2023 Audi A4
Overview
The 2023 Audi A4, like its A3, A6, and A8 sedan brethren, is dressed in a Brooks Brothers suit: its design is conservative, it’s carefully tailored, and it looks expensive—which it is. It comes across as classy and sporty in equal measure, and that’s how it drives—luxury balanced by agility. Its turbocharged four-cylinder engines move it with authority and are fuel efficient. Its standard all-wheel drive and taut suspension tuning offer balanced handling and helpful bad-weather grip. The interior is carefully assembled with premium materials and an attention to detail we expect from a premium maker like Audi, but the design could use more flair. Indeed, the same could be said of the somewhat staid exterior styling. Rivals such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Genesis G70, and the Mercedes-Benz C-class offer more flash or more driver engagement—or both. But the A4 excels at delivering its own brand of quietly expressed quality, making it an equally compelling luxury sedan.
What’s New for 2023?
All A4 models come standard with LED headlamps for 2023 and the mid-range Premium Plus trim now includes a Bang and Olufsen stereo system. A Black Optics Plus package is now available on 45 models and includes black exhaust tips and a black rear lip spoiler. The available Convenience package now includes adaptive cruise control; Chronos Gray and District Green join the palette of available colors.
The mid-range Premium Plus trim represents the best cost-benefit ratio in the A4 lineup as it adds a host of features that make the car an upscale ride. Among them are a reconfigurable digital gauge display, a wireless charging pad, memory settings for the driver’s seat, blind-spot monitoring, and keyless entry with push-button start. We’d suggest the more powerful 45 powertrain—it makes 60 more horsepower than the 40—and it’s a relatively inexpensive $1600 upgrade.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Audi offers the A4 in two strengths: 40 and 45. Both are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a 12-volt hybrid system and all-wheel drive; the 40 makes 201 horsepower while the 45 makes a juicy 261. Although we’d love a six-speed manual, a seven-speed automatic is the only transmission. The well-equipped A4 45 we drove scooted to 60 mph in a speedy 4.8 seconds, and its automatic quickly and smoothly changed gears. Precise steering, well-controlled body motions, and strong roadholding combine to make the A4 a sharp handler. Usually, cars with such deft responses require sacrifices in ride quality, but the A4 manages to soak up bumpy roads with aplomb. Steering feel, so important in a sedan with sporting overtones, is subdued at lower speeds and on the highway. However, almost as if by magic, the steering becomes pleasantly communicative when you push the car on twisty roads
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The A4 sedan is expected up to 25 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. The model we ran on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, returned 33 mpg. For more information about the A4’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
