Version: 2008

2005 Audi A4 3.2 Avant
Reviewed by
Brian Nadel
on 09/09/2005
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Price:

$36,120.00

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Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price From Edmunds.com $36,120.00

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The good: Bose stereo with Secure Digital slots; active headlights; 3.2-liter V-6; Quattro all-wheel drive.

The bad: Steering-wheel controls don't work with navigation or cruise control.

The bottom line: The Audi A4 3.2 Avant balances power with a slew of technological developments while remaining an entertaining and fun car to drive.

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CNET editors' review

  • Reviewed by:
    Brian Nadel
  • Edited by:
    Wayne Cunningham
  • Reviewed on: 09/09/2005
Mercedes-Benz and BMW take notice: The 2005 Audi A4 3.2 Avant has arrived, and it's one of the most powerful and accomplished small wagons on the road. By combining the company's legendary Quattro all-wheel drive with a smooth-revving, 3.2-liter V-6 engine, the A4 Avant delivers exceptional power and poise while exuding understated elegance. It craftily keeps its engineering prowess below the surface and is a capable, safe, and fun-to-drive small wagon. Our test car included a pair of Secure Digital (SD) slots for digital music and headlights that turn slightly with the steering wheel. Although you can get an Avant for about $37,120, our test car had a slew of options and came in at a credit-score-stretching $44,670.Slide into the 2005 Audi A4 3.2 Avant, and you're surrounded by a tasteful interior made up of high-quality plastics, brushed aluminum, and polished walnut trim. Front and center is Audi's smallish 6.3-inch control panel, which is bright and clear; plus, it oversees just about every major aspect of the car. Rather than standard input buttons, however, Audi's multimedia interface (MMI) relies on a knob and four buttons for highlighting and selecting one of four outer segments. When entering addresses in its GPS-based navigation system, forget about the onscreen keyboard--the A4 Avant displays a circular alphabet; you twist the knob until the choice is highlighted, then press. We generally like Audi's MMI compared with some other carmakers' control interfaces.


Although the steering controls are convenient for adjusting the stereo, they don't affect the navigation.

While driving, the navigation screen gets a little cramped with a distance scale, a clock, and a compass arrow; the autodimming rearview mirror adds a digital compass. The screen automatically splits to show an overview of where you are with a close-up of the next three turns, but it lacks a 3D bird's-eye view of the terrain. The 2005 Audi A4 3.2 Avant reads directions to you via an efficient female voice with a slight English accent. Happily, the next navigation task is duplicated on the driver's handy LED in the center of the instrument panel. It's pinpoint sharp, and it telegraphs to the driver the current gear, the CD track, and the temperature if a door is open and goes through a visual diagnostic of the car's major components, a sequence that's addictive to watch.


SD card slots behind the navigation screen let you plug your own digital music into the stereo.

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2005 Audi A4 3.2 Avant: $36,120.00
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$36,120.00 5.0 star rating

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