This car is all about balance. I found this car to have the best set of compromises between pure sport, luxury and utility of the Bimmers I compared it to. I own this car (2001) in the fabulous Nogaro Blue/Blue alcantara ext/interior color combo, with the 6-speed and every option save the navigation and phone.

I test drove the BMW 330Ci and the AWD 330xi as the direct competition. [I also drove the old E36 M3, which was discontinued. Since I'd buy the 330Ci over this model, I'll ignore it for purposes of this review.] The 330Ci is a coupe and was the most tossable and sporty of the 3 cars. Both Bimmers have a silky smooth stick [Note: it should be a crime to drive any of these cars with an automatic!], that is superior to the somewhat notchy Audi stick. Also, the Bimmers do communicate the road somewhat better than the Audi (and everyone else for that matter, except for Porsche perhaps). Lastly, the rear-drive coupe allows you to dance the back end around turns, which can be loads of fun.

However, I found the Audi to have the more comfortable and subjectively pleasing interior. I've actually had to use the cavernous storage capability on the Audi (seats down), when I had to transport a huge (empty) 6-foot long box; I shoehorned it in diagonally, closed the trunk and was on my way. The Nogaro Blue/Blue Alcantara is very slick looking, too. The premium stereo (trunk-mounted cd changer is pretty dumb since in-dash changers are de rigeur in Japanese cars nowadays!) sounds good, but I agree is a bit too bass-heavy. I find the controls very logical and well laid out.

As for the real issue, which is driving this puppy: This car strikes the superior balance between performance and luxurious driving. Audi has engineered the car with the perfect balance of quiet and supple ride along with enough road noise and feel so that it is a real driver's car, and not a Lexus-like cocoon. Also, whereas the Bimmer coupe does a controlled dance around corners at high speed, the Audi just goes where you point it with no drama at all. In some ways that's less *fun*, but I have a great time attacking corners at insane speeds (in any weather) confident in the knowledge that it isn't going to take any heroic efforts on my part to get through the turn. Overall, the handling is excellent in terms of balance. The ride is never harsh and gives a more comfortable experience than the Bimmer, but there is NO corner or slalom the Bimmer can take that the Audi can't--but there are infinite corners or slaloms the S4 can take in rain that the Bimmer can take only with heroic efforts, if at all. Not only is that my experience, but if you do a little homework in terms of professional reviews (esp. a few going head-to-head with the old E36 M3, which proclaimed the S4 the better car) you'll find a large body of drivers who prefer the overall handling and ride of the S4 (including Edmunds' car of the year in the small sport sedan category [2000 model]). YMMV, so test drive.

As for the engine, it's simply a work of art. There is absolutely, positively no turbo lag or whine with the six-speed tranny. This car absolutely blows the 330xi out of the water, spanks the 330 Ci, and beats the M3. Folks, this sedan has been clocked at 5.7 secs in 0-60 (5.5 secs in the Euro version and 5.2 secs with a $500 chip modification) vs. 6.4 secs for the 330Ci (the 330xi isn't in the same league). The torque is the real killer here, though. I can explode in 2nd gear in city traffic; or when I'm caught one gear too high (without having to downshift); or when I'm doing 70 and want hit triple digits. Granted, the added weight of the Quattro system doesn't make it as obviously tossable as the 330Ci/M3, but I prefer the fabulously predictable traction and the added heft in case of a crash. This engine just plain rocks, as long as you opt for the 6-spd; it should be against the law to drive this beauty with an automatic (or the Bimmers for that matter).

In short, the BMW 330xi is not even in the same league (neither is the Mercedes C-class), and the 330Ci/M3 is superior only in terms of the smoother stick and slightly better road feel (both of which are the best in the world). But the Audi wins in overall performance, luxury and utility. I think it's the second best lux/performance car in the world. What's the best? That's a no-brainer: The new, just-introduced 2001 BMW M3. The only competition for that puppy is Porsche and Ferrari. For the rest of us, and for my hard-earned cash, there is no better luxury/performance automobile with a better set of compromises--and comparatively speaking, this car is very competitively priced to boot.


Amount Paid (US$): 41000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: S4