2017 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro Long-Term Update 5: Interior Space
Keeping expectations in check
Zach GaleWriter
2017 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro Long-Term Update 5: Interior Space
Keeping expectations in check
Zach GaleWriter
I like to take my hair with me when I leave a car, but headroom is sometimes in short supply when you're nearly 6'5", as I am. That's why I'm pleased with the front headroom inside our long-term 2017 Audi A4 2.0T. Ijustfit inside, which means I don't need to drive with my head tilted to the side. No one buying a luxury-branded compact sport sedan should expect much in terms of interior space, but some in this expansive class get the job done better than others.
I've actually spent time in nearly every car the A4 competes with, and I still appreciate the Audi's well-rounded appeal. I'd rather have a Cadillac ATS or Jaguar XE on my favorite winding roads, but the back seats of those cars become useless for carrying people if I'm in the front seat. The A4 doesn't have that problem. In the Audi, the back seats are just good enough that my parents can fit after I apologize for the lack of space. In those other more fun-to-drive sedans, I'd probably park the car and instead take my parents' more spacious Hyundai Genesis sedan.
Of course, the 2017 A4 is no Camry or Accord, and there's a tall drivetrain hump that limits functionality for those few owners who might want to squeeze a passenger in the center rear seat. Having vents back there is appreciated, but I wish the backs of the front seats weren't hard. Soft seatbacks would help a taller rear-seat passenger even more than the space Audi has carved out of the seatbacks to allow for a tad more kneeroom. At least rear-seat passengers benefit from extra foot space under the front seats, where, as a fun bonus, the car's customizable ambient lighting system illuminates.
Our A4 doesn't have a power-operated trunk, but pull the trunk lever, and the lid rises all the way up. Cool. You'll actually have to close the trunk yourself, but the A4 includes interior trunk handle/pulls on the left and right sides. This is no sensible midsize sedan, but that's true about others in the A4's class, too. Considering that many competitors are just as small inside, the Audi's interior packaging gets a passing grade.
Read more about our 2017 Audi A4 2.0T:
- Long-Term Arrival: A Year With a Sharp 3 Series Competitor
- Long-Term Update 1: Feeling Quick
- Long-Term Update 2: Seeing Stars and Apple CarPlay
- Long-Term Update 3: Capable vs. Fun
- Long-Term Update 4: Comments From an Actual 2017 A4 Owner
- Long-Term Update 6: Let Me Do That for You
- Long-Term Update 7: Design - Not Far Enough or Just Right?
- Long-Term Update 8: How the Interior Could Be Improved
- Long-Term Update 9: The Road Trip
- Long-Term Update 10: Going Ultra
- Long-Term Verdict: Excellence Versus Soul
I’ve come a long way since I drove sugar packets across restaurant tables as a kid, pretending they were cars. With more than 17 years of experience, I'm passionate about demystifying the new car market for shoppers and enthusiasts. My expertise comes from thoughtfully reviewing countless vehicles across the automotive spectrum. The greatest thrill I get isn’t just from behind the wheel of an exotic car but from a well-executed car that’s affordable, entertaining, and well-made. Since about the time I learned to walk I’ve been fascinated by cars of all shapes and sizes, but it wasn’t until I struggled through a summer high school class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design that I realized writing was my ticket into the automotive industry. My drive to high school was magical, taking me through a beautiful and winding canyon; I've never lost the excited feeling some 16-year-olds get when they first set out on the road. The automotive industry, singing, and writing have always been my passions, but because no one seeks a writer who sings about the automotive industry, I honed my writing and editing skills at UC Irvine (zot zot!), serving as an editor of the official campus newspaper and writing stories as a literary journalism major. At USC, I developed a much greater appreciation for broadcast journalists and became acquainted with copy editing rules such as why the Oxford comma is so important. Though my beloved 1996 Audi A4 didn’t survive my college years, my career with MotorTrend did. I started at the company in 2007 building articles for motorcycle magazines, soon transitioning to writing news posts for MotorTrend’s budding online department. I spent some valuable time in the copy editing department, as an online news director, and as a senior production editor. Today, MotorTrend keeps me busy as the Buyer's Guide Director. Not everyone has a career centered on one of their passions, and I remind myself all the time how lucky I am.
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I’ve come a long way since I drove sugar packets across restaurant tables as a kid, pretending they were cars. With more than 17 years of experience, I'm passionate about demystifying the new car market for shoppers and enthusiasts. My expertise comes from thoughtfully reviewing countless vehicles across the automotive spectrum. The greatest thrill I get isn’t just from behind the wheel of an exotic car but from a well-executed car that’s affordable, entertaining, and well-made. Since about the time I learned to walk I’ve been fascinated by cars of all shapes and sizes, but it wasn’t until I struggled through a summer high school class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design that I realized writing was my ticket into the automotive industry. My drive to high school was magical, taking me through a beautiful and winding canyon; I've never lost the excited feeling some 16-year-olds get when they first set out on the road. The automotive industry, singing, and writing have always been my passions, but because no one seeks a writer who sings about the automotive industry, I honed my writing and editing skills at UC Irvine (zot zot!), serving as an editor of the official campus newspaper and writing stories as a literary journalism major. At USC, I developed a much greater appreciation for broadcast journalists and became acquainted with copy editing rules such as why the Oxford comma is so important. Though my beloved 1996 Audi A4 didn’t survive my college years, my career with MotorTrend did. I started at the company in 2007 building articles for motorcycle magazines, soon transitioning to writing news posts for MotorTrend’s budding online department. I spent some valuable time in the copy editing department, as an online news director, and as a senior production editor. Today, MotorTrend keeps me busy as the Buyer's Guide Director. Not everyone has a career centered on one of their passions, and I remind myself all the time how lucky I am.
Read More