Overall, I am quite happy with the package. It is screwed together tightly, the styling is very subtle, yet unique and classy, especially in silver. The engine, once the turbo kicks in (just under 2000 RPMs), is quite peppy and fun to drive. There are plenty of aftermarket parts to improve that as well. The interior is of high quality as well, and it is clear that this car is in a family that also has $60,000+ members. The Avant (wagon in Audi language) is gorgeous, and gives more space to those that need it. I just love wagons. I have owned AWD in the past, and I refuse to drive anyting but now, and the quattro system is a cheap option and VERY worth it. The xenon headlights are GREAT to be behind, and the self dimming mirrors are a real treat at night. A blast to drive, and a GREAT value at this price point. A comparable BMW sportwagon is noticealby more. Love the long list of standard features ont he A4!

The back seat is a BIT small, but I knew that coming into the game and I rarely carry that many people. I would like a little more power, but I will be adding parts in the future to solve that problem.

ummmm.... I wish the CD player told you the minutes:seconds of the song you were listening to, and sometimes I dislike the black trim on the bottom of the car, but that is about it.

I paid a hair over $30,000 for a nicely loaded model. I got the premium package, sport package, sport seats, ESP, and Xenon headlights. I ordered it and got a 2001 in July of 2000. I think it is a great value, and the dealer was outstanding. I do recommend this car to everyone, as I think if you can swing for a nice car, swing a little more and get a GREAT car. Very much worth it! The included maintance is very nice too (for 4 years/50000 miles)

if you are in the market, you should give it a test drive. You won't be disappointed!

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I drove a 95 Subaru Legacy LS Wagon AWD from new to 106,000 miles before replacing it with the Audi. The subaru's are GREAT cars, but as you can tell the A4 is from a up market family, you can tell the roots of the Subaru as well. I considered a new Subaru, but the Audi is much more refined, and only a few grand more, but a lot more car.

Great looks, quiet and comfortable ride. Beautiful interior.

THIS IS A HORRIBLE CAR!!!! BUYER BEWARE!!! I've had my car for 11 months now. It has had 3 gas tanks, the fuel recovery system has been replaced twice. If you own this car, I highly encourage you to listen to it when you first start it up. If you hear a loud bubbling sound from the right rear side, take your car in to be checked right away!!!

I loved my car when I first got it. It's unfortunate that this beautiful car is having so many problems.

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Handling, Power

Cupholders, Passenger Seat

This is the perfect city/country car. It is small enough to get into most parking spots. Outside the city, the A4 wants to run -- fast!! The combination of the 2.8 engine (same engine as the heavier A6) and all-wheel drive can get you out of any sticky situation. My only complaint are the cupholders -- they don't make any sense.

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Fit and finish, Styling (Inside and Out), Very Smooth Ride, Excellent Brakes, Lethered Wrapped Steering Wheel

My car had an electrical problem from the factory and would not start after only 1,200 miles; it took the dealership 14 days to repair! Back seat space is a joke and ride hieght should be lowered to match that of the new BMW's 3 series. Handling should match the sportiness potential of the turbo engine.

Despite the turbo-charged engine, this is not a "sport sedan." The ride is very smooth at highway speeds, but throw it into a corner and the car is not very responsive. This is more an entry level luxury sedan, but spare your friends from having to ride in the back seat because there is not much room there.
The Tiptronic (with steering wheel mounted controls) is the perfect compromise between stick and automatic.

First of all, interior trim and build. Craftsmanship and meticulous. Build quality widely recognized as better than Mercedes. Audi quality. Sporty yet practical. This car makes you want to go out and drive! Quattro IV is incredible. Sport package is very much recommended. Great control with great feel, immense grip, razor sharp handling, all while retaining ride comfort. Exterior is clean and classy yet on the conservative side. This car represents the best of both worlds, sportiness of BMW and luxury from Benz. No wonder Car and Driver rated it over both of these cars (the MB in a later test): http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/comparisontests/1999/April/199904_comparisontest_littl.xml

Stock power is just adequate. It is not very fast off the line, but pulling away from and navigating in turns can make your heat skip beats.
I want to recommend the APR stage 1 ($399) mod or the Neuspeed P-chip ($169) to boost horsepower to a fast 200hp with 214lbs torque across the spectrum. It should be worth every penny although I have no personal experience yet. I've only heard good things about it. Otherwise, there is nothing I don't like about it.

An excellent car, that is superbly balanced. A nice niche between Mercedes and BMW. At around $31k for a nearly fully loaded A4 1.8T it is a great deal compared to its other rivals.
C240-to soft and supple to induce any pulse rate quickening
325i-the best of the best along with the A4
IS300-boy racer wannabe feel, japanese boy-racer styling, underpowered
S40/60-Volvos have been and always will be refridgerators on wheels
9-3-Completely outdated and outclassed, even by japanese competitors
Contour SVT-fast, sharp, nice. Contours don't have good image in US though
G20t-a joke at best. its pretty much just a sentra/altima
Not much else to say. Go out and test drive your prospects and let your own heart decide.

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Mercedes C240, BMW 325i, Lexus IS300, Volvo S40/60, Saab 9-3, Ford Contour SVT, Infiniti G20t

Styling inside and out, very confortable seats (front seats only) Smooth 5-valve engine. Effortless acceleration (with manual trans.) Excellent fit and finish.

Rear seats not fit for adults of any size.

The car accelerates effortlessly and the engine is so smooth. Love the looks inside and out, love the build quality of the car, love the tactile feedback of buttons, knobs, and switches, love the side support for my seat, love the agility of the car. Since I drive by myself most of the time the rear seat is not an issue. But if I have a family I would consider something larger, like an Audi A6!!

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Test drove BMW 325i, and IS300 but decided getting the Audi because the value and the Quattro system.

I love the bose system. It looks good inside and out.

Small back seat, not enough low end torque, and I hate the he HVAC controls. I also hate this sound that comes out of the back of the car(a gargling noise).

Over all it is a good car. I would trade some trunk space for some back seat room. I would recommend it to anyone. But if your looking for more back seat room I would recommend the a Maxima or Accord

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BMW 330xi- got to expensive with all those options(mid 40s)
lexus IS300- back seat looked even smaller.

Styling... best looking car on the road
performance... tons 'o torque, great gas mileage
size... tiny exterior, yet can hold an amazing amount of stuff

Sport suspension a little harsh on horrid Boston roads, but I've been on seasonal dirt roads in the Rockys that are smoother than roads in Boston.

Awesome looks and performance. Engine getting better and better as it breaks in (now 8000 miles) and loves to rev. Gets better mileage around town with slightly heavy right foot. :-) Get the manual, and you'll out accelerate all those automatic 2.8s.

This is a car that loves to eat up the miles on the highway. Quattro with snows (Michelin Arctic Alpins rule!) unstoppable in New England winter. Drove by lots of SUVs in the ditch.

The front seats are comfortable for 6'+ people, and the interior is extremely well done. Don't miss the wood trim at all.

Gotta like those xenon lights. they make driving at night a true pleasure.

Who should buy this car? Anyone who is looking for a stylish, well designed car that will provide years and years of enjoyable driving (right brained people), who also want a well built, practical (gotta love all the space in the back), car that's going to bring many years of service (left brained people).

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'87 Integra (drove it over 100k wonderful miles), '96 A6, '99&'00 3-Series

good looks, little 1.8T in mid rpm range feels like a V6 even with Tiptronic, solid road feel good controls positioning. Solid build and refinement in a great German vehicle. Hard cornering with Quattro (you gotta get it!!!) is sure-footed

back seat is a little bit cramped but not like I will be sitting in the back anyhow. No leather option. CD player broken within the first month. Bad memories of VW problems...

My second test drive was awesome mainly because I had open road. Drove the BMW 323ci just before hand and was blown away but the 323ci. When I got in the A4 1.8T Quattro and although it didn't match the pure acceleration power of the 323ci V6, it was comparable eventhough it was a 4 cylinder I4. Hard cornering is awesome on the A4, quite a bit better than then BMW. The Quattro system is amazing especially when my saleperson took us "offroad" to demostrate quattro drive. Quite an impressive demostration especially when my saleperson told us to take the car offroad. Great value for the money. Can't take the BMW skiing but definitely ok with the A4.

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Drove a VW Jetta, Dodge Stratus, Volvo S70. Test drove VW Jetta GLX, BMW 323ci

Acceleration, handling, looks, comfort, fit-and-finish, Quattro

Expensive aftemarket parts

Acceleration-crisp and smooth...you step on the gas and it goes, nice sound too.
Handling-Quattro really makes it stick to the road. Get the sports package...it's worth the $
Looks-Simple and understated, no cheesy wings or body kit, just good german styling.
Interior-Very classy...nice wood grain, good gauge lay-out, great stereo (go for the Bose prmium system), seats are very comportable
Fit-and-finish-just feels like a well-made, solid car

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Lexus IS300-disappointed in it's acceleration and fit-and finish compared to A4; BMW 3-Series-nice but way too common