2009 Audi A4 Avant 2.0 Quattro
Acceleration
0-30: 2.2
0-45: 3.9
0-60: 6.4
0-60 (with 1 foot of rollout like on a dragstrip): 6.0
0-75: 9.6
1/4 mile (ET / MPH): 14.6 @ 91.3
Comments: The A4 doesn't approve of brake / throttle overlap for more than a fraction of a second, limiting an aggressive launch technique. Also, it seems to be short shifting by about 500rpm shy of indicated redline. Finally, manual-shift mode still upshifts automatically-- again shy of redline. Remarkably linear power delivery for a small displacement turbo engine.
Braking
60-0: 103 feet
30-0: 26 feet
Comments: WOW doest this wagon have brakes and the right tires to use them! Dramatic power, near-zero dive and no flutter or hum. Pedal effort was moderate to high.
Skid Pad
.90g
Comments: Awesome grip from both the front and rear of the A4 which indicates they've really banished the oh-so-Audi understeer somehow. Only throttle adjustments were required to steer the A4 around the circle. Steering effort was spot on.
Slalom
69.3 mph
Very good balance combined with crisp turn-in made the A4 a thrilling car in the slalom. While the AWD-effect wasn't pronounced mid-run, it was evident on the exit where I could lift to rotate, and floor it for the expected bite from the front. Nicely done and it appears Audi has cracked the code and made their AWD a performance enhancement as well as a foul-weather enhancement.
Tires: Bridgestone Potenza REO50A 245/40R18 93Y
Weight: 3,860 lbs
Darn good handling numbers.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant
sgude says:
05:15 AM, 12/25/08
Merry Christmas Edmunds!
It looks like Audi's suspension technology has finally caught up to tire technology. Those are some serious meats on that car.
MS3lvr92 says:
07:15 AM, 12/25/08
Those seem like really impressive numbers for a near 4,000 pound wagon! Much better than I expected.
-Happy Holidays
vvk says:
07:29 AM, 12/25/08
Wow, these are some seriously good numbers. Very impressive!
I am sure good tires contribute a lot to this picture.
dougtheeng says:
08:11 AM, 12/25/08
Great numbers - so who doesn't want a wagon again? This is a very appealing vehicle.
cjasis says:
09:53 AM, 12/25/08
Excellent numbers. I'm very anxious to see how long the tires on that wagon last. Usually, you can't get that much performance without giving up some substantial mileage.
iancar says:
10:54 AM, 12/25/08
I still want VW R36 instead.
bimmerjay says:
10:59 AM, 12/25/08
Wow, great numbers! Even the accel is impressive for that egg beater mill.
@cjasis - RE050A's are generally good for about 20k miles.
huyracing says:
01:57 PM, 12/25/08
excellent numbers... that lil 2.0T is definitely working harder than in my GTI to make that heavier car move just as fast.
billt9 says:
02:15 PM, 12/25/08
Acceleration:
Would redlining actually increase performance? Torque drops way before redline, and horsepower also takes a dive before redline.
What would redlining do for you?
chavis10 says:
03:00 PM, 12/25/08
V6 option is pointless in the A4.
vvk says:
03:19 PM, 12/25/08
chavis10, unless it's the supercharged 3.0l in the new S4 :-)
cx7lover says:
04:54 PM, 12/25/08
Redlining won't because of the small turbo running out of puff far before redline.
audisport says:
06:42 AM, 12/26/08
Wow, I cannot believe those braking numbers. Awesome, especially considering this car's weight. My B7 A4 couldn't dream of a sub 15 second quarter mile. The extra torque does wonders. Excellent engine, and does make the extra cost and gas mileage penalty of the V6 seem absolutely pointless. I think im going to trade in my A4 for an '09. And personally, I think the avant looks better than the sedan.
chavis10 says:
07:11 AM, 12/26/08
wk- true. But I think this version would be plenty fast for my needs. Besides, Audi and MB are the only two manufacturers still making 90 degree V6s- which are essentially V8s with two cylinders cut off. Not exactly cutting egde therefore not exactly desireable in a premium model. Audi could also trim some weight off this car if they used a modern aluminum block in stead of dense cast iron.
jm1212 says:
08:25 AM, 12/26/08
it would be interesting to see how quick the sedan would be considering it is a bit lighter.
awesome numbers. shows BMW and MB that you dont need a big engine to go fast
equ says:
06:29 AM, 12/27/08
I cannot believe any of those numbers. Ok, I can believe the handling and braking, as audis have always had strong slalom. But I just cannot believe that a 211hp 4-banger 3800lb audi can do a 6sec 0-60... If so, that's great, goodbye 3.2 and long live 2.0.
clarkma5 says:
12:15 PM, 12/27/08
Those are positively amazing numbers for this car. The 0-60 time seems too quick for even the V6 but that 2.0T is a torquey devil.
1487 says:
01:58 PM, 12/27/08
Those numbers do seem too good to be true. The A4 sedan they tested with the V6 was slower with far more hp. I know the 2.0T is a good engine but this seems to be a sign of an underrated engine. MT typically gets faster times for its cars and they clocked the V6 to 60 in 6.5secs.
byronwalter says:
01:59 PM, 12/27/08
The torque is the reason a modest 211 hp engine manages to move little miss piggy so well.
I'm scheduled to pick up an almost identical Avant around the end of January. It will be my fourth A4 and third Avant. But it will be the first car that I've ever owned with an auto tranny :( ... oh well...
I'm going to be interested to see how it moves compared to my current '06 A4 Sedan which is modded for around 240 hp or so.
Almost bought an STI but just couldn't quite handle its looks.
BTW, really appreciate all the effort on the part of Edmunds. Great site.
chavis10 says:
07:02 AM, 12/29/08
Sounds like Audi is using the Nissan GT-R power rating system for the "211hp" 2.0T.
bimmerjay says:
09:01 AM, 12/29/08
"Sounds like Audi is using the Nissan GT-R power rating system for the "211hp" 2.0T."
It may only be 211 hp but it has 258 lb-ft of torque from 1500-4000 rpm.
chavis10 says:
09:18 AM, 12/30/08
I'd reckon it has more than 211hp then. Torque is a force, not a rating of power.
stingray454 says:
10:54 AM, 12/30/08
Those are some very impressive numbers for almost any car, especially a wagon! That little 2.0T continues to amaze me, particularly it's diesel-like torque.