Top 8 Audi A4 Competitors
A consistent staple in the compact luxury sedan category, the Audi A4 is a popular choice among competitors like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series.
Written by Cameron Thiessen
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
It may not be the flashiest luxury car out there, but the Audi A4 is known for its luxurious interior and iconic drive quality. It competes well with other luxury European staples like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class or the BMW 3 Series.
The 2023 Audi A4 has a starting price of $40,995. Standard equipment is a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine combined with a 12-volt hybrid system fed into Audi’s legendary quattro all-wheel drive powertrain and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The 40 TFSI makes 201 horsepower while the even more turbocharged 45 TFSI makes 261 horsepower. Opt for the most luxurious version of the sport-tuned S line, and you’ll pay over $60,000—a price more befitting of a compact sports car bearing its 349-horsepower V6 engine.
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!1. Genesis G70
Starting price: $38,570 to $53,545
Selling points: Top style points, premium driving experience, great price
Weak spots: Mediocre power in base engine, basic safety features aren’t standard
The
Genesis G70
represents the ultimate choice in both style and value in the luxury compact sedan segment. In its most standard form, it’s equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that delivers 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque to its 19-inch wheels.While the Audi A4 looks like an old man’s luxury sedan, the Genesis G70 is beaming with youthful styling that still manages to be just as classy as its more prestigious competitors. Equipped with the 365-horsepower, 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6, the G70 can zip from 0 to 60 mph in a hasty 4.3 seconds.
To be sure, the Genesis outpaces the 2023 A4 in nearly every way, especially if we’re talking value.
MORE: Every Toyota sports car you should know
2. BMW 3 Series
Starting price: $43,295 to $96,695
Selling points: Classic luxury and performance, available plug-in hybrid
Weak spots: More expensive
When you buy a
BMW 3 Series
, you’re paying for tried and true engine performance. The newest 3 Series BMWs are just as cool and fun as they were 20 years ago, but their engines have kept with the times.The M3 Competition blows the performance specs of the Genesis and the Audi right out of the water. Its 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six gets 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, managing a 0 to 60 time of 3.5 seconds.
Of course, you’ll have to spend tens of thousands more to get this level of power coupled with this level of luxury. Another great option available on the 3 Series is the 330e plug-in hybrid, which offers the same peppy BMW feel with a ton of fuel-saving potential.
MORE:Should I buy a sports car?
3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Starting price: $44,600 to $88,150
Selling points: Great engines, super stylish
Weak spots: Lackluster handling, too many touchscreens
All new for the 2022 model year, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class continues to rest at the top of the pack in this category in many ways, prestige certainly being one that comes to mind. The regular
C 300
is brilliant as it is, offering a 255-horsepower, turbocharged inline-four engine that far out-performs the lower-level A4 models.Mercedes-Benz also pushes the luxury sports car envelope further than the Audi with its
AMG C63
models—proper luxury muscle cars that feature a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 503 horsepower. With a 0 to 60 time of 3.7 seconds, even the sporty Audi A4 can’t compete with the AMG C-Class cars.4. Kia Stinger
Starting price: $37,435 to $52,635
Selling points: Competitive performance level, cheaper than the Audi
Weak spots: Not quite luxury, less confident handling
The Audi A4 brings fairly good value to the luxury compact sedan category, but the
Kia Stinger
is the vehicle in this category that offers the best bang for your buck by far. No, you won’t get a 500-horsepower Stinger, but you can get a 368-horsepower model equipped with a 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 on the GT1
and GT2
.The GT1 outmatches the Audi A4 by quite a bit in terms of engine performance, and it’s a far cheaper option, but there is just something about the Stinger that does feel tangibly less refined.
Key Takeaway When it comes to the best of the best compact luxury sedans, value and performance pit European staples like the Audi A4 against budget-premium competitors.
5. Alfa Romeo Giulia
Starting price: $44,945 to $80,755
Selling points: Iconic Italian styling, ridiculously fun to drive
Weak spots: Limited interior storage, middling performance for a higher price
One thing’s for sure, you’ll look better driving an
Alfa Romeo Giulia
than driving an Audi A4. It’s simply a cooler-looking sedan. Plus, it’s not shy about flaunting the things that have allowed it to become an icon in such a short amount of time, like the unmissable triangle scudetto grille and the classic sporty lines along the side and front of the exterior.You’ll get better performance with a base model Giulia than an Audi A4 in terms of pure engine power, but the base model A4 does beat out the Giulia when it comes to 0 to 60 times. The A4 gets 5.2 seconds compared to the Giulia’s 5.4.
But of course, the ultimate way to enjoy an Alfa Romeo Giulia is with the Quadrifoglio upgrade, which features a Ferrari-inspired 2.9-liter turbocharged V6 that reaches 505 horsepower—right up there with the sportiest premium upgrades for the C-Class and 3 Series.
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Starting price: $40,295 to $65,845
Selling points: Upscale and peaceful, great value in lower models, fantastic plug-in hybrid
Weak spots: Less performance-focused than others on this list
There sure are a lot of themes and editions for the
Volvo S60
! All the way at the top of the list is the Recharge Polestar Engineered, the most bespoke version of the S60’s plug-in hybrid variant.There’s lots to love in the lower trims, but it’s this top trim S60 that manages to deliver 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque to its 19-inch wheels. These can scoot up to 60 mph in an easy 6 seconds. No, it’s not winning this particular drag contest, but it’s still great fun to drive. You can absolutely get going very fast in an S60.
MORE: Volvo S60 towing capacity
7. Acura TLX
Starting price: $39,995 to $54,795
Selling points: Great style, quality, and performance, amazing handling
Weak spots: Tight back seat, not quite as fast as others like it
The
Acura TLX
fits well among its competition, despite not quite offering the same level of prestige as the European cars we’ve compared on this list so far. The standard 272-horsepower turbocharged I-4 is much more fun than the A4’s base engine, and the Type S is just as exciting in every way other than its 0 to 60 time of 5.9 seconds, which is slowed down by a bit of extra weight.8. Volkswagen Golf R
Starting price: $45,185
Selling points: A whole lot of fun, practical
Weak spots: Not a “luxury” vehicle
A fairly close relative of the Audi A-series cars is the
Volkswagen Golf R
, the sportiest version of the most recent line of this classic hot hatch track star. The 315-horsepower turbo-four engine is far more fun than the A4’s, and the responsiveness and fun-loving nature of the Golf can’t be denied.The most notably cool feature of the Golf R is its Special Mode, which sets the suspension and AWD systems to run as though they were optimized for Nürburgring, Germany’s North Loop. If you’re looking for maximum fun in a vehicle with a surprising amount of style and poise, the Golf R won’t disappoint.
MORE:Top 10 most reliable supercars
Audi A4 vs. the competition
The Audi A4 does a great job of filling a niche within the world of luxury cars, but there is plenty to love about each one of its competitors. Here’s how it looks when we compare some key specs between these nine models.
Model | Starting price range | Engine options | Maximum horsepower | Best 0-60 time | Maximum torque | Fuel economy (city/highway/combined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 Audi A4 | $40,995 to $61,795 | Turbo I-4 or turbo V6 | 349 @ 5,400–6,400 rpm | 4.2 seconds | 369 lb-ft @ 1,370–4,500 rpm | 24/31/27 mpg |
Genesis G70 | $38,570 to $53,545 | Turbo I-4, turbo I-4 plug-in hybrid, or flat-6 hybrid | 369 @ 6,000 rpm | 4.3 seconds | 376 lb-ft @ 1,300–4,500 | 21/31/24 mpg |
2023 BMW 3 Series | $43,295 to $57,845 | Turbo I-4 or turbo I-6 | 382 @ 5,000 rpm | 4.1 seconds | 369 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm | 25/34/28 mpg |
2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class | $44,600 to $88,150 | Turbo I-4 with EQ boost, twin-turbo V6, or twin-turbo V8 | 503 @ 6,250 rpm | 3.7 seconds | 516 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm | 23/33/27 mpg |
2022 Kia Stinger | $37,435 to $52,635 | Turbo I-4 or twin-turbo V6 | 368 @ 6,400 rpm | 4.6 seconds | 376 lb-ft @ 6,000 rpm | 22/32/25 mpg |
2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia | $44,945 to $80,755 | Turbo I-4 or twin-turbo V6 | 505 @ 6,500 rpm | 3.6 seconds | 443 lb-ft @ 1,600–4,500 rpm | 24/33/27 mpg |
2022 Volvo S60 | $40,295 to $65,845 | Turbo I-4, V8, or supercharged V8 | 760 @ 7,300 rpm | 3.4 seconds | 625 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm | 21/29/24 mpg |
2022 Acura TLX | $39,995 to $54,795 | Turbo I-4 or turbo V6 | 355 @ 5,500 rpm | 4.9 seconds | 354 lb-ft @ 1,400 rpm | 22/31/25 mpg |
2022 Volkswagen Golf R | $45,185 | Turbo I-4 | 315 @ 5,600 rpm | 4.7 seconds | 295 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm | 24/34/28 mpg |
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