2010 Audi A4 Overview Change Vehicle

This 2010 Audi A4 overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2010 A4, and includes Audi A4 safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Audi drops the A4 Cabriolet model for 2010, replacing it with the new A5 Cabriolet. The new direct-injected V6 engine that debuted last year is also gone for 2010, leaving a single engine choice under the hoods of A4s. Audi also improves its Multi-Media Interface (MMI) navigation system, and includes it in the available Prestige trim package. Trim package contents are also shuffled a bit for 2010, with the optional blind spot information system contained in a new Driver Assist Package that also features lane departure assist. Finally, a new performance-oriented S4 Sedan arrives, but that car is not the subject of this review.

For 2010, the Audi A4 Sedan and Avant are available only as a 2.0T model. Sedans come standard with front-wheel drive, and Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system is optional. Avants have Quattro as standard equipment. The front-wheel-drive A4 Sedan gets power to the ground through a continuously variable transmission (CVT), while Quattro is paired with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.

Every A4 is dressed up in Premium trim with fog lights, power heated outside mirrors, a power moonroof, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, aluminum trim is standard along with leather, automatic climate control, 8-way power front seats with power lumbar, and a 10-speaker sound system with CD/MP3 capability, an auxiliary audio input jack, satellite radio, and audio controls on a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Premium Plus is the first trim package upgrade, identified on the outside by LED forward lighting and chrome greenhouse trim. Premium Plus trim also includes triple-zone climate control, Bluetooth hands-free calling, a CD changer, an iPod interface, a universal garage door opener, and a trip computer. Other goodies are heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, and Xenon headlights.

For optimum luxury, you’ll want the Prestige Package for its 19-inch alloy wheels, rear park assist, rearview camera, keyless ignition, auto-dimming mirrors, driver memory system, premium 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, and MMI navigation system. On Avant models, this package includes a power liftgate.

For improved handling, buyers can choose between a couple of Sport Packages with different wheels, performance tires, a sport suspension, and sport-bolstered front seats. The S-line Package includes these upgrades plus leather and Alcantara upholstery, improved interior trim, and unique wheels. Additional options include Audi’s Drive Select dynamic vehicle settings, the Driver Assist Package with blind spot warning and lane departure assist features, an adaptive cruise control system, rear side airbags, window sunshades, and a handful of other features.

With the departure of the Cabriolet models and the cancellation of the 3.2 model, the Audi A4’s powertrain lineup is blissfully simple. The single engine choice is a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder making 211 horsepower at 4,300 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque as low as 1,500 rpm.

Models with front-wheel drive have a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Models with Quattro can have a 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Fuel economy ranges between 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, depending on transmission choice and whether Quattro is present.

Audi’s Drive Select option allows the driver to adjust the A4’s dynamic settings for engine and throttle mapping, suspension damping, and steering feel and response. Simply turn the console-mounted knob to one of several settings ranging from Comfort to Sport.

The 2010 Audi A4 comes standard with stability and traction control, dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for front seat occupants, side curtain airbags, and four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. Rear seat airbags are optional.

If there’s anything you can be sure of, it’s that the 2010 Audi A4 does a spectacular job of protecting its passengers in a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the A4 five-star ratings all the way around, a rare achievement. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety agrees, naming the A4 a Top Safety Pick.

Concerns about reliability have often vexed Audi, but based on what Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates are predicting, the A4 looks like a safe bet. Consumer Reports gives the 2010 A4 an above average rating for first-year reliability, while J.D. Power and Associates predicts that reliability with be slightly better than average.

We think it’s hard to go wrong with a 2010 Audi A4. With plenty of standard amenities, numerous luxury and technology upgrades, a fun yet fuel-efficient powertrain, available Quattro all-wheel drive, excellent crash-test scores, and favorable dependability ratings, it looks like the A4 fires on all cylinders. Vehix recommends this model.