330d + Wintracs = win

330d + Wintracs = win

I sooooooooooooooo feel like I have let the side down. But I am looking at the Drive Select with Sports Diff and it does make the car handle well. The only slight fly in the ointment is the steering is still a little ‘unusual’. But my guess is the 4x4 3 series on the continent, will have corrupted steering (although perhaps not as much ) Will you ever respect me again if I go for the A4? :(

Here’s the mini review I posted on the Audi forum if you are interested. It is of the S4 though

I had a solo test drive of a S4 today, courtesy of the very nice people at Warrington Audi. I am actually in the market for either an A4 3.0tdi or a BMW 330D and wanted to test a car with Drive Select and a Sports Diff, my reasoning being the Audi doest handle quite as sweetly as the BMW but these clever systems close the gap considerably. Obviously traction in slippy weather is way better in the Audi. Anyhoo, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the car as a current BMW owner and therefore a non Audi owner (although I have owned cars from the other 3 mainstream VAG manufacturers).

The car looked quite menacing in it’s very dark grey livery, possibly a bit more a ‘man’s colour’ if you’ll excuse the slightly sexist remark. Climbing in and giving her the Thunk test on the door, I was pleasantly surprised and quickly found a comfortable driving position, the Sports seats being a very nice place to spend time. A slight drawback of Audi seats I have found is the side bolsters on the back rest are a bit too broad for me and although the S4’s seats are slightly more gripping, they are a tad too wide across the back for me, causing me to jiggle about a tiny bit when hooning about (is hooning a real word?). In contrast, BMW Sport seats are quite snug and fit me a lot better, but that apart the Audi seats are very comfortable and the steering wheel adjust very nicely for my driving position. The famed offset pedals for some reason did not bother me at all, perhaps I am slight deformed? Anyway I found the controls very easy to figure out as they are pretty familiar to anyone who has owned a VAG car in the last 10 years and although the whole thing is a bit ‘busy’ to look at, I found all the relevant buttons and controls pretty much first time. Most of the controls felt very nice to the touch, although the rotary controls in general felt a bit lightweight and cheap. In contrast the steering wheel felt great and the gear change was very positive and had a nice high up position, close to the steering wheel for quick movement of your hand back and forth. The last car I drove that felt quite as good in this respect, was my old X 1/9. So I am in, comfy, adjusted and set, just one thing to do……………….press the fob thingie into what is occasionally called, the Fobgina.

Very nice vruuuum on start up (and cool duel sweep of the speedo and rev counter needles), it’s muted, but slightly chesty, a complicated sound that I reckoned wasn’t going to be too much of a chore to drive. Into first, the gentle clutch took up the strain and I was off. I was genuinely impressed how smooth the whole thing felt, this was most likely because I was in the ‘comfy’ mode on the Drive Select and even though the car was on 19†wheels it felt pretty relaxing, certainly not as rock hard as many BMWs. The steering is spectacularly light when manoeuvring though and doesn’t really weight up till you are going at a decent speed, great for town, but a bit odd for the motorway I was now on. Also, although the horizontal ridges of the road surface caused the ‘marching-band bass drum’ sound, not too much of the usual shudder came into the car, but it did feel quite ‘floaty’. Time for Auto I reckoned. Sure enough the ride firmed up and the floaty sensation felt less, plus the steering felt a lot more positive and weighty. I couldn’t swear to it, but I wondered if the throttle was a tad more urgent. Well that seemed a great setting I thought, but of course there is the one that begs to be pressed on a S4, time to engage Dynamic mode Yup, the suspension firms up all right, the expansion joints make a bigger thump and you feel them a little more, nothing too bad, but it showed the system was doing something. The steering becomes very direct indeed and feels very weighty, much more so than my BMW, but the thing I wasn’t expecting was the throttle response was a lot more instantaneous. I have driven supercharged cars before and love the instant ‘power on’ feeling. In Comfort mode the throttle felt a little bit more like a good turbo diesel with it’s gentler initial acceleration, but with the Dynamic mode activated, when you jump on the throttle, the engine bites immediately…….great! It is really noticeable and I am led to believe that if you have the DSG gearbox, the gear changes also follow this general pattern. It was also nice to hear the supercharger whine at last and to be honest, I would have liked a little more as having driven silly things like Ford’s F150 Lightning, I love the noise (I should add I had worked at Bauer Millets in Manchester previously, a place where they sell such insanely daft vehicles).

At long last I found a bit of clear twisty road and thought it would be rude not to try a little spirited driving. Bearing in mind the car was very new and only had around 600 miles on the clock I wasn’t going to thrash it, but to be honest with the supercharged engine, you don’t have to. In dynamic mode the car corners very flatly and has great initial turn in, once you enter the corner the car is very stable and for the first time I think I felt the clever diff doing it’s thing. It was a medium quick bend that I thought would cause the car to understeer, especially as the roads had just received a bit of a soaking, but as the car turned in it stayed on line and if anything felt like it was trying to hug the inside of my chosen path. Perhaps it is the Diff, perhaps it is the dynamic steering (possibly a bit of both) but in any event it is hugely confidence inspiring, especially in a largish and reasonably heavy car. It certainly didn’t feel like a nose heavy 4x4 and it resisted understeer extremely well indeed. My old original model 4x4 Scooby Impreza (back in the mid 90s), understeered like a small cottage on a land slip by comparison. The brakes are nicely weighted and seem a bit firmer on the S4 than I remember the standard A4s were, much more like the ones on my BMW in fact and certainly go about the ‘stopping thing’ with a minimum of fuss. A small fly in the ointment is the torque steer (19" wheels probably), while pressing on over a bumpy B road, you have to keep a firm hold of the wheel and it is a little bit of hard work if you are in Dynamic mode and have arms like mine (they are made from blanched spaghetti I think). Oh and the fuel economy…………….. “if you have to ask what mpg it does, you can’t afford it†is about on the mark I believe. I managed highish 20s on the motorway and a lot less the rest of the time.

So to sum up my thoughts.

Love that engine, perhaps a little bit too civilised, but grunty, smooth and has more instantaneous urge than chavs going to collect their GIros.

All the major controls feel like they are connected to something metal and substantial, unlike many Japanese cars imho.

The ride quality is fine and the handling is very grippy and flat. I don’t want to draw the infamous ‘a BMW is better’ argument out of anyone, but I think I should say I still believe the BMW feels a better handling car, not by too much though. As for traction and grip through the corner, the S4 is magnificent and cross county you would need a very fast RWD car to keep up……………and that’s just in the dry. So on the whole I guess the ride/handling balance competition between the BMW and the Audi is a Draw overall.

Interior fit and finish is very nice overall, there are a few areas of harder plastics and I don’t like the Aluminium bits of trim as they feel plastic, but many things feel very solid and weighty.

I should also say I like the boot and the drop down ‘curry hooks’ are great for picking up your Friday night supper without spilling Chicken Tikka Bhuna all over your RAC Road map.

Edited 25 March, 201016 yr by Lady Elanore

Nice review with some turns of phrase in there.

The only reason I like dark metallic grey is that it doesn't show the dirt much. If I was buying new I think my first choice would be a bright metallic blue (Nissan Bayside, Subaru Mica, Skoda Race sort of thing).

Nice review with some turns of phrase in there.

The only reason I like dark metallic grey is that it doesn't show the dirt much. If I was buying new I think my first choice would be a bright metallic blue (Nissan Bayside, Subaru Mica, Skoda Race sort of thing).

Thanks Ken. I actually owned a Mica Blue Scooby (back in the day).

Just sold the Fiat this afternoon, didn’t’ quite get what I hoped for, but it only lost £800 since I bought it in late 2008

The A4 is looking a bit nearererer, As for colour I quite liked the Quartz Grey as it has a touch of steely blue in the right light, but I am still a little way off deciding that bit of it yet. Mind you, I have got an offer of £4K off in total for the A4 :) so I might go to see them tomorrow if my cold improves (sniffety sniff)

Ah, Quartz Grey must be very similar to the old Dolphin Grey they, awesome colour!

Ah, Quartz Grey must be very similar to the old Dolphin Grey they, awesome colour!

Looks like a 'stay clean' colour too

It's lovely

Always find myself looking at previous-gen S3's in that colour!

It's lovely

Always find myself looking at previous-gen S3's in that colour!

Shame I can’t afford the S4 and to run it as well :(

How much was it? They're heading towards sub-£10k now!

How much was it? They're heading towards sub-£10k now!

It was a shiny new brannie. I think they are about £35K!!! Not cheap, but a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon

Oh! The new-new shape! Supercharged V6? I'm obviously now on about the older 4.2 V8 model

Oh! The new-new shape! Supercharged V6? I'm obviously now on about the older 4.2 V8 model

The V6 makes a nice noise, but is a bit to cultured if you know what I mean, it needs the supercharger turning up to 'Mad Max 11' The V8 sounds lovverererererly

So Clarkson is right yet again, all the Beemer drivers are moving to Audi :giggle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7ouasWbKMs

Edited 26 March, 201016 yr by postmanpat

So Clarkson is right yet again, all the Beemer drivers are moving to Audi http://www.youtube.c...h?v=i7ouasWbKMs

What is it you drive again?

Good review there and intresting to hear the drive select works.

My dad has just gone from a 525 diesel on sports suspension to an Audi A6 2.7tdi quattro le mans edition, also on sports suspension. The BMW was rediculously firm and in all honesty the audi is only marginally better, to the extnet we can honestly say my evo has a better ride.

With this system destined I'm sure to wind its way though the ranges its going to be a case of more and more cars having the best of both worlds.

From what I have read, the A4 system isn’t particularly sophisticated. It’s not like the magnetic dampers in some VAG models. Funnily enough when I was selling Corvettes several years ago, they had a thing called MRRTD (magnetic rheological real time damping) which was an amazing system back then. In fact Corvettes had a head-up display that really worked over a decade before BMW) which is a lot more sophisticated than the A4s, although I guess the A4 sensors and ‘brain’ are probably a bit quicker and smarter than the Corvettes.

Looks like I am coming back to the stable (or the darkside as I like to think of it )

Looks like I am coming back to the stable (or the darkside as I like to think of it )

Spill the beans then Amanda :yes: :(

Spill the beans then Amanda

A4 3.0TDi S Line with full ADS/Sports Diff and lots of bits n bobs. (assuming I can still get credit in this modern world of course)

A4 3.0TDi S Line with full ADS/Sports Diff and lots of bits n bobs. (assuming I can still get credit in this modern world of course)

Not bad

Not bad

Should keep me out of mischief for a while. Still wanted the 330D right up to signing, but don’t think I can take the risk of the dreaded cold white stuff striking again.

Should keep me out of mischief for a while. Still wanted the 330D right up to signing, but don’t think I can take the risk of the dreaded cold white stuff striking again.

I like Audi wheels :yes:

As if a "quattro" will make a shred of difference if it snows LOL

As if a "quattro" will make a shred of difference if it snows LOL

Will do with the snow tyres

Don't forget I owned a couple fo Scoobys, they were pretty good in snow and they also used a Torsen centre Diff

Oh and if you ask me nicely, I will tow you out when the snow flake lands within a 100 yard radius

Edited 29 March, 201016 yr by Lady Elanore