2005 Audi S4 Preview

Audi S4 Avant

The uber-family wagon -- just in case you want to haul the brood at warp speed.

From The Driver's Seat

The first thing you notice when you turn over the S4's V-8 is the exhaust noise. There's a low rumble at idle, and above 4,000 rpm this slowly rises in urgency. It's almost a howl at redline, but a sort of energy-plant-coming-online howl. Don't think Kawasaki super-bike, think intergalactic rocket. That noise is as sweet, if not quite as pure, as that of any engine sold today, including all those exotic Ferraris and Lamborghinis. (An Audi block happens to underpin the Lamborghini Gallardo V-10, after all. Both Audi and Lamborghini are owned by Volkswagen.).

Still, at normal driving pace, in traffic or around town, the V-8 just burbles along happily, not noisily. Your passengers will never know its awesome power, because this isn't a nervous sports car. It's a family car with tremendous sports car acumen, but only when called for.

Oh, you're calling for it? OK. Nail the gas, and at 3,600 rpm you get a triumphant 302 foot-pounds of torque. And all of it gets easily sent to the pavement because, naturally, the S4 Avant comes with quattro all-wheel drive. Our tester had winter snow tires, thankfully, given that there was plenty of snow to drive in, and that meant that when we were on dry pavement there was less traction than you'd get from a grippier summer tire.

The sacrifice is well worth it, however. As we've said so many times in the past, four-wheel drive is only for getting a vehicle moving. Once it is, everything depends on available grip. In slick conditions, snow tires make a huge difference, remaining softer in colder temperatures than typical summer tires.

That said, Audi's done something very smart with the S4. Knowing that this is meant to be a sportier machine, stability control is less invasive; it lets you push a bit before putting a stop to the fun. You won't twirl the car like a top, but at the same time it is possible to slide the back end out a tad, and to spin the tires on takeoff. You'd think that would create problems in the snow, but as long as you drive sanely, the hugely powerful brakes (13.6-inch rotors in front; 11.9-inch in the rear) with antilock capability make it a snap to stay on course.

To us, what's so great about the S4 Avant is that it's a bit softer riding than cars like the BMW M3 or DaimlerChrysler's C32 AMG Mercedes, but still features super-quick steering and extraordinary roadholding. That softer ride makes it supremely logical as a family car, since your molars don't protest at every bridge expansion joint, and the kids won't whine about getting carsick -- and yet when there are no kids or spouse to protest, you can eat Porsches for lunch. Really, the steering is that precise, and the cornering feels that linear (and by that we mean no scary surprises -- you always know how much grip you've got left).

Ah, but when there are kids or other concerns (say, you take a client to a meeting), the cockpit of the Audi is luxury-car impressive. There are special gray gauges with the S4 logo, gray birchwood trim and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. All of the metal trim you see is real as well; no corners cut with chintzy "metal-look" jewelry here. Further, the seats are sporty, but quite comfy Recaros up front, with 12-way electronic adjustability and nappa leather both front and rear. Even the cargo area is intelligently designed; the security cover is attached to the second-row backrest, so if you have a large box to load, you can just flip the seats forward without having to remove the security cover.