The 2018 Audi A4 Quattro has the entry-luxury sports-sedan formula down pat: quiet, quick, comfortable, and understated, it’s a textbook example of the species. Although this isn’t the first B9-generation Audi A4 to cross our doorstep, it is the first equipped with the available smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission.

Shifty Character

Fully redesigned for 2017, the A4 is a proud cardholder in the exclusive “sedans offered with a manual” club, a select group with a current roster of about two dozen members. While the current crop of mega-geared automatic and dual-clutch transmissions are light-years more direct and versatile than their slushbox forebears, they still can’t replicate the physical involvement provided by operating a well-positioned shifter teamed with fluid clutch movement. While the shifter in the A4 is hardly a revelation, it offers light efforts coupled with positive gate detents. Clutch engagement in our test example was near the top of the travel; combined with the evenly spaced pedals, it makes heel-and-toe skills look easy.

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Audi’s familiar turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four funnels torque through this six-speed manual, which is only available with Quattro all-wheel drive. Similar to the 2.0-liter four from the previous-generation A4, it features a revised cylinder head atop an iron block. Output is up from 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque to 252 horses at 5000 rpm and 273 lb-ft at 1600 rpm; its torque-rich character and lag-free personality remain unchanged.

In our hands, the A4 manual returned some nontypical results. Completing the zero-to-60-mph dash in 5.1 seconds and the quarter-mile in 13.8, the manual A4 shaved 0.1 second off the times posted by a recently tested A4 with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. While a tenth of a second may be a less than an earth-shattering victory, it does buck the current trend of automatics being quicker than their manual counterparts. Our test driver found the best launch by a clutch-slipping engagement between 4000 and 4500 rpm. Both versions cleared the quarter-mile traps at 100 mph and are governed to a top speed of 130 mph.

While we haven’t tested a manual BMW 3-series sedan with a four-cylinder recently, our A4 manual easily outscoots the 5.4- and 14.0-second times laid down by a 2017 330i with a turbo 2.0-liter four, eight-speed automatic, and rear-wheel drive. A rear-drive 2018 BMW 430i coupe with same engine paired with a six-speed manual needed 5.7 seconds to hit 60 mph and 14.3 seconds to complete the quarter-mile. The new kid on the block, the comparably priced and slightly more powerful Alfa Romeo Giulia AWD with its standard eight-speed automatic, also fell behind the A4, posting 5.5- and 14.1-second times. (Sadly, the Giulia is not sold with a manual in the United States.)

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The A4’s acceleration is accompanied by a refined manner and a stoic demeanor. Foot-to-the-floor runs feel more like healthy exercise than desperate straining. The cabin is quiet, and the suspension and body are free of unwanted noise or unwelcome movement. The ride is firm and stable, and a healthy dose of understeer ensures the rear end never feels as if it’s about to take the lead; adding throttle midcorner simply tightens the line in nearly every circumstance short of 10/10ths, which you’re not likely to reach on the street. Steering inputs result in precise directional changes, although the helm can feel a little overboosted at times and light at highway speeds.

It’s worth noting that while our overall fuel economy of 23 mpg falls short of the EPA’s estimated 27 mpg combined, our 75-mph highway test returned 34 mpg—slightly better than the model’s 33-mpg EPA estimate, but behind the automatic’s 37-mpg result in our test.

Braking from 70 mph required 157 feet, putting it right in league with the 155-foot distance recorded by the automatic A4 we previously tested. A firm, fade-free pedal and top-of-the-travel engagement make for easy modulation. As for its aforementioned cast of contemporaries, the BMW 430i coupe required 160 feet, the 330i sedan 168 feet, and the Alfa Romeo Giulia AWD brought up the rear on all-season tires at 186 feet.

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Figuratively Speaking

The A4 Quattro’s manual and clutch are pleasant in operation, but shifting for yourself will get you no discount at the dealership. For the $41,475 base price (front-wheel-drive A4s start at approximately $4500 less), however, you can expect many features that would have been optional even on luxury cars just a few years ago. A quick roundup of the base bounty includes a power sunroof, three-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front seats with lumbar adjustment for the driver, heated front seats, heated mirrors, and LED interior lighting, among other niceties.

The Matador Red metallic paint is a $575 option, and the $3400 Sport Plus package brings most of the options that appeal to drivers focused on performance: 18-inch wheels with Hankook Ventus S1 EVO2 summer tires, lowered ride height with adaptive dampers, dynamic steering, a three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, a leather-and-microsuede interior with contrast stitching, a black cloth headliner, and aluminum trim. Our car was the Premium Plus, a $3200 jump up from the base Premium model, which addresses the luxury side of the equation with a 19-speaker, 755-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system, satellite radio, LED headlights, a hands-free trunk release, park assist, and numerous additional small features that you’re welcome to peruse in the order guide.

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Finally, the $3000 Navigation & Telematics package ensures that A4 buyers will be on the cutting edge of technology. That means Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, a configurable high-resolution instrument-cluster screen that can display navigation and infotainment details along with the speedometer, tachometer, and other vital info. It’s highly effective and just as natural to use as it is in Audi’s bigger sedans. A six-month subscription to Audi Connect Prime and Plus is provided, which in layman’s terms is the system that provides for an automatic or manual emergency call should you fold up your A4 in the middle of the night on the desolate outskirts of Dogboner, Wyoming—or anywhere else with a cell signal, for that matter. (Online roadside assistance, stolen-vehicle location, and Audi service reminders are also included.) Connect Prime has nothing to do with Amazon, but it does provide for those cool Google Earth and Street View images in your nav system via an AT&T 4G LTE connection. It also adds geofencing capabilities so you can drop the digital gate on your kids’ range of travel and limit their speed to prevent them from associating with the ne'er-do-wells in the next town over. All in, our A4 was $51,650.

Audi tells us that the take rate for the A4 with the manual is a low but not unexpected 6 percent. (Even in the ostensibly sportier A5 coupe, the manual only attracts 10 percent of buyers.) Considering that, not to mention competition from Audi’s own four-door A5 Sportback and the continuing crossover offensive, it’s possible that future generations may be denied the simple satisfaction provided by a competent sports sedan with a manual transmission. Thankfully we’re not at that point yet, and the 2018 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro is a reminder of how satisfying life with an understated Teutonic four-door can be.



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