2009 Audi A4 Avant: Mileage Will Vary More Than You Think

Averaging 80 mph with 27 mpg is really no biggie. Last year I have to go to Vegas from LA every other weekend and I averaged around 28 mpg easily by going AT LEAST 80 mph. Oh and my car has about 100 more hp than the A4 2.0T.

Bear in mind people, this car is still early in break-in.

And it's AWD. And it's no lightweight of a wagon. And it's got an auto trans (albeit a good one).

I'd like to see this engine starting breaking into the low to mid 30's on the highway trips. I've heard enough stories about it (and that was the old 2.0t) that I'm belieiving it's possible in the A4.

Ed - Any comments on the torque of the new 2.0t and the powerband feel?

She shure is purdy!

Ed writes: "I went practical"

I guess practical is a relative term.

This is really one of the nicest german cars I've seen made in the past ~5 years. Inside and out, that is. Just seems well done.

Joe

P.s. Edmunds should chip this car. :)

Great photo. This thing would look great in red or blue.

Great looking car. Most recent Audi offerings have been stunning.

I love the 2.0T in my GTI, but as stated earlier, it can be a bit temperamental with the mileage depending on how you (ab)use it.

Considering the A4's TFSI is producing 11 more horsepower, ~50 lb-ft more torque, is hooked up to an AWD drivetrain with a traditional automatic and is hauling considerably more weight than my GTI, it's not doing bad in the mileage department (I return about 29-30MPG at a constant 75-80MPH).

Chipping this car would be an excellent idea, but if you do, I would suggest you stay away from APR. Not that the product is bad - not by far! It's just that Audi/VW Dealers have APR's system all figured out and will aggressively use it against you to void the warranty.

With a chip (when it becomes available), this car would easily top 300 lb-ft of torque and 250HP while maintaining or improving it's current highway mileage.

Audi needs to bring over the RS4 Avant. That is a proper wagon.

That's a great looking car. Audi did a nice job restyling the A4. Actually, I like the look of all of their cars. That mileage isn't bad either.

Gorgeous! Great photo.

Tell me, did you get your bad mpg on the way there and the good on the way back? It could be the altitude change between LA and LV - uphill the way there and downhill the way back.

27mpg is weak especially since it makes 210 hp.
I averaged 31.5mpg in my 265hp 330i driving to Carson City and back, and that involves a lot of mountain driving.
Beating a dead horse... $44K for a 210hp 4 cylinder car? Dang, makes those STis and Evos seem like a deal!

27mpg is what this car is EPA rated for on the highway. It's about right for a modern AWD car of it's size and power. I don't know what people are so concerned about one way or the other.

27mpg isn't "weak" for an AWD nearly 3900lbs wagon that's ALWAYS boosting when you press on the accelerator.

An observation. People who own/like/want an Audi seem to be really passionate about their cars. They seem to tell everyone how great these cars are.

I have know many people with Passats and some older A4, new A3, older A6 owners and they have had a plethora of problems and almost all failed to start (once or more) and leak oil at around 50k. Are they really this bad? I don't really hear any posters complain about reliability here.

My 2005 S4 has been in the shop more times than my wife's 2002 SVT Focus, if that says anything. I like the car enough to keep it for a while, and I like looking at Audis in general, but I don't think I'd buy another one.

There are 2 things keeping me away from the Audi dealer.

- Price. Even with a few options the pricing is rediculous.

- Reliability history, enough said.

felonious

Exactly this is what I heard but I was wondering if these cars just need more care? What are the problems? Major or Minor?

How does chipping the 2.0T produce all that additional power plus greater highway economy? Is Audi incapable of achieving this performance on their own?

Nah, 27mpg is weak for a weak 210hp 4 cylinder motor.
But hey, if you think that's good, well ok then!

How's the turbo lag with the AC on? I always read how this time it's gone, but then when I test drive one, there it is...
Here's the thing, Audi's competitor's offer lag free motors with more powah and mpg for the same money. Cool, huh?

This engine can easily make more power. The same version in the TT-S makes 265hp with the same amount of torque.

"How does chipping the 2.0T produce all that additional power plus greater highway economy? Is Audi incapable of achieving this performance on their own?"

LOL +1

A chip does slightly increase fuel economy, it leans out the car. Of course, using that logic of how does chipping produce all of that additional power, we could say something stupid like "how are they getting all of that power from a chip".

http://www.revotechnik.com/products/softwareProduct.aspx?pvID=592

I think you need to have a greater grasp of modern turbo engine tuning and the resulting driving characteristics to understand why a "chip" can improve fuel economy. Many can, and do.

I'll use Subaru as an example, since I'm getting very familiar with their 2.5 turbo. (I will most likely self-tune it with a cable and a laptop in the car).

Manufacturers do all sorts of crazy things with the combination of fuel and air to meet emissions and prevent anything bad from happening to the car, ever, under any conditions. With Subaru, owners don't know what they were thinking with the stock engine maps. It's actually bad for the engine.....they go from pig rich to dangerously lean, long delays in a closed loop environment while boost is building, etc.

Chip companies simply modify alot of the built in emissions and safety parameters, or improve upon them for performance. In a turbo engine, you really just need to run an 11:1 air/fuel ratio and avoid knock. It's not that simple, but that is simplifying it.

In some engines, the act of bringing on boost earlier, leaning out the engine in some areas and enriching it in others, ending closed loop operating conditions earlier, etc. will actually improve fuel economy because the engine no longer works as hard to provide the same accelerative force and the effort it requires to maintain momentum.

I'm not sayign this applies universally, and lots of anecdotes of people flooring it day and night after a chip result in some people thinking fuel economy goes way down, but that is a basic primer on how and why fuel economy can increase with a chip.

Joe

Id really like to test drive a A4 2.0TSFI S-Line sedan but for some reason I dont see a manual transmission option on the Audi site. I dont want a slushbox.

Manual sedans are coming later.

"There are 2 things keeping me away from the Audi dealer.

- Price. Even with a few options the pricing is rediculous."

Have you even been to a BMW or Mercedes dealer? Audi is pretty competitive..

"- Reliability history, enough said."

I suggest you take a trip over to the LT M3 blog.

Honestly, Audi/VWs aren't the most reliable vehicles on the road, but then again, no German automobile is (on average). When I recommend cars to people, one of my first questions is expected longevity of ownership. If it's beyond the factory warranty period, I gradually steer them away from the Germans (especially since most won't do their own maintenance).

I think many people forget the weight of this car and the drag induced by its AWD drivetrain when they talk about fuel mileage. For comparison, BMW 328xi Wagon is rated at 25 MPG Highway by the EPA - sounds to me like the Audi's 27MPG (and more torque) is a bit better. The city mileage is even more of a disparity...

Audi's have been doing MUCH better in recent years regarding reliability. Their rankings have been above average (I'm literally meaning above the mean of reliability) on most rankings I've seen.

Joe

"Have you even been to a BMW or Mercedes dealer? Audi is pretty competitive.."

Best joke of the day...