Audi seems to be able to do little that’s wrong at the moment, with strong demand for the A3 hatch, A4 saloon and estate, and A6 saloon and estate, although some variants, such as diesel estates, are tipped to perform more strongly than others.
The A4 was being replaced even as I wrote this report - with the new cars going on sale on February 23. This means that in early March there will be quite a few A4 ex-demonstrators in the market place and you might just be able to grab yourself an A1 deal.
Among A4s, it’s the diesels in particular that are in strong demand. So if you have one expect to get good money for it - if you want one expect to pay good money.
The A4 is a direct competitor for cars like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C Class, with the three German marques really dominating quality sales in their sector. Audi would like to see its car regarded on equal terms with the other two and this is happening these days, especially in comparison with the too-common BMW.
The current shape of A4 has been around since March, 2001 - the previous A4 from 1995 was a direct replacement for the Audi 80 and is still a very popular car in the bottom end of the used market, where it provides very reliable yet cheap transport.
For the 2005 model year, the car was heavily revised with every external body panel changed although the look remained much the same – apart from that huge tombstone grille that now sadly seems to have spread to other makes. I hope it’s no more than a passing fad, like fins once were.
It took a year after the 1995 launch for the Avant estates to appear and they have always seemed the most attractive of the A4s to me. Get one of these with a punchy diesel engine and it will serve you very well. It also has much better styling than the BMW 3 Series Touring that so many people drive.
A failing common to many cars in this class is cramped rear seat space. It’s no good looking at an A4 if you need a full four or five seater because they just don’t have the space required. You’ll need to move up to an Audi A6 if you want to stay loyal to the brand.
The Audi A4 starts with a 1.6 litre petrol engine, hardly the most dynamic of power units. Other petrol engines include a powerful turbo 1.8 litre and various large capacity V6s. There are also some excellent 2.0 FSI petrol engines. The FSI bit is Audi’s name for Stratified Fuel Injection, a system that has been used to good effect to help win the Le Mans 24 hours race. Transmission choices are a five or six speed manual or auto driving the front wheels or the full blooded four wheel drive quattro system. Audi was a pioneer of 4x4 for road cars, so knows its worth.
Like many German cars, the A4 can seem a shade austere. The seats are firm, which is actually a good thing for driver comfort. If you want more luxury, then check out cars with the optional Special Equipment pack.
These are hard wearing cars - you can expect many years of good service from them, which is why they are so greatly valued. Service intervals are 10,000 and 20,000 miles on older cars and governed by a service indicator on newer ones, so it’s easy to keep up with the regime. Fuel costs are also good for the size of car and even insurance, which starts at Group 10, may not be too costly.
As the A4 is in such demand, you have to be prepared to pay well for them. A current shape 2.0 petrol without the FSI system is £12,350 on a 54 plate while adding FSI would add another £1,200. Not sure you really need it that much when you could have a better diesel for the same money.
If that all sounds too much, then skip back to a pre-tombstone car and you could have a 1.6 petrol on a 51 plate for £6,000. No-one will guess it’s the poverty model. Going back to a 99V 1.6 will halve the outlay but you might end up spending some of it on repair bills instead.
Maurice Hardy
A4 REPLACEMENT COULD MEAN A1 DEALS
