Audi A4
Published · Researched 2026-09-21
The Audi A4 is dead, and that's the best thing that ever happened to its used prices. Audi retired the badge after 2025 and folded the sedan into the A5 liftback — which means the last of the B9-generation A4s are now sitting on used lots at roughly a third off their original sticker, with the best reliability record of any car in this comparison.
The car itself needs little introduction: the compact executive sedan, 2.0-litre turbo four with 201 or 261 horsepower, 7-speed dual-clutch, front- or all-wheel drive. The B9 generation ran from 2016, got its facelift ("B9.5") in 2020, and bowed out in 2025. It was never the flashiest car in the class. It was the quiet one that didn't break.
What's genuinely good is the ownership record. On the AudiWorld B9 forums — one of the most technically literate owner communities in the business — the consensus is striking: "The B9 A4 generally gets very high reliability ratings. Check Consumer Reports." The generation that preceded it (B8) was infamous for oil consumption and timing-chain disasters; a senior forum member notes those problems "have not emerged as issues on these cars unlike the B8." The What Car? Reliability Survey backs it up: 15th out of 23 executive cars at 90.1%, ahead of the Mercedes C-Class, behind only the BMW 3 Series and Jaguar XE. Many owners report trouble-free experiences, dealers get praised for professionalism, and because the EA888 engine and S tronic gearbox are shared across millions of VW-group cars, parts and good independents are everywhere and priced sanely by premium standards.
What's actually wrong is a short, specific list — which is the point. Water pump and thermostat housing leaks, mostly on early B9 cars: watch the coolant level. The 2020 model year's IHI turbocharger has a known loose-wastegate failure mode — and here's the useful bit — the 2021-and-later cars got a Garrett turbo that "so far seems to be immune to the problem," per the forums. Some 2.0 TFSI units drink oil. The S tronic can lurch at low speed. And the single biggest complaint category in Consumer Reports data is the electronics: infotainment freezes, phantom warning lights, sensor weirdness — "electronic / electric weirdness is a not an uncommon issue," as the forum puts it, "like just about all high end cars." Repair costs at main dealers are, in What Car?'s words, "predictably premium." One forum veteran's caution is worth repeating: don't call any car reliable at three years old — "the measure of whether a car is 'reliable' is to be taken over the long haul." Fair. But the B9 is now old enough that the long haul is visible, and it looks fine.
The social pulse is the calmest of the six cars in this batch. No hype, no hate, no viral takedowns. The A4 died without a farewell tour, and the forums treat it as what it is: the sensible used buy. The loudest adjacent noise is Audi's own A5 launch, which quietly frames the A4 as yesterday's car — which is exactly why yesterday's car is now cheap.
The value call is the simplest in this whole cluster. Buy used, buy the facelift, buy the right turbo. The sweet spot is a 2021 or 2022 car: facelift-mature, Garrett turbo (no wastegate failures), past the early water-pump era, and deep in the depreciation curve — roughly a third off MSRP, per market data. Skip the 2017–2020 cars: early water pump/thermostat leaks and the 2020-only IHI turbo issue. There's no 2026 — the badge is gone — so don't let a dealer sell you "new A4" anything; that's an A5 now. Nearest alternatives: the BMW 3 Series (the reliability champ of the class, sharper to drive) or a used Mercedes C-Class (plusher, worse reliability record, bigger service bills). Before buying: full Audi service history, check coolant and oil levels yourself, confirm the rear-axle alignment and occupant-sensor recalls are closed, and drive it cold to feel for S tronic lurches.
Closing line: the A4 didn't get a goodbye. It got something better — a used price that finally matches its reliability.