The Audi S4 has been in hot pursuit of the BMW M3 for well over two decades. While it hasn't quite gathered the following that the M3 has, it offers plenty. The latest rendition features a 333-horsepower supercharged V6 hitched to a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. But Audi really pulled out all the stops with driver interaction. Their infotainment system is cutting edge and offers everything a luxury sedan should, all controlled by the dial on the center console.
S4: 333 HP (M3 had this is like what? 2002?), 3800 lbs
M3: 425 HP, 3600 lbs
Looks like the S4 will continue in its 'hot pursuit' status. It's quite a chunk of change cheaper though (about 10k).
The S4 is really positioned in competition with the 335i, the competitor to the M3 is the RS4. Alas, they don't sell it here because it's Avant-only and the US market hates wagons.
...and the new AWD Ford Fusion. 325HP. 
I really like the current S4, but it hasn't had a major refresh since 2010. That's getting pretty old in that market.
Current gen S4 is your last chance to get a manual transmission.
And they put down 300+ HP at the wheels. So, power is mucho underrated.
So I want a sports car.. .. . . . And an infotainment system is important how?
dean1484 wrote: So I want a sports car.. .. . . . And an infotainment system is important how?
That's what I was thinking... If they're trying to chase the sports car market, they're focusing on and talking up the wrong parts of the car...
rslifkin wrote:dean1484 wrote: So I want a sports car.. .. . . . And an infotainment system is important how?That's what I was thinking... If they're trying to chase the sports car market, they're focusing on and talking up the wrong parts of the car...
S4 is a sedan. The target market is someone who wants sporty daily transport, not a weekend boy racer. As stated above the real M3 fighter is the RS4.
bradyzq wrote: Current gen S4 is your last chance to get a manual transmission. And they put down 300+ HP at the wheels. So, power is mucho underrated.
That depends on the dyno, but yes. My B6 S4 (340hp 4.2L V8) made 250 at the wheels on 034's Mustang Dyno, whereas stock B8s make around 280.
Fueled by Caffeine wrote:rslifkin wrote:S4 is a sedan. The target market is someone who wants sporty daily transport, not a weekend boy racer. As stated above the real M3 fighter is the RS4.dean1484 wrote: So I want a sports car.. .. . . . And an infotainment system is important how?That's what I was thinking... If they're trying to chase the sports car market, they're focusing on and talking up the wrong parts of the car...
I was going to say, if you want a sports car, what are you doing looking at a $60k AWD sedan?
Another awesome car that by the time it's old enough that I could afford to buy one, I wouldn't want to...lol.
If you want a proper 2 door, you want an S5. Same stuff as a S4. You could get an RS5 here in the states too for a while. I do wish the RS4 was sold here as well. We deserve all the choices!
Saying that car is a sports car is like saying my x type is a sports car.
It is just another high end smallish sedan. A very nice car but not a sports car.
Nobody else has referred to it as a sports car. The article refers to it as a sports sedan. I think that fits well.
Damn I really like the complete package the B8 S4 offers but swore off Audis when I owned a complete lemon B5 A4. I really wonder if they have improved since then.
The S4 moniker isn't really what it used to be. Look at the models and engine choices. There used to be two engines available for the A4 - a base 4 and an V6 upgrade. Now that's gone. The A4 is only available with the 4. The V6 upgrade is now called the S4. The "old S4" is now the RS4 (although availability varies in the US each year - only the RS7 right now).
Audi did this a few years ago across just about the entire model line. I see a ton of A5's and S5's. I can always tell the older ones because some of the A5's are V6 versions, which are now badged as S5's.
It is a shame the Avant is no longer available as it basically removes Audi from serious consideration for me.
The A4 Avant is now called the Allroad. It has nothing to do with the old A6 derived Allroad from 01-05.
It is indeed not a sports car, but I like it the most.
Ian F wrote: The S4 moniker isn't really what it used to be. Look at the models and engine choices. There used to be two engines available for the A4 - a base 4 and an V6 upgrade. Now that's gone. The A4 is only available with the 4. The V6 upgrade is now called the S4. The "old S4" is now the RS4 (although availability varies in the US each year - only the RS7 right now).
It's true that there is one fewer engine available in the A4/S4 line, but it doesn't really have to do with the S4. What's happened is that Audi split the low-end A4 customers off into a new car model and called it the A3. So we have:
Yes, the engines at each point have gotten smaller in displacement and sprouted turbos, that's an industry-wide trend resulting from the drastically increased CAFE/etc requirements that Obama pushed through a few years ago.
IIRC the regulation overhaul that streamlined emissions into a single standard in the U.S. was welcomed by the industry and made it possible for U.S. spec cars to be sold into China. I know GM sells ALLOT of cars into China these days. So it was a big win for U.S. industry. The better mileage also helped reduce demand for gasoline contributing to the current glut of supply. I like cheap gazzoline and prefer big auto over big oil and Putin. Sometimes government gets it right.
If someone who recently won the lottery would buy me one of these, I would be most grateful.
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