- Overview
- What is it?
- WHAT ENGINES ARE ON OFFER?
- WHAT ABOUT THE INTERIOR?
- HOW MUCH ARE WE LOOKING AT?
- Our choice from the range
- What's the verdict?
- BMW 3 Series Touring
- Volvo V60
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate
- Driving
- What is it like to drive?
- REMIND ME OF MY ENGINE OPTIONS.
- HOW DOES IT GO?
- Audi A4 review: can the base car compete with rivals?
- Audi S4 Avant review: a half-price RS6?
- Audi S4 Avant TDI driven: turbodiesel sports-wagon tested
- Interior
- What is it like on the inside?
- WHAT’S THE KIT LIKE?
- HOW MUCH SPACE IS THERE?
- Buying
- What should I be paying?
- WHAT’S THE KIT LIST LIKE?
- WHAT’S THE BEST SPEC?
Overview
What is it?
Audi’s smallest estate, and its heartland family car until all those crossovers came along and stole its thunder. The A4 Avant is Audi’s answer to the BMW 3 Series Touring, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate and Volvo V60. It’s based on the VW Group’s MLB platform.
Launched in 2015 but comprehensively updated in 2019, the estate – or ‘Avant’ – is the one you want because it’s miles more practical than the saloon and, we think, better looking. You want it over the Q5 SUV, too, because it’s cheaper, more compact but just as practical, more economical and better to drive. Just as all estates are versus the SUVs/crossovers everyone seems to buy instead.
If you absolutely can’t do without a slightly raised ride height, the A4 Allroad goes as far off road as you’ll probably ever need it to.
WHAT ENGINES ARE ON OFFER?
The engine range consists of two 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrols (badged 35 TFSI and 40 TFSI) and two diesels (badged 35 TDI and 40 TDI, the latter your only ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive variant). All get mild-hybrid tech, though there is no plug-in hybrid or full electric version yet.
From there on you’re into faster territory; the S4 getting a six-cylinder diesel (yup, diesel), while the RS4 (Audi’s estate-only answer to the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63) uses a 2.9-litre biturbo V6 with 444bhp.
The ‘normal’ A4 Avants aren’t quite as good to drive as a 3 Series, but that’s by design. The A4 is supposed to be quieter, better quality and more refined. Sure enough it’s quiet, feels very well made and hums along a motorway very well indeed. Head to the driving tab for the full lowdown.
WHAT ABOUT THE INTERIOR?
There’s little to complain about in here, with the A4’s interior aesthetically pleasing, thoughtfully laid out, and offering plenty of space for front and rear passengers alike. Every A4 gets Audi’s excellent digital dashboard display in place of conventional analogue dials, configurable to show dials, sat nav, audio and suchlike.
As part of the model’s 2019 facelift, Audi ditched its excellent click-wheel infotainment system for one with a touchscreen. The interface is very good and the whole system is snappy and visually pleasing, but if we’re nitpicking it’s generally harder to use on the move than the click-wheel setup it replaced. Shame.
Still it’s plenty spacious, with generous rear legroom and a huge boot, 495 litres seats up and 1,495 litres seats down. That plays 500/1,510 litres seats up/down in the BMW 3 Series Touring, 490/1,510 litres in the Merc C-Class Estate, and 519/1,431 litres in the Volvo V60. Small margins.
HOW MUCH ARE WE LOOKING AT?
Prices start at just over £35k for the petrols and just shy of £38k for the diesels, which makes it slightly cheaper than those rivals mentioned at the top of this page. The S4 and RS4 are also somewhat pricier – £50k and £67.5k respectively.
Needless to say, it’s best to be cautions when it comes to options box ticking, which can quickly add up. Full details on the buying tab.
Our choice from the range
Audi
40 TFSI 204 Sport Edition 5dr S Tronic
£39,235
What's the verdict?
“Audi’s heartland hero might not have the hustle of a BMW 3 Series Touring, but it’s plenty competent and got refinement on its side”
Easy on the eye, exemplifying German build quality and pleasing enough to drive, the Audi A4 Avant has plenty of appeal.
As people who enjoy driving our money would go on the BMW 3 Series Touring, but that’s no sleight on the A4 which remains as well-judged as the day it was launched and one which nails its brief completely.
It drives more ably than you might think, has a high-quality interior on point with its more expensive siblings and is plenty spacious.
BMW 3 Series Touring
£32,190 – £55,465
Volvo V60
£24,890 – £52,775
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate
Continue reading: Driving
Driving
What is it like to drive?
The A4 Avant isn’t as good to drive as a BMW 3 Series Touring. It’s by no means bad, the A4 just isn’t as fun or involving as its arch-rival.
But that’s OK, because Audi has instead spent its time and money making the A4 feel as cultured and high-quality as the much larger, more expensive A8 limo. And for the most part it’s done a very good job. This is an especially calming, very comfortable and quiet car.
REMIND ME OF MY ENGINE OPTIONS.
All are 2.0-litre four-cylinders unless you step up to the six-cylinder S4 and RS4. Those badged ‘35’ get 148bhp/161bhp in the petrol and diesel respectively, and those badged ‘40’ getting a like-for-like 201bhp in the petrol and diesel variants. All models get a seven-speed auto gearbox as standard, while ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive is only fitted on the top-spec 40 TDI, with the 45 TFSI petrol no longer available.
As yet there’s no plug-in hybrid A4 to compete with the BMW 330e and Mercedes C300e (you can read a showdown between those two by clicking these blue words). Which is a particular shame for company car drivers who can make the most of the BiK tax benefits.
HOW DOES IT GO?
We’ve spent most time in the higher powered 40 TFSI petrol, arguably the sweet spot of the range with 201bhp, front-wheel drive and a seven-speed twin-clutch auto. It’s exceptionally quiet even when you’re accelerating hard, plenty powerful enough (0-62mph takes 7.3 seconds), pretty economical (more on that in the next paragraph) and a good match for the mostly smart automatic gearbox.
Our 40 TFSI returned 40mpg on a run or 35mpg day-to-day so neither will it cost you a bundle in fuel (unless yours is an RS4, obviously), and claims 148g/km of CO2 in Sport Edition spec (more, if you get an S Line with big wheels). The 35 TDI in the same Sport Edition spec claims 56.5mpg and 131g/km of CO2, making it worth considering if you’re prone to high motorway mileage.
Audi A4 review: can the base car compete with rivals?
£32,200
Audi S4 Avant review: a half-price RS6?
£48,490
Audi S4 Avant TDI driven: turbodiesel sports-wagon tested
£48,490
Previous: Overview
Continue reading: Interior
Interior
What is it like on the inside?
The A4’s interior is spot on – well made, thoughtfully laid out, spacious and plenty nice to look at. Though the A4 Avant was updated in 2019, its interior is largely the same as it was when the car was launched back in 2015. But it doesn’t look or feel the least bit last-gen. Which is kudos to the designers first time round.
Take it from us though when we say avoid the light grey upholstery which looks rather bland – darker colours suit this interior far better.
WHAT’S THE KIT LIKE?
All A4s get Audi’s excellent Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster. Frequently imitated but never bettered, it’s operated by a set of physical buttons and scroll wheels on the steering wheel. Learn from Volkswagen’s mistakes and keep it that way, please.
Indeed, the only thing that might irk you is the newly touch operated infotainment system, introduced as part of the facelift. The interface is very good and the whole system is snappy and smart looking, but it’s generally harder to use on the move than the click-wheel setup it replaced.
At least the excellent climate controls survived the update unscathed, with the area once occupied by the click wheel now home to a useful storage cubby.
HOW MUCH SPACE IS THERE?
The A4 Avant is cavernous enough for most families, sitting bang in the middle of the BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes C-Class Estate, but measurably less than the sector leading VW Passat or Skoda Superb.
Still, there’s good legroom in the back and if you flip the rear seats down, just shy of 1,500-litres of space to play with. And because it’s much lower than a crossover or SUV it’s easier to haul heavy things in and out.
Previous: Driving
Continue reading: Buying
Buying
What should I be paying?
Prices start at £35,020 for the 35 TFSI, £37,900 for the 35 TDI, £39,175 and £42,490 for the 40 TDI (TFSI meaning petrol, TDI meaning diesel). On lease you’re looking at around £450, £480, £520, and £550 on a four-year agreement with a six-month down payment.
To put that into perspective, the BMW 3 Series Touring starts from £41,000, the Merc C-Class Estate from £46,155 and the Volvo V60 from £41,330.
WHAT’S THE KIT LIST LIKE?
Even the lowliest A4 Avants come pretty well equipped, and higher up the range there are hardly any options to add. Base spec is called Technik – it buys you LED headlights, three-zone climate control, heated front seats, a power-operated tailgate, cruise control, parking sensors, a reversing camera, the big 10.1-inch touchscreen and ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument cluster among others.
Sport, S Line and Black Edition trims are mostly aesthetic upgrades, though S Line upwards also gets 23mm lower sports suspension that’s a bit too stiff for our liking. Standard safety kit includes autonomous emergency braking, but for the full suite of tech you’ll need to spec the £1,250 Driver Assistance Pack. It adds the likes of traffic sign recognition, lane assist and adaptive cruise control.
WHAT’S THE BEST SPEC?
Our choice would be the upper powered 40 TFSI which has front-wheel drive, the auto gearbox and just over 200bhp. We’d stick with Sport trim, which looks more interesting than Technik (if not as good as S Line) and keeps the softer suspension.
Audi’s standard warranty is three years/60,000 miles, but you can extend it all the way up to five years/90,000 miles for £995.
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Continue reading: Specs & Prices
Keyword: Audi A4 Avant review