Distance: 1,732 km
Location: Ontario, Quebec, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
Date: 20-23 October, 2023
Up front: Audi’s base model compact executive sedan has one major edge over its German peers—it comes with standard leather seating instead of an imitation fabric. The seats are comfortable with a memory feature and fully adjustable lumbar support. Controls are still mostly manual with satisfying button clicks arranged in a logical layout. However, taller bottles will obstruct centre console controls and the sunroof is too far back for first-row occupants to enjoy. I wish the cupholders were more offset on the passenger side.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto comes standard because you’ll need it for navigation if you didn’t pay up at the dealership for the navigation package. Plugging in phones into both the USB-A or USB-C charging port will confuse the car, so you can only realistically use one at a time. To avoid messing up phone pairing, tell your passenger to use the wireless charging pad under the adjustable armrest.
In the back: Rear legroom is a half-inch more than the competing BMW 3-Series with more room under the front seat for rear seat passengers to put their feet under. Still, it’s not a pleasant place to be for adults on long trips. It is, however, workable for young families as the child lock buttons can be activated for each rear door independently from the driver’s seat. Have one child and a teen in the back? No problem.
Cargo space is standard for the segment. It’s possible to fit five carry-on bags or even longer items with the rear seats down in 40/20/40 options, doing away with the need for a ski hatch. The little webbed pockets on the side look useful, but are actually very loose and don’t hold objects very well. I appreciate the space saver tire under the false floor—it’s better than a can of foam.
Driving: It’s too quiet and comfortable to be sport sedan, but the the steering is too precise to just be a luxury cruiser. The Audi A4 doesn’t goad the driver into going faster like the BMW 3-Series and tends to encourage dawdling in the centre lane with cruising control on. However, it hustles when asked to on a twisty mountain road and is easy to manoeuvre on narrow passes.
The standard all-wheel-drive setup has a noticeable front-wheel bias and weight isn’t evenly distributed with the front being heavier. Dynamic mode can only do so much in making the car feel dynamic without re-engineering the budget chassis share with Volkswagen Group’s cheaper products.
