Very difficult car to fault. Excellent acceleration (both at high speed and around the city), great brakes, flawless traction. Comfortable, ergonomically correct. That woo-hoo feeling when she squats in a turn and you hit the torque curve coming out. Definitely get the sport interior option. Alcantara is a wonderful fabric; gives the car a unique feeling to it. Easy to upgrade performance-wise (chip & exhaust can get you another 70 horse).

As stated below by the M3 fan, it could handle a little better. More of a trust thing with quattro. The more dangerous I get, the more I slowly understand what it can do both wet and dry. Still, the car does have a bit too much body roll. But, I'm guessing some suspension work could remedy that sometime down the road.

If you do not want a coupe or if you need a sedan with some room and a decent trunk, and you want almost Porsche like performance, this is the car to get. Like a slightly toned down, roomy, luxious Carrera 4.

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I've owned a 89 944 Turbo S, an 88 M6, and even, um, a 97 Prelude SH. I'll never go back to V-tec four cyclinder. Sorry. It just sucks around town.

AWWWWEEESSOOMMMEEEE Torque. Glob Loads of it! Still can believe it's only
a 2.7. Those little Turbos work hard. Car was bought with APR chip. Doesn't really feel like 307 HP, more like 290 and 320 lbs/ft. Probably the high weight it has 3593lbs is alot for a 'Sports Car'. I still own an M3 and the S4 IS a Better Car. Surprised the hell out of me! I initialy drove the 1.8T(almost bought it) and didn't think the chassis had that much potential along with the 2.8L out of the A4. I had alot of doubts .... Audi isn't that great of a brand, it has no potential, the S4 can't possibly be that good, etc, etc. BMW's are soo much better, etc, etc. Anyone who drives this car especially with a chip will know. MTM supposedly produces 324HP on the most current dyno test by UPRD(however it's spelled). However, on acceleration I know this car will blow the doors off of an M3. Though the E46 M3 will do the same to the S4. Ok on with strengths. AWD kicks A$$ in the snow. Extremely comfortable. Would make an excellent Road Trip car *wink* ...plenty of room inside to put all those Bongs you need for a trip to Cali. Yes, this car does make the greens, G-R-E-E-N-E-R. Absolutely beautiful interior! Those lights are SWEEETTT. Very Practical. 4 doors. A six speed! Solid Build. No squeeks yets. Quiet. Good Braking power, not refined though. Excellent Nappa Leather. Great 6 stage heated seats, strong washer fluid, head light washers nifty idea. You get alot for your money. Paid a good price. Convienence Package nifty too. Auto dimming mirrors work well.

Bet You think I think this car is perfect eh? I owned/own an M3. Arch Rivals. Handling doesn't even compare to the M3. It just doesn't have that balanced feel. If you're going to race alot with alot of curvy roads, the M3 is the car to get. Overall better chassis, firmer, can't beat that 50/50 weight balance. Massive body roll. Kinda twitchy at high speeds. Coil overs should fix it though. Very little feedback. Not a point and shoot car. More of a teleporting one. Acura Integra has better steering feel to it. Braking is not at the least bit refined. Touchy, huge lunging feel. M3 has smaller brakes, but they pull the car from high speeds at a more controlled rate. M3 also feels more nimble, seems to fix your mistakes if you make one. M3 turns in better, pulls out better. Easier to modulate. S4 is more than that Stealth sunday racer that spanks Camaros and Mustangs and basically anything on the road on straights. Gas Guzzler, I'm surprised this thing doesn't have the Gas Guzzler tax on it. Good thing! Last gripe, it's not a good looking car. Bimmers got them cornered when it comes to the looks department. Are you thinking what I'm thinking .... AWD E46 M3???

Overall a very good car. Not perfect though. I never would've gotten it if it never snowed here in Colorado because of my love for M3's. But needed a good snow trashing car. It surprised me, but didn't woo and wow me. All the reviews on it Hyped up the car too much. Thought it would be perfect, especially for the price you pay. For a $42,000 MSRP car, you should not get body roll and unbalanced braking feel. Otherwise all those features make it excellent car for the price, specially if you live in a state that snows. If you don't get the E46 M3! Now that is The Ultimate Driving Machine! Like above I DO RECOMMEND IT. If you enjoy a comfortable and WICKEDLY Fast! This car has alot of potential, but should've came like that Stock.

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Compared to 1995 E36 M3(purchased for $26,500) ...has so much more features, but still close race. Beats M3 in my comparison test. 8.5 to an 8.0 out of ten. Factor in age of M3 design. M3 wins because it's a Damn, A DAMN good car. 1998 Acura Integra(paid $17,500) ..even a better buy for the price. Excellent build quality. Have had nothing wrong with it. Gas efficient, repairs are cheap and you can do some of them yourself. Massive availability of aftermarket parts.

With chip from APR, the 307 HP engine is fantastic. Power suprises pretty much every other vehicle I've come across, particularly now that the snow is flying. Quattro is unbeatable. Finish, ergonomics, seats, upgraded Bose Stereo, massive trunk all get top marks.

I'm 6'3", and when I recline the driver's seat to a comfortable position, the arm rest to my left is too short to be of any use to me. CD Changer doesn't offer a "random" feature across all CD's, only one at a time. Windshield washer fluid resevoir is far too small. Car gobbles through the gas. :) Its worth it though. Car doesn't look nearly as sporty as it drives, though this is nice for stealth reason.

I would recommend this car to anyone looking for maximum performance in a practical, comfortable package.

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Nothing at this price point compares to the S4, period.

Torque, Quattro, excellent mix between sport and silent mile-eater. Very potent.

nothing, it just made me happy everyday.

So, I had to give back my S4 as it was my companies car as I changed companies this year and I had to buy a new car very fast. I chose a BMW M5 of the latest modelrange with few miles on for a very good price and I have to say, that I do really like it. It is a very cool car. But: I am missing the turbos and I really do miss the all wheel drive. I can't believe, that a car manufacturer can put a 400hp in an everyday, bread and butter car like that with just rearwheeldrive. The Audi handles the power so well, even in the rain, you can full throttle in first gear and go for a bend. No problem. That quattro is so amazing, it's not the argument, that it is only good in snow, damn, it is good in rain, it is even better on dry roads. The only thing that my M5 does better by far is that throttle response is so fast with the M5, it's really better. But all the rest, the S4 is for me, the better car. So, next thing for me to buy: The RS4 rrrroarrr. Looking forward to it... But I stay with my M5 for the next year or so. Enjoying something new....

Verdict: There is no better car for that money than the S4. 4WD is best thing there is.

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BMW M5 - 400hp: feels about the same even with 140hp more. Is more lively as the throttle response is immediate, very immediate. Rear wheel drive can't handle the power, this car should have AWD!!! No fun at all on wet roads even with stability program which cuts in all the time.
RS4: boy, if you are used to a S4, try this one, put in a chip and you get a 440hp monster, with all the benefits of the S4 but add factor two in terms of fun. Too expensive as it is too new. Looking forward to own one in a years time or so.

This car is an extremly fast and agile. I would recommend for snow,rain or shine. It is perfect fusion fo performance and luxury.

It has to much of a guppy appeal to it. It does'nt scream by it's looks by what you feel when you drive it.

I am suggesting you buy it if you what a modest business kind of look with some real hidden horse power under the hood.

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bmw m3, volvo, suburu imprezra

the quattro really really kicks in and helps a lot with the acceleration,
the bi-turbo is very resposive...cant feel any turbo lag,
comfortable interior

the car is kinda heavy....the power makes up for it though

I would definetely recommend this car. Again I emphasize the 4 wheel drive..0-60 in 5.7seconds....amazing trunk..amazing interior.. what more could you want? Not many stock cars under 40 thou can match this car on the street...just a little weight reduction, better flowing exhaust, and this car WILL KILL hehe

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i havent owned but i have test-driven the bmw m3. It is responsive but loses some speed with tha tire spin...but it is ultimately very competitive in both price and performance and luxury

Are you kidding, its an S4. The car is fast, has Quattro(AWD) and is about the best can anyone could hope to own.

The dealerships suck. AOA hasn't done a lot to help owners.

If you have the means go with a BMW M5, otherwise the S4 is the best car on the road today.

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I test drive cars on a regular basis. In return I let the sales people test drive my S4. I have actually convinced sales people they are working for the wrong companies.

Smooth, quiet ride...Bi-turbo engine, stealth unassuming look, fit and finish.

Small back seats, tires just average, shift travel too long for a sports car...fixed with an aftermarket short shifter. Gas mileage is a little weak. Dealer did not offer a two for one special.

I have been driving my S4 for three months now and I am certain I made the right vehicle choice. The car was $42,000 for 6 speed with everything except the Audi phone.

The S4 is an absolute pleasure to drive. I find myself making excuses to drive because I love the darn car so much!!! The turbos are smooth and the responsive engine seems to have endless power. The car handles very well, however I do think the suspension sits a bit high. The stock brakes are excellent although they do produce a tremendous amount of brake dust which requires constant cleaning of the wheels. The amenities within the cockpit of the vehicle are awesome...The Bose stereo is very good. The navigation system although it lacks a color display works flawlessly. The controls are all within the drivers reach, and the red gauges with white needles complement the driving experience exceptionally.

Although I find the back seats to be a little small considering I am six feet tall and position my seat back about 95%, the limited rear passenger room is okay for me because I rarely have more than one other passenger in the car.

The one thing that really bothered me when I first drove the car was the distance between gears. A performance car should have tight, short distance between gears. It seems as thought the S4 shifting is similar to rowing a boat...very long strides between gears. Several aftermarket companies offer short shifters which reduce the travel between gears by as much as 40%. Audi should revamp the shifting mechanism and reduce travel by at least 30%....

Other than that I am in vlove with my Car!!!

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Audi A4 was my previous car...NO COMPARISON

Considering I am coming off driving a 91 Ford Explorer even the shadow of this car is a strength.
-Speed
-Cornering
-The shocked look the guy in your rearview always seems to have ;)
-Huge trunk for such a small car

- gas mileage (just find a gas station with an attendent you like)
- back seat
- I can't afford one in every color

I researched and hit the pavement over 7 months ago trying to find a new car. I almost bought a yellow 6 speed in may, but the car was sold out from under me. I then must've test driven 40 other cars from Acura, BMW (damn the M5 rocks but too much $$$), Infinity, Lexus (the is300 is a performance joke), and Mercedes. While driving all these cars all i could think about was my glorious half day test drive of the S4 (something about pulling U Turns at 40 mph and sticking is hard to forget). So 10 days ago I finally pulled the trigger on a 2001 black on black and I haven't been out the car for more than 4 hours since. Just hit 1,000 miles last night if that is any indication. Finally dropped the hammer on a tollroad near my house. It's not just you guys up north who have to deal with ignorant minivans. Last Night I got the brights in my rearview from a Dodge Caravan. Mistake. I called the highway patrol to try and find this guy's masculinity for him. The S4 is hands down the sexiest, stealthiest, most refined sport sedan to hit U.S. shores in a long time. Stop reading this and go buy one- you will not be disappointed.

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- BMW M3 sportier appearance than S4 but a subordinate until the 01 comes to the U.S. (anyone want 330hp?)
- Ford Explorer 1991- the truck was red and so is part of the S4 badge

This is a review of the S4 *Avant*
- Incredible performance (265bhp europe)
- Great Safety (4x4)
- Good load-carrier
- Good value-for-money

- Below average fuel consumption
- High insurance!

I stopped posting this review until the excitement of the car had worn off (ok it still hasn't). If you haven't test driven this car you must - its an amazing experience. This is a real perfomance vehicle (0-60 in under 5.5sec). Anyone who wants more than this must be off the rails! Whats more its wrapped up in a great package that in the AVANT form particularly, is flexible and safe.

If you live in an area which has bad weather, there is no other sensible choice, than a 4x4. And this is THE performance 4x4 under the 911 4. Think about the all round package: perfomance, control, design, quality, safety, flexibility - I think they add up to the ultimate package in the S4 avant is you want this kind of car.

The only concerns are if you want a relaxes cruiser, then the hard suspension may become wearing after a while and the auto box dulls performance and is not available in Europe anyway. Oh yes - the new A4 comes out in 2001 (?) and the new S4 sometime after that (?2003). Resale values are ok, but why not buy used if you can find one!

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BMW 330 Coupe (new 2001 model, M54 engine 240bhp) - BMW slower but more relaxed, steering too light, rear room even less, interior poorer quality
Audi A4 1.8T - A good effort, but engine works hard for average performance