2024 Audi S4 Sedan Test Drive Review: One Step Away From Perfection

The Audi S4 maintains its place in 2024 as a potent but understated compact sedan, sitting between the mainstream A4 and the high-performance RS4. In Europe, the S4 is famend amongst native tuners – it comes with the identical 349-horsepower V6 engine, eight-speed Tiptronic transmission, and Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system that we get right here within the US, however right here it appears to fly below the radar. Our tester got here with the non-obligatory S sport bundle, which provides extra efficiency over the common A4 with adaptive suspension, a torque-vectoring Sport differential, and crowd pleasing crimson brake calipers.

The S4 additionally provides a healthy dose of know-how and a protracted checklist of consolation and elegance options, together with leather-based upholstery, S sport seats with therapeutic massage perform, a sunroof, and 19-inch wheels. 2024 fashions begin at just below $55k, and these fashions carry over understated appears that do not give away the enjoyable issue. The query is, is the S4 a cushty sleeper, or are the European tuners bringing the S4 to life?

Exterior: Cruising Below The Radar

Even with its 19-inch wheels and the S bundle’s crimson brake calipers, the S4 is not shouting about its upgraded efficiency over the A4. White or crimson paint helps spotlight the sleek strains, however we’d go along with one thing darker to maintain a decrease profile in site visitors.

The entrance and rear splitter are virtually as refined because the rear spoiler, and even the titanium-finished 5 V-spoke design wheels added by the Black Optic bundle handle to be trendy but superbly understated. The typical particular person might not look twice, however the magnificence is there for anybody that wishes to see it.

Inside: Commonplace Audi Fare

Contained in the S4, it is acquainted styling from throughout Audi’s vary that matches in with the ‘understated magnificence’ theme. Whereas it is nicely crafted, the supplies are wonderful, and it is pleasing to take a look at – it is also homogeneous inside the model. It has the identical angles on the trim, the identical pleasing-to-handle gear selector, and even the crimson accent stitching does not separate it from every other S mannequin. The Magma Pink inside with the now cliché diamond-stitched seats provides some much-needed colour to the inside, however we do want Audi would convey somewhat creativeness to assist create separate identities for its fashions inside.

Infotainment: Set For Each Life-style

A ten.1-inch heart display screen homes Audi’s infotainment system. It is principally monochromatic, however it’s totally featured and reacts shortly and crisply to inputs, even when it is somewhat busy by way of menus. Audi’s Digital Cockpit that comes with the Premium Plus bundle is terrific if you’d like extra data than simply the usual gauge cluster dials fed to you. The bundle additionally contains 360-degree cameras, wi-fi telephone charging, an upgraded sound system, and Audi Pre Sense rear collision warning with lane-change help.

Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are normal, nevertheless it’s value springing for the upper trims purely for the improve to the Bang & Olufsen sound system. Within the S4, it is a wealthy, balanced, and clear broadcaster of tunes.

Below The Hood: Tried And True

Audi’s turbocharged V6 has been round for some time now, and its outputs are ample for each scenario between freeway cruising and hammering down a twisty backroad. It is faster than you’d count on with out being excessively thirsty.

With the help of Audi’s all-wheel-drive system and the ZF offered eight-speed auto, the S4 is cable of getting from a standing begin to 60 mph in a shade below 4 and a half seconds. On condition that tempo, gas financial system numbers are acceptable. In comparison with rivals just like the M340i from BMW’s 3 Sequence lineup, the S4 is down on energy (the Bimmer makes 382 hp and 369 lb-ft) and is three-tenths slower to get to 60 mph; the BMW can also be somewhat extra frugal, scoring rankings of 23/31/26 mpg.

On The Street: Snug And Exact

Our S4 tester got here with adaptive suspension and sport differential, and there is not any doubting the consolation of the suspension and effectiveness of the torque-vectoring differential when pushing the S4 round on a again highway. Even on the worst-kept roads California has to supply, the experience refuses to jolt passengers round, and in Dynamic mode (which is Audi communicate for Sport mode) it retains the chassis flat by way of corners with out sending bumps and jolts up anybody’s backbone.

Our one criticism is that braking is not as easy because it could possibly be; for a car that provides under-the-radar efficiency wrapped up in a sensible swimsuit, we would need much less grabby brakes, though we perceive that sporty efficiency requires fast intervention from the braking system. We really feel Audi may easy this out somewhat extra, although.

Conclusion: One Of The Greatest In Class

Whereas we criticized the S4’s inside for not being significantly attention-grabbing, the construct high quality, supplies, and the seat consolation make it a beautiful place to be – significantly when you have the upgraded Bang & Olufsen sound system put in. We will perceive folks calling the outside boring, however for those who respect the concept of driving a sleeper, the S4 remains to be removed from unattractive. It is also quite a lot of enjoyable to drive when you want to push it just a bit, and it is a terrific automobile round city and on the freeway. The one cause we do not name the S4 a slam-dunk is the sensitive brakes and gas financial system figures that are not fairly pretty much as good as you’d get in additional potent opponents.

Whereas the gas financial system is not horrible, the very fact gasoline costs aren’t happening once more counsel the S4 would profit from a hybrid help. This particular engine has been within the S4 since 2016, and it is time for an improve – it does not function within the 2025 mannequin both. There’s additionally the annoyance that you want to spend just below $4,000 to maneuver on trim up if you’d like the S sport bundle – which itself prices $2,500 – as it isn’t obtainable on the bottom mannequin. You additionally must subscribe to Audi Join for no less than $15 month-to-month or $150 yearly to make use of the distant lock/unlock and distant begin options. If you wish to unlock the app retailer (for Spotify, YouTube, and so forth) and Amazon’s Alexa and/or full-speed wifi, then that is a subscription of $25 month-to-month or $250 per anum. But when these pricing points aren’t a significant concern for you, and the S4 goes to be pushed laborious sufficient usually sufficient to justify the sensitive brakes in on a regular basis site visitors, it is a terrific sporty compact sedan with a premium edge to it.