Used Audi A4 Avant 2000 - 2005 review
Category: Estate car
The Audi A4 Avant doesn't drive as sharply as the best rivals, but none are as classy as this .
What's the used Audi A4 estate like?
Climb inside the Audi A4 Avant, and everything you see and touch looks great and feels rock-solid. The driver has plenty of space and the seat and wheel fine-tune perfectly for fit.
Rear space is good, too, although sitting three adults abreast is tight. The boot isn't huge, but dropping the rear seats to free up extra space is neat and easy.
The A4 Avant handles tidily, despite the steering feeling numb, while the manual gearbox is smooth and well weighted. Auto gearboxes are first-rate.
The ride is supple, although the suspension can't smother the nastiest road scars. It's worse still with the optional alloys and ultra-shallow tyres, which look sharp but transmit every bump to the car.
The Avant is hushed at speed, with wind and road roar kept to a minimum, although the engines, particularly the diesels, are audible.
A four-star occupant safety rating from Euro NCAP is acceptable but not class-leading. However, just one star for pedestrian protection is poor.
Ownership cost
What used Audi A4 estate will I get for my budget?
How much does it cost to run a Audi A4 estate?
The A4 Avant isn't expensive to run if you're smart. True, Audi dealers can charge a fortune for repairs, but visit an independent specialist and the hourly labour rate halves. It's worth paying extra for genuine Audi parts, though.
The car monitors its oil, coolant and brakes and tells you when a service is due. Expect up to 15,000 miles between visits.
Insurance groups vary from group 10 to 20, but most models fall into groups 12 or 14. Fuel economy is good: diesels promise 40mpg, although the 3.2 struggles to better 20mpg.
Our recommendations
Which used Audi A4 estate should I buy?
The smallest motor is a 100bhp 1.6 petrol, which is feeble for such a heavy car, while the biggest is a 3.2 V6 screamer with 243bhp.
In between live the best real-world choices: a 129bhp 2.0 and a 160bhp turbocharged 1.8. Diesels range from a 1.9 to a 3.0 V6 and, of these, the 140bhp 2.0 is the pick and our favourite for the car. It's smooth and packs plenty of low-rev punch.
The manual gearboxes change smoothly and precisely, while the autos are among the best anywhere. There's a broad choice of models with Audi's quattro 4x4 system.
Base-level trim brings a full safety specification and a fair few gadgets, but our preferred SE adds in luxuries such as climate control. S-line models provide the full sports/luxury treatment.
Franchised dealers have the pick of top-trim cars, but at punishing prices. The best value lies with independent dealers specialising in the marque.
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