Audi A4

The Audi A4 replaced the Audi 90 in the German automaker's U.S. lineup for 1996, and the change in nomenclature ended up being very appropriate—it signaled the start of a movement toward vehicles with more performance appeal and inherent sporty driving feel that continues today.

Today, the A4 is a formidable rival to serious sport sedans like the BMW 3-Series and Infiniti G37 Sedan (G35), as well as the Lexus IS 250 and IS 350 and the Mercedes-Benz C Class.

When the A4 was first introduced in the U.S., it included a 172-horsepower, 2.6-liter V-6 and five-speed manual transmission or optional five-speed automatic (with Tiptronic manual control on some models). Performance with this engine is adequate but a little wheezy—especially with quattro (all-wheel drive). To its credit, it sounded good and was very smooth. The second year the A4 got a stronger 193-hp, 2.8-liter V-6 that moves it with more authority, but the new base engine, a 150-horsepower, 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (1.8T) ended up being the real star—offering a more sprightly feel than the V-6 because of its accessible torque, along with better fuel economy.

Many shoppers forget how small the A4 is until they get inside—or try the back seat. At just 175 inches long, the 1996 A4 wasn't much longer (or any larger inside) than a Toyota Corolla. In the years since, it's grown only about ten inches in length and though it has a wider, more spacious interior the back-seat space remains too tight for taller adults. Front seats are another story altogether. The Audi A4 has offered very comfortable, supportive ones for years, and it remains one of the best smaller sporty sedans for tall drivers.

Key to that first A4's success was an all-new interior design. Although good, sturdy cupholders still weren't on tap at the time of the A4's original launch, Audi was way ahead of most other luxury automakers—including Mercedes-Benz and BMW—at that time when it came to interior appointments. That included the introduction of items like a nav system before most other compact luxury sedans were offering one.

That lead with respect to interior appointments continued with the A4's redesign for 2002, but with that the A4 also got a completely new, more aggressive look on the outside. With this generation, the A4 got a 170-horsepower version of the 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine or a 220-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6. Audi offered a CVT (continuously variable) automatic for several years, but it was only offered on front-wheel-drive versions of the A4 (quattro models had the manual or a five-speed automatic). Overall, TheCarConnection.com found performance with the CVT to be good, just not especially satisfying from a performance standpoint.

For 2000 and 2001, the limited-edition S4 offered a 250-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6 and quattro. Beginning with 2004, the S4 returned—this time with a 340-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8 engine.

The Audi A4 was completely redesigned for 2009, on an all-new platform All 2009-2010 Audi A4 models get Audi's latest version of the quattro all-wheel drive system, which biases more power to the back wheels and should appeal to those who want more of a performance feel without alienating those who simply want all-weather security.

The A4 has remained one of the safer choices for those who are safety concerned, especially the more recent 2009-2010 sedan and Avant models, which have top five-star federal results and are IIHS Top Safety Picks. Rear-seat side bags have been optional for many model years.

Today the single powertrain for the A4 lineup is a 211-horsepower version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, paired to either a six-speed manual or Tiptronic automatic transmission (or in base front-wheel-drive models, a CVT). The Tiptronic was upgrades to eight speeds for 2011, while the A4 carried over mostly unchanged to 2012.

Beginning with 2003, a Cabriolet (convertible) version of the A4 was introduced. The convertible was one of the safer soft-top choices as it included a pop-up roll car and side airbags. The convertible remained offered for 2009 with front-wheel drive and the CVT or with all-wheel drive and the automatic transmission, but it's been replaced by the A5 Cabriolet for 2010.

Avant (wagon) models of the A4 have been offered since '98, and pretty much mirror the sedan offerings, though offering a bit more versatility thanks to flat-folding back seats and the wide-opening hatch.