As a new buy, the A4 undercuts the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, yet overall offers better levels of standard equipment. Fuel economy is good for all engines (especially the diesels), though the A4 trails behind the 3-Series fitted with Efficient Dynamics in this respect. Servicing at Audi dealers is expensive (particularly in London and other large cities), but vital in order to maintain its used value.

The A4 is a big leap forward over the previous car when it comes to green credentials. There’s significantly better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions across the range. The 3.0-litre TDI diesel is especially clean, even if its fuel economy figures aren’t as good as the smaller 2.0-litre TDI. Although better than before, the A4 isn’t as clean as the BMW 3-Series which uses a package of technologies called Efficient Dynamics to bring down fuel consumption and emissions to seriously impressive levels.

However, Audi does have an automatic start-stop system (on 2.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI models) to help lower emissions and improve fuel economy.

The 2005-2008 Audi A4 was exceptionally well built with owners reporting very few problems. Over time we fully expect this generation to earn a similar reputation.