2.0T FSI S line

Has Impressed Despite Its Age!

I wanted a cheap but relatively stylish daily driver which conformed to ULEZ, could handle short daily trips with occasionally longer journeys.

As such, I picked up my 58 plate A4 with around 85k on the clock and lots of service history. The car only had one owner from new and I can certainly say the previous owner really looked after the car.

The Drive…
The Audi, in this S-Line variation has extremely stiff suspension and very low ground clearance. So much so, that it can make local driving very uncomfortable and also nerve wracking, as the car will bottom out very badly on all but the flattest speed humps.

The steering is devoid of feedback and is fairly heavy, while the gearbox is short throw but slightly notchy. To be fair, its not a bad gearbox otherwise.

At speed, the car feels robust but you can tell its a cabriolet. The body is stiff but the windows to rattle.

In general, the ride is firm and not particularly sporting. This is more of a cruiser but it will feel dynamically compromised when comparing it to a BMW E90 or F30.

Fuel consumption for short runs can be anywhere between 12-17mpg increasing to 40-42mpg with longer journeys.

The Interior…
The build quality, while understated, seems very robust and the leather is extremely good quality and hardwearing. All the switches still feel robust and work well, with a nice clicky and tactile feel.

It is surprisingly comfortable in the rear seats despite the sloping roofline and reduced leg room.

The Bose audio speakers are very good quality. Having upgraded the infotainment, the set up is far superior to the modern systems in BMW and Mercedes.

The car does have an odd electrical gremlin, which keeps alerting me to a failed parking light bulb… yet the bulb seems alive and well.

One thing which is particularly head-scratching is the cars climate system, which seems to have a mind of its own.

But with all the foibles of my aged Audi, there is something endearing about it.

With the roof down, the car still feels special and the quality of the materials still fee robust.

All things considered, the car has been excellent value for money and feels like it can hit 6 figure mileage easily.

Just keep on top of the maintenance schedules.

Report as offensive