2018 Audi A4

Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) calls 2018 the A4's second model year since its major redesign and says the Black Optic Plus package is newly available on all-wheel-drive Premium Plus and Prestige models, blacking out the grille, window surrounds, wheels, rear spoiler and mirror housings. MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) lists new alloy wheel options and a Black Optics package with red brake calipers, and standard automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning on every trim. Carvana (opens in a new tab) adds the front-wheel-drive Ultra Prestige trim and says there is no new engine or redesign.

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) puts the cheapest 2018 A4, the Ultra Premium Plus sedan, at a Fair Purchase Price of $13,950 and rates fuel economy at 24/34 to 27/37 mpg city and highway. EPA rates the 2018 A4 at 27 to 31 mpg combined and $2,500 to $2,850 a year in fuel, with front- or all-wheel drive.

NHTSA lists four recall campaigns for the 2018 A4. 19V547000 covers oxidation on the Passenger Occupant Detection System cable that may make the software misdiagnose a malfunction and disable the passenger air bag, and 21V874000 covers a seat heater cable contact fault that can do the same. 17V675000 covers aluminum door trim around the speakers that can come loose and leave sharp edges, and 18V836000 covers a passenger air bag module mounting screw that may not be tightened enough, which affects the A4 Allroad.

Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA: unknown or other with 20, electrical system with 19, structure and air bags with 7 each, and engine and fuel and propulsion system with 6 each. Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) keeps a common-problems page for the year, and Consumer Reports (opens in a new tab) rates the 2018 A4 less reliable than other cars from the same model year.

EPA rates the 2018 A4 at 27 to 31 mpg combined and $2,500 to $2,850 a year in fuel. The BMW 3 Series lists 23 to 36 at $2,500 to $3,350 including its plug-in hybrid, the Volvo S60 22 to 29 at $2,150 to $3,500, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class 19 to 30 at $2,600 to $4,100, and the Lexus IS 22 to 26 at $3,000 to $3,500. The A4's 27 to 31 range sits above the IS and the C-Class at the low end.