We'll just come right out and say it: Audi lost the plot with the last generation S4. Unlike the twin-turbocharged V6-equipped B5, its B6 and B7 brethren did little to stoke the flames in our collective hearts. The "S" simply stood for, "I paid more for a bigger engine and some additional trim." Needless to say, that sort of behavior doesn't cut it when you're battling it out with one of the most competent sports sedan of the last decade: the BMW 335i.
So with the all-new A4 (B8) comes the 2010 Audi S4 – the most credible contender to BMW's hugely competent middle child. This time, Audi brings back the boost. And it's about damn time...
Sure, we miss the glorious 4.2-liter V-8 of the last S4—not to mention the delicious noises that went with it—but I have to say that this latest S-model is better in (nearly) every way. All of the tweaks to the A4 platform show through and have been capitalized upon to make the S4 feel more solid, connected, and nimble. I’m particularly impressed by steering that has a directness that’s missing in most other Audis. Compared to the S5 coupe—which will cling to the V-8 powertrain at least through the 2010 model year—the S4 is better balanced. Power is plentiful from the supercharged 3.0-liter, no complaints there, but the engine is lacking in the sound department.
This praise is all being heaped on a pretty base S4 sedan: six-speed manual, no torque-vectoring rear end, no silly radar-detector-confusing blind-spot monitor, no Audi Drive Select (which, by the way, I think is gimmicky, since the S4 is set up right from the start).
There’s also an S5 Cabriolet in the 10Best lot, but I haven’t jumped in it yet—I was waiting for the rainy weather to clear to drop the top. I’m told that car is outfitted with Audi’s dual-clutch transmission as well as the torque vectoring rear diff. Here’s hoping the ragtop sounds better.
