Audi A4 2004 Review

It may not be the fastest nor the most expensive model in the Audi armoury but as an all-rounder the S Line stacks up as an appealing proposition.

That is no doubt exactly what Audi is hoping because the A4 is one of its bread and butter models and needs an edge in its head to head battle with the BMW's market leading 3 Series.

In essence, the S Line is a sportier version of the already sporty A4 with more power, more glitz and even more equipment – a link with the high performance S4.

It also attracts a higher price tag but it is value for money if you do the sums.

Comparing the A4 S Line with the corresponding BMW 325i Executive sedan is a particularly interesting exercise, especially as both cars are identically priced at $69,500.

Both cars hold the same kind of premium Euro appeal and both cars offer similar levels of luxury, refinement and performance. And, on paper at least, both produce almost exactly the same amount of power and torque, but from very different engines.

The Audi draws its power from a turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine while the Beemer gets its get up and go from a 2.5-litre straight six.

The major point of difference is of course the fact that the Audi is underpinned by four-wheel-drive technology. It is a factor that should not be lightly dismissed, especially on wet and icy winter roads. We clocked up almost 1000km behind the wheel of an S Line during recent testing and we have to say it was very easy to live with.

The car looks fabulous, offers strong if not outstanding performance and runs on the smell of a proverbial oily rag, albeit a designer one.

The 1.8-litre turbocharged engine delivers 140kW of power and 240Nm of torque from a low 1950 rpm, getting if off the line and to 100km/h in 8.3 seconds.

In keeping with its sporty aesthetics, it comes with a slick shifting six-speed manual transmission as standard.

Handling and braking in our test car were impressive and so was the 8.5L/100km that we achieved from the 66-litre fuel tank – and we're not noted for pussy footing around.

We particularly liked the 10-speaker sound system that handled our Moby test disk with comparative ease.

Sporty 17-inch alloy wheels with 235/45 tyres complement an exclusive S Line body kit including sports suspension, sports bumpers front and rear, an aerodynamic rear spoiler and S Line decals.

Standard equipment include sports seats with electric lumbar support, sports steering wheel, leather and alcantara upholstery, Chorus sound system with 10 speakers and CD changer, integrated fog lights (front and rear), and SIDEGUARD head airbag curtain, as well as front and side airbags for driver and front passenger. A recent upgrade has also seen Xenon headlights, and auto dim interior mirror, auto headlights and a headlight delay.