Best Year Audi A4

‍2017 Audi A4

The Audi A4 is a mid-sized luxury car and is one of the best available. It debuted back in 1995 and has gained popularity over the decades. It long served as an entry-level luxury vehicle and has maintained tough competition against BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class.

In 2017, Audi gave the A4 a new look and equipped it with many advanced technologies. This generation of Audi is considered one of the best in terms of safety and performance. It comes in three trims, Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige.

Style

The 2017 Audi A4 flaunts a stylish look with impressive headlights to match its grace. It exhibits tight creases as if it just came back from a good dry cleaner. The aerodynamic shape is very attractive and is easy to identify. The front-end puffs up along the fenders, with the rear end being higher. The signature Audi grille is properly framed to match the super-smooth front end. The design seems more focused on endurance than dazzlement.

The 2017 A4 is a combination of future and throwback designing. The dashboard, for instance, gives a simple look with its mostly horizontal and mostly flat design. A series of vents divides the dashboard into upper and lower segments. But don't be fooled by the dark ribbon alongside the vents; it is just for continuity and not a series of functioning vents.

Practically, the low dash allows the driver a better field of vision. The steering wheel is small, with a large Audi logo in the middle. It offers just enough room for steering controls to be mounted on the spokes.

One of the most impressive features of the A4 is the dazzling screen installed in the gauge cluster, and an additional screen installed in the dashboard's center. Audi calls this series of screens a "Virtual Cockpit." The conventional gauges are replaced by the screen, which allows customizing the speedometer and the tachometer. This screen can also be used as a navigation display, which works with Google Maps.

The advanced climate control system is towards the middle of the dash, which features its own screens and capacitive touch controls. The touch controls feel very premium and advanced to operate compared to the big knob on previous models.

Performance

The A4 comes with a standard 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine. However, Audi engineers can extract different power from the same engine on different trim levels. On the Audi Ultra, the engine produces 190 hp and 238 lb-ft of torque. The Ultra comes with a standard 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The engine delivers 252 hp with 272 pound-feet of torque on the regular, more powerful variant. This engine is found on a much wider range of trims and comes with either a 7-speed DCT or a 6-speed manual transmission. There is also a choice of FWD and AWD.

The 252 hp engine seems better suited for A4's size and weight. The engine sounds balanced and smooth and is fairly quiet even without noise cancellation technologies.

The dual-clutch transmission delivers responsive and smooth shifting. It is a good swap for the conventional automatic transmission and the continuously variable transmission found on previous Audi models. For those with sporty intentions, the A4 is equipped with paddle shifters to give you an even better sense of control. These shifters ensure smooth shifting without jerks or any lag.

The powertrain equips the Audi with a delightful launching power. Sixty miles per hour comes quickly in just 5.6 seconds. The performance numbers of the 2017 Audi match those of the fully equipped S4, which was powered by a turbocharged V6 from previous years.

The Audi A4 comes equipped with an advanced suspension, adaptive shocks, a wide selection of driving modes, and electronic power steering. These features combine to deliver an excellent driving experience for all drivers.

The suspension comprises modern five-link assemblies mounted on the front and the rear. The material used is lightweight and durable. The adaptive dampers come as an option on many trim levels. The electronic steering is equipped with a technology that increases steering response at low speeds and higher steering angles. This feature greatly helps with parking and maneuvering through city traffic.

The front wheels are equipped with fixed caliper brakes, operated by four pistons. The rear brakes feature standard two-piston calipers. The brake pedal feels very progressive and responds well to input.

The driving mode selector, Audi Drive Select, collaborates responsiveness from most drivetrain components. It changes steering response, transmission, throttle, and adaptive damper settings throughout all modes from Eco to Sport+.

The A4 maintains control on the ride and does not seem to budge by small dips and bumps on the road. It goes through corners responsively and predictably, without hammering the road defects towards the cabin. The ride feels very quiet and comfortable; even at high speeds, it does not let the growl from the engine enter the cabin.

Quality and Comfort

The 2017 A4 is greatly improved in terms of cabin space and the vehicle's overall size. It is a true mid-size car and can be termed as spacious as other cars in its class, especially the BMW 3-Series.

The car is suited to seat five adults with adequate space comfortably. However, the front passengers get the best seats with good bolstering and firm support. Even on long drives, all occupants of the vehicles do not feel fatigued.

There are plenty of storage bins located all around the cabin. There are two large cupholders just ahead of the shift lever and a useful console bin just behind it. There is also a chamber next to the steering wheel, which can hold more than just a few water bottles.

The backseat on the 2017 A4 offers adequate legroom and headroom for six-footers, even when they are riding behind six-footers in the front seat. With the comfortable ride, and enough space, long highway cruises on the A4 are pleasurable for all occupants.

The trunk on the A4 can hold at least two backpacks and two roll-aboard bags easily without having to stack anything. The lid's hinges are covered to give a nice feel and protection.

The interior of the A4 seems refined and luxurious. The high-resolution screen in front of the driver is easily the most attention-seeking cabin component. The dash-mounted screen is also quite good and is situated well.

Safety

The Audi A4 comes standard with many standard safety features to ensure that the occupants remain safe in the event of a collision. Some of the key safety features are:

• Stability control: This system senses when the vehicle has reached its performance limits and takes necessary steps to slow the car down.
• Antilock brakes: This technology keeps the wheels from locking up and helps maintain traction in the event of hard braking
• Frontal Airbags: They keep the occupants safe in case of a frontal crash
• Side-impact airbags: They keep occupants safe if the vehicle is impacted from either side
• Knee airbags: They keep the lower portion of the body safe in case of a collision
• Overhead airbags: They keep occupants safe in case of a rollover or a side collision
• Pretensioners: They tighten the seat belts to secure the occupants if they detect an imminent collision

There are also some optional tech features that are not found on most of A4's rivals. These include:

• Frontal collision warning with automatic brake control
• Parking assist
• Lane-keeping assist
• Blindspot monitor
• Stop-and-Go, which lets your car follow the vehicle ahead for speeds reaching 40 mph
•  Adaptive cruise control
• Oncoming traffic warning when attempting to cross a busy road
• Door opening assist, which warns of traffic in the lane when trying to open your door

With the standard and advanced systems on the Audi A4, the car has received very high ratings from federal testing agencies.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety awards the 2017 A4 with "Good" ratings for Crashworthiness, which is the highest score. Thanks to the Superior crash prevention system, the sedan received the Top Safety Pick+ award for the first time in its history.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seemed to agree with the IIHS and awarded the A4 with a five-star overall safety rating. The sedan received five stars for rollover, side impact, and four for frontal impacts.

Features

There is enough technology on the base variant of the 2017 Audi A4. But the higher up the trim ladder you go, the more impressed you get. There are three trim levels, Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. The Audi A4 Ultra comes in two trims, Premium Plus and Premium.

The Premium trim comes standard with a sunroof, aluminum trim, Audi Drive Select, a rearview camera, and 17-inch alloy rims.

The Premium Plus features 18-inch alloys, S-line exterior trim, parking sensors, satellite radio, and a very impressive 19 speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D audio system.

Prestige adds to the Premium Plus with a heads-up display, surround-view cameras, blind-spot monitors, and navigation.

You can find an Audi A4 with optional features such as:

• All-wheel-drive
• Adaptive suspension
• LED headlights
• Heated rear seats and steering wheel
• Ventilated front seats
• Wood trim

As discussed above, one of the striking features of the Audi A4 is the wide display in front of the driver, which shows the gauges. The screen can be toggled from large gauges to add a small navigation window and even a full navigation screen.

The base cars have a seven-inch screen on the dash and trim levels, with optional navigation house a much larger 8.3-inch screen. The infotainment system is equipped with Audi's signature Multi-Media Interface (MMI), which can be operated using a variety of controls. These include steering controls, voice commands, and a rotary dial with a scratchpad that understands handwritten commands.

Fuel Economy

The A4 Ultra is the most economical variant of the Audi A4. It achieves EPA ratings of 27 mpg in the city, 37 mpg on the highway, and 31 mpg when running on combined roads.

For the dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel-drive, 252 hp variant, the fuel economy stands at 25 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 28 mpg combined. Throw in the All-wheel-drive, and the ratings come to 24 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined.

For manual transmission and All-wheel drive, the EPA ratings are 24 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined.

Price Range of Audi A4

A 2017 Audi A4 is priced between $22,000 and $36,000, with an average price of around $29,000. However, many factors determine the A4's price. These include but are not limited to location, optional features, trim level, mileage, and, most importantly, vehicle condition.

Running Costs of Audi A4

The average cost of owning an Audi A4 comes to around $5,700 per year, translating to around $28,500 for five years. This figure includes fuel, maintenance, spares, and estimated repairs.

Why is 2017 the Best Year for Audi A4?

 The A4 was completely redesigned in 2017. It was equipped with many advanced features and became roomier than its predecessors. 2017 was also when the A4 received its first-ever Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS.

With a 2.0 liter engine a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission, the 2017 Audi A4 is a pleasure to drive, which feels aggressive on the road, and remains quiet and comfortable on the inside.