Before You Buy

Audi A4: Buy Score, Reliability & Ownership Costs

Luxury Compact Car · Sedan

MSRP Range$43,295–$45,395
A gray Audi A4 sedan parked on a city street in soft evening light, shot candidly at a three-quarter angle.
Engine2.0L turbo 4-cylinder (45 TFSI), 261 hp / 273 lb-ft
Transmission7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DrivetrainQuattro all-wheel drive, standard
Seating5

Our Verdict

Based on model-specific reliability data, ownership costs, and longevity signals.

Consider
74/100

Buy Score™

Pros

  • RepairPal ranks it a solidly mid-pack 14th of 31 luxury midsize cars, with repair costs exactly at the class average
  • quattro all-wheel drive standard across all remaining new/certified-pre-owned inventory
  • 261-hp 45 TFSI engine (standardized for the final 2025 model year) offers genuine performance
  • Remaining new inventory can often be negotiated well given the discontinuation

Cons

  • Audi discontinued the A4 sedan after 2025 — no new ones are being built, and it's used/CPO-market-only going forward, with the A5/A5 Sportback as the direct successor
  • No confirmed iSeeCars depreciation figure exists for the A4 specifically
  • Didn't earn a 2026 IIHS award (not tested as a current-model-year nameplate since production ended)

Can this car reach 300,000 miles?

Likely

RepairPal's model-specific score (3.5/5.0) ranks the A4 a mid-pack 14th of 31 luxury midsize cars, with a repair cost exactly matching the class average. Important buying note: Audi discontinued the A4 sedan after the 2025 model year, replacing it with the redesigned A5/A5 Sportback — a new A4 nameplate is rumored to return as an EV around 2028-2029, but that's speculative and years away.

First-Time Buyer Friendly

58/100

Livable, but the complexity or running costs here reward buyers who already have some ownership experience.

Reliability Timeline

What tends to need attention, and when — based on model-specific reliability data.

RoutineModerateMajor

30,000 miles

Oil changes, tire rotations

60,000 miles

Brake pads
48V mild-hybrid system inspection

100,000 miles

Spark plugs and turbo components

150,000 miles

Suspension bushings

200,000+ miles

Commonly still running with routine upkeep, per its class-average RepairPal profile

What It Actually Costs to Own

Repair costs land right at the luxury-compact-car class average — no confirmed iSeeCars depreciation figure exists for the A4 specifically, so the estimate above is directional, based on comparable luxury-compact-sedan patterns.

Estimated Annual Fuel Cost$1,500
Estimated Annual Insurance$1,550
Estimated Annual Maintenance$500
Estimated Annual Repairs$739
Estimated Annual Registration$210
5-Year Depreciation~50% of purchase price

Full Specifications

Engine2.0L turbo 4-cylinder (45 TFSI), 261 hp / 273 lb-ft
Transmission7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DrivetrainQuattro all-wheel drive, standard
Seating5
Warranty4 yr/50,000 mi basic, 4 yr/50,000 mi powertrain

Check for open recalls before you buy

We don't yet have a live recall feed wired up for the Audi A4, so we won't guess at a number here. Before you buy any specific A4, run its VIN throughNHTSA's free recall lookup tool— it takes about 30 seconds and confirms whether that exact vehicle has any open, unrepaired safety recalls.

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Sources: RepairPal model reliability score (3.5/5.0), annual repair cost ($739, exactly the class average), and 14th-of-31 luxury midsize car ranking: repairpal.com/reliability/audi/a4 (live lookup, 2026). A4 discontinuation after MY2025, A5/A5 Sportback as successor, and rumored 2028-2029 EV revival: motor1.com and mnautoleasing.com A4 discontinuation coverage (live lookup, 2026). MSRP reflects the final model year's pricing, not a current new-model-year figure. 2025 A4 trim/engine standardization on the 45 TFSI for its final year: carbuzz.com 2025 A4 sedan specs (live lookup, 2026).