The Audi A4 is as tech-savvy and trim--and, in S4 form, sporty--as ever, back for the 2014 model year with minor updates to a proven car. Continually refining and improving its vehicles is an Audi trait, and the A4 family continues to stand out from the American and German crowd with its own unique sense of style and sophistication.
This year's differences lie mainly in the A4's front-drive fundamentals (though all-wheel drive is an option) and its pared-down, underplayed look. Side by side, it shares the lead in styling with the ATS, sleek and rakish and embossed with new details last year for a fresh take on its spare lines. Trimmer headlamps and a toned-down grille are subtle enough, but the grille's angled corners are an expert touch; wider fog lamps build more muscle at ground level, where the car could use it. The cockpit's trimmed in aluminum or a warmer-looking wood, and leather is standard. The controls are more easily understood since they were rearranged a bit last year, too.
The S4 wears its own body kit and metallic trim, but it's largely a lookalike to the standard four-door. The cabin of the S4 gets a new piano-black and steel trim option that coordinates in a hot way with red-stitched sport seats.
No matter which one you choose, Audi's entry-level sedan has good front seats, excellent sport seats available as an option (they're standard on the S4) and good room for those passengers. The rear bench sits low to the ground, though, and space is snug in back, particularly in knee room for taller passengers. The trunk's on the small side compared to the likes of the 3-Series.
The A4 comes with a single engine these days, and it's uprated slightly for 2014. The 220-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder responds with zest once it cuts through some initial turbo lag. It's teamed with one of three transmissions. Front-drive cars get a continuously variable transmission, and good gas mileage, but CVTs aren't known for quick responses.
Source:
http://www.thecarconnection.com/
Josh Condon, Senior Editor
Two complaints: the steering is extremely heavy for a car this size, and the S-line badging on the sills of a non-S-line car is just cynical, opportunist badge dilution (BMW is guilty of the same sin, but you know the saying about two wrongs, etc.). Otherwise, this is a great example of what Audi does well. The interior is simple but feels upscale; the car feels connected and peppy without tricks or gimmicks; the exterior design has clean, handsome lines. It's no wonder Audi always dominates the "perceived quality" rankings—they do all the little things right, and that's a hallmark of actual, you know, quality.
PLUS:
Quiet and relatively roomy cabin. It looks, feels, and drives like a premium product.
MINUS: Heavy, numb steering. S-line badging, though discreet, still rankles.
Alex Kierstein, Web Editor
It's fast, it's comfortable. It has a highly competent automatic and a great interior design. The seats are fantastic. It looks pretty sharp. Why can't I get all that excited about it? I think it's this engine. In pursuit of the perfect intersection of power, fuel economy, and emissions compliance, I think they engineered out the joy of revving it up. This is one of the nicest cars I can think of to commute in. I'd never talk you out of getting one. I just wouldn't talk you into it.
PLUS:
Really, this car doesn't fall flat in any regard. All systems are go.
MINUS:
Intangible "X" factor missing.
John Krewson, Senior Editor
This nifty little car shows you why Audi’s the German company making the German sedans that everyone across America wants these days. Get into one and everything seems to function exactly as it should. The intuitive infotainment stuff that they do so well, the just-so seats, the taut control calibration—everything in the A4 is simply right. It all looks right, too, inside and out, unobtrusive and elegant. If it lacks some of the bells, whistles, open-grain wood, and staggering power of bigger Audis, that’s okay. You don’t notice. You’re too busy not being bothered while the car just plain works. And if it’s missing some of the caffeinated excitement and visual flair of other brands, that’s okay, too—it’s understated but not bland; cool Coltrane jazz, not smooth Kenny G jazz. That’s Audi’s secret: Its cars are genuinely relaxing without being boring.
PLUS:
Quality all the way down.
MINUS:
No fire-breather.
David Gluckman, Associate Editor
This car was good when it came out in 2009, and it's still very good now. Usually, when something's on the Grim Reaper's doorstep, you can find a fault or two that need to be addressed with the next generation. I really can't here.
Of course, there have been a few updates since the last time I was in an A4—notably some exterior and interior freshening and an eight-speed auto in place of the six-speed—but the changes were unobtrusive enough that this one just sort of drives like the last one I was in. It's quiet, it's powerful enough (although a little more wouldn't hurt), it's economical enough (same thing here), and the interior has aged very well over the years, even when compared to Audi's stunning cabins for the A8, A7, and A6. So while I can't fault it, I know the A4 will probably get a little better/more powerful/more fuel-efficient in the next round. Hopefully they keep it attractive. It'll probably be a bit bigger. So it goes.
PLUS:
The right size, the right set of updates.
MINUS:
Starting to look dull next to Audi's latest products.
Matt Tierney, Art Director
Just an unbelievably solid car that does everything perfectly. Fits three kids in back, no complaints … Cold, slick driving weather? No problem with AWD and winter tires. Decent trunk; filled it up at IKEA, it swallowed everything. The interior of this car is one of the best organized, most natural-to-use and just plain sensible cabins around. Doesn't blow you away visually, but everything is where it should be. Feels top quality and just inspires confidence that the premium you paid for it was warranted. In-car WiFi? Bonus! The A4 lacks the visual sizzle of some of its competitors and looks a little long in the tooth but still handsome, particularly in this S-Line guise with these multi-spoke wheels.
PLUS:
Does everything right and nothing wrong. A model citizen.
MINUS:
Lacking a bit of pizazz. Starting to look and feel not exactly OLD, but familiar …
Source:
2014 Audi A4 2.0T - Little Notes
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