2004 Audi S4 Review

Specifications

As Much Fun as an F16 and a Whole Lot Cheaper

Wrap your head around this: 340-horsepower, 6-speed manual, all-wheel drive, seating for four, roofless. Sound like something only experienced in automania dreamland? Think again - think Audi S4 Cabriolet.

With the sun melting the pavement I climbed into my S4 Cab tester, fired up its venomous 4.2-liter V8, dropped the top - its top, not mine - found first gear and left it all behind. With the S4s absolute power and tenacious traction, the ability to “leave it all behind” is both real and surreal.

Audi juiced-up the perfectly good, or should I say great, former S4 by wedging its small but potent V8 into the slender gap beneath the hood. Doing so morphed the family ragtop into the family raging-top. Thanks to a wave of Audis magic wand, the 40-valve V8 weighs no more than the 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 used in the previous S4. With a twenty-five percent increase in the number of cylinders and much greater displacement came a substantial boost in power. Car and Driver Magazine achieved a 0-60 mph time of only 5.8 seconds. Still, naysayers in the crowd will no doubt comment that the BMW M3 Convertible (5.4 seconds) and Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG Convertible (5.3) both outperform the S4 Cab, but really folks, its splitting hairs. In reality, each of these drop-tops offers acceleration levels thatd better have you tying down Moms bonnet and the kids toques tighter than Uncle Ebenezer when the collection plate comes around.

Tight is also an excellent adjective for describing the S4s exterior appearance. There are no unnecessary add-ons, miscellaneous trinkets or unnecessary sculpting cluttering the cabriolets body-beautiful. In typical Audi fashion, the S4s sheetmetal is smooth, aerodynamic, and in my warped view, sensuous. Above and beyond its tasteful presence, the S4s body panels fit together like the perfect jigsaw puzzle. Panel spacing is minimal and very accurate. The 3-layer soft-top fits taut around the windows and rear deck as well. When in place, there wasnt a hint of wind seepage or water leakage in my tester. The units rigid rear window provided reasonable visibility too, impressive given its smallish size and the fabric roofs rather wide wrap-around to the side windows.

A quality drop-top is a must for any car in this category, and the S4 especially given the richly appointed leather interior that it is required to protect from Mother Natures harshest elements. I have long ogled and admired Audi interiors, particularly their instrumentation and dash designs. Like its exterior lines, the S4s cabin is also clean and free of clutter. The charcoal gray motif of my test unit was accented by brushed aluminum bezels encircling the gauges and air vents in the dash, silver piping around the seats and genuine Gray Birch wood trim on the dash and doors. These design elements were subtle and applied with restraint. Again, there is nothing glitzy or Hollywood here, just pure form designed with function in mind. Worthy of particular note is the cluster of four independent circular primary gauges. The two larger ones are assigned speed and RPM duties, while the two smaller flanking dials communicate engine temperature and fuel level. This quad grouping conveys a 1960s look - an era when dash design became an art-deco automotive specialty.

A modern automotive specialty is the manufacture of ergonomically correct seats. Audi has mastered this one-time elusive skill with 12-way power adjustable and heated Silk Nappa buckets up front. These ergonomically designed seats provide firm support and side bolstering so effective that Velcro clothing wouldnt improve the grip. Something Audi does that I wish more manufacturers had the forethought to do is produce front seat cushions with an extendable leading edge. I was most grateful for this thoughtful touch, as for once my lengthy thighs were supported clean through to the knee joint, which made it possible to comfortably maintain my right foot on the throttle - not always the case.

Although the steering wheel in my test unit was among the most comfortable I have ever gripped, I have a gripe; at a base sticker of $53,850 why should a purchaser be nickeled and dimed for equipment now found as standard on run-of-the-mill sedans. Im talking about steering wheel mounted audio and cruise control buttons. In Canada a multifunction steering wheel in the S4 requires an additional $150 - give me a break! Audi ought to take a lesson from the other “A” manufacturer of premium vehicles, Acura, and fully load their S4. As a frequent puncher of audio buttons (I hate inane advertising) I am annoyed at constantly removing my hand from the S4s steering wheel every time the music ends and the irritation begins.

Now that I have regained my decorum and finished venting about what many would consider a triviality, let me say that the S4s interior layout, ergonomics plus fit and finish is first rate. Buttons and switches actuate with the precision of a Swiss, er German timepiece, including the console-mounted button that invites the world into the S4s modern cockpit. Hold it down for less than 60-seconds and nothing further shall come between man, or woman, and the planets above. Thats it folks - nothing to manually latch or unlatch, snap or unbutton. When the minutes up, a beautifully finished Cabriolet appears. With the roof neatly stowed theres no unsightly shift from deck lid to tonneau cover, just a seamless transition highlighted by a strip of brushed aluminum matching the S4s brushed aluminum side mirrors and windshield frame.

In addition to the spectacular drop-top, what communicates to the eagle-eyed car enthusiast that this is no ordinary Audi A4 you ask? Well, the red highlighted “S4″ badging, in conjunction with two chrome-tipped exhaust ports and an aggressive lower front fascia ought to do it. If any doubt remains, a blip of the throttle will convince the most skeptical that something threatening resides beneath the hood.

The source of such intimidation is a 4.2-liter (254 cu-in) 40-valve DOHC V8 producing a ground shaking 340 horsepower and 302 pounds-feet of torque, thanks in part to its variable-valve-timing technology. This fire-breather emits a low rumble at idle that hearkens back to the muscle-car era of the 1960s and early 70s. With the roof retracted, listening to the V8s deep exhaust note seems completely incongruent with the refined yet muted exhaust tuning I generally associate with an Audi - and thats quite okay with me. The S4s rumble-in-the-road auditory sensation is spectacular and fully backed by a serious dose of V8 power.

With such a deep well of power, the engine scarcely has to break a sweat to accelerate the 4,090 pound car with gusto and authority. Power is delivered early in the 4.2s powerband, staying solid as the tachometer flings itself toward the 7,000 rpm red line - all the while producing a growl that could put a scare into Mephistopheles. This is an engine that loves to please and does so with exceptional balance and agility, revving freely to its 7,000-RPM redline.

When it comes to outstanding interactive performance, a regular old manual transmission is - according to my often-flawed logic - the ideal way to properly connect a power source to the spinning tires. And in the S4 a 6-speed manual box does just that, unless of course the 6-speed autobox featuring Tiptronic is selected. Fortunately the good folks at Audi ensured the S4 issued to yours truly was equipped with the manual mix-master. The short throw shifter in this car notched its way into each of the six forward gears with world-class exactitude, virtually eliminating the possibility of missing a shift or adding a pound of metal filings to the bottom of the gearbox casing. Although power delivery in the S4 is very linear, the six cogged gearbox enabled me to keep engine revs in the powerbands sweet spot, which I found to be above 3,500 rpm. This is where the extra
kick from the variable valve timing can be detected and thoroughly enjoyed. Also, the tall gear ratio found in 6th gear promotes peaceful, engine loafing highway cruising while maximizing fuel efficiency.

Almost frightening is the S4s formidable road-adhering traction. Audis quattro all-wheel-drive technology seamlessly connects all four wheels with the S4s 4.2-liters of visceral thrust. Unless slippery road conditions exist, wheelspin is near impossible, and if the weather truly is unfavorable this is the best of the breed to be saddled with. The S4 launches itself with amazing control and propulsion, even when the launch is midway through a turn. Apart from pavement searing grip, I sensed none of the symptoms that sometimes accompany all-wheel-drive systems such as torque steer or sharp turn jumpiness. Steering inputs are accurately responded to with immediacy. Adding a little throttle at the apex of a curve will induce just enough predictable understeer to enhance control and inspire confidence. Never did I experience oversteer or twitchiness in the S4s handling, which might make it less enticing to truly talented professional performance drivers. Just the same, Im a regular Joe in comparison and therefore found its chassis to be wonderfully neutral and perfectly balanced, regardless of the centrifugal forces applied against it.

The S4s suspension calibration strikes what I like to refer to as the “gray racer” balance; meaning that middle-aged folk will find all the handling performance they could possibly yearn for, but without jarring capable of loosening fillings that often accompanies true race machines, such as the BMW M3. In fact, I found the S4s compliance level to be perfect for my near half century body. Anything more rigid would have increased my chiropractors net revenue and done very little for me in the way of enhancing enjoyment behind the wheel.

The performance-tuned S4 coil-spring suspension that so adeptly deals simultaneously with handling and bump absorption is fully independent; aided by fore and aft anti-roll bars and gas charged shocks. Complementing the sporting characteristics of the S4 chassis is a set of low-profile 18-inch tires mounted on alloy rims.

Like over-protective parents, the S4 brakes are always there to slow the tempo - and quite rapidly I might add. Vented discs sit at all four corners, and to add insurance to their effectiveness are fitted with an antilock system (ABS) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD). As with most high performance braking systems, the S4s antilock security blanket does not impede assertive braking maneuvers. ABS intervention is there when needed, but not before. My emergency stops were arrow straight and nicely controlled. Pedal pressure evoked precise, definitive braking over and over again, with little noticeable fade.

Aiding and abetting vehicle control in perilous situations is Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP). This technology adds a margin of computer actuated control in dicey situations by applying wheel specific braking to bring a wayward vehicle back on-course before complete control is lost. Such systems can be very effective but are not a replacement for commonsense, of course, and therefore do not guarantee their results. Nonetheless, when combined with the driver and front passenger frontal airbags, and the driver and front passenger side airbags, the S4 becomes a very safe cocoon of automotive technology. And due to its topless nature, the S4 Cabriolet also receives rollover protection in the form of two pop-up roll bars that deploy when a vehicular inversion is imminent, that would join a heavily reinforced A-pillar and windshield surround to shield occupants if the car ever did roll over.

In addition to being well stocked with safety technology the S4 is well stocked with comfort and convenience features. There is, in fact, very little that can be added in the way of standalone options and option packages. Standalones consist of heated rear seats, Audis navigation system, Bose premium sound, carbon fiber interior trim and the aforementioned multifunction steering wheel that I bemoaned for not being included as standard equipment. The only option package is the Premium Package which adds Homelink, auto dimming electric folding exterior mirrors, auto dimming interior mirror with built-in compass, light sensor package and memory for the drivers seat and mirrors. Pretty much anything else one can think of or desire is already there.

Regrettably all this German derived equipment, performance and style arrives at the local Audi dealer at a pretty steep price. The base S4 requires the surrender of $53,850 greenbacks. Thats a lot for a relatively compact ragtop.

However once they do, the adrenaline will skyrocket. Under sunny skies of blue, there are few cars capable of matching the motoring pleasure and sheer excitement of piloting an S4. True love may be free, but the exhilaration of 340 highly refined horsepower isnt. Nor is the copious amount of premium fuel needed to support such an enthusiastic partner. But hey, its still cheaper than piloting an F16, and a lot more comfortable I am willing to bet.