D4 Prefacelift Buying guide
 

(work in progress - Provided as a personal brain dump by me. I don't guarantee its accuracy, usefulness or take any responsibility for any buying decisions you do, or don't make based on it)

I would always recommend a reputable HPI check when buying a car, even from a dealer. It costs little and can tell you a lot. The person that buys it from you after will check, so its worth it.

Do call the Audi spec check line on 0333 003 2797 - They will happily tell you the spec and Audi service history of any car. Its their job. They will need whatever number plate it last wore when it went to Audi though, or better still, the VIN.

Also consider a professional check, e.g. the RAC or AA. The inspections can be very thorough and can give useful feedback, or peace of mind especially when the perfect car is potentially a long distance away.


Jan and October 2010 brochures attached for full reference.

Launch specs, Jan 2010 Brochure

Available from around April 2010
Early cars without start/stop. Hurrah.
Launched as 'SE' or 'SE Executive' only.
Only available as 4.2 FSi or 4.2 TDi at launch. 3.0Tdi, 6.3 W12, 4.0TFSi all came a little later.

4.2 Tdi engine widely regarded as the 'one to have', following in the footsteps of the D3.

No Sport model at launch. Sport steering wheel, suspension, dynamic steering etc. available, but rare.

LWB models are seemingly more plentiful on the D4 than D3. Expect to see similarly low demand in personal market for them given longer wheelbase, harder to park and with generally lower specs on the D4, the LWB will often have options geared towards rear passengers, not driver comfort. Note in previous models LWB was also detuned for comfort, not sure on D4 yet.

Standard 'SE' Kit:

8 Speed Tiptronic Auto
18" 7 arm alloys
Adaptive Air Supension
Audi Drive Select
Space-Saver spare
Quattro
Quattro Sports diff on 4.2 Tdi
Valcona Leather
Electric Lumbar support
Electric front seats with memory (14 way)
Heated from seats
AMI (connector under armrest)
3G Plus - Sat Nav, HDD Based
60GB Internal HDD for maps, 20GB for music jukebox
2 x SD Card readers (In dash)
MP3 / CD / DVD multimedia disc reader (In dash)
MMI Touchpad for writing sat nav input etc
DAB
Bluetooth Phone
Parking sytem plus - Front and rear PDC
Cruise Control
Door mirrors - folding, heated, dimming
Double Glazing
Electric steering column
ISOFix in rear outer seats and front passenger
LED rear lights
Auto headlights, Auto wipers
Coming home / leaving home
Pre sense basic
Servotronic powersteering
Tyre Pressure Loss indication (ABS based, not wheel sensor)
Xenon plus with LED DLR
4 spoke multi function steering wheel with paddles
Auto dim rear view
LED interior light package
Keyless go (keyless for ingnition only - Not doors)
Auto opening boot lid (not closing)

Standrd 'SE Executive' over and above SE

19" 10 spoke Y design alloys
Parking system advanced (with reverse camera)
Advance key (ignition and door locks)
Auto boot open and close
Lower inlays in brushed aluminium

Main optional extras:

Seat Ventilation - Front only, or front and outer rear (Nice for summer)
Seat Massage - Front only, or front and outer rear (Nice all the time!)
Individual electric outer rear seats
Heated outer rear seats
Extended leather, exclusive leather, alcantara headlining (Nice to have, finishes things off)
Comfort or Comfort Sport seats (22 way adjust inc Pneumatic lumbar upper back rest seat cushion depth adjust and comfort headrests - Comfy, and they look better than the standard ones too)
Sports suspension
Quattro sports diff (Standard on 4.2 TDi)
Phone Prep high - Required for online services inc googlemaps (Vital)
TV Reception
Cd/DVD changer (for 6 discs, located in glovebox)
Bose (Must have for resale / personal enjoyment!)
Bang and Olufsen (Very desirable, very rare)
Rear Seat entertainment
Audi Lane Assist
Adaptive Cruise Control (hugely desirable, worth having)
Audi Side Assist
Night Vision with pedestrian detection (Gimmick, but great talking point)
Adaptive light with high beam assist (Useful, don't underestimate)
All LED headlights (Very white, very bright. But Xenons are perfectly good)
Dynamic steering
Advance key (standard on SE exec) (Must have on a modern exec)
4 Zone climate
Electric blinds (Rear, or side and rear)
Garage door opener (homelink)
Sunroof, glass or solar (Personal favourite, many others like too)
Power door closure (soft close)
Power boot lid (standard on SE Exec)
UV & Heat insulating glass (Keeps car cool in summer)
UV & Heat insulating glass inc heated screen (Very nice in winter)
Towing bracket
Heated steering wheel (Very nice in winter)


There is a gap widening between the low spec models, and the high spec models. It is more noticeable than we've seen on previous models, possible due to the number of options available, or the desire now from people to see more kit on their flagship.

As of April 2016 we're seeing the cheapest cars with low spec weighing in at around 15K, with decent spec examples coming in at around 20K.

The usual resistance exists to buying cars with over 100K on the clock but evidence so far suggests the D4 is even better built than the D3 it replaces, and should wear the miles well. Solid service history is vital as ever.

No known common faults to report of yet.



Contributions / feedback to this thread welcomed, although I reserve the right to edit them into a more streamlined format if it keeps it cleaner.

Nice little guide and summary of buying a D4, thanks. With prices tumbling there are some nice early D4s out there with high spec and acceptable mileage. You can get a lot of car for a good price.

Thanks, if its well received I'll sort out a D3 / D2 one too +++

One of the key differences between SE and SE Exec standards is the aluminium interior trims vs gloss black - I wouldn't of bought a car with the black, perhaps that is just me!? The aluminium could be optioned on the SE, but was standard on the Exec.

Fair point - I focussed on gadgetry more than fine trimmings as I had thought the latter might be less important in a summary. I was proven wrong almost immediately :D

I've updated the post, and my signature +++

The Piano Black is very easily scratched judging by some of the examples I saw when I was on the quest for a D4.
I ended up with the brushed aluminium as it was standard on the SE Exec model. Even this has some nasty scratches on the passenger side section overhead the glovebox. Careless fingers with large diamonds/jewellery I suspect.
I hope to replace it a some stage if I can find a used one as a new one is megabucks. Photo attached.

I have a few marks on mine also, I suspect you could re-finish the brushed finish if it bothers you without much effort?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVN1fk-quIo

Sorry for the annoying commentary!

can you add 2013 sport exec info ? cheers

I bought a D4 with 112k. Beware of the dreaded whine in reverse gear, not loud, but sign that the 'box is on it's way out. Quite a common issue on the ZF 8 speed transmission, luckily mine was within independent dealer warranty and they covered the 4k rebuild cost!!

Can you post some more info on the gearbox issue.
Had the ATF been changed at some point ?
I consider 112K is small mileage to have a gearbox fault but who knows how a used car has been driven in the past.