Well, Rupert, unfortunately the "sport" in your Caravan and your Intrepid was nothing more than an ill-conceived marketing adventure.
As for enjoying the sport in sport sedan I know I enjoy it every day. Speaking for a number of my friends that own 335s I can say the same. These cars car handle the commute, kids, and a trip to the cottage. On the other hand, when you feel frisky after watching the latest Chris Harris video you can take it out to the backroads and enjoy driving the twisties.
Exactly, the S4 is indeed a great highway cruiser. But it's way better on any twisty roads you can find. I often find myself taking the non-highway routes just for the enjoyment factor. Dynamic mode, 3 rd gear .... 60 -> 100(+) kph in "as quick as i can say this" means rarely being held up by slower traffic.
Pleased to see that 2 yrs after my purchase, the S4 is still ranked on top. Out of those listed, the only other I seriously considered was the S60. The auto gearbox killed it for me. I'm definitely a manual fan but could probably live with a DSG type auto, but the regular auto in the S60 killed the driving experience for me.
The (2 yr old) 3 series rear seat was too small for the child seats, otherwise would have been a close choice, but my wife hates BMW's. Considered G37, but again only auto (not even DSG) with AWD and option packaging killed the value in my mind.
So, base model S4 with the $1600 saved on an auto spent on the trick rear diff, plus upgraded two tone nappa leather seats for another $1k. $53.5k before freight, discounts or taxes. Done.
Think I said this in one of my previous reviews, but the DSG in the S4 is probably the better choice in any quantifiable way: faster, more economical, better resale (maybe not if manuals become as rare as people think). If I were getting a track car it would probably be DSG (or PDK
) just so I could concentrate on learning the lines / track driving etc. But, for me, nothing beats a manual for day to day driving from a pure engagement and enjoyment point of view.