Audi A4 (1996 - 2000) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I had a 1996 Audi A4 Quattro as my first vehicle. Overall I would say I was very satisfied with it. The Quattro AWD system is truly phenomenal in bad weather. Lots of luxury features, powerful engine and smooth shifting transmission make for a very enjoyable ride. Gas millage wasn't bad for a V6 AWD car either. Good looking, safe, reliable vehicle. The only downsides to the A4 in my opinion would be the electrical system, and expensive maintenance costs. Oct 02, 2014

Performance-acceleration in this car is quick for only having 172 hp. But it will toss your head back a little. Braking is excellent and the handling is superb just stock from the factory. Build Quality- The car has needed general maintenance, such as timing belt, brakes and that sort of thing. The is some wind noise at speeds in excess of 75 mile per hour, but nothing else. Car is german and german=awesome. Appearance- Styling of this car is classic. It never looks old or outdated. Interior is classy with leather seats and wood accents. Exterior design exudes elegance and power. Cost of Ownership- I average about 25 MPG total with 29 or 30 on the highway. Maintenance cost is a little bit higher than say, a Honda, but you get what you pay for with this car. You will not be disappointed with any aspect of it. Fun Factor- This car is a blast! You have a lot of fun with just the stock performance and handling of the car. It is very trackable and fun to bomb through canyon roads with. If you put a performance exhaust kit on it, you will not be disappointed with the growl that comes from the engine. This is definitely one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. I would recommend this car to anyone looking to have a car that looks good, but can also drive like the European sports car it really is. If you have the means to purchase one, I suggest that you do!Dec 15, 2008

Strong engine this 174 hp V6. Pulling very well at any speed. Gear rations are spot on, and nothing to argue about the braking system. What is impressive, is the way the "Quattro" system can find traction anywhere. Perfect car for winter, and that's basically its use. Build quality is at modern Audis level and only the look might have dated a little bit. It's not a very cheap car to own, but I've seen worse. Definitely a great all rounder.Nov 29, 2008

Anyone who knows me, knows that cars are my passion. You wont find a more perfect blend of performance and handling for New England Weather. 335hp. All wheel drive. 6-speed. 0-60 in 5 seconds. Top speed over 160mph. All this capability, as well as being capable of getting 26mpg on the highway(if you can stay out of boost). I have built it like I want it...but the interior and body are still relatively the same.Oct 09, 2008

I own a euro spec with the 1.9 TDI and 5 speed with 230,000km (143,000 miles) that was always serviced at the original dealer. I picked it up because I was looking for a diesel car since I live 30 minutes from work. When I fill up the 60L tank, I can drive 1050km until the low fuel light comes on, then I fill up about 55L of fuel. That's good for 5.2L/100km or 45MPG. And that's driving on the Autobahn doing 160km/h+ (100MPH+), so that's excellent! It has a leaky rear main seal, but not that bad. The clutch needs replacing soon, so I guess I'll have that replaced at the same time. Car is rock solid and feels like a Mercedes when closing the doors. Rides super smooth and controlled. Acceleration is just barely adequate due to the slow revving turbodiesel. Once the turbo is fully spun up, it moves, but before that is barely any power. On the highway at Autobahn speeds, it's stable as you'd expect a German car to be. Super easy to drive. HUGE trunk, even after the 12" sub I put in there.Sep 11, 2008

Fun car to drive, was European which meant that parts were expensive when you needed them. Performance was fantastic, great car to drive above the speed limit in. Needed repairs every now and then, some squeaks including the clutch. Very good looking car (Blue). Had a great time driving this car, and put over 100,000 miles on it. Another AWD vehicle that was great in the Northeast.Aug 17, 2008

Fantastic car. Fast, quiet, great looking, amazing winter car, decent mpg, total luxuty... The interior was incomparable at the time, beautiful leather, heated seats, quiet as a vault, great radio. And it came with heated seats, headlight washers, heated mirrirs. Awesome. nothing to complain about except it was pearl white. I liked it so much I got another one.Aug 08, 2008

This has by far been the most capable, most satisfying, and most technologically advanced vehicle I have ever owned. It is solid, well thought out and very well built. However, keeping it in top condition is not cheap. This is a maintenance intensive car, and while most parts are reasonable in price, the overall cost of frequent maintenance and service can be quite expensive. The 1.8 Turbo engine has been troublesome to Audi. The original timing belt change interval was reduced from 90,000 miles, to 60,000 miles by Audi after numerous belt failures resulted in destroyed engines. Unfortunately, mine was part of that number. Thankfully I had a good warranty and a VERY good dealership (Carousel Audi in Minneapolis). This car is a blast to drive. Very solid on the road. And with the AWD, the car has excellent grip in rain and snow (it's outstanding in snow), and it even resists pulling out of the lane when the wheels on only one side of the car hit water puddles. Overall I would recommend Audi and the A4. Just be aware of the cost of ownership and if you own a car with the 1.8 Turbo engine... have your timing belt changed regularly without fail!Jul 27, 2008

Beautiful car, quick, its a sedan sleeper. can keep up with modified cars pretty well. Love the car, rugged, can outrun the cops without worry. Brilliant car. Heated leather seats get the girls...gorgeous interior, luxurious and comfortable.. great over all. handles like a dream, in the snow perfect for doing donuts, good rally offroading, good for road racing a friend. holds up good dispite all the abuse. Jul 23, 2008

Another one of my brother's cars. This one seems to be putting up with the rough justice of being owned by my brother quite well. It is 12 years old, so there have been a few items that have needed some work lately - but that's to be expected. A comfortable car, the A4 was Audi's first successful attempt at cracking the BMW 3 series and Mercedes C Class market. It was the model that really put Audi on the map and has been the foundation for what is an impressive model line-up. Audi dispensed with its venerable 5 cylinder and inserted either a new 4 cylinder engine (with turbo option) or the new V6 of either 2.6 or 2.8 litres. The V6 is a torquey and powerful unit, and when attached to a manual gearbox, makes for exciting performance. The trim quality is typical VW/Audi - just about faultless. The interior is made of high quality materials that wear well and look attractive over 10 years on. Occasional electrical faults are to be expected, as with any German car over 10 years old. Well equipped in even standard form, the first series A4 is now a relative bargain and servicing costs aren't as crippling as some people will have you believe (especially compared with some Asian manufacturers). A sensible choice for someone wanting a quality car at a reasonable price - but make sure it's got a full service history.Jul 22, 2008

I "inheirited" this car when I was 18 years old. This was my mother's car since new, and he didnt want her commuting in a then-7-year-old car with 104,000 miles. So for her 50th birthday, he bought her a Mini Cooper S (which, by the way, is fantastic to drive). I took over this car, and my previous car, my beloved 1987 Jeep Wrangler, went back to my cousin because the insurance cost was unbelievably high. I had been driving this car since I was a junior in high school because, before I got the Jeep, this was usually the car I drove because my older sister had priority over the car that we shared. I learned how to drive stick, and she didn't, so I would always get to borrow Mom's car. She's a beautiful 1998 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro that my parents bought new when we moved back to the US from France. My mom wanted a stick shift, and my dad wanted AWD, a combination that was exclusively provided by Audi in the late 1990s. The 2.8-litre V6 engine was updated that year, going from a single-overhead-camshaft (12-valve) configuration to a dual-overhead-camshaft with 5-valves-per-cylinder (for a total of 30 valves) and variable valve timing, which boosted output from 172 to 190 horsepower. This particular Audi was bought off the lot of Pray Audi in Greenwich, CT and came equipped with a standard 5-speed manual transmission. Optional extras included: leather interior, 6-disc CD changer, and optional Hibiscus Red Mica metallic paint. All for $30k. You can't buy a base FWD A4 for that nowadays. It also came with a free 3 year/50,000 miles service plan which included a loaner car, which is also something Audi doesn't offer anymore. Now, 10 years (and 9 Northeast winters) later, the car is still with us. It's a tick shy of 130,000 miles, and as a testament to its German engineering, it still feels very much as solid as day 1: not a squeak or rattle can be heard on the road, unlike the various American and Japanese cars that I drive at my place of employment (Enterprise Rent-a-Car). This is surprising given the fact that for the first 104,000 miles, the car was beat on by my mother; thankfully, the Mini hasn't been driven all that much to have been given such a beating. It has also taught both me and my brother how to drive stick, and is still on its original clutch, which is surprising given that its an AWD car with 130,000 miles. More praise can be extended to the interior, which is simple and remains in original condition with routine cleaning. The all-weather quattro system attributes to nimble handling in most conditions, and is very handy in the snow. The highway ride is spot-on: it rides like a bigger A6 (it has the standard suspension). It surprisingly has handled the many roadtrips we've thrown at it, and is a very comfortable traveller. Now, my relationship with the car hasn't always been filled with sunshine. Because of the car's rough history with my mother, when I inheirited the car, it came with a faulty Mass-air-flow sensor, something that has been replaced on the car 3 times since I've taken over it. The wheel bearings are an Audi sore-spot, and despite having replaced the rears at 90,000 miles, they are once again beginning to make noise not even 40,000 miles later. This past fall, there was a major service done at 126,000 miles where the technicians diagnosed many oil leaks (among other things), and recommended that the car have a valve job done because it was burning oil. The other repairs were too expensive, so the valve job was not done. The exhaust system has a few leaks here and there, but the rest of the system is still in good condition. DIY maintenance has been fairly decent: due to Audi's notoriety amongst driving enthusiasts for having its engine mounted forward of the front axle, the oil drain plug and filter are conveniently located right behind the bumper. Other nitpicks: performance has decreased noticeably in 10 years (can't keep up with my friend's 2000 BMW 528i which has similar power, more weight, and an automatic tranny), trim panels have started to fall off (which i've noticed happens to other A4s of the same vintage), electronic gremlins (seat belt/headlight warning buzzer stopped working so I sometimes leave my lights on; radio works intermittently, sunroof pops open sometimes). Overall, I appreciate the car for what it is. My parents have picked up the maintenance tab; I otherwise wouldn't be able to afford this car. From a personal standpoint, I need a car that's rugged and simple to work on (ie cheap), something that I won't worry about when I haul all my gear around or tow a 500 lb. race car, or carry a couple kegs (hey, I'm a college student). This car is too nice (even at 10 years old) to be able to do any of that, which is why a Jeep Liberty or Wrangler is more appropriate for me. But if I had a legit job, or needed to impress people, then this car is tremendous value, if you don't abuse it and you're able to pay attention to the upkeep.Mar 29, 2008

The cabin is built like a bank vault, so even high-milers should be free from rattles and squeaks. Like the saloon, this A4 Avant kick-started Audi’s renaissance as interior design masters. The materials are classy and the styling is measured, understated cool. Space in the back is meagre, but at least the ride is comfortable on most surfaces and you won’t hear much outside din as you’re whisked along at speed. The engines are smooth and hushed until near the red line, but since most of them give strong mid-range shove, you don’t need to go there. Handling? It’s okay – the four-wheel-drive quattro models are better – but it’s no 3 Series Touring. The brakes can bite a bit too sharply, too. Luggage space isn’t generous, but the Avant is more extended hatchback than estate, and the rear seats will fold so you can do the dump trip in one hit. Jan 05, 2008