Audi A4 Ground Clearance: What To Know
Audi A4 by EurovisionNim — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Audi A4 is an iconic vehicle that has been built for five generations! It’s beloved and highly praised all over the world, and we were wondering whether that has something to do with its ground clearance—and it just might.
Audi A4 ground clearance is 6.3 inches, which is perfect for a luxury compact sports sedan. Let’s find out why!
Ground Clearance and The Purpose of Audi A4
With 6.3 inches of ground clearance, the Audi A4 is made to be driven on roads all over the world. It’s high enough off the ground to offer a comfortable ride, but it’s short enough to also offer performance. So, whether you plan on driving an Audi A4 on a highway, or the bumpy city road riddled with potholes, you’ll have a good time!
Still, there are drawbacks to the Audi A4 because of its ride height. You might be able to drive on a dusty or sandy road, but you won’t have the best of times driving in mud or attempting difficult off-road courses. There are vehicles made for that exact purpose, such as the Toyota 4Runner.
On the other hand, the Audi A4 wasn’t designed to be a sports car. It definitely is sporty, but with 6.3 inches of ground clearance and the softer suspension, neither are the aerodynamics on your side, nor will you be able to handle sharp turns effectively.
So, by looking at the Audi A4’s ground clearance, we can determine that it’s a luxury compact sports sedan.
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The Importance of Ground Clearance
Ground clearance is the shortest distance between the road and the part of a vehicle closest to the road, excluding the tires.
Ground clearance, also referred to as ride height, can help you understand so much about a vehicle, even before looking at it. It can help you determine the purpose it was built for, whether it’s comfortable to drive, and much more.
How Does Ground Clearance Affect Performance?
On a vehicle with excellent aerodynamics, air flows fluently alongside and over the top of a vehicle. The point of it is minimum air resistance, and vehicles with high ground clearance aren’t the best at that. They lose a little bit of power and they get worse fuel mileage.
With 6.3 inches, the Audi A4’s ground clearance is somewhere in the middle. There’s definitely some air going under the vehicle, but it’s not really noticeable nor important. The Audi A4’s performance in terms of power, as well as fuel economy, isn’t affected.
When it comes to the driveability of the Audi A4, it handles quite well in the corners, but it will have a little bit of body roll. Sports cars such as the Chevy Corvette are lower to the ground, meaning that their center of gravity is also lower. This helps the Corvette, as well as other sports cars, handle much better. Vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs with more than 10 inches of ground clearance cannot rush into a corner safely, as there’s a high risk of the vehicle overturning.
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How Does Ground Clearance Affect Comfort?
Ground clearance plays an interesting role when it comes to comfort. Usually, the higher the vehicle is off of the ground, the more comfortable it’s going to be.
Because of the performance aspects that we’ve mentioned before, sports cars need to be lower to the ground, and therefore, have a much stiffer suspension. On the other hand, high ground clearance vehicles sit much higher on the ground, allowing vehicle manufacturers to make the suspension a lot softer, and much more comfortable.
The Audi A4 is somewhere in the middle between performance and luxurious comfort. It’s not the most comfortable vehicle, but it definitely won’t feel like you lost a tire when you run into a pothole. In fact, the Audi A4 can comfortably handle rough roads with bumps and potholes.
How Does Ground Clearance Affect Safety?
Surprising to some, ground clearance plays an important role when it comes to safety.
As we’ve mentioned before, vehicles lower to the ground have a much lower chance of overturning compared to high ground clearance vehicles.
However, sitting high in a vehicle will allow you to look over other vehicles on the road. You’ll be able to see further, which is not only safer, but you’ll also be able to avoid traffic jams. The Audi A4 doesn’t benefit from this with its 6.3 inches of ground clearance. Your Audi A4 will be the vehicle that drivers in pickups and SUVs look over.
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Audi A4 Ground Clearance Comparison
There are different models, trims, and even multiple generations of the Audi A4, and they’re all in a similar range when it comes to ground clearance, from 4.5 to 7 inches.
If you’re looking for something more comfortable the Audi A4 Allroad Quattro offers 7 inches of ground clearance. And if you’re looking for something a bit more sporty, the Audi R8 has only 4.3 inches of ground clearance.
Comparing the Audi A4 to its competition, which is compact cars, there isn’t too much difference in ground clearance. The Mazda3, depending on the trim, has 5 to 6 inches of ground clearance, and the Honda Civic has 6.7 inches. Still, 6.3 inches of ground clearance is excellent, because it offers both, comfort and performance.
Still, if Audi A4 ground clearance of 6.3 inches doesn’t appeal to your taste, check out the Toyota 4Runner, an SUV ready for off-roading adventures straight from the factory. If you’re looking for something a bit more sporty and not too expensive, the Chevy Corvette is a great choice!
The End of The Road
Audi A4 ground clearance represents the vehicle very well—a compact sedan that’s sporty and luxurious. It does have a few drawbacks, but the advantages far outweigh those drawbacks.
You should keep in mind that ground clearance doesn’t determine the purpose of the vehicle; it’s the other way around. Ground clearance is just an excellent way to learn important factors about a car without even looking at it.
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