Looking to replace my RS within the next six months I blagged an S4 for the weekend from my friendly (yes really!) Audi dealer and I thought you might be interested in the results of my unofficial comparison.
The following should probably be taken into account: First of all my RS can best be described as well run in, i.e. it has nearly 90,000 km on the clock but has recently been serviced and generally in good all round condition and prior to my test I gave it a good clean inside and out so that I wouldn’t be biased by a pile of discarded sweet wrappers. The S4 was virtually brand new having covered less than 500 km and I have to confess I didn’t give it the benefit of the full-recommended run in (1000 km) before giving it some beans. Also both cars are on winters tyres which limits my RS to a maximum of 240 kmh and the S4 to 210 kmh so no possibility to do a flat out speed comparison.
Let me also say that whilst I wanted to be as objective as possible, I suspect that in the back of my mind I didn’t want to like the S4 and wanted to see it as a pale comparison to the RS. Read on to see what happened.
Putting the cars side by side on my driveway (both in brilliant black) the RS looks flat and purposeful almost like something out of max power, the S4 by comparison – as has been said many times elsewhere – lacks a little drama and other than a couple of very discreet badges there is very little to tell it apart from a standard 1.8 T. Occasionally there were backward glances from knowledgeable onlookers as I was cruising through town, but generally I went around unnoticed. A real Q car if ever there was one.
Climbing in and looking around the first impression is one of familiarity. Everything is where it should be but there is definite impression when compared to the RS that the quality has taken a step forward. Whilst both cars have exceedingly comfortable Recaro’s, those in the S felt just a little more comfortable with a lot more side support. In the RS I like to see very low but with the seat quick upright (touring car style). It’s not possible to get in the same position in the S and the feeling was more of sitting on the car than sitting in it. Attention to detail in the cabin is excellent and there is now dual zone air-con compared to single zone in the RS. In addition, Audi seems to have finally learnt how to manufacture armrests!
I had a certain preconception of what a V8 should sound like (both from my days as a passenger in a TVR and from a recent test drive of an RS6), but the S really surprised me. Its difficult to describe but I felt the sound was more like a (properly silenced!) large capacity four cylinder motorbike. A quick blip of the throttle and the impression is reinforced – the S rev’s extremely quickly and not at all in the somewhat lazy way I was expecting. Overall I have to say a very pleasing sound indeed.
First gear selected (very nice gearbox – short throw, very positive and combined with an exceeding light clutch) I gently pulled away and almost stopped immediately thinking there was something wrong with the steering. The power assistance at round-town speeds is high and its possible to steer the car with one finger. Out on the open road and diving into the first corner, the steering suddenly weights up. Overall first impressions were not favourable as the switch from light steering to heavy is really abrupt – but as I drove the car more and more over the weekend I found I was getting used to it and it really makes the drive quite pleasant i.e. no wrestling the car round town and a nice controlled feeling through the twisty bits. In terms of ride the car still suffers (like many Audi’s) from certain remoteness but overall I much preferred the S to my RS, where the RS skips and jumps like a bucking bronco, the S just plows a furrow. My wife hates to drive the RS but absolutely fell in love with the S (possibly a reason there for not buying one!).
Now to the best bit – the engine! My overall impression is that the S is nowhere near as quick as the RS a fact reinforced by the much more linear power delivery. However, coming back to my bike analogy from above, the S loves to be thrashed and it sounds absolutely gorgeous at the same time. There is no step in the power delivery like in the RS and I found this a little disappointing but the joy of stirring around the gears more than make up for this absolute power deficit. Even on the autobahn I found myself changing gears just for the sake of it whereas in the RS I would tend to rely on that top gear torque. I ran the car up to the limit of its tyres (210 kmh – or about 125 mph) and the car sounded utterly sublime. At these speeds in the RS it’s a firm grip on the wheel especially when going across uneven surfaces to avoiding jumping across lanes! The S however only emphasised its superior ride quality. The only downside to this tomfoolery is that I averaged a fuel consumption of 22.8 litres per 100 km (compared to the average on my RS of about 13-14), so I suspect that fuel consumption (or rather limited tank range!) may be the same issue as with the RS.
To sum up.
I expected and wanted to be disappointed by the S but on Monday I really felt reluctant to give the keys back. In terms of that certain visceral quality that defines a great car, the S gets my vote. In terms of quality of finish, ride quality and driving pleasure if not absolute pace, in my view the S has raised the bar. Unlike the RS6 that I tested a few weeks ago, which felt distinctly over-engined, the S feels like a great package and has now shot to the top of the list of possible replacements for the RS.
RS4 v S4 (An unofficial test report)
Re: RS4 v S4 (An unofficial test report)
Great report [img]images/graemlins/clap.gif[/img] I somehow doubt my dealer will give me this chance, well done [img]images/graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]
With used S4 and RS4 prices overlapping slightly, perhaps I'll have to give one a look.
Cheers
Ben
With used S4 and RS4 prices overlapping slightly, perhaps I'll have to give one a look.
Cheers
Ben
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 56 guests