2014 Audi A4

The A4’s lineup starts with the base Premium trim with a competitive price tag of $33,800. It is neatly packed with a stylish exterior and interior design with LED headlamps, chrome exteriors, and optional packages. As you move up, we have the Premium Plus trim that packs better design and comfort options with Xenon headlamps, MMI navigation plus, and packages to enhance the A4's capabilities.

The range-topping Prestige trim gets most of these features as standard. On top of that, we get a more appealing interior along with a mesmerizing exterior with top-notch convenience and performance options. Other than the Premium trim, the Quattro is standard with the higher trims. In comparison, all the trims seem well equipped for their price. You can add value to your A4 by availing of the optional packages.

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With just $900 over the standard trim, the Premium Plus trims will not cost you much as compared to the base trim. The 2014 A4 gives the Premium Plus trim better options than ever. The features that are only available with the high-end trim are now offered with the Premium Plus trim too. Also, it adds better safety options for you. The trim also comes with an AWD system that won't disappoint you with its performance.

In terms of fuel efficiency, the Audi A4 is one of the best options you can get in the segment. With the CVT transmission, the turbo 4-cylinder on the Audi A4 manages the efficiency and performance in the best way possible. It offers 24 MPG in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and a combined 27 MPG with its FWD drivetrain. The Quattro AWD and the 6-Speed manual transmission make it more agile but affect its performance. You get 22 MPG in the city, a similar 32 MPG on the highway, and a combined 26 MPG with a maximum mileage of 515 miles.

The base Audi A4 Premium ensures that you get a decent fuel economy to roam around in the city with its efficient motor. When it comes to highways, the BMW 328i takes the lead, and that's how both of them deliver similar combined mileage figures. Due to its heavy curb weight, the 2014 Volvo S60 lags behind its rivals in terms of fuel economy. 

With its classy exterior, the 2014 Audi A4 is also well packed on the inside. There's leather upholstery that wraps the whole cabin with 6 premium color options. The interior is designed with aluminum and metal-look accents. The A4 seats five with proper seating space at the rear. Like most German cars, Audi doesn't exaggerate the dash as we have an elegant layout. The sporty inlays can be seen with the flat bottom leather sports steering wheel, an analog-digital gauge cluster, and center-mounted infotainment. With an upright seating position, we have two bucket seats at the front with 8-way power adjustments with 4-way driver lumbar support.

The optional package adds a 3-way heating function and 2-driver memory settings. Moreover, you can avail yourself of the sport front seats with the Prestige trim with 12-way power adjustments. The rear bench seat has three fixed head restraints and a seat-mounted center armrest. You can avail 60:40 split-bench rear seat with a pass-through armrest and a fold forward seatback. Behind the seats, the Audi A4 has 12.4 cubic feet of cargo space, which can be multiplied when the split-bench seat is folded. For the seamless luxury cabin experience, the Audi A4 comes standard with an adjustable steering wheel, automatic air-conditioning, cruise control, 3 12V DC outlets, front and rear cupholders, and armrests.

As compared with the rivals, the Audi A4 offers competitive space and comfort even with the standard package. All the premium sedans can seat five passengers. The BMW 328i has the most spacious front row seating, whereas the second-row space is somehow better on the Audi A4. The BMW 328i does offer better cargo space than the A4. As we move up the trim level, the options increase. Other than the standard package, the A4 also offers a feature like tri-zone automatic climate control. Moreover, we get a panoramic sunroof and auto-dimming rearview mirror with an integrated compass. Few standout interior features include:

• Leather upholstery
• Sport driver-focused cabin
• Power heated seats
• Sport bucket seats (optional)
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Split fold bench seat
• Moonroof

How intuitive is the 2014 Audi A4's Infotainment?

The 2014 A4 gets an Audi MMI system with a 6.5-inch color display as standard. The infotainment is operable through rotary controls. For music, we have the Audi concert system that brings MP3 audio, an in-dash CD player, AM/FM radio, and an SD card MP3 player. There's Bluetooth wireless connectivity as well for device connectivity and audio. The Audi music interface works with iPod integration as well. With the Audi MMI radio plus, we get a SiriusXM radio subscription for 90 days and steering-mounted radio controls.

The infotainment is connected to 10 180W premium speakers with a subwoofer. With the top-end Prestige trim, you get a bigger 7.0-inch TFT color display. The bigger infotainment has an Audi MMI navigation plus that adds Audi connect services, SiriusXM traffic with a 4-year subscription, CD/DVD player, dual SD card slots, and a radio data system. To give you a concert-like experience, you can avail the Bang and Olufsen surround sound system with 14 speakers and a 505W amplifier powered by Dolby digital 5.1. Standout infotainment features include:

• Audi MMI system
• Bluetooth wireless connectivity
• CD/DVD player
• SiriusXM Radio subscription
• SiriusXM Traffic
• Audi Connect services
• Bang and Olufsen speakers

The fourth-generation Audi was facelifted with modern upgrades in 2011. With minor changes, it has been carried forward for the 2014 model year. The design has retained its original lines but looks more classy and premium. The new addition is the LED headlamps with redesigned bumpers and air intakes. The sharp headlamps get new daytime running lights and an aggressive front bumper with reworked fog lamps. Moreover, the exterior is designed with aluminum and chrome exterior accents.

The rear fascia of the Audi A4 is nearly unchanged. However, we do have new LED tail lamps and dual chrome tip exhausts. The base Premium trim of the A4 rides on 17-inch 10-spoke star design silver wheels. The higher trims get bigger 18-inch 10-spoke exclusive RS design wheels. In the Black Optic exterior package, you get a blacked-out exterior with high gloss black grille and performance tires. The S line exterior kit adds a sporty appearance to the A4.

In its segment, the Audi A4 is the longest compact sedan with its 185.1-inch length, yet it weighs less than the Volvo S60. In terms of overall size, again the S60 is comparatively bigger. The 4.2 inches of ground clearance in A4 isn't much but works well with the Quattro AWD. The balanced structure sits on an equally long 110.6-inch wheelbase, similar to the one on the BMW 328i. No doubt, Audi has the most beautiful alloy wheels with chrome exterior highlights. Few highlights of the exterior features include:

• LED Xenon headlamps with DRLs
• Chrome exterior accents
• S Line package
• Black optic package
• 18-inch exclusive RS design wheels
• Gloss black single-piece grille

The 2014 Audi A4 is constructed with a high-strength steel frame that adds balance and rigidity to the structure. The laser seam welded joints are nearly indestructible and strengthen the overall cabin. This led the 2014 A4 to score a total of 5 Stars in the NHTSA safety tests. The IIHS has ranked the front overlap Poor, otherwise, the rest of the score is Good.

Audi has given priority to safety as we have useful safety features. With ABS ventilated disc brakes, you also have electronic brake-force distribution and brake assistance. From higher trims onwards, the A4 adds advanced safety with adaptive cruise control, Audi side assists with a blind-spot monitor, parking system with a rearview camera, and parking sensors. Standout safety features include:

• Electronic brake-force distribution
• Adaptive cruise control
• Audi side assist
• Audi parking system plus
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rearview camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Adaptive headlights

The Audi A4 is the first luxury sedan you will encounter while climbing the ladder of the luxury vehicle segment. It is one of the cheapest luxury German cars you can have, that too with tons of features and options that can put expensive rivals to shame. The disappointing part is that Audi has kept the high-end features and luxury limited to the Premium Plus and Prestige trims. Thus, the 2014 Audi A4 isn't the best sedan in the segment in its base trim, still, it is a well-packed and value-for-money car. If you are looking for an entry-level luxury sedan with a package of convenience and luxury, you should go for the A4.