It seems that since the dawn of time – automotively speaking – BMW has had a lock on the cool sports sedan market.
The company’s reputation and performance is so strong that competitive manufacturers have targeted the BMW 3-Series for decades.
The 2010 Audi S4 is yet another run at the BMW 3-Series, specifically the 335ix. The S4 and 335ix share these basic attributes: four doors, all-wheel drive and powerful six-cylinder engines.
In past Audi versus BMW face-offs, the Munich team bested the group from Ingolstadt. The 3-Series felt lighter and more responsive while offering nearly identical interior room and accoutrements.
What keeps the car business so exciting is that things are always changing.
Based on the Audi A4 (all new as a 2008 model), the S4 is the company’s higherperformance compact sedan. The standard engine is Audi’s new supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 with direct injection. Direct injection is a more efficient type of fuel injection that improves both power and economy.
The 333-horsepower engine puts out V-8-like horsepower but with surprising efficiency, up to 28 mpg highway. Because the engine makes 90 percent of its torque from 2,100 rpm (with a peak torque of 325 pound-feet), around-town drivability is good – you’re never left waiting for power.
Two transmissions are available: the standard six-speed manual and optional S tronic dual-clutch transmission. Even though I love driving sporting cars with manual transmissions, I’m a fan of recommending what works best. The seven-gear S tronic automatic is far superior.
While there’s nothing wrong with the manual, it’s unexceptional in nearly every regard. The throws are light but the action lacks the feeling of mechanical satisfaction.
Ditto for the clutch. Neither encourages much involvement.
The S tronic, on the other hand, feels wonderful and works perfectly. Keep in mind that these are not sports cars, but sporting cars. The automated manual transmission – that can be operated by the shift lever or paddles on the steering wheel – matches the S4’s mission in life. In automatic mode, the gearbox moves up and down through its seven ratios seamlessly. In manual mode, the S tronic snaps off shifts faster than any human could ever manage.
Pedal buried in the S4’s plush carpet, the power comes on in a linear fashion.
There are no flat spots or peaks. In fact, the delivery is so smooth that it leaves the more aggressive driver wishing for more power.
The suspension is likewise wholly competent. Audi engineers must have had Goldilocks on their mind when coming up with the S4’s blend of handling and comfort. Biased toward day-to-day driving, the compromise delivers a ride that is controlled but never harsh.
Given some time on a racetrack, I was totally shocked to realize how little of the suspension travel was used when on public roads. The increased demands of track driving and the tossable nature of S4 showed the vast reserve of suspension travel laying in wait for the spirited driver.
Unlike many cars that go flaccid and floppy when pushed hard, the S4 took what might have been construed as abuse and played along. The big 18-inch wheels and tires begrudgingly gave up their grip only after a long fight and always jumped right back in the game in time to slow for the next corner. Brakes stayed strong and fade refused to be an issue.
One option on the S4 is the torque-vectoring rear-differential. Oversimplified, this new technology counters the systemic understeer thanks to the added traction of Quattro all-wheel drive. So when in a corner with the power on, the outside-rear wheel gets spun up to an ever-so-slightly higher speed than the opposite rear wheel. It pushes that side of the car around the corner, aiding rotation (yaw) through the corner.
This is what should worry BMW. On the track, BMWs have traditionally driven with more alacrity than Audis. This truth is no longer universal. Because Audi biases 60 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels, this AWD sedan handles more like a rear-wheel-drive sports car.
Inside, the S4 boasts excellent detailing from the stitched seats to the S-trim-only red lines around the gauge pods. Ample room awaits front- and rear-seat passengers.
There’s also room for fancy, liter-size bottles of water.
Audi recently updated its MMI interface and the newer systems works more intuitively and simply. Drivers use the MMI to complete simple functions like changing the radio station or temperature, inputting navigation system destinations or changing the car’s performance characteristics. The S4 features adjustable suspension, steering and throttle settings. A large knob is surrounded by a quartet of buttons that help users move through selections. Speed builds with familiarity.
Audi made an important change to the instAudi made an important change to the instrument panel for 2010. A digital panel between the speedometer and tachometer used to read in red, a bad color for men who are color blind. The shift to a white readout makes the center display easier to read.
The styling of the new A4 is more grown-up than the softly rounded model it replaces. Distinctive S4 elements include the large Audi grille flanked by one-piece headlight assemblies with LED daytime running lamps. The full LED taillamps add more accent to a handsome but otherwise modest exterior design.
The 2010 Audi S4 is a head-on attack directed at the BMW 335ix. With prices of both vehicles solidly in the mid- $40,000 range, buyers will decide who offers the more attractive product.
Rex Roy is a Detroit-based automotive journalist and author. He can be reached at RexRoy.net.
2010 AUDI S4
ENGINE: 333-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 with direct injection
TRANSMISSION: seven-speed S tronic automatic
DRIVETRAIN: all-wheel drive
FUEL ECONOMY: 18 city/28 highway
BASE PRICE: $45,900
