2016 Audi S4 Manual
Share. Facebook. Tweet. Pinterest. Email When is 333 hp more than 333 hp?
When it’s in an and max power seems to be on tap from 0 to 7,000 rpm. I’ll recite my text to Andy on the Saturday that I had the car out and about: 'Damn, this car is good.' First of all, it’s gorgeous in “Hello, Officer' red and it seems to be just the right size, offering a decent amount of room in the back seat with scalloped front buckets, a giant trunk - I threw three bags of clothes in there for the Salvation Army and had space for four more - and enough width that your elbows won’t rub when you have a front-seat passenger. The Google Earth navigation is cool, showing you the satellite view along with the roads and traffic.
The radio/entertainment system works well except for the lack of a frickin’ USB port! This S4 still has the proprietary cord in the glove box; in this loaner, it was equipped for an iPhone4. Bluetooth works fine though, and it only took me a minute or two to set up. That’s one of those things that you only have to do once, but it’s nice when it’s an easy process. And surely new cars off the lot would come with a connection for whatever phone you have, but still.
Rear visibility is good; anything you can’t see is picked up by the rearview camera. When I first sat down in the car, I thought the clutch pedal was a little sticky. It didn’t pop up as fast as I like.
But once the engine was started, I found it nearly perfect, catching about halfway up with a good-sized slip point. If that point is too small, it’s hard to take off smoothly; if it’s too big, it feels like you’re just burning the clutch all day. Hard launches are easy and so are super smooth shifts once you’re at speed. The stickshift, too, is just the right size - between a baseball and a golf ball - and the action is direct and confidence inspiring.
I made a ton of full throttle shifts over the weekend and didn’t miss a single one. The brakes catch right away and the gas pedal is easy to reach for heel-toe shifting. It’s one of the best pedal boxes in the business, hands down. I can’t believe how well this S4 handles the road. Even in dynamic mode, the stiffest, it still absorbs everything Detroit roads can throw at it. You’ll see the bumps coming, and you’ll hear them, but you won’t feel them. There’s a bit of lean in the corners, and a bit of lift on hard launches, but for an every day, all-year car, it’s a perfect mix.
I thought the steering might be a little too easy for this class of car, especially when I was creeping around our parking lot. But once you get some speed, things firm up quickly. Audis always have fast ratios, but on the expressway, this car is like a scalpel, dicing up traffic without moving the wheel more than an inch or two. Damn this car is good.
If I had to complain, I could use a little more noise from the exhaust - it didn’t even seem as loud as our S3 - and maybe a little more aggression in the styling. This car also had winter tires; I’d bet it’d be a giant killer with some Michelin Cup tires. Speaking of, I’d love to get this car on the racetrack. So this car is a touch over 50K (our long-term S4 from 2010 was a touch under 60K), so it seems like good value. We’d love to compare it to the and, but those cars are really playing in a different league now. The M3 has 425 hp and current C63 has 469 hp.
They’re both a good bit more expensive. This occupies a niche of its own and I think it’s perfectly happy to be there. And seriously, if I had to pick one car to drive for the rest of my life, this would be high on the list. Jake Lingeman, road test editor.
OTHER VOICES: The S4 is one of the few 'happily ever after' cars for me. As a daily driver sports sedan, it's damn near perfect; it's not the fastest, the flashiest, the most powerful or the lightest, but the mechanical interplay between engine, transmission and wheels is sublime.
Likewise, driver touchpoints are crafted to feel and behave exactly the way I prefer (note the 'I' there - as with all subjective commentary, your mileage may vary). The S4 is just right, in every possible way. This is the part where I normally say, 'but cheebus it's expensive for what it is.' Not gonna happen here.
Even with options, the $54K sticker on our tester is an insane bargain. The I drove a few months back impressed me in much the same way as our S4, but that car stickered at over $60K. The Audi gives up nothing to the Bimmer, plus it carries the added prestige of the S badge, for whatever that's worth to you or your neighbors. Simply spectacular. Don't screw up the next one, Audi - Andrew Stoy, digital editor. Sometimes I think I’d be perfectly happy in an (if Audi still made it) with the VW Group’s 2.0-liter turbo (one of my favorite engines) and paddle shifters.
Then I drive an S4 and fall in lust all over again. This S4’s understated looks and power/grace combination is just the ticket for me. The engine is so flexible, and the seats are a little huggier than standard A4 seats-I just like the combo.
This engine is sublime. There are no hiccups when you roll on the power and the engine is so potent and flexible you barely have to shift. Much to the dismay of the young people in the office I’d get mine with DSG. I found myself in the suspension’s soft setting most often – the hard setting (Audi calls it Dynamic) was too hard, though this is the time of year when the roads around here are at their worst. Auto mode made the car feel connected to the road without beating the hell out of me but overall I preferred the soft setting.
The car still feels nimble and quick witted and the ride over potholes is fine. The interior is typical Audi, well screwed together with good materials, and it’s comfortable. I do find Audi’s heat/vac controls a bit fiddly.
2016 Audi S4 3.0t Premium Plus Manual
It takes three steps to change some things. It’s not too bad, though and I suppose I’d get used to it. As for the price, it’s actually a couple grand less than a 2014 S4 we had back in the day.
We saw the last fall. HP bumps to 354 and there’s an 8-speed tiptronic.
Sounds great to me. Wes Raynal, editor.
2016 Audi S4 Manual Transmission
Offering understated styling and confident, refined performance, the 2016 Audi S4 remains a top choice if you want a nimble luxury sport sedan with a little extra kick. Pros Strong and smooth supercharged V6; dynamic handling; compliant ride; uptown interior; accommodating backseat; standard all-wheel drive. Cons Unintuitive base MMI control layout; Bluetooth audio doesn't come standard on the base Premium Plus trim; no USB port. What's New for 2016 The S4 is essentially unchanged for 2016. Introduction The fun and spirited 2016 Audi S4 sport sedan is what happens when you inject an extra shot of performance into an ordinary Audi A4. That shot comes mainly in the form of a sublime supercharged V6 that pumps out 333 horsepower, about 50 percent more than the A4's four-cylinder. That V6 can be hooked up to an available dual-clutch automated manual.
Not offered on the A4, it is remarkably quick-shifting and extracts the most of the car's performance. You also get a sport-tuned suspension for sharp, nimble handling and strong, upgraded brakes. A unique grille, exclusive alloy wheels, subtle badging and distinctive trim accents set the 2016 Audi S4 apart from its A4 sibling. But the S4 is much more than the sum of its sporting hardware. It also has a commendable ride quality, a well-appointed cabin with high-quality materials and even a relatively spacious backseat. This isn't a car that demands much compromise relative to its workaday A4 brethren.
On the contrary, it's every bit as livable as an A4; it's just a lot more fun to drive when you feel like blowing off some steam on a curvy road. If there's a downside here, it's that the S4's technology offerings are a bit outdated. The base Premium Plus trim doesn't include Bluetooth streaming audio, for instance, and its dash-mounted MMI controls aren't as user-friendly as the available console-mounted setup. To rectify both, you need to get the Technology package, which is a pricey option on Premium Plus and standard on the higher-level Prestige trim.
One thing that can't be rectified is the lack of USB connectivity, as the S4 soldiers on for 2016 with Audi's proprietary digital media interface. You won't find such problems on the 2016 BMW 340i, which also strikes a very appealing balance between performance and comfort. The same could be said of the luxurious and capable Mercedes-Benz C400 4Matic.
If sharp handling is a priority, the Cadillac ATS should also be on your list. Even among this crowd, though, we think the 2016 Audi S4 remains a very appealing choice for a hopped-up entry-level luxury sport sedan.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options The 2016 Audi S4 is a high-performance version of the A4 luxury sedan. It's offered in two trim levels: Premium Plus and Prestige.