Stud or Dud? Does the New A4 Have What It Takes To Make It?

ROFLMAO.... the ES is a beached whale! WHat a horrible looking car that ES is... The IS on the other hand is nice looking. However the tailored look of an Audi is always great!

LexusKing, the Lexus ES is nothing more than a Toyota Camry.

You're comparing blimps and sport cars.

These fake fanboys have stopped being funny and are now even more annoying than the real fanboys...

The TL and the 3 series both give the ES a run for their money in the entry level field.

why do they always show the cars in silver?

look at that red picture ? wow

black is going to be hot

I do catch a little bit of a BMW influence on the first picture.. but this car, imo, is a stud. I've never been a huge fan of the large front grill, but Audi is heading in the right direction.

This Audi is a dud, far too conservative - it will look tired and out-of-date almost the day it's introduced. Audi should learn from the Jaguar XJ sales collapse and should not project an image of a mild refresh when there are actually substantial improvements under the metal.

To summarize DUD DUD DUD

Oh, MercBasher, SHUT UP! Could I expect anything more from you? You're among the five Audi haters on this site. I'm getting sick of it. This car looks absolutely amazing in the last few shots. MUCH better than the current model; it's all in the details. You're just too stubborn, so I won't bother explaining.

BTW. The XJ analogy is not even close. The Jag looks like it did 30 years ago; the A4 looks similar to the current B7 model, which has been out for two years. To normal people, this will be just like the 3 Series redesign. It's an A4, it's a nice car. That's all they think about. Nobody noticed the new curviness of the E90. Nor will they with this car. Nor did they with the G, which still looks suspiciously like the last-gen. The same is true of the C-Class- though it doesn't look like the old model, it's still somehow conservative.

S4 let's watch the sales figures in the US shall we? I'm predicting little increase in A4 sales in the next two years - presumably because you think this A4 is so dramatically different its sales will skyrocket?

Other manufacturers see a big increase in sales when they introduce a new model - so let's watch the monthly sales numbers for the A4 shall we?

You don't like my analysis because I have consistently tried to explain why Audi has such meagre sales in the US - you just don't want to listen.

I don't hate Audi, actually I bought one for my parents in Europe but I think they are not competitive in the US market. Why (i.) Lexus is a tougher competitor here. (ii.) BMW has a much better image, dealer network and maintenance program (iii.) Mercedes' new C Class will take all the attention from Audi (iv.) Other competitors such as Acura, Infiniti, Cadillac are all much stronger in the US than in Europe.

Audi is the little brand that get's squashed. Its cars (as opposed to SUV) sales have been falling. Its US branding is in TROUBLE. A mild evolutionary change in design may be perfect for Europe where Audi has the credibility that it lacks in the US - but a mild evolutionary change in design is not in the best interests of sales in the US market.

Now S4 please you shut up.

Oh and did I mention:

Dud Dud Dud!

merc

the ae sales are up and the only other volume car is the A6 and they are not supporting the car on the lease

and the Q7 is doing great

MercBasher, are you stupid or what?

Looks pretty nice. I sure wish they'd put in better looking steering wheels. The huge Schnauze is growing on me :)

Wonder what the interior looks like with wood?

I totally agree. I hated the new nose, but without really noticing when it happened, it's grown on me.

Stud, especially with that interior.
Looks good from outside too.

And I think the reason it looks "BMW-ish" is because it has the profile of a RWD car, what with the front axle being set further forward.

Looks good, definitely getting one in 2009.

I think this car is a studud... yes I said Studud, both stud and dud. I am a little disappointed in such a "safe" redesign. At first glance the side looks just like the current one. One might think of this as a facelift and ass lift... I was suprised this is the final car. The car is still a looker, very tailored and using all of Audis old and current ques in its style... love the LED lights in front. Interior looks great, but just wish it would have been a little more sleek in the profile...

I agree...its a studdud. Audi had a chance to make a unique 2 door coupe in the A5...now look...the A4 looks just like it, only with 4 doors! So much for making a model that really stands out from the rest.

when some of the 1 or 2 year old cars look way outdated a 1998 A4 is still classic

the C class will look very dated in 1 year

lexusking

your ignorance leaves all of us speechless, I have the upmost respect for all car fans and enthusiasts, this is what makes this web site and so many others. To a certain extend I think this is why even car manufacturers push the envelop, for the cars nuts/gear heads. But you, alongside with Larry, Will and a couple of others "lexus fan" are just too much. Yes indeed you have the right to express your emotions, feelings and thoughts. But before you engage your fingers on the keyboard, please make sure your brain is in gear.

Or are you 15 years old and you like to start flame wars?
What is you point?
What do you know about Audi?
What do you know about Lexus?
Do you think Lexus is bettter because they sell more cars here in the US?
Or do you just consistently make things up?
Do you have any technician, engineering, even sales in the car industry, experience?
How many cars did you ever own?
What makes you and you other Lexus fan "compadres" such expert in bashing?

Have all of you a good day

Why did you lump me in with that buffoon? If you guys really want me to be a die-hard Lexus fan then I'll do it, I swear. Starting with this POS rebadged VW from Audi. Regardless of the actual truth that I like the new A4...

Can you people not read past my first two sentences? Besides this comment where I was sarcastically making a point, name other instances in which I acted like LexusKing?

evilaudi you're the idiot - you pompass ass!

Learn how to spell "pompous" before you insult someone, thanks.

S4 you really are such a bore. I was emphasizing the ass "asspect" ok?

By the way the A4 will still be a DUD DUD DUD in the US market.

Looks good, but I wish it went a step further than the previous version. Looks so similar.

If the new A4 was a Lexus it wouldn't handle as well and let's not talk about braking.

Please!

The G37 does not compete with the A5.

265hp vs. 330hp

As opposed to

350hp vs. 330hp

I'm not trying to give Audi the advantage, but the S5 is a much better competitor to the G37. The G37 is a much better value, but you lose some substance in that equation. It doesn't look as exclusive, it's not as luxurious and it's not as refined. I'd take either, but I'd spend my money on the S5.

Anyone who lieks Audi OR Lexus is stupid and uneducaatd.

"Anyone who lieks Audi OR Lexus is stupid and uneducaatd."

Nice spelling, I can see your 'education' was well spent...

It's a stud muffin.

DUD Muffin that's spelled "DUD Muffin"

It's pretty nice!
The first thing that pop to my mind when I saw the rear was the similarity to 3-series. THe lights are little better done than on the BMW.

fyi, the a5/a4 is based on the Nuvolari Concept car from 2003! Way before the Bmw 3 series coupe came out.

Plus the B7 audi a4 had those taillights first before the 3 coupe. So you can say BMW copied Audi.

Chill dude! I didn't say Audi Copied BMW. I said they look awefully similar! I don't care who copied. Actually I don't think either copied from each other.

Well, if you want to play the genealogy game, the current horizontal taillamps (Audi's trademark) stemmed from the A8. It came out in 2003.

Its a DUD only german fanboy's can find something this ugly a STUD.

The lights are way cool. Much better look then those silly Gatling Gun lights on the Q45. I know these are LED and those weren't but the Q's lights were a first attempt at improving the flexibility of the way lights could be used on the front of a car.
(I know i will get flamed on this)

Exactly right, this is one wise character who understands Audi's image problem in the US. Now if we could just convince Audi executives and S4!

You seem to misunderstand me.

I was disappointed when I first saw this car, too. I thought it was a photoshop of the current model.

But then I kept looking at it, especially the one with the S-Line kit in the other article. And I'm very, very impressed. It's quite obviously more modern, and WON'T get old, as you said it would. It's curvier, sexier, more aggressive. You'd have to be an Audi fan to notice, and you are the farthest from it.

Stud! It looks fantastic! Especially with the S-line package. I bet the Avant will even look better.

The great thing is, none of these pictures are with the S-Line package. This is the base 3.2 quattro. I can't imagine how fantastic it will look WITH S-Line.

The S-line makes it look much more aggressive. i have a B7 A4 S-line, love the sportiness of it.

It's a stud. I love Audi's understated styling but yet pulls it off in a smooth aggressive way.

WHAT is this? Is this a 4-door version of Audi A5?

DUD!

Uh... yes.

How did you not know that? The A4/A5 are on the same B8 platform. The A5 is a coupe version of the A4, not the other way around. They just happen to have styling that is similar but different, like the 3 Series sedan vs. coup and the Infinitis.

looks like every other audi. zzzzzzzzz.

like an ES looks like a LS that looks like a Camry
Like a C-class looks like S-class
Like a G35 looks like a G37, like the G35 coupe looks like the G37 coupe that looks like the Nissan Altima coupe

What was your point cs4444?

good point 1evlaudi, i don't like thoughs cars either. my point is pretty self explanatory...it looks like every other Audi inside and out.I don't like when cars are cookie cutters of every other car in there lineup.

This car is a motherF'ing STUD. The headlights look so simple, yet when you look into the inside the headlights, it looks so complex. Truly amazing if you ask me. Audi is the only one who has such elegant and complex styling INSIDE their headlights. (The LED's are a plus too)

If you're a mindless Audi-hater, such as BenzW124 or MercBasher.

Look everyone S4 can't justify the new A4 for the US market so he has to undermine the doubters. Pathetic if you ask me.

S4 as noted above let's wait for the sales figures over the next year or two. I say A4 sales will be flat or up or down only slightly. You seem to think sales will be way up.

So I say bring on the sales data, bring it, bring it. Every month I will harrass you with facts about Audi sales. In the meantime get a clue about the US market, which is one thing you're missing along with an ability to debate!

Oh and the new A4 is a DUD DUD DUD!

I'm getting a new winter car first. Possibly an S5/RS5, 335xi coupe. I'd get rid of the S4 a year later. I don't think of cars as disposable. Anyway, I thought you were only like 17? So you haven't had that many cars yet?

MercBasher, not once did I mention sales. Although this car will probably go up in sales, I don't expect anything drastic. It's not a breakthrough, and I know that.

But you seem to think this is a step backwards. It's not- it's a massive improvement. They took the old one and polished it, everywhere. It has a sense of aggression that no "A" Audi has possessed before. The interior will look amazing in any color but black with aluminum (which I'm sure looks better in person than in these shots).

There was something about the silver one, especially its front end, that really struck me. This car is a winner.

WOW. Five cars, already? Impressive!

STUD, I am digging the LED front side markers.

By the way the new ES350 is not that bad looking. Handling is not good, but the exterior does look good, better than previous model.

I see the Audi A4 has either dual exhaust with single tips or dual exhaust on the side.

Styling looks good.
Despite their emphasis on the rear wheel archs and BMW derivative styling (character line among others).
However, Audi A4 is a FWD car with 4 pot FI engine, which despite being an amazingly good engine ( probably Audi's most reliable) is not looked upon in the US as a a luxury engine.
If one is to shop German, BMW and MB take precedence. Its a shame really, Audi is a fantastic brand with some really good engineering that unfortunately isnt able to break out in the US market.

Looks great in these new shots.

"Audi tells us this new A4 is dramatically more engaging to drive, and indeed is the sportiest car in its class. In other words, Audi expects it to usurp the 3 Series as the driver's choice."

I just read this on Edmunds. Yes, I know- AUDI said it. It may be propaganda. But they're modest. They have never said something like this before.

BMW fans will fight vehemently... but with the superb dynamics of the R8, RS4, S5 and S6, it could happen.

mercbasher
should I put you on the list next time?

I thought we could not say bad words here, is A#* a bad word???
Anyway, gentlemen; meaning educated, meaningful, polite don't use such foul language.

Maybe you do talk out of yours because that's where your tongue is...

Lexus,Audi,BMW,Mercedes,Infiniti. Doesn't it really get down to personal preference. They all make a good luxury or near luxury car.Lexus usually gets the best JD Power ratings but tends to be less engaging to drive. BMW is usually the most engaging to drive but does not have the same luxury interiors of the others,Audi big thing in the US is its AWD traction etc etc etc. You can argue this point as to who is the best until your blue in the face but it won't sway a fan away from the car maker they like. As for the new A4 it's predictable Audi. Thats neither good nor bad. It's a typical evolution of the Audi corporate style. They could make the car handle better but the higher ups insist on a certain percentage of understeer so not to depart from Audi's safe handling philosophy.If you want to play you will need to go to the R8,RS4,RS5,S6 or S8 etc. or go after market for suspension pieces.But the new A4 looks fine while breaking no new ground.

First and foremost please "Do Not" use the word "Finesse with Audi, that word is invented by and for Lexus ;)

Secondly, the new Audi A4 is definitely a Dud......when compare other cars in it segment. And I thought the new design of the MB C-class was boring, this new Audi A4 opt it by a huge margin. It look like an A5, just get this and put a A5 emblem on it. No one will know the different unless you tell them ;) and the back look like a Honda Civic???

In other word this new Audi A4 is super fugly compare to it current Audi A4.

Please, just stop talking. NOW. Everything--absolutely EVERYTHING--you said in that post was wrong.

Audi has a lot of Finesse.

What I would have expected from AUDI. An evolution of their current design. It's how the company works. Steady, forward. The design is fresh enough to set it apart from the current A4 while being instantly reckognizable as an A4. Smart. I like how the shoulder line tappers slightly at the rear. The front of the car looks nice as well and the headlights are incredible. I think they were wise not to copy the curved shoulder line of the A5. It gives them each their own identity. I'm sure it will be a sucsess.

When I first saw the photos of the new A4 I was a little dissapointed that there was'nt more of a design change. But, After looking at the old A4 and the new A4
it is easy to see the differences. The new A4's porportions are much more balanced and not as awkward as the old A4. What impresses me is the new technology
that has been incorporated in this car.

I agree, completely. Every word. I'd even go as far as to say the new A4 is far better-looking than the B7. They're taking the old one and giving it the perfect amount of aggression and sex appeal, to really look confident.

I think it looks nice. It isn't nearly and different enough from the current A4 to have me trade in my 06 though.

Boring still looks like the B6 and B7. New C-Class takes this segment.

After seeing the new Caddy CTS, this new A4 does nothing for me. Easily, a DUD!

I think it's important to remember that the A4 and the upcoming Q5 are the last cars to be designed by Walter Di Silva and they all have the Di Silva look. Not neccessarily a bad thing. What I'm looking forward to is the upcoming A8 and A6. Which will be designed by Josef Wolfgang Egger. Remember, He's the guy that designed the incredible Alfa Competizione 8C. His design language is completely different.

nice car but does resemble the 3 series alittle. new cars such as this are starting to copy the bmw shadow line through the side of the car. nevertheless its still a stud

I think its a stud, the exterior may not be a huge dpearture from the old one but the 2005 facelift was fairly significant as far as facelifts go.

The interior is excelent and will no doubt lead the class for quality. Handling should be improved two with the new chassis moving the engine further back.

A4 is hot.

Dud

Can't match the Lexus IS in any field.

david666

you will see in the first link that the "old" A4 is the car with the least HP and almost the heaviest of the group
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/download/0603_awd_data_panel.pdf

you will see in the second link that the A4 destroys your cherished Toyota, so imagine what the new one is going to do to it...
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=3280&page_number=9

Everybody can see the car looks nice. The question here was, "does it have what it takes to make it?"

Obviously, this redesign won't hurt sales. It looks 20-30% better than the B7 A4. It looks good and should drive even better.

The issue I see people like MercBasher raising is, does this car "change the game" for Audi in the US?

I would agree with him and say, no, it will not raise Audi's profile -- because, as MercBasher has pointed out, Audi's US problems are more institutional than product-based, i.e. low brand awareness, fewer dealers, VW-style reliability reputation (I said reputation, not fact), and the strength of Lexus in the US which takes away customers in that luxury-sport category (IS & GS).

I'm not saying these reasons are gloom and doom for Audi. But they're there.

The problem with this subtle exterior redesign is, there isn't any "news" for the casual observer to get excited about. BMW changed the game with their exterior styling--for better or worse, you can decide--but it made news for 5 years.

The Audi-die-hards will love it. I like it. The badge-conscious US luxury driver--the mass of sales--will still wonder about Audi while choosing BMW, Merc or Lexus.

Until Audi really changes the game.

"I would agree with him and say, no, it will not raise Audi's profile -- because, as MercBasher has pointed out, Audi's US problems are more institutional than product-based, i.e. low brand awareness, fewer dealers, VW-style reliability reputation (I said reputation, not fact), and the strength of Lexus in the US which takes away customers in that luxury-sport category (IS & GS)."

I completely agree, and am glad you put the "(I said reputation, not fact)" in there. LOL, they'd be on your ass.

However, I must say that they're pushing now. Young execs have joined the company, most recently the ex-Alfa Romeo designer Wolfgang Egger. He penned all of the latest, super-sexy Alfas, which will do wonders for Audi's already sophisticated style.

And I have a feeling sporty cars like the R8 will do a lot for Audi's image. If people are lucky enough to see it, they will run and take pictures with their phones and surround the car, etc. It is that kind of sports car. And when they see that it's an Audi, there will be more respect for the brand.

Going back to Wolfgang Egger, I think he will really be the one who revolutionizes AoA. Although the US isn't absolutely crucial to Audi (they're still keeping pace with BMW and Mercedes-Benz right now), it would be nice to have.

I was waiting for this A4 to come out with a normal-sized back seat. I like the interior. Nice-looking car.

I think the reason some people are saying DUD is because the design update is too subtle (boring, dry). I love elegant design and "get" Audi but I do feel they missed an opportunity to further define their elegant aesthetic into something a bit more pointed and tangible, where you could say, "That's Audi." Currently, the huge front grilles are doing that but it's not an ideal thing to be known for. The headlamps are sharper, definitely. Again, small things.

The R8 is a great example of doing something aggressive but also within the Audi design language. Wished the A4 was more aggressive, like the RS4. I know, I know, then what does the RS4 look like? For Audi to make noise in the USA I think they should have taken from the RS4's look a bit more. They could use the buzz!

good points
the american consumers buy easily into the smoke and mirrors, and heavy marketing campaigns.
In another blog about the Q7 Hybrid, I was pointing out that TOY/LEX came out, mass production wise, first with hybrid because of the amount of $$$ they can spend, not because they invented the technology.
Same for brand awarness and their direct corolation with sales.
I think Audi advertising budget in the US is in the order of $70-80 million/year, when, if, my memory serves me well, Lexus spends about $300 million; Audi sells about 90K unit a year in the US, Lexus about 300K+ units. In the US money=sales.
In Europe, different story...

STUD. I always liked the A4, and this one rocks!!

What an amazing car. A 60% rear biased quattro layout with increased interior space, a more sporting drive and a class leading interior

Audi's sales growth will continue stronger than ever.

Look for Audi to outsell Mercedes either this year or next.