 2014 Audi S4. Click image to enlarge |
The S4 features excellent visibility and parking sensors, so it is easy to navigate tight confines of city traffic and narrow crowded parking lots. However, in the heavy rain that we experienced recently, Jacob noted that even on their swiftest setting, the windshield wipers seemed too slow. He’s an impatient sort, our new editor, but once he pointed it out, I couldn’t help but notice and concur.
The trunk is spacious enough that we can throw our long stroller in without a thought and still have plenty of room for bags and groceries, but the elastic cargo net will keep smaller objects and bags from flying around the trunk during spirited driving.
 2014 Audi S4. Click image to enlarge |
That was a perfect segue into a discussion of its driving dynamics, but in truth, we have barely scratched the surface of its sporting potential, and its capability and traction are so high that we feel a day at the track is in order to answer what inquiring minds want to know. On public roads, we are still free to enjoy the wailing engine note and scram of the supercharger winding up as we hold gears and revel in the blown V6’s steady stream of torque. However, having driven the RS5 just last year and V8 S4s of the past, this V6T just sounds and feels a bit raspy and flat to me. Perhaps it’s unfair to compare it to that glorious 4.2 V8, but even Audi’s 3.2L V6 available on A4s of yesteryear had a silkier, lustier engine note.
However, I may simply be jaded and spoiled by the glory of superior Audi sports cars, as Jacob Black complimented the auditory signature as “a really great engine note that you only have to hear when you want to.”
 2014 Audi S4. Click image to enlarge |
In more mundane duties, the V6T is civil and quiet, offering only a subtle undercurrent of drone when cruising on the highway or puttering along at low revs. Highway cruising is a steady 2,400 rpm at 100 km/h and 2,700 rpm at 120 km/h. Then again, in looking for something to complain about, self-professed ‘whingebag’ (essentially Australian for hoser), our new editor cited a lack of low-end torque in the higher gears, requiring a downshift to pick up passing speed on the highway, further commenting: “Having to change to fourth to dart into a lane opening is standard fare, I guess – but nobody wants standard fare from this car.” We’ll see how he feels after driving a Mazda5 automatic for a week…
We have a small road trip through some of Ontario’s best driving roads planned this weekend, so we’ll have a full shakedown report next month.
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Pricing: 2013 Audi S4 Premium
Base Price: $53,000
Base Price (Premium): $57,800
Options: $4,800 (Audi quattro sport differential – $1,500; Monsoon Grey paint job – $750; Carbon Atlas interior trim – $500; 19-inch 5-arm rotor titanium colour wheels – $500; tire pressure monitoring system – $350; rear comfort package – $1,200)
Freight & PDI: $1,995
A/C Tax: $100
Total: $64,795
Competitors:
Acura TL SH-AWD
BMW 335i xDrive
Lexus IS 350 AWD
Infiniti G37x S
Mercedes-Benz C 350 4Matic
Volvo S60 R-Design
Crash test results
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
