Audi S4 manual 2004 review

The Lowdown

It's easy to get into trouble in the Audi S4.

It took less than five seconds for one of our interstate colleagues to learn that lesson during a quick Saturday sport pick-up run.

With the kids belted in the back, he accelerated into traffic in the V8 thumper and was only into second gear when he saw blue lights flashing.

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He was doing 75 in a 60, definitely naughty-naughty, but it was solid proof that the compact Audi is a muscle machine from the top drawer.

Audi says the S4 will zip to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds and our man knows it's even sooner to 75.

Everyone else who drove the S4 was careful to keep it under control, though it's hard to hold back in a car that has an eager V8 engine and one of the nicest exhaust notes in the business.

Not to mention a sports-car cabin and all the luxury gear you'd expect when you're dropping $130,000 at the dealership.

The S4 is the pocket rocket of the latest S-car line-up from Audi, which has just pumped up its 2004 range with everything from S-Line lookers to the RS6 performance flagship that runs as the pace car at V8 Supercar contests.

Audi is pitching the S4 as a practical sports car that combines V8 performance with a handy four-door body and a big boot. Its signature quattro all-wheel drive is, of course, part of the package.

The S4 is aimed straight at the benchmark BMW M3, even though its German rival is most likely to be seen as a two-door coupe, as well as everything from the bland Lexus GS300 to the under-appreciated Jaguar S-Type R and the thumping Benz C32 AMG.

It's a tough field but the compact Audi makes a strong case.

The S4 is well priced, with a mechanical package built around its hi-tech V8. It's a 4.2-litre thumper with a variable intake manifold and intake camshaft adjustment, as well as the regular twin-overhead camshafts and fuel injection.

It makes 253kW of power and 410Nm of torque, but the really impressive thing; particularly compared with engines such as Holden's Gen III – is that it's sweet, smooth and responsive.

It's also hooked to a slick six-speed manual gearbox (a six-speed auto is optional) and all-wheel drive with a Torsen centre differential and electronic stability control.

The suspension is fully independent with alloy wishbones, the brakes are anti-skid four-wheel discs with brake-force assistance, and the wheels are giant 8x18 alloys with 235x40 sports rubber.

The cabin is one of the best in the class, complete with electric Recaro front buckets and a re-shaped rear bench, a meaty leather steering wheel, automatic aircon with split temperature controls, Bose CD sound and cruise control.

The S4 also has the finishing we've come to expect from Audi in recent years, which means world's best standard with a cabin design built around the driver. It has plenty of entertainment value, but the emphasis is still on driving and driving enjoyment.

Late this year there will also be an S4 Cabriolet, which promises to be something really special if Audi can do a better job on suspension tuning than it has managed with other A4 droptops we've sampled.

It makes 253kW of power and 410Nm of torque, but the really impressive thing is that it's sweet, smooth and responsive.

On the road

The S4 is one of the best all-rounders we've driven in a long time. It's a sports sedan, for sure, but it is also a comfy family sedan with a big boot and effortless touring potential.

The sound system is great, it's easy to park – with power steering that's light at the supermarket but meaty in the twisties – and the quality is plain to see. We liked the Alcantara and leather trim work, the simple but effective instruments and a steering wheel not overloaded with fiddly little buttons.

The car is genuinely comfortably, with great Recaro buckets that have plenty of electric adjustments. The back seat has also copped a Recaro upgrade, which is good and bad; the shape is terrific, but there is really only space for two people and the seat shape is compromised by a lack of legroom.

But that is because the S4 is built up from the basic A4, which is a compact 3-Series rival. If you want more space and you have a (much) bigger budget you can always go to the RS6 and line it up against BMW's M5.

It doesn't have the cabin space of the GS Lexus, but does well enough against the S-Type Jag and the M3 coupe.

The performance is all we expected from the S badge, V8 engine and Audi's performance claims.

The S4 really jumps from the lights, has incredible overtaking ability and will gobble up the shortest straights on your favourite driving road. It can be light at the pumps, too -- though you'll be paying for premium fuel -- and using the power pack can quickly push fuel consumption from 10 litres at cruise to more than 15 litres/100km in grunt runs.

Best things about the Audi's V8 are its seamless power delivery and its throaty engine note. It runs turbine-smooth from idle to redline, doing its best work above 4000 revs, and the grumble from the tail says you're driving something special.

It always seems to be keen to help and that's also encouraged by the slick six-speed. The manual gearbox has ratios chosen for performance, so you don't have any gaps in acceleration and it always has the right ratio for a corner.

The S4 stops fine, and the steering feel is great, but the cornering balance is not a patch on the M3. It has its V8 hanging out ahead of the front-axle line, which means you're always conscious of front-end weight when you aim into a corner.

The S4 prefers to be coaxed through corners, or driven in a point-and-squirt style that takes advantage of the V8 grunt. Some will find that fine, but we couldn't help feel a bit let down by the nose-heavy balance.

The Bottom Line

The S4 is a practical muscle car and a significant challenge to the bench-mark BMW M3.