Driving it around throughout the week I had a few parking lot onlookers ask, once they found out that it wasn't mine, if I'd pick the S4 over the M3. My answer was easy to arrive at actually. If I only had one car to live with every day, it would have to be the more practical (despite having a smaller trunk), more comfortable S4, but if I already had an SUV or sedan I'd opt for the sportier M3 in a millisecond. BMW's car has an almost overwhelming edge that the S4 lacks. It's not that the S4 is boring or anything, because it truly is sensational, there's just something raw and animalistic about the M car that few competitors come close to emulating.
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| Would I pick the S4 over the M3? If I only had one car to live with every day, it would have to be the more practical, more comfortable S4. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
This comes out in Audi's choice of transmissions. Despite the brand's new Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) being available, and part of the next-generation V6 powered TT, Audi doesn't include it as an option in the S4. Instead a slick shifting 6-speed manual, as in my test car, is the preferred actuator for performance enthusiasts, with the capable 6-speed Tiptronic automatic for those that want all the looks and a little less action. My guess is that Audi will supply a DSG option in the near future, but it just seems strange not to have brought it to market with the launch of the all-new car. Possibly there's more to it from an engineering standpoint that I'm not privy to, such as the transmission's compatibility to the V8 powertrain. Either way, for those that like sequential manual gearboxes BMW has the clear edge.
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| The S4's interior is superb, and the buttons and switchgear feel better made than those in the top-line A8 L. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Inside the S4 has few equals, with excellent attention to detail for this class. The buttons and switchgear feel better made than those in the top-line A8 L, odd for sure, and the rare cheaper plastic bits such as the child seat anchor covers on the rear parcel shelf are forgivable in the smaller compact class. The Audi Symphony audio system is sensational, and unlike the BMW features a handy 6-disc dash-mounted CD changer.