2012 Audi A4 Premium Plus 2.0 turbo quattro

Summary:

Pretty, but uncomfortable for long trips

Faults:

Squeaky sunroof when closing.

Squeaky shifter.

General Comments:

This is a very pretty car. I have it in bright red. It is very reliable and the manual transmission is smooth. The quattro has gotten me out of a jam a few times.

The seats are not comfortable at all. They are hard and my lower back hurts after a three hour trip. I did not have this problem in my Saab 9-5, nor do I when I drive my wife's Volvo XC90.

I am not convinced that the sports seats would have been more comfortable for the long haul. I have sat in a model with sport seats, and they were very stiff as well.

I will buy a new car in about three years, and I will pay attention to the seats. I probably won't return to Audi unless they pad their seats a little more.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd October, 2013

11th Dec 2013, 00:00

If you love the car, you could have the seats reupholstered.

11th Dec 2013, 13:43

Not many match SAAB or Volvo seats for long-distance comfort. Had a few Audis before, the seats are pretty average, but a friend's A4, same age but with the 6-cylinder engine, had comfortable seats. I think they offer more than just sport and normal seats, there may be another variant they use for upper trim variants.

29th Jan 2014, 12:26

I drive a recent Audi and the seats are indeed rather stiff... If you are used to (have driven with) soft seats, then it's not going to be a pleasure to sit in a Audi.

30th May 2014, 07:25

I am the original poster. I sold my 2012 Audi A4 last week and bought a 2009 Volvo S80 V8 on CPO, loaded. My family is growing soon and the A4 is just too small. The Volvo seats are far superior in terms of comfort.

I will post my experiences with the Volvo S80 V8 in a few months. So far I have been very happy.