^^ don't get me wrong, it absolutely is. But I feel if you wanted a DD or to take a long trip you'd get an A4 or A6. S4 is suppose to be sporty and fun. Yeah the new one is but there's no excitement.

 

Speed isn't everything. I'd take a little more fun for a little less speed. It's like comparing a GT3 to a Turbo.

RS4 for me. Though if I was actually looking, it'd be tough since the S4 has the newer interior/warranty/design/etc...

Good review, thanks for sharing. I can already agree with your conclusion and I haven't even been in one.

 

Jon,

You're not alone in this department. The first time I heard an S4 in person I was surprised by how muted the exhaust was from the factory. It was a huge let down.

Have you heard our B8 S4 Exhaust? It gives the car a much needed thrust in the right direction. The tone is perfect; docile when you're cruising around town and it outright wails at full throttle.

Check out this video and let me know what you think:

YouTube - A.W.E. Tuning Audi B8 S4 Exhaust System

 

Coming from having owned and driven extensively both the B6 S4 with the 4.2 V8 (Milltek DP's and back exhaust, resonated, w/intake) as well as then moving onto the B7 RS4 (Milltek cat-back,resonated with its 8200rpm redline and great throttle and torque response, I see the new B8 S4 as more of a move towards a sport-performance four door with the luxury to boot.

The B6 sounded INCREDIBLE, hauled ass for coming out five years ago, and set the standard for a serious smaller four door that could use its quattro and V8 to truly shock the unsuspecting passerby or show-off on the street (most of the time).

The B7 RS4 combined the luxury I had become accustomed with from the S4; nice interior, great amenities, that fantastic four wheel drives, and this one came with nice supportive Recaro seats. Too bad they got no air circulation to your back, i.e. on long drives, I'd need a change of shirt. But I digress...That RS4 combined luxury with unbeatable all weather performance that you could always enjoy, and even bring some friends along in the backseat to show them what quattro does in the rain and snow...sideways. How could you forget its rumble from the Milltek exhaust? One of the best sounding cars of all time, mated to one of the greatest engines of all time. Realistically, as much horsepower as one needs to get themself in trouble speeding.

When I first drove the B8, I was amazed at how quiet and docile it was to drive around town. Whereas the RS4 had the race-car kind of feel; from the clutch to the looks to the sheer performance in the curves (and I ADORED that car), sometimes a tad too much for daily stop-and-go traffic, this B8 drives like a VW Golf/GTI. Almost impossible to stall, the clutch disengages and you're already moving. Now, when you hit the gas, it's amazing to think a smaller engine would actually move faster than the ol' V8. But boy, it does.

The B8 has all the refinement you need from a car in its class; looks, performance, style, and appeal. All from the factory floor. Now what you need to do is consider the APR/Stasis/MTM ECU Tune and you have yourself a car that goes from a car behind the RS4 in a straight drag to one that goes one-to-two cars ahead. And that's simply with the 93 Oct. tune. Don't mean to sound like a vendor promoting a product, but guys out there have their Milltek/Awe exhausts and 100 octane tunes combined with an intake, and they're running 12.38-12.4@114-115 almost.

IMO, as much as I loved and still adore the RS4, I couldn't stand trying to keep my hot coffee in my cupholder without spilling (RS4 clutch), but this new car offers civility and tranquility as well as the option of nearly keeping up with an E55 AMG. All for the price of around 2k with a tune and intake (w/o install) and another 1k for exhaust. I'm convinced...to get the tune, at least. I don't need the rumble. It's a V6 for gosh's sake...

 

Awesome job by Matt & Craig! Thanks guys!

YouTube - 2010 Audi S4 vs. 2007 Audi RS4

 

Audi in general makes a great DD and awesome road trip car, but really doesn't have an exciting sports car feel. But isn't that what you're looking for in a sport sedan? Speed yes, but with manners. There is always the aftermarket for more speed, sound, etc... But truly I'd chip it and leave it stock as the ultimate commuter/road tripper. Buy a weekend car for fun.

 

Alex man that sounds great. A huge improvement from stock.

 

Does AWE have a non-res?

 

Thanks Jon. If you're ever in the area and want to hear it in person, let me know and we'll make something happen.

We offer Resonated or Non-Resonated Downpipes.

 

Having had the S4 Avant for about two years now, I have to say that the S4, B7 or B8, are just too slow.

The S4 feels like a BMW 335, while the RS4 feels like a proper fast car.

For me, used RS4, no contest.