[Paramedic]

Hey guys ! Following on my last topic, I finally test drove the new 2010 S4. Now, I'm completely unbiaised as I never had any BMW nor any Audi, and I equally appreciate each brand.

Exterior
The car looks great, it's a bit larger than an E90 but it looks great with the 19'' wheels and the body kit. The differences between an S4 and your regular S-Line A4 are very, very subtle (more pronounced lines on the side, quad exhaust, wheels, S4 badges and some minor cosmetic tweaks), and it makes it the perfect sleeper. It's a like-it-or-not thing, some want a car that screams "this car is powerful", some don't really care as long as the power is there. LED DRLs and LED tail lights are very nice.

One upside to the size is the trunk. It is freaking huge ! Seats fold 60/40 and it also has a ski door behind the armrest. Really, that trunk is probably around 30-40% larger than an E90's trunk.

Interior
It's simply gorgeous. The seats alone are worth getting this car. Everything looks very nice, and while it might not be the most ergonomic car ever, it feels natural after a few minutes. The black headliner is nice, and the car has all the small things you can expect from a car of this class.

A small complaint I have especially after trying the 335i is that the buttons in the Audi have this "click" when you press them. Maybe it's just me, but I tend to prefer a "soft" feeling when you press a button like in the BMWs. However the dash has this great soft surface on it, and I really like the instrument cluster with its white backlighting and the color screen between the instruments.

Electronics
The Audi has a smaller navigation screen than the iDrive system, but it has a quite big color screen in the instrument cluster to complement it. IMO it's big enough, but I think the BMW screen is a bit better. The interface is very good, maybe even better in the Audi. As for the controls, the S4 has a rotary wheel with a small joystick on top of it, and 4 buttons around it that controls the functions relative to the screen you're on. It also has the usual Nav, Phone, Media and such buttons on the sides to quick-access modes. While it really takes a while to get used to it, it's a pretty cool way to navigate and seems to go quite well. The B&O sound system sounds quite equal to the Logic7, but I really had a very short time to try it. The Audi Music Interface to connect an iPod is standard, as well as a dual SD card reader.

Power
When you start the beast, on the Comfort setting, the car is surprisingly calm. The computer modulates the accelerator input to make it gradual, so it's a very nice, soft ride. However, when you switch to the Dynamic mode, holy crap. It's a freaking monster. You get that "airplane take-off" feeling whenever you step on it, and it's as poweful on a 50-100mph than it is on a 0-60mph. It's crazy. I had a salesman in the car, but I reached about 100mph and I pushed it for a split second and was still thrown in the back seat. You basically get all the torque you might want at any moment, any speed and any RPM. While it's only slightly faster than a 335, it really feels a lot more powerful. The Quattro system is so efficient that you never have the slightest wheelspin.

Steering
The steering is amazing. In Comfort mode, it feels like any car of this size, and has about the same amount of assistance than my Mazda 3. In Dynamic mode, it's as stiff as a BMW at speed, but in any mode at parking speeds, it's so light and easy to turn. A real active steering that feels really, really perfect.

Suspension
In Comfort mode, it's about the same as a regular X-Drive suspension, but it seems to handles potholes and cracks better. It's really a comfortable ride. In Dynamic mode, it compares to a Porsche Cayman, not kidding. It really helps the handling that becomes near perfection.

Handling
The Audi Sport Differential is amazing. You can basically take any turn at any speed and it handles like it's on freaking rails. You can't even feel any under/oversteer. Definitely better than the 335i X-Drive.

Brakes
Pictures the brakes of a sport-package BMW. Now, add maybe 10-15% more power, and there's the S4. It brakes so hard I thought the airbags would deploy. Nothing else to say.


My personal opinion
Well, that's a tough one. I was sold on the 335i X-Drive. But having tried this one, I'd say that for somebody who really needs the AWD, the S4 is the one to take. The X-Drive suspension sucks, and for the price you pay for the BMW and the coilovers, you can get an S4 with an adjustable suspension that kicks ass. I prefer the look of the E90 but the S4 is growing on me. Everything drive-related is better IMO in the S4. Only slightly, but still better. I'm going with the S4, and I hope BMW is going to come up with an amazing 2012 model so I can go with it after my 3 years lease.

[jayely1]

Good review! I want one!

[idyll]

good review, and seems to agree with what most other reviews are saying.

definitely seems like audi has the upper hand right now since this car has just been redesigned. i wonder what the next 3-series will bring now.

[gonzo]

I went and looked at them again. Yes I did.

When I build one on the site there is an LSD option. All cars have LSD but this pkg is for the adaptable settings?

If someone could "splain" that for me.


Good write up. As you wrote, the interior alone makes it a viable alternative for me. I am that diso'd at my past 335's. Need to drive one still.

Ibis white 6 speed with red&black leather/aluminum pkg/Bang&Olufson....under 50K.


What options, colors etc are you getting?

[footie]

Paramedic's comments are exactly the same as mine, and if you spend a bit more on a chip tune I would have definitely picked it over my M3, even reckoning it would be quicker on any track.

All those subtly small improvements over the 335i makes for a much better car.

Where the S5 with the V8 was a good car, with good but not great handling the swap to the V6 and the intro of the sportsdiff has transformed the S4 and will no doubt do the same thing for the S5 when it too gets both of these things.

[OBI_agent]

Nice review op....just about everything I would see in a car

Originally Posted by footie

Where the S5 with the V8 was a good car, with good but not great handling the swap to the V6 and the intro of the sportsdiff has transformed the S4 and will no doubt do the same thing for the S5 when it too gets both of these things.

There's a rumor floating around that the S5 coupe(Not convertible) will retain it's V8 due to large following for the great sounding engine.

In my opinion, could happen but it wont be logical for Audi to do that. It's hurting them in the "gas guzzler" department.

[JoosyJoos]

I thought the S5 would retain the V8 for now because production costs were cheaper. That's what I've heard anyway.... maybe someone can confirm?

[footie]

I imagine the only reason why the S5 coupe hasn't changed to the V6 (which it will) is because they are waiting for when the model receives it's mid-life face lift. If that isn't the case and they change prior to this then it must have been to do with a surplus of engine blocks though I think this option is less likely.

[LI E90]

nice unbiased review......refreshing to read

[gonzo]

..and 28% better MPG.

[footie]

Based on shat we know about the new S4 compared to the old one which also used a similar engine and output as the current S5 I can only assume that when the S5 gets this engine it will post sub 5s to 60mph time (probably 4.5-4.6s with roll-out) and low possibly sub 11s runs to 100mph.

All from a stock motor so heaven knows what a tuned one will be capable of.

[Digital.James]

the one thing i hate about audi interiors is the frustrating number of buttons. theyre everywhere. it ruins a beutiful interior imo

[jaiman]

Originally Posted by Paramedic

Hey guys ! Following on my last topic, I finally test drove the new 2010 S4. Now, I'm completely unbiaised as I never had any BMW nor any Audi, and I equally appreciate each brand.

Exterior
The car looks great, it's a bit larger than an E90 but it looks great with the 19'' wheels and the body kit. The differences between an S4 and your regular S-Line A4 are very, very subtle (more pronounced lines on the side, quad exhaust, wheels, S4 badges and some minor cosmetic tweaks), and it makes it the perfect sleeper. It's a like-it-or-not thing, some want a car that screams "this car is powerful", some don't really care as long as the power is there. LED DRLs and LED tail lights are very nice.

One upside to the size is the trunk. It is freaking huge ! Seats fold 60/40 and it also has a ski door behind the armrest. Really, that trunk is probably around 30-40% larger than an E90's trunk.

Interior
It's simply gorgeous. The seats alone are worth getting this car. Everything looks very nice, and while it might not be the most ergonomic car ever, it feels natural after a few minutes. The black headliner is nice, and the car has all the small things you can expect from a car of this class.

A small complaint I have especially after trying the 335i is that the buttons in the Audi have this "click" when you press them. Maybe it's just me, but I tend to prefer a "soft" feeling when you press a button like in the BMWs. However the dash has this great soft surface on it, and I really like the instrument cluster with its white backlighting and the color screen between the instruments.

Electronics
The Audi has a smaller navigation screen than the iDrive system, but it has a quite big color screen in the instrument cluster to complement it. IMO it's big enough, but I think the BMW screen is a bit better. The interface is very good, maybe even better in the Audi. As for the controls, the S4 has a rotary wheel with a small joystick on top of it, and 4 buttons around it that controls the functions relative to the screen you're on. It also has the usual Nav, Phone, Media and such buttons on the sides to quick-access modes. While it really takes a while to get used to it, it's a pretty cool way to navigate and seems to go quite well. The B&O sound system sounds quite equal to the Logic7, but I really had a very short time to try it. The Audi Music Interface to connect an iPod is standard, as well as a dual SD card reader.

Power
When you start the beast, on the Comfort setting, the car is surprisingly calm. The computer modulates the accelerator input to make it gradual, so it's a very nice, soft ride. However, when you switch to the Dynamic mode, holy crap. It's a freaking monster. You get that "airplane take-off" feeling whenever you step on it, and it's as poweful on a 50-100mph than it is on a 0-60mph. It's crazy. I had a salesman in the car, but I reached about 100mph and I pushed it for a split second and was still thrown in the back seat. You basically get all the torque you might want at any moment, any speed and any RPM. While it's only slightly faster than a 335, it really feels a lot more powerful. The Quattro system is so efficient that you never have the slightest wheelspin.

Steering
The steering is amazing. In Comfort mode, it feels like any car of this size, and has about the same amount of assistance than my Mazda 3. In Dynamic mode, it's as stiff as a BMW at speed, but in any mode at parking speeds, it's so light and easy to turn. A real active steering that feels really, really perfect.

Suspension
In Comfort mode, it's about the same as a regular X-Drive suspension, but it seems to handles potholes and cracks better. It's really a comfortable ride. In Dynamic mode, it compares to a Porsche Cayman, not kidding. It really helps the handling that becomes near perfection.

Handling
The Audi Sport Differential is amazing. You can basically take any turn at any speed and it handles like it's on freaking rails. You can't even feel any under/oversteer. Definitely better than the 335i X-Drive.

Brakes
Pictures the brakes of a sport-package BMW. Now, add maybe 10-15% more power, and there's the S4. It brakes so hard I thought the airbags would deploy. Nothing else to say.


My personal opinion
Well, that's a tough one. I was sold on the 335i X-Drive. But having tried this one, I'd say that for somebody who really needs the AWD, the S4 is the one to take. The X-Drive suspension sucks, and for the price you pay for the BMW and the coilovers, you can get an S4 with an adjustable suspension that kicks ass. I prefer the look of the E90 but the S4 is growing on me. Everything drive-related is better IMO in the S4. Only slightly, but still better. I'm going with the S4, and I hope BMW is going to come up with an amazing 2012 model so I can go with it after my 3 years lease.

Nice write up. Can you share what residuals and rates Audi is showing?

Also, did you look at the C63 at all? Price wise the 2 end up being close, though they are very very different cars.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by jaiman

Nice write up. Can you share what residuals and rates Audi is showing?

Also, did you look at the C63 at all? Price wise the 2 end up being close, though they are very very different cars.

Where? I want two.

[jaiman]

Originally Posted by gonzo

Where? I want two.

In Canada (where both the OP and I are) the C63 starts at 63,500 and the S4 starts at 57,000. With options the S4 comes out to 68k and the C63 is in the low 70s. So not exactly the same, but MB tends to have better lease deals than Audi, so on a monthly basis they'd be pretty close.

[gonzo]

Bases here:

MB $53,800.00
Audi $45,900.00

These are two different animals for sure. The Audi's options list is rather short. Same with MB but each is much higher in price.

Draw backs on the C63 for me:

MPG, tire muncher, so so interior; minus the awesome seats. They are doing 10K off here at certain stores. A beast no doubt.

The S4 will pull sticker or a bit under, if you work it enough, for awhile.

I would like to negotiate with a store to see what a rock bottom price would be. That is not fair to them though, IMO.

[warmtoes]

The S5 coupe gets the 3.0T the model year after this one. I never really got a straight answer on why. However, the S5 cabriolet gets the new 3.0T engine this model year.

Good write up. Since my kids are getting bigger and their hockey bags aren't getting smaller I think I'm going to check out the S4 when I'm done with my vert.

[mmm def]

nice review, i want one.

[ChadR]

I looked at both before I ended up with a 335xi coupe. The S4 is a great car, and I love the dynamic suspension but I ended up with the BMW because of the money. I got an 09 335xi coupe demo with prem, spt, navi, 18" wheels, cold, ipod, smartphone. auto for $43k at 1.9%. On the Audi no one would budge more than $800 off sticker (which similarly equipped is $60k) and the interest rate would be 5.9ish.

Audi/VW's reliability history makes me nervous as well (not that the N54 is any prize either) when it comes to electrical issues. My brother is a dealer and at auction Audi/VWs almost always have some type of electrical issue that needs resolved.

I think the S4 is a great car but at this moment, for me, the BMW made more sense. In a few years when I am ready to get rid of my 335 who knows which direction I will go.

[inmotion]

the S4 is definitely a neat machine. Weighs a bit much though.

[footie]

Originally Posted by Thrice

I looked at both before I ended up with a 335xi coupe. The S4 is a great car, and I love the dynamic suspension but I ended up with the BMW because of the money. I got an 09 335xi coupe demo with prem, spt, navi, 18" wheels, cold, ipod, smartphone. auto for $43k at 1.9%. On the Audi no one would budge more than $800 off sticker (which similarly equipped is $60k) and the interest rate would be 5.9ish.

Audi/VW's reliability history makes me nervous as well (not that the N54 is any prize either) when it comes to electrical issues. My brother is a dealer and at auction Audi/VWs almost always have some type of electrical issue that needs resolved.

I think the S4 is a great car but at this moment, for me, the BMW made more sense. In a few years when I am ready to get rid of my 335 who knows which direction I will go.

You made the right decision based on those figures, no matter how much I would want an Audi over the BMW I too would have done the same thing, especially when resales are being affected so much by the economy.

It's so weird how different the States pricing of each brand is in comparison to the UK.

As for the reliability, this is a surprise based on my experiences, I've had far more Audis and VWs then BMWs but it's the Beemers which I've had more trouble with, though each time has been slight.

[mtla4]

Im biased since I love Audi so much. However I went for a test drive yesterday and I was glad to jump back in my 135I. The S4 was soft, didnt feel that fast and wasnt sporty at all(*The steering wheel was too thin and the brakes were ok) Honestly Id rather buy a used RS4 over the new S4. The S4 should have been called an A4 3.0T..that way enthusiasts like me would not have high expectations. Historically the S4 was close to the M3 but now the M3(more expensive) is miles ahead. I promised myself that the 135I would be my first and last Bmw but Im not so sure. This car has nothing special going on. It simply fills the void left by the A4 3.2.

The car starts at 52K cdn not 57 cdn. I dont really care for the premium trim. A base with a sport diff is the best bang for the buck....I would settle for an ISF or C63 if I was forced to buy a premium.