Audi A4 2016: Road Test

Audi A4 2.0 TFSI S Tronic
Road Test

The B9-series Audi A4 arrived in the Aussie market earlier this year. And every occasion driving the new mid-size model has yielded high praise. Audi isn't shy about promoting the new A4's crash safety and driver-assist technology, but in this particular car tested – priced from $60,900 (plus on-road costs) – it's the frugal yet sporty engine and the intelligently fettled underpinnings that deserve the plaudits. Ride comfort and driveability don't have to be mutually exclusive…

Audi's latest A4 has been a hit here in the motoring.com.au office. The 2.0-litre quattro model won our most recent prestige mid-sized sedan comparison and three different staff members have individually rated the new A4 over 80 points in each of their reviews.

There's little controversy in that, but I'm about to upset the applecart – awarding the A4 just 79 points. That's not to say I found the A4 a disappointment… far from it.

This is a car that straddles a very broad divide to accommodate the conflicting needs of buyers across two specific scales: driveability and comfort on the one hand, performance and economy on the other.

Starting with the latter first, this particular variant of the A4 effortlessly blends lively performance in the real-world with commendable fuel economy. On paper the engine's 140kW and 320Nm output reads more like a diesel's specification, but the petrol engine is nothing like a diesel in character.

The snarly powerplant feels refined but sporty. It pulls hard from around 3500rpm, once the turbo's really on boost. Unlike the Lexus IS 200t it beat in our latest comparison, the A4 delivers immediate throttle response – no waiting. There's some labouring at freeway speeds, when the transmission is holding engine speed to just above 1500rpm. This light rumble is largely blanketed by a rustling of wind noise however and the Audi was very adept at insulating the cabin from tyre noise.

Despite the brisk performance, the A4 was surprisingly frugal. The car's trip computer posted a figure of 9.0L/100km on a 60km test loop, but figures of around 8.7-9.2L/100km were not uncommon during the daily grind to work and home (over the school holiday break, admittedly). On a largely open-road run measuring about 17km, with a further three or four 'klicks' along Melbourne's Hoddle Street/Punt Road arterial the Audi returned a frugal figure of 6.8L/100km.

The long-term average was 9.7L/100km, according to the trip computer, but the only time I saw fuel consumption that high was immediately following a cold start. That contrasts very favourably with previous figures like 10.6L/100km for a Mercedes-Benz C 250 (petrol) and 10.8L/100km for both a Lexus IS 200t and Jaguar XE 25t Portfolio, all of which I've reviewed in the past. A pre-LCI (update) BMW 320i tested back in 2012 returned a figure of 9.1L/100km over a week – with more time spent on the open road.

Unlike my experience with recent four-cylinder BMWs in ECO PRO mode, the A4 still feels driveable and responsive in its own Eco or Comfort modes.

On the other scale – driveability versus comfort – the A4 certainly benefited from its optional adaptive comfort suspension ($1700). Based on the A4's ride/handling balance (in varying modes), the comfort suspension system seems to be a box on the option list well worth ticking.

The A4 rode comfortably all the time, and steering was not unduly heavy even in Dynamic mode. In Comfort mode it was significantly lighter however. To me there's no disconnect there. Some buyers will prefer the lighter steering, some will prefer the steering to be meatier. The Audi Drive Select system caters for both, but neither configuration is too extreme for other drivers.

Turn in and handling set a pretty high standard for a front-wheel drive car that rides as well as the A4. It's undeniably a good set-up and the traction/stability control systems work together very neatly with the car's passive dynamics for quick point-to-point driving. Only one occasion did the A4's front-wheel drive underpinnings betray it: charging away from a traffic-light-controlled intersection one wet morning.

The brakes were powerful but easily moderated through the pedal, which was communicative and progressive for precisely calculating the braking effort right up to the point where the tyres were beginning to protest, but the anti-lock brakes weren’t actually kicking in.

The S tronic transmission provided swift but measured gear changes without some of the traits often associated with a dual-clutch transmission. It was smooth even when shifting sequentially from shift paddle input. The transmission shifted down like conventional transmissions, but also changed up automatically at redline, even with the transmission lever knocked across to Sport mode and the paddles in use.

On a few occasions during the week, the Audi's pre-collision system activated – gently warning me of an obstacle ahead with a quiet but audible chime. Just the one occasion did it get confused, by a car parked on the other side of a traffic island. Overall it's one of the better systems around: not too distracting, not too reactive. It's part of the Assistance Package option.

Auto high-beam headlights – also part of the $1900 Assistance Package – worked very well, responding promptly in built-up areas or on detection of an on-coming car. The option pack also includes active lane assist, adaptive cruise control with Stop&Go (including traffic jam assistant), distance indicator and pre-sense front, turn assist and collision avoidance assist. For the price it's an option I would recommend – certainly one proving its worth to a higher degree than the sunroof, which costs $1950.

The seats took a little getting used to after a week in a Jaguar XF. They were quite well shaped and certainly held the driver in place while pressing on, but I found the cushioning to be too firm. Also, the seating demanded very fine adjustment for comfort. I felt the Jaguar was much easier to adjust – and quicker – for a position and a comfort level that suited me.

If the Audi's driving seat was not quite right, it would bug you until you took that final step. It's just little considerations like the location of the footrest, for example (too far away, relative to brake pedal and accelerator). And although I think the seats were well shaped, I did raise the lumbar to support the small of my back more – something I didn't need to do in the case of the larger Jaguar.

Seating in the rear was fine for me, but someone 180cm tall or taller – and with a full head of hair – might find the headroom marginal on longer trips. Kneeroom was fine, and there was room under the front seats for the rear-seat occupant's feet, allowing more room to stretch out.

The A4's infotainment system was easy enough to use and there were plenty of functions available – including a speed alarm. Likewise, the trip computer scrolled through different data readouts from a scroll button on the left spoke of the steering wheel, including various fuel consumption measurements and a digital speedometer. Two buttons above that swapped between the trip computer functions and music/phone functions. It was all straightforward to operate.

Ambient lighting was a high point in the A4, particularly the lighting around the rim of the cupholders.

The car's boot was large and long, but a bit shallow, despite the space-saver spare under the floor. Folding the rear seats down (almost flat) liberates even more room for carrying large loads.

In a sea of strong competitors, most of which are rear-wheel drive, the A4 stands out for its front-wheel drive set-up. But Audi has proved that you can have your cake and eat it too. The new A4 is fun to drive, but comfortable when need be. Most of all, however, this is a car that does the right thing by the environment, without punishing the driver. Would that more fuel-saving hybrids were like that...

Price: $68,370 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 140kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 5.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 119g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

Also consider:
>> BMW 320i (from $61,900 plus ORCs)
>> Lexus IS 200t (from $57,500 plus ORCs)
>> Mercedes-Benz C 200 (from $61,400 plus ORCs)