2009 Audi A4

A 2009 Audi A4 slipped quietly into our long-term fleet in fall of that year, with subdued styling, meager power, and a fairly high as-tested price. Forgive us if our expectations were low: In 1996, the first A4 was separated at birth from the VW Passat, and this hardly looked different-turbocharged VW Group engine, front-drive foundation, spectacular fit and finish laid over a nagging sense of impending mechanical doom. We shouldn't have underestimated it.