What did the last Neanderthal think when the end was near? Am I truly the last one? That is how the 2018 Audi A4 feels. Because it is the last manual transmission Audi sold in the US. We had a week to spend with a 2.0 turbo backed by a six-speed stick and it was a great experience.
Sales of the Audi A4 have slowed since the new B9 model was introduced in 2016. The A3 is the new small sedan and the VW Passat offers more standard content for half the price. Nevertheless, their target audience won’t notice the Camaro to Firebird similarities between these corporate cousins.
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Volkswagen has moved upmarket in terms of technology, at the expense of Audi sharing many of the molded plastic interior parts. We had 188 horsepower of FWD fury. Once the turbo spools you have 236 lb-ft of torque. It allows you to reach 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. Fuel economy is rated at 27 mpg in the city, but we could only achieve 24. Even with premium fuel, the driver is forced to go wide open to keep up with traffic.
Front wheel drive cars with manual transmissions use cables to connect the shifter to the gearbox. This means the A4 does have a predictable throw, just no feedback from the synchros. What the A4 does have, is incredible sound insulation. The floors, doors, and the firewall do a great job at stopping road noise, which also works to accentuate the crisp audio system. It has 10 speakers with the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay abilities. Bluetooth, two SD card slots and two USB ports capable of fast charging.
Now we come to the meaty details of what sets the A4 apart from the rest. You have airbags everywhere, ambient lighting, and a vented glove box. Four cup holders and mats are all standard equipment. Rear fog lights are a nice touch, but we would rather have automatic collision braking and lane keep assist. They list the starting price for a bare-bones A4 at $38,395. Given their abundance of models, you might get a nice incentive on the last manual Audi. All-in-all, the quirks are outnumbered by the quality, so click the link below to find an Audi showroom near you.
