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Road Test

Audi A4 TDI

Test Date Sunday, February 10, 2008  Price When New £23,600

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Verdict

No question, this A4 is an improvement over the old in terms of engine refinement, ride, handling, packaging, fuel economy and feature availability. Yet it’s hard to avoid concluding that this car is not enough of a step forward over the old A4, especially as Audi has gone to the expense of developing a new platform for it.

It is not good enough to topple the 3-series, and in many respects, such as its driving position, handling and the weighting of its controls, it is inferior to the cheaper Ford Mondeo.

That this new B8 A4 doesn’t look so different from the previous B7 generation is perhaps appropriate, then. And the flawed driving position is a disappointment too. Yet despite all these criticisms the A4 is an agreeable car, the more so because it is civilised and very well put together. But Audi’s efforts might have been better directed at polishing the car itself, rather than offering a cornucopia of options that the majority of owners will never see.

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