Audi S4 3.0 TFSI (A) First Drive Review
06 Oct 2009|16,894 views
Remember that promotional video originating from Audi USA? It had a myriad of “inventions” featured like the light bulb, the wheel and ultimately, the consensus that Audi never follows its rivals. But aside from rock-solid build quality, Audi never really offered any clear advantage over its other German rivals, until the arrival of the 2009 A4 and subsequent models.
Ironically, they’ve dropped the slogan, which is kind of sad, considering that short of reinventing the wheel, Audi has really done it this time. Sure, they have a new engine that detracts from the old S4’s fabulous-sounding V8, but as far as numbers are concerned, one can see where this forced-affair is headed to.
Engine
The V6 might lose 7 horses to the old V8, but it has almost 30 Nm more torque. Furthermore, instead of 410 Nm at 3,500 rpm for the V8, there’s now 440 Nm available between 2,900 to 5,300 rpm.
But after a whole day of punting it around the Changi Exhibition Centre grounds, we gather that Audi might have learnt an important lesson when coming up with this new S4 – forget the irrelevant bells and whistles and offer customers more performance. Then, stick to it.
Ironically, they’ve dropped the slogan, which is kind of sad, considering that short of reinventing the wheel, Audi has really done it this time. Sure, they have a new engine that detracts from the old S4’s fabulous-sounding V8, but as far as numbers are concerned, one can see where this forced-affair is headed to.
Engine
The V6 might lose 7 horses to the old V8, but it has almost 30 Nm more torque. Furthermore, instead of 410 Nm at 3,500 rpm for the V8, there’s now 440 Nm available between 2,900 to 5,300 rpm.
But after a whole day of punting it around the Changi Exhibition Centre grounds, we gather that Audi might have learnt an important lesson when coming up with this new S4 – forget the irrelevant bells and whistles and offer customers more performance. Then, stick to it.
 |
And of course, they’ve claimed 9.7-litres per 100 km travelled - something which we’ll verify later down the road during our full test.
The interior of the S4 is standard Audi S-line – it features supportive red and black leather trimmed sports seats with built-in headrests. They’re huge, and left us wondering if that slalom test up ahead would have us flying into the side glass.
Obviously, they didn’t.
 |
The MMI interface manages to give BMW’s iDrive a run in the department of user-friendliness, while the Audi Drive Select and magnetic sports suspension are standard-issue.
The highlight of the S4 has to be the new sport differential equipped quattro driveline. When driven normally, power is split 40-60 front to rear, with variable adjustments enabling this torque split to vary.
The twist in the equation this time is the rear differential. When the Audi Drive Select is set to “Dynamic,” the sportiest driving mode available, it is entirely possible to transmit the power all the way to one side.
Acceleration and transmission
Needless to say, the hefty amount of torque on paper translated well into real-life acceleration forces. Audi’s claimed acceleration time of 5.1-seconds for the 0-100 km/h dash should be well founded.
Without any special launch technique, and allowing for additional runoff, we stopwatched it at 5.4 seconds before braking hard into the first right-hander of our test-course.
Unlike the other 7-speed dual clutch Volkswagens we’ve driven, the S4’s strengthened version coped very well. The huge amount of torque effectively steamrolled over any snap crackle and pop or jerk in the mechanical shifting action.
The highlight of the S4 has to be the new sport differential equipped quattro driveline. When driven normally, power is split 40-60 front to rear, with variable adjustments enabling this torque split to vary.
The twist in the equation this time is the rear differential. When the Audi Drive Select is set to “Dynamic,” the sportiest driving mode available, it is entirely possible to transmit the power all the way to one side.
Acceleration and transmission
Needless to say, the hefty amount of torque on paper translated well into real-life acceleration forces. Audi’s claimed acceleration time of 5.1-seconds for the 0-100 km/h dash should be well founded.
Without any special launch technique, and allowing for additional runoff, we stopwatched it at 5.4 seconds before braking hard into the first right-hander of our test-course.
Unlike the other 7-speed dual clutch Volkswagens we’ve driven, the S4’s strengthened version coped very well. The huge amount of torque effectively steamrolled over any snap crackle and pop or jerk in the mechanical shifting action.
The exhaust, although not even close to the hair-raising note put out by the Volkswagen R32, allowed for very nice backfiring sounds to be heard from within the cabin during up and downshifts.
Believe it or not, we’re actually sold on the self-shifter despite the manual being more fun to drive.
Ride and handling
For purposes of this review, we’re going to concentrate only on the firmest setting of the Audi Drive Select – Dynamic.
Adjustments are made to the engine and throttle software, suspension, steering and rear differential.
The chief difference is the rack – you’ll suddenly find a BMW-like firmness in place of the slack-ratioed, Mercedes-like feel in “Comfort.”
Despite a Daytona racing simulator-like pedal with no discernible weight and exceptionally long travel, revised throttle mapping meant that the transmission allowed for immediate downshifts without delay when the accelerator is suddenly kicked inwards.
We had the opportunity to drive two S4s – one with (the S4 Avant) and one without (the red S4) the optional sport rear differential.
Driving the car at high speed through a series of tight left and right handers, a near 90-degree bend followed by an 80-90 km/h slalom, we were clearly able to tell when the sport differential was doing its job.
Believe it or not, we’re actually sold on the self-shifter despite the manual being more fun to drive.
Ride and handling
For purposes of this review, we’re going to concentrate only on the firmest setting of the Audi Drive Select – Dynamic.
Adjustments are made to the engine and throttle software, suspension, steering and rear differential.
The chief difference is the rack – you’ll suddenly find a BMW-like firmness in place of the slack-ratioed, Mercedes-like feel in “Comfort.”
Despite a Daytona racing simulator-like pedal with no discernible weight and exceptionally long travel, revised throttle mapping meant that the transmission allowed for immediate downshifts without delay when the accelerator is suddenly kicked inwards.
We had the opportunity to drive two S4s – one with (the S4 Avant) and one without (the red S4) the optional sport rear differential.
Driving the car at high speed through a series of tight left and right handers, a near 90-degree bend followed by an 80-90 km/h slalom, we were clearly able to tell when the sport differential was doing its job.
 |
The standard S4 quattro has a natural tendency to run wide, especially when presented with such a course. However, where the red car required careful usage of both brakes and throttle to maintain poise and balance, the S4 Avant almost left us guessing the drive wheels.
No, it isn’t Audi’s silver bullet – driver inputs still need to be smooth in conjunction with proper weight transfer techniques before one reaps the full benefits of the trick diff.
And when you do that, you’ll find that with the ESP defeated, you’re able to hang the rear wheels out under a fair amount of engine load for at least a second or two.
Best of all, instead of keeping yourself busy trying to cancel out understeer on the limit, turning a corner becomes almost go-kart-like straightforward – brake, turn and accelerate.
No, it isn’t Audi’s silver bullet – driver inputs still need to be smooth in conjunction with proper weight transfer techniques before one reaps the full benefits of the trick diff.
And when you do that, you’ll find that with the ESP defeated, you’re able to hang the rear wheels out under a fair amount of engine load for at least a second or two.
Best of all, instead of keeping yourself busy trying to cancel out understeer on the limit, turning a corner becomes almost go-kart-like straightforward – brake, turn and accelerate.
Good enough for your money?
So Audi’s got it right – the S4 handles well, has a stiff, predictable chassis and although it doesn’t handle like a BMW 335i, it now comes uncomfortably close. An obvious shortcoming would be the lack of steering feel. While it matches the effort level of the Bimmer, it just isn’t as sharp, pointy or sensitive in its sportiest setting.
This vagueness contributed greatly towards us not being able to feel the front end pushing wide most of the time.
In our opinion, this is something that might impede driving pleasure and confidence on slippery surfaces.
That aside, the new, reasonably-priced Audi S4 will be “that high-performance German sports sedan/wagon” for today’s times. It has the right ingredients that make the car feel like a one-off sports model.
Our guess is that Audi’s German counterparts are going to take the cue from the new S4 this time round. A big shame then that they pulled last year’s marketing slogan down.
So Audi’s got it right – the S4 handles well, has a stiff, predictable chassis and although it doesn’t handle like a BMW 335i, it now comes uncomfortably close. An obvious shortcoming would be the lack of steering feel. While it matches the effort level of the Bimmer, it just isn’t as sharp, pointy or sensitive in its sportiest setting.
This vagueness contributed greatly towards us not being able to feel the front end pushing wide most of the time.
In our opinion, this is something that might impede driving pleasure and confidence on slippery surfaces.
That aside, the new, reasonably-priced Audi S4 will be “that high-performance German sports sedan/wagon” for today’s times. It has the right ingredients that make the car feel like a one-off sports model.
Our guess is that Audi’s German counterparts are going to take the cue from the new S4 this time round. A big shame then that they pulled last year’s marketing slogan down.
Remember that promotional video originating from Audi USA? It had a myriad of “inventions” featured like the light bulb, the wheel and ultimately, the consensus that Audi never follows its rivals. But aside from rock-solid build quality, Audi never really offered any clear advantage over its other German rivals, until the arrival of the 2009 A4 and subsequent models.
Ironically, they’ve dropped the slogan, which is kind of sad, considering that short of reinventing the wheel, Audi has really done it this time. Sure, they have a new engine that detracts from the old S4’s fabulous-sounding V8, but as far as numbers are concerned, one can see where this forced-affair is headed to.
Engine
The V6 might lose 7 horses to the old V8, but it has almost 30 Nm more torque. Furthermore, instead of 410 Nm at 3,500 rpm for the V8, there’s now 440 Nm available between 2,900 to 5,300 rpm.
But after a whole day of punting it around the Changi Exhibition Centre grounds, we gather that Audi might have learnt an important lesson when coming up with this new S4 – forget the irrelevant bells and whistles and offer customers more performance. Then, stick to it.
Ironically, they’ve dropped the slogan, which is kind of sad, considering that short of reinventing the wheel, Audi has really done it this time. Sure, they have a new engine that detracts from the old S4’s fabulous-sounding V8, but as far as numbers are concerned, one can see where this forced-affair is headed to.
Engine
The V6 might lose 7 horses to the old V8, but it has almost 30 Nm more torque. Furthermore, instead of 410 Nm at 3,500 rpm for the V8, there’s now 440 Nm available between 2,900 to 5,300 rpm.
But after a whole day of punting it around the Changi Exhibition Centre grounds, we gather that Audi might have learnt an important lesson when coming up with this new S4 – forget the irrelevant bells and whistles and offer customers more performance. Then, stick to it.
|
And of course, they’ve claimed 9.7-litres per 100 km travelled - something which we’ll verify later down the road during our full test.
The interior of the S4 is standard Audi S-line – it features supportive red and black leather trimmed sports seats with built-in headrests. They’re huge, and left us wondering if that slalom test up ahead would have us flying into the side glass.
Obviously, they didn’t.
|
The MMI interface manages to give BMW’s iDrive a run in the department of user-friendliness, while the Audi Drive Select and magnetic sports suspension are standard-issue.
The highlight of the S4 has to be the new sport differential equipped quattro driveline. When driven normally, power is split 40-60 front to rear, with variable adjustments enabling this torque split to vary.
The twist in the equation this time is the rear differential. When the Audi Drive Select is set to “Dynamic,” the sportiest driving mode available, it is entirely possible to transmit the power all the way to one side.
Acceleration and transmission
Needless to say, the hefty amount of torque on paper translated well into real-life acceleration forces. Audi’s claimed acceleration time of 5.1-seconds for the 0-100 km/h dash should be well founded.
Without any special launch technique, and allowing for additional runoff, we stopwatched it at 5.4 seconds before braking hard into the first right-hander of our test-course.
Unlike the other 7-speed dual clutch Volkswagens we’ve driven, the S4’s strengthened version coped very well. The huge amount of torque effectively steamrolled over any snap crackle and pop or jerk in the mechanical shifting action.
The highlight of the S4 has to be the new sport differential equipped quattro driveline. When driven normally, power is split 40-60 front to rear, with variable adjustments enabling this torque split to vary.
The twist in the equation this time is the rear differential. When the Audi Drive Select is set to “Dynamic,” the sportiest driving mode available, it is entirely possible to transmit the power all the way to one side.
Acceleration and transmission
Needless to say, the hefty amount of torque on paper translated well into real-life acceleration forces. Audi’s claimed acceleration time of 5.1-seconds for the 0-100 km/h dash should be well founded.
Without any special launch technique, and allowing for additional runoff, we stopwatched it at 5.4 seconds before braking hard into the first right-hander of our test-course.
Unlike the other 7-speed dual clutch Volkswagens we’ve driven, the S4’s strengthened version coped very well. The huge amount of torque effectively steamrolled over any snap crackle and pop or jerk in the mechanical shifting action.
The exhaust, although not even close to the hair-raising note put out by the Volkswagen R32, allowed for very nice backfiring sounds to be heard from within the cabin during up and downshifts.
Believe it or not, we’re actually sold on the self-shifter despite the manual being more fun to drive.
Ride and handling
For purposes of this review, we’re going to concentrate only on the firmest setting of the Audi Drive Select – Dynamic.
Adjustments are made to the engine and throttle software, suspension, steering and rear differential.
The chief difference is the rack – you’ll suddenly find a BMW-like firmness in place of the slack-ratioed, Mercedes-like feel in “Comfort.”
Despite a Daytona racing simulator-like pedal with no discernible weight and exceptionally long travel, revised throttle mapping meant that the transmission allowed for immediate downshifts without delay when the accelerator is suddenly kicked inwards.
We had the opportunity to drive two S4s – one with (the S4 Avant) and one without (the red S4) the optional sport rear differential.
Driving the car at high speed through a series of tight left and right handers, a near 90-degree bend followed by an 80-90 km/h slalom, we were clearly able to tell when the sport differential was doing its job.
Believe it or not, we’re actually sold on the self-shifter despite the manual being more fun to drive.
Ride and handling
For purposes of this review, we’re going to concentrate only on the firmest setting of the Audi Drive Select – Dynamic.
Adjustments are made to the engine and throttle software, suspension, steering and rear differential.
The chief difference is the rack – you’ll suddenly find a BMW-like firmness in place of the slack-ratioed, Mercedes-like feel in “Comfort.”
Despite a Daytona racing simulator-like pedal with no discernible weight and exceptionally long travel, revised throttle mapping meant that the transmission allowed for immediate downshifts without delay when the accelerator is suddenly kicked inwards.
We had the opportunity to drive two S4s – one with (the S4 Avant) and one without (the red S4) the optional sport rear differential.
Driving the car at high speed through a series of tight left and right handers, a near 90-degree bend followed by an 80-90 km/h slalom, we were clearly able to tell when the sport differential was doing its job.
|
The standard S4 quattro has a natural tendency to run wide, especially when presented with such a course. However, where the red car required careful usage of both brakes and throttle to maintain poise and balance, the S4 Avant almost left us guessing the drive wheels.
No, it isn’t Audi’s silver bullet – driver inputs still need to be smooth in conjunction with proper weight transfer techniques before one reaps the full benefits of the trick diff.
And when you do that, you’ll find that with the ESP defeated, you’re able to hang the rear wheels out under a fair amount of engine load for at least a second or two.
Best of all, instead of keeping yourself busy trying to cancel out understeer on the limit, turning a corner becomes almost go-kart-like straightforward – brake, turn and accelerate.
No, it isn’t Audi’s silver bullet – driver inputs still need to be smooth in conjunction with proper weight transfer techniques before one reaps the full benefits of the trick diff.
And when you do that, you’ll find that with the ESP defeated, you’re able to hang the rear wheels out under a fair amount of engine load for at least a second or two.
Best of all, instead of keeping yourself busy trying to cancel out understeer on the limit, turning a corner becomes almost go-kart-like straightforward – brake, turn and accelerate.
Good enough for your money?
So Audi’s got it right – the S4 handles well, has a stiff, predictable chassis and although it doesn’t handle like a BMW 335i, it now comes uncomfortably close. An obvious shortcoming would be the lack of steering feel. While it matches the effort level of the Bimmer, it just isn’t as sharp, pointy or sensitive in its sportiest setting.
This vagueness contributed greatly towards us not being able to feel the front end pushing wide most of the time.
In our opinion, this is something that might impede driving pleasure and confidence on slippery surfaces.
That aside, the new, reasonably-priced Audi S4 will be “that high-performance German sports sedan/wagon” for today’s times. It has the right ingredients that make the car feel like a one-off sports model.
Our guess is that Audi’s German counterparts are going to take the cue from the new S4 this time round. A big shame then that they pulled last year’s marketing slogan down.
So Audi’s got it right – the S4 handles well, has a stiff, predictable chassis and although it doesn’t handle like a BMW 335i, it now comes uncomfortably close. An obvious shortcoming would be the lack of steering feel. While it matches the effort level of the Bimmer, it just isn’t as sharp, pointy or sensitive in its sportiest setting.
This vagueness contributed greatly towards us not being able to feel the front end pushing wide most of the time.
In our opinion, this is something that might impede driving pleasure and confidence on slippery surfaces.
That aside, the new, reasonably-priced Audi S4 will be “that high-performance German sports sedan/wagon” for today’s times. It has the right ingredients that make the car feel like a one-off sports model.
Our guess is that Audi’s German counterparts are going to take the cue from the new S4 this time round. A big shame then that they pulled last year’s marketing slogan down.
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