
MMI Plus Tech with Virtual Cockpit
Share The standard MMI infotainment system uses a 7-inch Nvidia configuration manipulated by a physical control knob on the center console. Standard
Android Auto
and
Apple
CarPlay connectivity leads a sturdy list of digital and badog media sources. However, the higher trim levels and option sets push things up to MMI Plus, which includes a larger 8.3 "screen, navigation and a MMI Touch controller with built-in recognition. Handwriting
The Audi Connect 4G LTE service supports gee-whiz features such as searching for online destinations, native application integrations and
Google
Satellite imagery of the Earth. And it's not even the coolest part.
My favorite personal technology upgrade is the available Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3-inch digital dashboard display that can be customized to display all traditional gauges and driving information to a large map for navigation . Almost all of MMI's main infotainment features can be manipulated here with simple steering wheel controls, making Virtual Cockpit worthwhile to be paid for.
Audi technical badistance and safety features
The Audi Pre Sense City system is standard equipment on all models, with precollision warning before with automatic braking badistance. The system is able to detect other vehicles as well as pedestrians.
Optional upgrades to consider include adaptive cruise control with congestion blocking badistance, which not only maintains a safe distance in stop-and-go traffic, but also adds that automatically keeps the vehicle in line with the car in front and between the lane markers. It is a practical system; it will be disabled if you try to use handsfree.
At higher speeds, a more familiar lane management badistance helps to ensure that the car stays where you want it, but does not attempt the same level of centering as the low speed system does. It just keeps you between the lines.
The blind spot monitoring system of Audi is interesting. Not only does it monitor your back during lane changes and when you find yourself leaving blind parking spots, it also stays active once you have parked along the road to monitor cars. to come up. This vehicle exit help system is extremely helpful in preventing the "door" of other cars and potentially cyclists.
The Audi blind spot monitoring system helps prevent collisions on the highway, but continues to operate at the same time. stop to avoid "" door accidents ".
Antuan Goodwin / Roadshow
How I would have spec
The A4 2.0T Ultra is the cheapest and most fuel efficient version of the A4 sedan, starting at $ 36,000 for trim level Basic Premium.
However, for those interested in the "sport" part of this sports sedan, I recommend the S-tronic Quattro. It has more power than the Ultra and the best version of Audi's four-wheel drive system for maximum performance. While I check the boxes, I would reach the Prestige finish level, which would bring the price of the sticker to around $ 50,000
which allows you to have access to all driver badistance technologies, including cabin technology, including MMI navigation and Audi Virtual Cockpit and an incredible 755 watts
Bang & Olufsen
Audio System
The A4 is one of the best choices for a traditional sedan, but the A5 Sportback is a alternative more elegant and sporty.
Antuan Goodwin / Roadshow
My Audi A4 Quattro 2018 sedan sits near the top of a clbad that includes the aforementioned BMW 330i xDrive and the Benz C300 4Matic. The performance and efficiency of these rivals are in the same state of mind, but the A4 enjoys a slight price advantage and by far the most impressive technology of the three.
Those looking to save a few dollars or something less German should also consider the
Cadillac ATS
or
Jaguar XE
. As close to the same equipment as we could get these rides, both stickers for thousands of dollars less than the A4. Both come with technical cabin compromises and driver badistance – especially the Jag – but each also puts more emphasis on handling and performance than the more relaxed Audi, which which should appeal to more dynamic drivers. For a premium sports sedan, Audi's Audi A8 Sportback Quattro 2018 would rank just above the A4 at the top of my list. Although not a "pure" sedan, the Sportback does everything that a sedan does with a little more style. Both cars offer the same cabin and the same driver badistance technology, but the softer mirror design and attractive silhouette of the Sportback Coupe are twice as efficient as the traditional three-seater sedan. . More precise handling – thanks to sportier tunes for its suspension and Quattro systems – seals the case.
You can not really go wrong anyway; both are excellent (and, frankly, almost identical) choice, but I give the advantage and wink to the sleek A5 Sportback on the moderate A4 sedan.
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