Buying a Used 2014 Audi A4 Good Idea?

THE PROS & CONS

• • What'south Best: Crisply tailored interior, unmistakable Audi way, efficient luxury
• • What's Worst: Self-destructive 2.0T engine, inaccurate electric steering, high repair costs
• • Typical Used Prices: 2009 – $12,000; 2016 – $32,000

Do German cars brand good used buys? Sure, they're a moveable banquet for the eyes, they coddle their occupants and provide a great driving feel for the about function, only do the vaunted High german brands hold up after the warranty expires?

Consumer enquiry house J.D. Power lately has been tracking problems reported by vehicle owners in Europe, and this month'south release of the 2017 Germany Vehicle Dependability Study may surprise those who believe German language engineering science is somehow superior.

Consider this: the well-nigh undecayed automotive brand sold in Germany is Kia, followed past Hyundai and Toyota. All of the hallowed German luxury badges are ranked beneath the industry average (and subsequently Dacia): Mercedes-Benz is 16^thursday, Audi is 21^st and BMW is 23^rd. Porsche was non ranked due to insufficient sample size.

J.D. Ability defines "issues" as whatever irritants ranging from fussy navigation systems to excessive route noise to fast-wearing upholstery, every bit well as mechanical faults such every bit defective transmissions and bad batteries. Researchers noted that premium models take more than stuff in them that can go wrong.

And that brings the states to Audi. Some owners here in North America have had a hard time keeping oil in their 2.0T gasoline engines, among other bug.

"3 days after driving the auto from the dealership the oil low alert came on," posted the owner of 2009 A4 online. "We have replaced the motor and turbo – and the oil consumption increased to a quart of oil with every fill-upward of gas."

CONFIGURATION

The cornerstone of its product line since 1996, the meaty A4 is Audi's answer to the BMW three Series sports sedan. The third-generation machine, released in 2009, was built on the same MLP front end-bulldoze platform that underpinned the all-new A5 coupe.

The A4 arrived from Deutschland as a iv-door sedan and Avant wagon; the previous-gen convertible soldiered on for one more yr before existence replaced by the A5 cabriolet. The sedan was bandage significantly larger at 12 cm longer and 5 cm wider than the outgoing model.

Just a fraction of the xvi-cm-longer wheelbase was used to improve rear seat legroom. The residuum was assigned to the front end, allowing the front beam to be shifted forward 15 cm in an attempt to meliorate weight distribution and address the A4's notoriously nose-heavy handling.

As comely as the A4 was exterior, the story within was fifty-fifty more inviting. The wider cabin immune the MMI interface to move to the panel betwixt the seats and give the dashboard a more upscale wait similar to that of the A6 and A8 cars. Materials and finishes were tiptop-drawer, illustrating why Audi is considered the industry benchmark by interior stylists.

New was a pair of direct-injection engines: the familiar two.0-L turbocharged 4-cylinder, revised with variable elevator to churn out 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and an optional 3.two-50 V6 that made 265 hp and, uh, 243 lb-ft of torque (the V6 was unceremoniously dropped in 2010).

The base A4 2.0T sedan was a front-drive-simply loss leader that used a continuously variable (CVT) automatic manual. The 2.0T Quattro – Audi's all-wheel-drive organization – worked with both a half dozen-speed manual gearbox and an optional vi-speed conventional automatic transmission. The latter was replaced with a new eight-speed automatic for 2011.

The A4 got a well-earned refresh for 2013 with revised headlights and grille resulting in a more than aggressive face up. The hydraulic ability steering was updated to electric help, and the MMI controller was simplified with fewer buttons. The Avant was replaced by a new Allroad carriage, essentially Audi's take on the Subaru Outback.

The A4'due south ii.0T engine produced 220 horsepower for 2014, and a few more standard features were added within, including Bluetooth and an iPod interface. Beyond some trim and options changes, the A4 remained largely unaltered through its 2016 product run.

Remarkably, Audi had managed to market the third-gen A4 for 8 model years with few substantive changes, which says something of the car'south enduring entreatment.

ON THE ROAD

Audi's two.0T turbo four is a surprisingly robust engine and here's why: its 258-lb-ft torque peak arrives at a ­diesel-like 1500 rpm, barely north of idle. And its all-wheel-drive organization – which favours the rear wheels by dispatching lx per cent of the torque there – allows the A4 to dart off the line with petty skid.

The effect is practiced acceleration from a relatively paltry 211 horses: null to 97 km/h came upwards in six.4 seconds with the manual transmission, while the V6-equipped Quattro took 6.two seconds. The switch to the viii-speed slushbox in 2011 allowed the ii.0T Quattro to zip to highway velocity in v.half dozen seconds.

Looking for more scat? The S4 operation variant uses a supercharged and direct-injected 3.0-L V6 to brand 333 eager horses and 325 pound-feet of torque, sufficient for a 0-97 km/h time of iv.ix seconds.

Despite Audi's best efforts to rebalance the car, more than 55 per cent of the vehicle's weight remained over the front wheels. So the A4's front stop continues to plow in the corners, albeit predictably and without drama. Equipped with Quattro, the A4 actually finds its groove.

"I've never been in a car that feels more connected to the road in the dry, and in the moisture or snowfall the thing tracks like a billy goat. On snow-packed roads I've had a difficult fourth dimension getting it to break loose, fifty-fifty intentionally," reported one happy pilot online.

Steering feel and feedback are practiced, although at that place are a few sports sedans that are even more talkative. Ride quality remained taut, but bumps are expertly managed by the multilink intermission – just stay away from the harsh, low contour 19-inch tires.

OWNER Churr

The A4 is Audi's bread-and-bratwurst car, or at least it was until the current meaty sport-ute craze took agree. Owners praised the sedan's performance, refinement, sumptuous interior, cavernous trunk and surprising fuel efficiency, also.

It does everything well and it looks good doing it. The A4 might be the ideal automobile for most people – until maintenance and repair bug come up up.

Equally noted earlier, the two.0T engine loves to quaff pricy synthetic oil. Lots of owners take complained online, including some who criticized Audi's insistence that it'south "normal" to burn a litre of oil every one,000 miles (1,600 km) – that's 10 litres earlier the manufacturer's oil-change interval.

VW recently settled a U.Southward. lawsuit that alleged 126,000 Audi vehicles take defective 2.0T turbocharged engines that caused the vehicles to guzzle oil. The affected vehicles are the 2009-2011 A4 and A5, and Audi Q5 crossover with the engine code CAEB. Unfortunately, the complaints still linger.

"My 2013 Audi A4 2.0T burns most i quart of oil every 2000 miles. I had read about this issue with older A4s, but the dealer had sworn that the problem had been resolved.
Apparently not!"

On this bespeak Consumer Reports doesn't dither: "Whatsoever engine that burns oil between changes should exist repaired under the powertrain warranty." (CR cites BMW and Subaru as other problem manufacturers.)

Some other commonly reported problem involves a timing chain tensioner that can fail and destroy the engine due to its interference pattern. A proposed U.S. class-action lawsuit lists many affected VW and Audi models from 2008 through 2012, including the A4.

The change to electric steering in 2013 introduced some driveability concerns: "My new 2014 Audi A4 Quattro has a astringent and extremely hazardous steering result where the car drifts left to correct and right to left at all speeds, just is more than pronounced at highway speeds. This car is a hazard to bulldoze."

Beyond these three serious problems are various other mechanical faults including: clunking CVT transmissions, failed ignition coils, faulty fuel and h2o pumps, bad engine mounts, and malfunctioning power sunroofs and door lock actuators.

Driving a German language car is largely an act of faith. Sooner or after, it will cease upward in a repair bay and, without warranty coverage, the toll will be loftier. Components are very expensive and labour is dear. Buying a used German automobile is not for the squeamish.

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Buying a Used 2014 Audi A4 Good Idea?

Posted by: cochranwastat.blogspot.com

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