Here is my scenario:

I have a 2005 TL and love the car but want something sporty and AWD.

I drive 20K+ miles a year and need something reliable for atleast 5 years.

I read about all these things that don't work properly and they seem to be basic things. Bad acceleration, shakes at various speeds etc and then there is the maintenance.

I also feel the vehicle may be underpowered. How does it perform when it is 95 degrees and the a/c blasting?

I love the interior but am not sold. I would be looking at the 2010 model.

Any thought would be appreciated.

 

I think that the A4 interior beats the Mercedes C-class, BMW 3 series, and the Lexus IS's.... Their is no question that anyone with a pair of eyes can see that Audi has the best interior and let's face it, that's where you spend your time.. I was in a new C-300 benz and I thought that the factory leather smelled terrible.... As for the underpowered question... I live in Phoenix and it has been over and around 100 since I got the car at the end of April and I think the performance is pretty good considering the intercooler should be renamed an interheater out here between the months of may-october... But I am def getting it chipped as soon as I have 600 bucks layin around and that should fix any "underpowered" issues.. not to mention the exhaust and intercooler upgrades that are available that will make this car perform even better... All in all I think that the Audi A4 has the best styling..interior and exterior considering the competition... also the fuel economy is the better than the competition.. and as for the reliability, just keep up with your synthetic oil changes and it should be all good.... Just get the A4

 

Funny you should ask this question because I just traded in my 05 TL which had 45k on the odometer for an 09 A4 2.0 Premium+. I have had the car for a month now and have to say that I am very satisfied.
First, the issue that have been described should be noted but not worrysome IMO, I have not had the vibration issue yet (hopefully i did not jinx myself). The only issue thus far I have had was a wiper issue that my local dealer quickly took care of. With my TL I had a few issues as well the worst being a new trans at 44K (just before my 4 year warranty was up) on a babied car that had all the service done and the TL is a consumer reports top pick with an excellent reliability rating.
As far as the acceleration point, thus far the car has been quick and fun to drive (this coming from a person who has enjoyed his american V8 muscle toys) and I look forward to driving it. I have had no issue with not having enough car when needing it on major highways.
Finally gas mileage is improved over the TL which when I would fdrive it to work would get 24 or so mpg. Thus far with the A4 I get around 27-28mpgs both of which I run/ran premium in.
At the end of the day its your decision all we can do is provide insight, and thus far I am happy with my decision to get my A4.

 

Thanks for the replies. I am most apprehensive about the reliability and how the vehicle will perform when it is hot and the a/c is running. Every car loses power under those circumstances but a nice linear torque curve is nice to have. Remember, this is still a 2.0l 4 banger before the turbo spools.
Are there any dyno's of the 2010 HP/Tq curves around. That would help me make my decision.

How much did you get as a trade in for your TL if I may ask?

 

Of course you should get an A4. Great quality, engine, handling, safety, quattro, interior, styling, etc. Second to none. I doubt you'll need to worry about the heat. These cars have excellent radiators and intercoolers (2.0T). The engine is the best in it's class and you'll see why. It never feels like it's underpowered. I've never had a single issue with my car.

Here's a dyno:
http://www.goapr.com/products/ecu_up...sivl_long.html

 

Well after driving home our new A4 2.0 last night, I have zero regrets about trading in my wife's 06 TL with 64k miles ($15,500 for trade). What a pile of crap- tons of rattles, shakes, engine ran rough, and the ride was horrible (is that what Acura thinks is "sporty?"). ...and she did nothing but take great care of that car too. Acura? Never again here!

Back to the A4...what a dream to drive, it handles much better than the TL and yet ride quality is way beyond anything the TL ever was. I'm very impressed with this car, our first Audi and most likely not our last.

 

Get the A4, I just picked mine up the other night. I have always either bought Honda or Nissan, the Audi blows them away no question. I love my new A4 premium + wish I bought Audi before. I can say that I will now always have an Audi in my garage. Go buy one now!!!!!

 

Do you have any 0-60 comparisons with these upgrades vs stock (manual vs auto)?

 

stock 0-60 is ~7 seconds
chipped 0-60 is ~5 seconds

i think an auto in sport mode might be a bit quicker than a manual because of the seamless shifting.

http://www.stasisengineering.com/sigSeries_a4.php

 

Audi FTW.....