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Nov 12, 2024

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

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The Audi S4 maintains its position in 2024 as a potent yet understated compact sedan, sitting between the mainstream A4 and the high-performance RS4. In Europe, the S4 is renowned among local tuners - it comes with the same 349-horsepower V6 engine, eight-speed Tiptronic transmission, and Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system that we get here in the US, but here it seems to fly under the radar. Our tester came with the optional S sport package, which adds more performance over the regular A4 with adaptive suspension, a torque-vectoring Sport differential, and eye-catching red brake calipers.

The S4 also adds a hefty dose of technology and a long list of comfort and style features, including leather upholstery, S sport seats with massage function, a sunroof, and 19-inch wheels. 2024 models start at just under $55k, and these models carry over understated looks that don't give away the fun factor. The question is, is the S4 a comfortable sleeper, or are the European tuners bringing the S4 to life?

Even with its 19-inch wheels and the S package's red brake calipers, the S4 isn't shouting about its upgraded performance over the A4. White or red paint helps highlight the smooth lines, but we would go with something darker to keep a lower profile in traffic.

The front and rear splitter are almost as subtle as the rear spoiler, and even the titanium-finished 5 V-spoke design wheels added by the Black Optic package manage to be stylish yet beautifully understated. The average person may not look twice, but the beauty is there for anyone that wants to see it.

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Inside the S4, it's familiar styling from across Audi's range that fits in with the 'understated elegance' theme. While it's well crafted, the materials are excellent, and it's pleasing to look at - it's also homogeneous within the brand. It has the same angles on the trim, the same pleasing-to-handle gear selector, and even the red accent stitching doesn't separate it from any other S model. The Magma Red interior with the now cliché diamond-stitched seats adds some much-needed color to the interior, but we do wish Audi would bring a little imagination to help create separate identities for its models inside.

A 10.1-inch center screen houses Audi's infotainment system. It's mostly monochromatic, but it is fully featured and reacts quickly and crisply to inputs, even if it's a little busy in terms of menus. Audi’s Virtual Cockpit that comes with the Premium Plus package is terrific if you want more information than just the standard gauge cluster dials fed to you. The package also includes 360-degree cameras, wireless phone charging, an upgraded sound system, and Audi Pre Sense rear collision warning with lane-change assistance.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but it's worth springing for the higher trims purely for the upgrade to the Bang & Olufsen sound system. In the S4, it's a rich, balanced, and clear broadcaster of tunes.

Audi's turbocharged V6 has been around for a while now, and its outputs are ample for every situation between freeway cruising and hammering down a twisty backroad. It's quicker than you'd expect without being excessively thirsty.

2024 Audi S4 Performance Specs At A Glance

Engine

3.0-liter TFSI 6-cylinder

Horsepower

349 hp

Torque

369 lb-ft

Transmission

Eight-speed Tiptronic

Drivetrain

Quattro all-wheel drive

0-60

4.4 seconds

Fuel Economy*

24/29/24 mpg

* as per EPA's city/highway/combined rating

With the aid of Audi's all-wheel-drive system and the ZF provided eight-speed auto, the S4 is cable of getting from a standing start to 60 mph in a shade under four and a half seconds. Given that pace, fuel economy numbers are acceptable. Compared to rivals like the M340i from BMW's 3 Series lineup, the S4 is down on power (the Bimmer makes 382 hp and 369 lb-ft) and is three-tenths slower to get to 60 mph; the BMW is also a little more frugal, scoring ratings of 23/31/26 mpg.

Our S4 tester came with adaptive suspension and sport differential, and there's no doubting the comfort of the suspension and effectiveness of the torque-vectoring differential when pushing the S4 around on a back road. Even on the worst-kept roads California has to offer, the ride refuses to jolt passengers around, and in Dynamic mode (which is Audi speak for Sport mode) it keeps the chassis flat through corners without sending bumps and jolts up anyone's spine.

Our one complaint is that braking isn't as smooth as it could be; for a vehicle that offers under-the-radar performance wrapped up in a smart suit, we'd want less grabby brakes, although we understand that sporty performance requires rapid intervention from the braking system. We feel Audi could smooth this out a little more, though.

While we criticized the S4's interior for not being particularly interesting, the build quality, materials, and the seat comfort make it a lovely place to be - particularly if you have the upgraded Bang & Olufsen sound system installed. We can understand people calling the exterior boring, but if you appreciate the idea of driving a sleeper, the S4 is still far from unattractive. It's also a lot of fun to drive when you need to push it just a little, and it's a terrific car around town and on the freeway. The only reason we don't call the S4 a slam-dunk is the touchy brakes and fuel economy figures that aren't quite as good as you'd get in more potent competitors.

While the fuel economy isn't terrible, the fact gas prices aren't going down again suggest the S4 would benefit from a hybrid assist. This specific engine has been in the S4 since 2016, and it's time for an upgrade - it doesn't feature in the 2025 model either. There's also the annoyance that you need to spend just under $4,000 to move on trim up if you want the S sport package - which itself costs $2,500 - as it's not available on the base model. You also need to subscribe to Audi Connect for a minimum of $15 monthly or $150 yearly to use the remote lock/unlock and remote start features. If you want to unlock the app store (for Spotify, YouTube, etc) and Amazon's Alexa and/or full-speed wifi, then that's a subscription of $25 monthly or $250 per anum. But if these pricing issues aren't a major concern for you, and the S4 is going to be driven hard enough often enough to justify the touchy brakes in everyday traffic, it's a terrific sporty compact sedan with a premium edge to it.

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