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Long-term tests

Audi A4

We've swapped the Audi A6's keys for the A4 Avant's. Blind madness or a wise move? Read on to find out...

Pros
  • Punchy engine, great-looking exterior, top-quality cabin design and build
Cons
  • Pricey options list, oil consumption, lack of useful cubby space
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Hold the front page! Coming from a newspaper background, I see most things in black and white. Never was this more true than in summing up the Audi A4 and A6. As regular readers will know, I've run and reported on a diesel A6 saloon over the past year. But now I've swapped the keys of the big executive for the more compact dimensions of a new A4 Avant.

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And it's a bit like exchanging a copy of the broadsheet Daily Telegraph for the tabloid Daily Mail. While the smaller A4 still has a quality feel, delivering lots of good news on the driving and ownership front, it simply doesn't have the strength in depth and air of authority of its bigger, more upmarket stablemate.

However, before I get accused of making unfair comparisons, let me make it clear that the A4 is a real headline-grabber. Starting on the outside, I reckon the Avant is the best looker in the A4 range. The trademark front end blends beautifully into a sharp, classy tail, which is accentuated by those smart roof rails. It all comes together in a very sleek and purposeful way, and is set off with stylish optional 17-inch, nine-spoke alloys.

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Used - available now

A4

2023 Audi

A4

43,427 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L

Cash £20,197
View A4
A4

2022 Audi

A4

27,567 milesManualPetrol2.0L

Cash £20,408
View A4
A4

2025 Audi

A4

37,053 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L

Cash £22,099
View A4
A4

2025 Audi

A4

28,474 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £21,799
View A4

All good news so far then. And inside the story is also generally positive. The Audi's usual understated, but beautifully crafted, cabin is a joy to sit in. You will need deep pockets to kit out your A4 quite as lavishly as ours, though, as the options list is extensive, but expensive.

Black Volterra leather trim adds £1,250 to the price, while the Lifestyle pack, which includes rear parking sensors, side blinds, a boot storage pack and sat-nav is a further £1,975. The TV function is £705 and the Bose sound system with six-disc CD changer another £800.

Together with the Tiptronic auto fitted to our car, all the luxuries add around £12,000 to the A4 Avant's basic on-the-road price of £24,085. Now that's eye-wateringly serious money! Thankfully, the Audi is a pleasure to drive. Under the bonnet is the punchy 2.0-litre turbocharged FSI petrol unit from parent company VW's Golf GTI. Even having to cope with the power-sapping presence of an auto box and quattro four-wheel- drive system, the A4 is truly rapid, with only slight hesitation caused by the transmission.

The trademark boomy note of the FSI powerplant does take a little getting used to, but of far more concern are the first signs of excessive oil consumption. Having only clocked up 5,000 miles, the low-level oil light has already lit up, with the dipstick showing well below minimum. After a top-up, it's something I will be keeping a careful watch on.

So far, I haven't had cause to use the Avant's boot for any major loading jobs, but my colleague, managing editor Graham Hope, has borrowed the car to collect family, friends and their luggage from the airport. The Audi took it all in its stride.

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New & used car deals

Audi A4

Audi A4

RRP £34,385Used from £14,824
Audi A6

Audi A6

RRP £39,640Avg. savings £7,364 off RRP*Used from £16,483
Mercedes C Class
BMW 5 Series

BMW 5 Series

RRP £52,195Avg. savings £6,739 off RRP*Used from £31,995
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
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