Road Test: Audi A4 S Line vs Audi S4

By Damien Tomlinson - 25/02/05 

This is a road test with a twist - well, lots of them actually - a comparison of two models from the same marque, with the odds stacked almost totally in one's favour.

Audi's A4-based speed cousins, the A4 S Line and the legendary S4, are literally poles apart: one has twice the cylinders and more than double the capacity than the other.

But the two are all-wheel drive, share platforms, many interior components, and the most important thing - the genetically-engineered potential to teleport their occupants from A to B.

The S Line, basically, is a spruced-up 1.8T, but the added extras give the mild-mannered compact sedan a lot more attitude. Inside, it's almost standard A4 fare, with a few added aluminium highlights. My Avant (wagon) had a few extra sprinkles added to the basic $69,990 package, including a sat-nav/television.

The S Line is Audi's answer to those buyers who can't justify the $124,200 ask for the S4, but still want a bit of excitement in a more bowser- and pocket-friendly package. Wearing 17-inch alloys, a subtle body kit and S-Line badging, the S-Line looks very beefy on the road.

Of course, the S4's reputation precedes it. Anyone who likes motoring knows this car and its BMW rival, the M3. Apparently the M3's quicker, but we'd love to get the two cars together for a comparison (BMW, you've got my number).

The difference with the current S4 over past renditions is that the engineers have somehow managed to shoehorn its excellent 4.2-litre V8 into an engine bay designed to house a 1.8-litre four.

And, praise them, they've done a great job. Replacing a twin-turbo 2.7-litre V6 with an eight that weighs no more means a lot of good things for buyers. Think super-compact, super-fast, subtle-but-hot styling and luxurious and you're not even close to a one-line description of this road-rocket.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with the basics:

They may be based on the A4 platform, but these sporty Germans differ in engine size, fuel consumption and most importantly price (Audi S4 top, Audi A4 S Line Avant below)

Occupying each of these cars is an exercise in acrobatics for larger folk. Indeed, with four passengers and my six-foot legroom requirements, my passengers found the going a little tough in the back seats of both of these cars.

Remember, they are compact sedans, but anything but a short squirt up the nearest mountain or into town and back is a two or three-person proposition.

Hard to believe, really, because both cars have acres of storage room. Of course, the back seat's position is governed by the location of the rear axle.

But who cares about the passengers, right? Exactly.

In the front-right pew, where all the action takes place, drivers will find their surroundings quite accommodating. With electric buckets, Alcantara and leather in the S Line and S4, respectively, it's not terribly hard to find a comfortable position.

Both of these cars were 6-speed manuals, and it was good to experience Audi's manual in its application to each car.

The cars are designed for high-performance output, but sadly the S Line suffers from that pain-in-the-neck of all small-capacity turbos: lag.

A smooth take-off in the S Line means walking the fine line between making a lot of noise and screaming off the line, stalling, or not loading up enough and crawling after the Holden Camira that just left you at the lights.

Once you're off the mark, though, things are a lot better.

Reaching turbo-land at about three-grand, access to the grunt is made very easy in most gears. As with other high performance 6-speeds, sixth is not an overdrive ratio, but simply a sixth cog, so you'll still be pulling just under 3000 revs at highway speeds, meaning you won't need to drop to a lower gear for overtaking.

The S4 is similar, but without the lag. The naturally-aspirated V8 is a joy, right from the moment you turn the key. With a massive 410Nm available, peaking @ 3500rpm, you can almost take off smoothly in third.

When pushed hard (most of the week I spent in it), the first-to-second change will bring about neck snapping, chassis-twisting torque steer, as the car struggles to funnel all that torque through its traction control system to all four 18-inch wheels.

And that exhaust note - wow! While I thought the V8 burble of the 4.2 was nearing perfection in the allroad quattro, the S4's note is something to behold. Idling, it's quite reserved, with a slow, uneven, phlegmy sound, but kick it, and it sounds like a Bathurst contender. Bravo, Audi engineers. Here's a quick look at the two different engines and their vital statistics:

My S4 had a bit of a sticky clutch, which meant if I felt like making some noise and taking off, drag-strip style (usually, you'll understand), I could overrun the clutch, resulting in a lot more noise than forward movement, and that horrible stench of burning clutch plate fumigating the cabin.

I'm sure this was a feature limited only to my six-month old car and not other S4's, which I'm sure was fanged too hard by many journalists before me. A tip for buying performance press demos: insist on new tyres, a new clutch and new brakes as part of the deal.

Quattro all-wheel-drive could just be the most significant motoring invention of the last 50 years, at least for performance car enthusiasts.

The Audi S4 holds and grips through corners incredibly well, giving the driver confidence to push deeper into corners, faster on straights

The ability to drive through all four wheels has spawned some great cars over the years (WRX, Evo, anyone?) and Audi has been using the technology in its performance cars for a longer than most.

What it means for performance only becomes apparent when you hurl yourself at the nearest S-bend or hairpin. While some all-wheelers will push through the corner like any second-rate front-wheeler, when it's done right, all-wheel-drive will ensure you sit at a comfortable angle right through the corner, and be able to apply the juice post-apex with aplomb. This is the case with these sporting A4s.

While the S Line was a station wagon (I know, Avant sounds sexier, but let's get real), it always felt light, but the sports steering and chunky wheel always felt substantial, without too much shudder through mid-corner undulations.

Ditto for the S4, but think twice as fast. This is a car designed to allow the freedom of either wallowing through the twists in fourth, or wrestling with the forces of nature as you spear through in second gear.

All in all, both offer a rewarding drive. A tip for S Line Avant drivers: leave behind the baby seat and the dog if you're thinking of testing your limits, or you'll have more excrement and slobber than you thought imaginable.

Audi is the king of understated-but-muscular styling. Indeed, if you didn't know what you were looking at, you wouldn't bat an eyelid at the S4. But if you do, immediately the chrome mirrors, bulging-yet-subtle spoilers and fairings, 18-inch wheels and fat chrome twin exhausts will jump out at you. No roof-height wings or speed bump-kissing bumpers here. I love it.

The S Line, in many respects, looks more beefy than the S4. My silver wagon looked great, with moulded bumpers hugging the pipes, bulges in all the right places and a poised, hulking look that must be seen to be appreciated. But overall, these cars aren't going to win any show and shine trophies, unless there's a wolf in sheep's clothing award.

Overall:

Audi S4 (4/5)
Audi A4 S Line (3.5.5)

I've decided Audi is among my favourite marques. I know, as a journalist, that's probably not something I should share, but I've been consistently impressed with the quality of the company's cars.

The choice between these cars is purely a financial one. Each offers a lot of car for the asking price, and each will reward the passionate driver.

The S Line loses a couple of points for its lack of low-end grunt, but it offers a very attractive package for hi-po 4-cylinder enthusiasts. With the extra fruit attached to my demo, it was a very comfortable car, and it returns much better fuel economy than the S4, so if it's a well-priced sports luxury German car you're after, the S Line would be worth a test drive.

The S4 is my ultimate car of the moment, however. Massive amounts of grunt, sexy proportions and a leather interior make it a very attractive proposition. It loses half a wombat for its price tag, which might be prohibitive for some, but on a performance level it more than delivers the goods.