Audi A4 (2001 TO 2005)
MODELS COVERED: Four door saloons, five-door Avant estates and two door Cabriolets (1.6, 1.8T, 2.0.
2.4, 3.0, 4.2 petrol 1.
9, 2.5 TDi diesel [base, SE, Sport, S line, S4])
BY JONATHAN CROUCH
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The carve up of the executive class has always been something of an elegantly frenzied affair. The
Audi A4 has done better than most at eating into the sales figures of the
BMW 3 Series and the 2000 relaunch of Ingolstadts big money maker has caused a fair deal of head scratching at BMW and Mercedes. As a used buy its unlikely youll turn up a bargain as the A4 hangs onto its value like little else. Nevertheless, the truism that you get what you pay for certainly stands up in this instance.
In either saloon, Avant estate or Cabriolet form, the Audi A4 is a class act.
In producing second generation A4 saloons and Avant estates then, Audi were under immense pressure to get things right. The shape was the thing that many customers loved about the original version, but the car had undergone a number of extensive revisions which had left that refined look largely unchanged. Not wishing to either kill the goose that was laying the golden eggs nor lay themselves open to the perception that they were selling an outdated car, the latest A4 preserves the character of the old model whilst freshening the style of Audis strongest seller. Its a philosophy that carries on throughout the car keep what was good with the old one and update and improve everything else.
Criticisms of the outgoing model were largely aimed at the slightly less than top-drawer chassis and the relatively meagre rear
seat packaging. The current model rectified these complaints pretty thoroughly and offers a selection of impressive powerplants as well. The Avant estate bodystyle offers 442litres of space with the seats up or 1,288 litres with them folded. Audi makes great play of its quattro four-wheel drive transmissions, claiming that 30 per cent of new A4 buyers opt for it.
Indeed, the whole range uses rear suspension based on the old-shape quattro models as well as a stiffer chassis and revised steering. The car has grown in size to help passenger space. The length has grown by 2.5 inches, and although wheelbase has improved by only half this amount, some clever repackaging of the bodyshell has liberated extra rear legroom, and additional head, shoulder and elbow room front and rear.
In the quattro versions, the transmission tunnel running to the back of the car means that theres effectively only space for four passengers. Boot space in the saloon is improved over the old car, while those looking for a stylish load lugger can choose the Avant estate version. The interiors correspond to what weve come to expect of Audi beautifully damped fitments, impeccable materials quality and an almost frightening logic to all of the major controls. As with many modern cars, the fitment of windscreen-pillar airbags makes all-round visibility less than optimal, the chunky pillars restricting views around sweeping bends.
Should you fail to spot an oncoming tree however, the latest generation of electronic sensors fitted to the A4 can detect how hard your impact is and tailor the deployment of the airbags accordingly. In some areas, however, the A4 is not the advance some may have expected. With many manufacturers incorporating many of the storage tricks theyve learned from their MPV ranges into more mainstream cars, the Audi seem to have missed a trick with its meagre array of oddment spaces. Nevertheless for most the sheer depth of engineering evident in the cabin will be ample recompense.
Prices start at around £9,500 for a 2000 X plate A4 Saloon 2.0-litre manual, or another £1,000 for the CVT gearbox. The popular 1.8T versions are worth seeking out, starting at £9,800 in saloon form or £12,400 as an Avant estate on a Y-plate.
Values for the range-topping 3.0-litre quattro saloon versions have remained firm, an SE version on a 2001 X plate retailing at around £13,000 with a Sport variant commanding another £300. Diesel buyers are well catered for, the TDi 130 being the most popular choice. These start at £11,200 on a 2000X plate with SE trim another £500.
The 2.5-litre diesel starts at just over £13,000 in base quattro spec with SE trim adding £400 and Sport specification another £200 on top of that. Insurance ranges from a reasonable Group 10 for the 1.6-litre models up to Group 17 for the 3.
0-litre fliers.
You'll do well to find anything notable here. Corrosion is simply not an issue with Audis and another reason why resale values are high.
(approx based on a 2001 A4 1.8T) A clutch assembly kit will be around £205 and an exhaust system (without catalyst) will be about £250. An alternator should be close to £120 and a radiator around £160. Front brake pads are around £75, rear brake pads will be £50.
The A4 has never built the reputation of a car to challenge the BMW 3 series or, latterly, the Mercedes C-Class as a drivers tool. The current version does little to change this assertion. The ride is very firm, the steering still substitutes weight for feel and the brakes have that familiar overservoed feel common to all Audis. Roadholding is superb, however, especially if you opt for quattro all-wheel drive.
The 1.6 and 130bhp 2.0-litre petrol engines dont really have the power to haul all of that quality with too much alacrity, the 1.8T still being the favourite petrol engine.
Likewise the 1.9TDI 130 may not be the most modern of diesel powerplants but its the most popular on offer here. The driving position is near perfect although the chunky windscreen pillars can limit vision when circulating a roundabout.
Whilst tracking down an outrageous bargain may be difficult, landing a great A4 wont be. If youve got the folding, the Audi will come up with the goods.
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