Compare the2024 Audi A4VS 2022 Toyota Avalon

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The A4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Avalon doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A4 and Avalon have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Avalon’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The A4 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Avalon doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the A4 and the Avalon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi A4 is safer than the Toyota Avalon:

	A4	Avalon
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	35%
Leg Forces (l/r)	431/395 lbs.	499/567 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	236	302
Neck Injury Risk	25%	25%
Neck Stress	119 lbs.	180 lbs.
Neck Compression	47 lbs.	64 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	324/341 lbs.	447/453 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi A4 is safer than the Toyota Avalon:

	A4	Avalon
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	308 lbs.	318 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
Hip Force	666 lbs.	719 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The A4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Avalon’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The A4’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Avalon’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Audi A4’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Avalon’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The A4 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 6 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 267) than the Avalon’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the A4 45 TFSI is faster than the Toyota Avalon:

	A4	Avalon
Zero to 60 MPH	4.8 sec	6.1 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.9 sec	15.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.6 sec	6.7 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	14.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	102 MPH	98 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the A4 gets better mileage than the Avalon:

			MPG
A4
	AWD	40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/35 hwy
		45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/32 hwy
Avalon
	FWD	XLE 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/32 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/31 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the A4’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Avalon doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

The A4 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Avalon doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A4’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Avalon doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the A4’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Avalon:

	A4 40 TFSI	A4 45 TFSI	Avalon
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	13.3 inches	11.7 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	13 inches	11 inches

The A4’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Avalon are solid, not vented.

The A4 stops much shorter than the Avalon:

	A4	Avalon
70 to 0 MPH	149 feet	171 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	105 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the A4 has larger standard tires than the Avalon (225/50R17 vs. 215/55R17). The A4’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Avalon (245/40R18 vs. 235/45R18).

The A4’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Avalon XLE’s standard 55 series tires. The A4’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Avalon Touring’s 40 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The A4 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Avalon’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The A4 Premium Plus handles at .97 G’s, while the Avalon Touring pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The A4 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Avalon Touring (25.3 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

Chassis

The A4 is 8.4 inches shorter than the Avalon, making the A4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the A4 offers cargo security. The Avalon’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the A4. The Avalon doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the A4’s available trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Avalon doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The A4 has a 3968 lbs. towing capacity. The Avalon has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the A4 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Avalon. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 17% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The A4 45 TFSI has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Avalon doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The A4’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Avalon’s passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The A4’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Avalon’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Avalon doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A4 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Avalon doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the A4 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Avalon doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The A4 Prestige’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Avalon doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the A4 is less expensive to operate than the Avalon because typical repairs cost much less on the A4 than the Avalon, including $70 less for fuel injection, $831 less for a timing belt/chain and $10 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A4 and the Toyota Avalon, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi A4/S4 outsold the Toyota Avalon by 25% during 2022.

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