Audi A4

The Audi A4 is a compact executive car produced by the German automaker Audi AG since late 1994. The initial generation A4 succeeded the four previous generations of the Audi 80.
Since its inception, the Audi A4 has been available in four generations, based on the Volkswagen Group ‘B’ series of automobile platforms – usually known by the following codes – the initial B5, the subsequent B6 and B7, and the current B8.

The new Audi A4 is the first in a new generation of Audis (A5, R8 included) that have learned how to ride. A wonderfully engineered bit of kit that still manages to be just that little bit boring.
Model tested: Audi A4 2.0 TDi SE
Price as tested: £23,200 (£19,900 – £32,990)
Insurance group as tested: 12E (12E – 16E)
CO2 emissions as tested: 144g/km (Band C, £120)
CO2 emissions range: 144 – 220g/km
Company car tax %: 19%
EuroNCAP result: *****
Date tested: June 2008
Road tester: Stuart Milne
Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 85%
Audi is a car maker on the up. Its products are some of the most revered on the market, and have an ever-increasing army of loyal fans.
The Audi A4 is now in its fourth generation, with this all-new model. Audi says its junior executive saloon has the longest wheelbase in its class and is offered with a range of six engines.
We spent a week with an Audi A4 to see if it can compete with the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class.
Rarely does such a conservative-looking car turn so many heads. That probably had a lot to do with the optional strip of LED daytime running lights stretching across each headlight, which are particularly eye-catching. The fourth generation Audi A4 certainly has more design flair than previous models, with sweeping lines along the sides which are a nod to its coupe brother, the Audi A5. We can’t help wondering if Audi could have injected a little more style, without going to the extremes of the radical looking BMW range.
8/10

The Audi A4′s cabin is certainly one of the car’s high points. It has refined what it has learned from years of designing handsome but functional interiors to create a space round the driver, for a feeling that the car is all about driving, and the raised centre console features a menu system surrounding the gearstick. The heart of this is a rotary dial, but unlike BMW’s iDrive system, Audi uses a number of shortcut buttons to allow quick and easy access to the various menus via a colour screen in easy eyesight of the driver. This keeps the inevitable clutter of buttons to a minimum. Audi has also employed a series of silver inserts to add some extra spice to the look.