Audi S4 2004 review

Those who drive high-cam V8s know little about the power potential of the German wonder machines. And that makes trawling trunk roads in an S all the more wilful and enjoyable.

Imagine the scene.

Along comes a petrol-burning muscle car, two-pack paint job, wall-to-wall chrome, Mach II sound system, the lot.

The driver has Easy Rider sunnies and a ton of tatts. Mr Ugly draws alongside this heavily disguised Euro superwagon.

And then it happens.

One floors the pedal of the Audi Avant S4, unleashing 253kW of crank power which instantly turns into drag-strip performance.

The tatts man hits his hot pedal but soon realises he is fighting well above his weight, and is well behind on points.

He is beaten before the fight begins.

And all before the highway speed limit is breached.

Now Audi S4 Avant buyers do not necessarily invest in a super-quick wagon to burn off street racers.

Generally, they are successful business types who earn big dollars. They are family men who want genuine performance, room for the family and the capacity to carry leisure goods.

They are not averse to having the odd burn-off with a restored and well-tuned Monaro, GT or Charger, so long as the driver is the non-hoon variety. After all, why else would someone buy a fully developed 4.2-litre V8 with the 0-100km/h turn-of-foot of just 5.6 seconds. We are talking serious speed here. How about nought to 200km/h – in the Northern Territory or a private circuit, of course – in 20 seconds.

The S4 Avant is far more than a brutally quick driveline.

It is an amazing vehicle which quickens the heartbeat at every turn of the wheel.

Of course, the $136,100 it costs to buy an S4 Avant can also finance some seriously good motoring merchandise.

But around 30 buyers nationally will snap up an S4 Avant next year and another 50 or so will buy the sports sedan version.

Those who buy are well versed in what Audi S cars, Mercedes AMG cars and BMW M cars have to offer. And that is kick-in-the-pants acceleration, amazing traction and roadholding, pin-sharp steering and all-round driving enjoyment which is difficult to beat – short of splurging even more on a supercar.

The S4 offers permanent quattro all-wheel drive and sports-tuned high-performance suspension. The car's standard kit covers virtually every requirement, in keeping with the exclusivity of this calibre of vehicle.

And that includes 18in alloy wheels and Recaro sports seats and every traction and stability aid known to motoring man.

Audi claims the power-to-weight ratio of the 2004 S cars has been further improved compared with its predecessor.

Audi remains faithful to its A3 to A8 design philosophy to offer superior vehicles with deliberately restrained appearance.

Those in the know recognise the meaning of the S4 badging – and that is good enough for those with interest in this type of vehicle.

S4 models can be identified from the side skirting in the same colour as the body and characteristic S wheels, with 345mm brake discs to ensure they have stopping power to match fire power.

The cabin is very sporty with a level of comfort, support and good looks expected from a car of this price.

The sports seats, carbon fibre or grey birch inlays, full instrumentation and elegantly minimalist fascia come together for an environment expected from a sport sedan. Nothing about the car has to create an aura to impress the buyer. The vehicle's dynamics do that very successfully.

Australian customers get the choice between a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed Tiptronic transmission with adaptive shift program. The manual is a slick and quick component, the auto a really proficient self-shifter with the ability to override manually.

Audi is well known for its excellent chassis set-ups. The Avant is firm without being brick-hard. The wagon negotiates tight roads with consummate agility and the combination of all-wheel drive and all the stability equipment ensures the Avant corners without sin – even when road shocks try to trip the car just when one wants stability.