To watch Audi's A4 evolve over the years has been a most interesting process. The lines have become evermore chiseled and angular, the grille larger, the lighting elements more detailed and LED infused, interior more luxurious and feature set more abundantly equipped, but the overall shape has remained just as singularly defined as this car's mission, to deliver premium five-passenger comfort and all-weather performance to luxury buyers with discriminating taste.
Like all 'compacts' within the luxury sedan sector the A4 has grown quite a bit since inception, now 183 mm (7.2 inches) longer than the original 1995 version, with a 193-mm (7.6-inch) longer wheelbase, plus it's 93 mm (3.6 inches) wider and 12 mm (0.5 inches) taller, and I'm not talking about the long-wheelbase version sold in other markets, but of course we now have the wonderful A3 four-door filling the entry-level void the A4 outgrew. Both are great looking sport sedans, but most would agree the A4 is the more enticing of the two. This is as it should be, the A4's higher $38,500 starting price $6,900 dearer than the A3's very affordable base price of $31,600 (plus $2,095 for freight and pre-delivery prep). As with all Audis, you get what you pay for, and with the A4 this age old adage translates into a larger more substantive car that takes luxury, performance and, as mentioned, style up a significant notch.
Giorgio rizzoni solution manual. Of course, it didn't hurt that my tester was trimmed out in sportier S line Competition guise. Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press This is about as close as you can get to an S4 without going over $50k unless you add on $890 metallic paint, my as-tested A4 2.0 TFSI Quattro Tiptronic plus S line Progressiv slotting in at $50,440 thanks to its classic Floret Silver metallic exterior finish, although still about $5k more affordable than the $55,200 S4. In lighter shades the A4's slightly larger grille looks downright menacing when trimmed out in the S line Competition model's gloss black, as do the LED rimmed headlights, not to mention the slats and bezels surrounding the fog lamps that get integrated within the edgy front brake ducts, those part of a sharply shaped lower lip spoiler with aero cutouts and a razor thin black foil underneath that adds an element of DTM-bred performance to the racy four-door. Blackened rocker extensions are almost lost between the glossy black S line Competition rims, 18 inches in diameter and wearing 245/40 all-season rubber.
Black mirror caps and window surrounds bring more attention to the Silberpfeil inspired paintwork, whereas a black diffuser was the only element that found its muse from the dark side on this A4's backside, the subtle deck lid spoiler done out in body-colour paint so as not to detract from the beautifully detailed LED taillights. These aren't as sharply drawn as the A3's or for that matter the Q3 or Q5's rear lenses, but they look elegantly appropriate on the A4.
Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press That S line Competition package costs an extra $1,250 over the regular S line package, the more basic upgrade requiring $1,700 more from your wallet and this seemingly bespoke customized Competition version increasing the A4's price tag by $2,950, but it's well worth the extra coin.