When you need the evaluative chops of expert reviewers, vehicle valuator Kelley Blue Book and online marketplace research-trove Autotrader are the go-to venues, and among others, Motor Trend, who recently lauded the 2017 Audi A4 with a rating of 4 out of 5 stars for its redesign. The reviewer was quick to point out the sedan's "quick acceleration," reliable handling both "on the proving ground and [the] real-world loop," range of "cool tech" offered, and "new, lighter platform" with a "brilliant chassis" housing a turbo-four engine demonstrating Audi had performance and fuel economy alike in mind. One can even appreciate callouts for 5 stars out of 5 on the NHTSA's overall crash test, as well as IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+, highest Good crash test, and Superior front crash prevention and mitigation test ratings.
But one of those several top spots in the Motor Trend 2017 Car of the Year finals came with accolades for A4's optional virtual cockpit digital dashboard, a display weighing in at a huge 12.3 inches that replaces a traditional gauge readout.
Audi donned it the "instrument cluster of the future." Motor Trend didn't disagree, noting intelligent, intuitive MMI user controls and an interface selector wheel that made it easy to keep an eye on A4's diverse instrumentation via the sedan's multifunction steering wheel, and the ability to choose from classic mode, which presents standard circular instrument dials, or infotainment mode, in which you can view navigation system, telephone, Audi connect and media information – which Motor Trend praised. Opening menus or accessing context-sensitive options with a simple toggle is possible thanks to a joystick-comparable rotary controller, and MMI Touch tech lets you run the gamut of control, from basic scrolling to zooming in on lists and maps for greater detail, using a variety of simple gestures.
Want to see what this tech can mean for you? Rockville Audi's Rockville Pike showroom has more than a few models in the 2017 Audi A4 line for you to explore. We're just down the metaphorical road from Silver Spring, Bethesda and Washington D.C., so stop in and say hello today. We'll be happy to put you behind the wheel.
