2008 Audi A4 2.0 T quattro with Tiptronic

Pros

Quattro, Tiptronic, overall quality and performance

Cons

Back seat is tiny, red display/dashboard, schimes

Purchased As New

I bought the last 08 on the dealer's lot. Got a good deal. We have had the car since July (09) and it has been a real pleasure. The engine is powerful, the brakes are excellent. The gas mileage is pretty good with a consistent 30MPG (Highway). Absolutely no issues, we have driven just under 7k miles in 6 months and the reliability has been perfect.
Bottom line, I am very happy with the car. It's a notch under the C-class however between Quattro, the brakes and the discounted price I feel like I had a very good deal....read morehide

Pros

excellent handling, especially in the snow and on ice/slush with the quattro

Cons

Audi Service!!!

While mine was a 1999 A4 Quattro I can only understand too well Pete's concerns with brakes!
The front brakes wore down rapidly including the rotors, that, inspite of my moderate driving style (to save fuel!).
After a very costly (!!) repair I complained to AUDI Corporate HQ, since the dealer was no help at all. He actually told me:...it is the way you brake!" I replied, that I must have the only Audi with 2 brake pedals, one for the front and one for the rear!
When I told them, that their brake modulator must have been defective, since the rear brakes and rotors were virtually like new after 23,000 miles, they just recited over and over again that it is my fault.
I have been driving for more than 50 years without ever having such a problem with other cars.
The result: I traded the Audi for a Mercedes!!!...read morehide

Pros

Interior, gas mileage

Cons

Location of emergency brake, some turbo lag

Great car. The fit and finish are excellent. The engine is small but plenty powerful, especially when the turbo is spinning. The AWD is amazing in the snow as well. On the highway it gets great gass mileage, around 30 MPG and it is comfortable even on long trips. Overall a very practical and well made car....read morehide

Pros

Good styling and good handling but lots of minor problems

Cons

Leaking of power steering fluid & high cost for repairment right after the warranty

I owned the 2003 A4 with 30000 miles and it starts having problem right after the warranty. If you plan to get rid of it before the warranty, this will be a good car. Otherwise, please prepare that it will cost you a fortune to fix the minor problems. For example, poor power steering rack design even in 1996's model. The power steering fluid will be run out automatically. You can browse through the internet & look for this common chronic problem. You will see the name of Audi. It will cost you about $1500 to fix it ($600-700 for parts and the remaining will be labour fee). This is a long term chronic well-known problem. Most of the minor problems need to be fixed by the dealer as well including to recode the remote control when you run out of battery (this will not be covered in your warranty) or audio system shut down automatically. Although the handbook will teach you how to do it, eventually, you must return to the dealer in order to fix it....read morehide

Pros

perfect handling; good power; design is outstanding; Fit and finish is wonderful

Cons

backseat still too small; front passenger seat needs power

The Audi A4 may be the most perfect mid-size sports sedan I have ever driven. The 2007 and 2008 models now have adequate power. The interior design is correctly lauded as the best offered.

Pros

Very well balanced car, great features, quick, good space in front, great stereo, amazing on snow!

Cons

Grabby brakes, limited leg room in back, trunk is large & deep but opening is not box friendly

I love this car. It has everything I want in a great package. It's so close to perfect... but the brakes, while very strong, drive me up the wall. They're overassisted and not progressive. It makes it difficult to stop smoothly at the end. As a result, I end up driving more cautiously than I ever would and in stop and go traffic when I am in NYC, I get very frustrated by this. The dealer tells me it's normal... maybe my brakes are still too fresh?!

The car can use a little more legroom in the back. I mean does the trunk have to be so deep? Luckily I rarely have people in the back, but when I do, the legroom is always an issue. But in the front, it's very comfortable with plenty of space. And I absolutely love the seat warmers on a cold morning (just wish they would heat up faster).

I know I just said that the trunk doesn't have to be so deep and I stick to that, but the trunk opening should be larger. If I need to get a medium size box in there, while it would fit with a lot of room to spare, it will not fit into the relatively small opening.

Another annoying thing, I have to put the seat belt on (as does my passenger) before I turn the ignition just so I don't get the highly annoying seatbelt beeping warning. And if your passenger even touches the seatbelt release to get out of the car, the beeping goes, same if you take your seatbelt off before turning off the car. My friends and I actually talk to the car, "okay, okay, stop crying!"

Otherwise, while people have complained about mileage, this car has been great for me. When cruising at the speed limit, I can easily top 40 mpg even after an hour plus in NY and NJ. But in fairness, if you accelarate faster in stop and go traffic, at stop signs, and traffic lights, and the turbos constantly open and close, it can be a gas guzzler. Also, if you put it into Sport mode... watch that fuel gauge! In general, I average 27 mpg between city and highway and that's amazing for a German car with so many features. I couldn't even come near that with an econobox I had before.

Would I buy this car again? Absolutely... but I would prefer an S4 or an RS4 to compensate for the brakes and body roll. I have owned a few BMWs in the past and always had major electrical problems with them. Audi has done an amazing job with reliability. This is my second Audi and so far, it has proven to be as reliable as my first and that one did 117,000 aggressive NYC miles without ANY issues....read morehide

Nice, Fast, Head turner. Decent speed with great handling combine for a great ride. The leather interior is confortable with a small back seat. The xeon headlights was a great add on