A complete gem!
I have owned my red 2008 Audi A4 (Sedan model) for approximately one week now, and I am ecstatic to report that it has been very enjoyable thus far. The vehicle has 43,000 miles on it, but it looks and drives as if it just rolled off the assembly line. The red color is a head turner; I see people literally stop what they are doing to watch it drive by on a daily basis! Additionally, the paint seems to be of very high quality; scratches are few and far between, and the paint has no swirl marks.
This vehicle included every option package with the exception of navigation. The quattro all wheel drive is worth the money if you enjoy spirited driving from time to time. For those who are trying to find a 6 cylinder model (they are rare), the 4 cylinder 2.0T has more than enough power for the average driver, and the growl it makes when accelerating is quite satisfying in my opinion. The car gets around 20MPG city, which is impressive when you consider much of my driving is in stop and go traffic. With that said, putting the car into "Sport" mode puts a dent in gas mileage and makes the shifts much rougher.
The seats strike a nice balance between firmness and plushness, and the lumbar support controls are wonderful. The driving position is great, and visibility is good. However, the rear seat is cramped for adults. When transporting a few friends, the tallest of them (Around 6') had to hold his head sideways to fit in the rear seat, but small children should fit in the back just fine. The climate controls are a little confusing at first, but every button on the dash has a high quality feel and satisfying "click" to it. The 12 disk in-dash CD changer is quick, and the BOSE sound system is pretty good. However, the ipod integration feels rather outdated, and it lacks a way to really control what you want to listen to, granted I haven't played with it very much. The steering wheel mounted audio controls are unique and function quite nicely. Also, the bluetooth phone integration is great for handsfree phone conversations.
Storage is abound in the car, and the trunk is a moderately sized cave compared to most cars in this segment. The glove compartment is large. Additionally, there are areas for storage which are almost hidden. Both front seats have a storage compartment beneath them, and there is a slot under the steering wheel which the owner's manual slides into perfectly.
I would definitely recommend this car to anyone who is looking for a sporty entry level luxury vehicle. Definitely test drive an Audi A4 if you are considering a Mercedes C300 or BMW 3 series. The Audi offers far more options for less money, and the interior is superior to both competitors (My previous vehicle was a 325i and I test drove several C300s) I will try to update this review with any reliability problems I encounter with the vehicle.
- Taylor, 2008 Audi A4
