2012 Audi S4 Reviews

Audi's RS range of high performance cars occupy pride of place at the Ingolstadt feed lot but the line between them and slightly lesser models is becoming blurred if the new S4 Avant is any indication.The S cars don't cost as much as the RS cars but in this case, you'd be better off saving the (considerable) dosh and go for the penultimate model S4 Avant. It gets within a whisker of RS performance and the S cars are possibly better all rounders for everyday driving.This is the first time an Avant S4 has been available here ($123,900) and it's a cracker of a drive as well as looking the business. A sedan version is also available for a few grand less.The S4 is a repository for plenty of desirable kit from the extensive Audi equipment list but you can still inflate the price considerably by ticking the boxes. There's no need really because S4 boasts, among other things, Audi's Drive Select system that offers five modes: dynamic, auto, comfort, normal and individual. It changes calibrations for engine, throttle, transmission, steering, suspension and even the aircon' system.Should be on all prestige and performance cars. We settled for `auto' or `dynamic' modes most of the time. Other handy features include radar cruise control, lane assist and attention assist but a reverse camera is optional - on a high end Euro wagon... We love the auto wipers and headlights and electric tailgate but the space saver spare is a bummer.The interior is full-glam' in muted metallic and grey tones complete with classy leather upholstery, sports seats and a beautifully finished and integrated dash. There's a large info screen with controls for many functions and a premium audio with 20 gig music register.There isn't much lacking inside that's for sure. Exterior styling  features the new A4 mask and minor body tweaks that came when the model was revamped earlier this year. It looks better than ever, in this case accentuated by optional 19-inch titanium coloured alloys, minor body aero add-ons and brushed alloy roof rails.Exhilarating performance comes from the supercharged  3.0-litre, petrol V6 engine with direct injection and variable valve timing. It clocks a 0-100kmh sprint in 5.0 seconds and thanks to stop start and other efficiency measures, uses as little as 8.1-litres/100km. The 3.0-litre is in other Audis but they don't drive as well as this one which seems to go better and certainly sounds better - arguably the best sounding V6 currently available.A rumbling blatt on full throttle upchanges comes from the quad-tip exhaust and is a new sound dimension compared with the exhaust pop of other makes. It's good for 245kW/440Nm, the latter at around 1750rpm through to 5000 plus.Drive is to all wheels via Audi's refined quattro system after moving through a dual clutch S-tronic manumatic. The test car had the optional sports differential with torque vectoring providing a higher level of grip and traction. Sporty driving is aided by paddle shift on the fat, flat bottom, multi controller steering wheel. It's practical too with room for five and a large, expandable load space.We'll have to change our opinion of 3.0-litre V6 petrol engines after this experience. The car looks a million bucks too. 

Anything with the number ‘300’ on the speedo dial has to be a serious machine. Not that the needle of such a car, the new Audi S4, for example, will ever see speedo’s end.By agreement with government in Germany, its country of origin, the vehicle is electronically limited to 250 kilometres an hour. Still, the dial does have the heart racing at first sight.At $120,440, the S4 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic sedan is shaded by the S4 Avant 3.0 TFSI quattro S tronic which adds $3500 to the bill.I loved the Audi pick of programmed music in the test vehicle. The $1550 Bang and Olufsen Surround Sound System with 10-channel amplifier and 14 speakers - a total output of 505 watts - brought out the best of everyone from Marvin Gaye to Lana del Rey. It even polished the primitive techno of Kraftwerk.Standard is a redesigned Sports steering wheel in S design, multi-function, wrapped in leather. Optional is a flat-bottomed tiller adding even more sporting cred to the car. Additional options include sport differential and damper control, dynamic steering, plus adaptive cruise control. It all makes for better ride, handling and happier passengers.In conjunction with the navigation system, an additional mode, ‘individual’, is also included, allowing the driver to specify, within limits, his or her own profile of preferred settings.The Audi S4 sedan we have been testing for the past week has had a facelift, with changes to headlights, bumpers, air inlets and the choice of colours. On the outside, the hexagonal single-frame grille, wedge-shaped headlights hooded by LED daytime running lights, LED rear lights, new bumpers and integrated boot-lid spoiler are all clues to the model updates.With spots for five occupants, the split rear seat backs can be folded in two steps without removing the head rests, doubling the cargo volume to 962 litres. Tie-down rings are sturdy chrome plated solid metal.The test car sported optional power S sport seats featuring extra-supportive side bolsters, integrated head restraints and embossed S4 in the seat backs. S4 badges also can be found on door sills, while aluminium-look shift paddles and pedals complete the picture.But, it’s the technical advancements that keep the hot Audi topping the charts. Most important are quattro drive with torque vectoring and electromechanical power steering, while the S sport suspension and 18-inch wheels give the new S4 added road grip.The S4 TFSI engine is a joy to behold. The supercharged V6 pumps out 245 kW of power and 440 Nm of torque between 2200 and 5900 rpm. The sedan sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h, all the while dual twin tailpipes trumpeting a stirring fanfare from the finely tuned motor.Around town the fuel consumption of this very efficient engine usually sits in the 11 to 13 litres per hundred kilometres range, not bad for the performance it gives you. On the open road you can get it below eight litres per hundred without too much tip-toeing. That’s impressive.The S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sends the power to the quattro drivetrain with self-locking centre differential and torque vectoring. An electronic control system offers two types of operation - D (Drive) or S (Sport) – for drivers to shift between using the gear lever or steering wheel-mounted paddles.Powertrain apart, the Audi S4’s star turn is its steering. Well weighted to provide maximum feedback to the driver, it can be varied by up to almost 100 per cent from most direct in city traffic to much less so at high speeds where the system chips in to help the driver when cornering at the handling limits, if necessary, reducing both oversteer and understeer by means of load.Ignoring the top speed – please do not try it at home – it’s the sharp acceleration that comes to the fore when wanting to overtake. It’s merely a matter of tapping the downshift paddle to put the S4 in a position to pass with plenty of safety.Ventilated discs, 320 mm up front and 300 mm at the back, are worked on by black composite callipers, ensuring that heat is dissipated to maintain optimum braking efficiency, whether parking or putting in the ‘welly’ on the open road.The driver, at the touch of a button, is further blessed with Audi’s own Drive Select system, offering, through the accelerator, transmission shift points and power steering boost, the choice between ‘comfort’, ‘auto’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘efficiency’ modes.It had me sold.