CAR Magazine Drives Audi's new S4!

I love the verdict:

Match the S4 up against an M3 or C63 and it won’t come out on top. But then these cars aren’t rivals – better to face the S4 off against the 335i and C350. If you do, you’ll find an Audi that’s quicker point-to-point.

But the beauty of the new S4 is in its understated looks – this is a real Q-car, and a bloody quick one too. Some potential customers may actually find it too unassuming, but we rather like it.

Flying big under the radar - especially in terms of price when compared to the closer and more natural rivals in the MB C350 sport and BMW 335i.

Word is that the S5 is going to get the supercharged V6 in another year.

"GermanNut" get a life.

sweht

Brilliant review from Autocar as well:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Audi-A4-S4/235475/

Sure the supercharged V6 may lack the aural magic of the V8, but the B8 S4 is overall a better car than the V8 B7. The B8 is faster, quicker, larger, more fuel efficient and dynamically better balanced.

The S4 will be only slightly more than the 335i. The 335i starts at lets say $41K whereas the S4 is likely to start at $50K.

I can't wait to see what this car will do to the 335i considering the old V8 S4 beat the crap out of the E46 M3 on Topgear. This car is much better than the old V8 version and is going up against the capable but clearly not-M3-capable 335i.

Time for a showdown!

Sorry GermanNut but $9,000 isn't "slightly more". $9k is significantly more (Almost 20%) .

"considering the old V8 S4 beat the crap out of the E46 M3 on Topgear."

- What Top-Gear episode did you watch?
Here'e the episode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uGp8rC5Hd0

I hate it when people spread lies in an attempt to fortify the brand that they are a fan of. Thats the true definition of Fanboy

GermanNut doesn't know what he's talking about. Not only is $9K a significant difference, but it WON'T be $9K more.

According to all reliable sources the new S4 will be LESS expensive than the old one, which was $48K. It wouldn't make sense that it be $50K because that's how much the S5 costs... a V8 coupe will always be more expensive than a V6 sedan. Expect $45K-47K for this one. Factor in its standard features, better mileage and more space, and it's a better deal than the 335.

"Flying under the radar?Its way flashier then the 335, it has 4 exhaust pipes...thats not very subtle.and its way more expensive. "

Huh? It's not being compared to the 335i. The writer is just saying that most people wouldn't be able to tell it's not a regular A4. If you get an A4 with the S-Line kit, the only difference between it and the S4 are the aluminum mirrors and quad exhausts. It's not aggressive AT ALL.

"compared to what? regardless the the 335 sedan is more of a sleeper then the S4. The 335 looks like a normal 3 series sedan, the S4 has S4 badges all over metal mirrors, quad exhaust, and flashy seats with s4 badges all over the cabin. "

My God, what do you expect? NO badges? Compare it to the difference between a 335i and an M3, and it looks like a Q-ship. I'm sure you were one of the people saying the S4 looked too sedated when the press shots came out. Idiot.

"And I reckon the 335 would be faster around a track."

We'll just have to wait and see.

"The S4 is a very nice and precise car...but ill take the 335 all day long."

I'm going to test drive both next year and I'll tell you which one I prefer. It will be both AWD though.

BTW. There are only two 'S4' badges on the car. They're on the front and the back.

The seats are hardly flashy. It's not like they embossed 'S4' in gold letters on black seats--the lettering is the same color as the seat so you can barely see it.

Quad exhausts are great, so why are you complaining?

"considering the old V8 S4 beat the crap out of the E46 M3 on Topgear"

BS..the m3 beat the S4 stright line although the S4 has more than hp40 over the M3. and the S4 won around the track by only a second.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uGp8rC5Hd0

The old S4 had 11 more horsepower than the M3. It also weighed a lot more, and was a sedan.

You fail.

The S4 is nice. But as with all Audi's. The car is overpriced. The New S4 isn't worth $9k more than a 335. $2k-3K? Maybe. $9k? Hell no.

You forget, LexSucks, that Audis are usually better-equipped than comparable BMWs. After one adds options to the Bimmer to bring it up to the Audi level, and adds popular options (Navigation, for instance) to both of them, the two cars cost about the same, or the Audi might actually cost LESS. At least that's been my experience.

Audiphile, where you are getting this information?

I did some quick research on bmwusa.com and Yahoo autos. An '09 335xi sedan nicely optioned (cold weather and premium package) stickers at $46,475. An '09 335i with premium, cold, and sport packages stickers for $46,875. An '08 S4 sedan's base price (used the '08 since '09 pricing has yet to be released and I would imagine prices would be similiar) has an MSRP of $48,610 (BEFORE) options.

HSC, the S4 comes standard with all those packages.

HSC,

I did a quick comparison between the Audi A3 3.2 Quattro and the BMW 128i. These cars are roughly the same size. Both cars were equipped with automatic transmissions, navigation system, premium audio, sport package, etc. Even though the Audi came with AWD and a dual-clutch gearbox while the BMW did not, and the Audi had larger 18" wheels to the BMW's 17", the A3's MSRP of $42,100 was lower than the 128i's $43,120. I rest my case.

good for you.

I actually looked at the Pontiac G8 when I was car shopping. The G8 might out-accelerate the 335i and the S4, but the refinement, build quality, quality of materials, handling, etc. are not in the same league.

It doesn't out-accelerate the 335 or S4. It's close, though.

cptamazing4 which car will you use when there are no Pontiac dealerships left?

MB and BMW are in as much trouble as Potican is right now assface.

goojman,

No they aren't. BMW and Mercedes-Benz sales are up year-to-date on a global basis. The U.S. sales of Mercedes are up YTD as well. BMW's U.S. sales are only down by a few percentage points YTD.

By the way, it's "Pontiac", not "Potican".

I hope they can price it at a competitive point with respect to the 335i and the C350.

goojman:

How many BMW & Merc dealerships have shutdown their doors so far? How many are planned to close in the next couple months & next year?

This car is only "overpriced" to those who cannot afford it...


B8 S4 > 335

Gentlemen, you are looking at my next car. It won't be available in the U.S. until next September, but I can buy or lease a rattletrap until my S4 comes in.

The search for a car that I can fit into, can afford, and like is over.

ha ha, how hard you don't have to try to be an idiot...it just comes naturally to you.

I was waiting for your comment, a bit lame in the end. The Audi gets a great review from a Mag that thinks the sun shines out of a BMW tailpipe.

AmazinBimmer,

As I prefaced my comment with "Gentlemen", I was obviously not referring to you.

The S5 will switch to the supercharged V6 when it gets its mid-cycle refresh... if not sooner!

Here is another recent test from Autocar.uk:

What is it?
The fastest and most engaging Audi S4 yet. The old 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine is gone, with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 in its place. The new powerplant is 20kg lighter and a good deal more compact.

This has allowed Audi to mount it further back in the engine bay for a 60:40 front-to-rear weight distribution, most of the mass now residing behind the front axle line for greater balance.

Running a mechanical supercharger, the four-valve-per-cylinder unit kicks out 328bhp between 5500 and 7000rpm - down by some 11bhp on the outgoing S4. But the new engine delivers 22lb ft more torque than before, releasing an impressive 324lb ft being between 2900 and 5300rpm.

These reserves are channelled to all four wheels via a standard six-speed manual gearbox. A rapid-fire seven-speed DSG is available as an option.

See more pics of the new Audi S4
Audi claims 0-62mph in 5.1sec for an S4 with the double-clutch ‘box – some 0.8sec inside the official time of the old S4. A more telling indicator of its performance is its 50-75mph fourth gear time of just 4.4sec. Even in sixth gear, it only needs 7.1sec between the two marks. Top speed continues to be limited to 155mph.

What is even more impressive is that the S4’s new supercharged 3.0-litre V6 achieves all this with a 27 per cent decrease in consumption over the old naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 with a combined cycle average of 29.1mpg.

What’s it like?
The smaller engine has robbed the S4 of some of its more memorable acoustic qualities, but this new model is quicker off the line, urgent through the gears, extremely agile for a car weighing 1650kg, progressive when you get towards the limit of adhesion and extremely stable at high speed.

We tested the double clutch gearbox and found that it encourages spirited driving. Its tightly stacked ratios help to make the most of the prodigious low-end torque and flexible qualities of the engine.

Upshifts are crisp and smooth even at high revs, while the electronics are clever enough to provide an alluring blip on the throttle on the downshifts.

The best thing about the S4, however, is its heightened dynamic ability. There is an inherent sharpness to its actions that make it a much more engaging car to drive than its predecessor. It all starts with the steering, which is both direct and terrifically well weighted. This is backed up by excellent body control and seemingly endless levels of grip.

The new Audi S4 is also the first model from Ingolstadt to receive what Audi describes as its sport differential. This is a complex torque vectoring gear set that acts very much like a traditional mechanical locking differential by varying the amount of drive going to each rear wheel. All of which results in a much more stable feel during cornering and higher apex speeds.

Another area where the new S4 displays a clear advance on the model it replaces is in the quality of its ride. With

Continued:

....the addition of electronic dampers for the first time, it gives the driver the choice between three different levels of stiffness – comfort, automatic and dynamic.

Buyers can also option their car up with Audi’s so-called ‘drive select system’, which provides the basis for sharper and more responsive actions by remapping the characteristics of the throttle, transmission shift points, dampers and steering – the latter receiving a low friction axial transmission that provides a wonderfully direct feel.

Should I buy one?
If the idea of a rapid but practical everyday car possessing true all-season ability and a bulletproof quality appeals, we certainly wouldn’t talk you out of it.

The only problem facing prospective buyers will be the question of whether to opt for style of the saloon or the versatility offered by the estate.

Greg Kable

4 year old BMW?? WRONG The BMW 335i is not 4 years old.

The Audi S4 will not just hang with the MB C350 or BMW 335i idiot. READ THE DAMN ARTICLE.

The Audi S4 is faster point-to-point than BMW's 335i and therefore the C350 also.

FWD Characteristics are all gone with the lighter V6, even better balance, and hugely powerful and torquey V6. idiot

Audi doesn't need an S-varian to compete with the regular BMW and MB engines. Just check the new supercharged V6 in the A6 out. That thing is plenty plenty fast.

You can't ever post any facts can you

GermanNut, you make a good point. The S4 is slightly quicker than the 335i and C350.
The C350 clearly has a much more luxuries drive compared to the S4 and the 335i has a more driver orientated nature compared to the S4. Well thats not what i wanted to say.
With the new "facelifted" BMW looming. Well its out it most countries. BMW has announced that all parts have been tweaked to compete with all current competitors. Therefore there most likely has been a horsepower boost along with more features.

That race should be an interesting one. Lets just leave the C-class out of this since it only can win in the luxury category.

It's great to see the fanboys in rare form tonight. Of course, without bashing ANY cars in this thread, I have way negative boosts on every post. Only because I'm an Audi fan, enthusiastic about a new Audi product.

Gimme a break.

amazinBimmer is an uneducated high school boy who cleans the bathrooms at McDonald's.

the s4 is awsome!!!!!!!!

AMAZINGBUMMER

I am deeply sadden by your multiple postings and I can not fathom that anybody could keep posting such blatantly ignorant comments.
I can see only a few possibilities to such postings;
1- you are between the age of 12 and 16 years old and you know absolutely nothing about cars.
2- you are playing the devil advocate and purposely post the most radical comments you can come up with in order to create flame wars and outrage.
3- you really believe in BMW superiority and in this case I am really sorry for you, because such ignorance and arrogance are beyond any comprehension.
4- you might suffer from some brain damage or genetic disorder and therefore I am, and we all will be sorry for you and forgive your constantly ridiculous comments.

I wish you well, I apologize if you had to refer to the dictionary while reading my comment, as I noticed quite often that grammar and vocabulary were not your forte.

I do respect BMW as a brand and as a product, they do seem to have lost their edge and it is clear that "accounting" and "marketing" have a lot to say in how the product is being built.
Life is about making the right compromises, and if you are knowledgeable, educated and with the means, which vehicle is going to fit those compromises is for each their own. But to pompously push your favorite brand like you do is a little to much for this site sometimes.

If it is a game to you, there is something disturbing to how you envision your social interaction with other through the internet.
Maybe therapy is something you might consider.

If you have half of an understanding of what you are doing when you post a comment and read the answers to it, you should have had your laugh a long time ago and give it a rest.

So no matter who you are, and what are your purposes, please get a life, get a grip, get a BMW, get a hobby, put please for the sake of this website, even if you are an agent in disguise, STOP, before all the real cars enthusiasts and connoisseur leave for good.

Be well.