Audi S4 the Bank Vault on Wheels

When first hearing about how the supercharged Audi S4 performed so well, I was immediately skeptical of the 333hp rating and stated as much on April 29th, 2010. When owner Greg Helstrup of Collateral Resources contacted me asking if I wanted to check out his 2011 S4, I immediately made arrangements to get behind the wheel.

Greg’s impressions of the car are smooth, comfortable, solid, quiet and “go-kart”. It isn’t a “go-kart” like a Lotus, but compared to floaty and boaty sedan or an SUV, it feels like it.

This current generation referred to the B8, is significantly larger than the B7 visually and for the driver, most apparent in the driver legs area where more room was desperately needed. This is truly a proper sized sedan and the impression is that this is a do-anything automobile. It’s fast, practical, all-wheel drive and full of luxury and technology. With a long list of options and technical features that are covered in a 66 page brochure, a lot of time is really needed to fully review and appreciate what the Audi offers.

The 7 speed dual-clutch transmission shifts (not an “automatic”!) with a brief, audible “zzz” from the revving engine. I’ve stated before the car is undoubtedly underrated at 333hp despite the dual clutch transmission. The 3.0 liter supercharged engine is very responsive but a sudden start off the line has a momentary hesitation while the clutch engages automatically It’s not quite as fast as the BMW M3 but the interior is more inviting with its layout and features. Yet again the Audi MMI (Multi Media Interface) makes for a an enjoyable experience with the logical controls, layout and features. It’s another capable car that can sell itself once you sit in it, instrumented test results quickly pushed aside.

The suspension is firm and even selecting various modes of the Audi Drive Select, the difference in ride was difficult to detect. The Audi Drive Select controls the vehicle’s adaptive suspension, dynamic steering, transmission shift characteristics and engine response. What was felt was the change in the throttle response. It felt very reactive to the right foot, maybe perfect. No complaint of the throttle-by-wire here. Steering effort is light but there isn’t a lot of feedback.

It’s claimed the 6-speed manual is quicker but unless the gear ratios are whack, I highly doubt it and the faster dragstrip results seem to be from the S-tronic (dual clutch transmission) cars. A performance oriented software tune, intake and exhaust for this car reportedly takes the horsepower up to about 430hp or so. With 114-116mph trap speeds, I’m guessing it’s a little higher than that, 450-460hp with 100 octane gas?

It has BMW M3 and 335i owners making various claims and proclamations but the Audi All Wheel Drive makes it a far more consistently performing car whether it is in the rain or off the line in the shine. The BMW 335i has AWD available but only as an automatic and isn’t as sport oriented.

As a solid and quiet bank vault, it isn’t wind noise that is noticed, it’s the tire noise with the 255/35/19 performance tires. That solid perception also applies to the doors, you have to close them with more authority than normal because the air seal is so tight. The seats are tall yet supportive but not quite as body hugging like the BMW M3. The headliner in black combined with the black leather interior makes for an intimate cockpit. It’s surprising how often dark interiors have light colored headliners. The backup camera is a little slow to show the rear view, but it stays on for a few moments while rolling forward. I would trade that funny quirk for an instant-on camera once reverse is selected.

The car isn’t visceral, it just wants to be and that makes for a nice compromise. Audi continues in its winning ways. The S4 is for those who are more about driving their fast, fun car everyday than going to the track. Adding in the benefits of all wheel drive and the spectacular interior layout and features, this is may be the best choice for a performance oriented daily driver in the price segment.

Audi S4 Undisclosed Horsepower article: http://www.examiner.com/autos-in-san-jose/2010-audi-s4-undisclosed-extra-horsepower

Audi MMI information page: http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/exp/innovation/mmi.html

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305 horsepower Ford Mustang V-6 Review and Test Drive

In light of the recent controversy of the guest authored Mustang GT 5.0 review, the timing of evaluating this 305 horsepower V-6 model couldn’t be better. After a long weekend and over 200 miles, there is plenty to share. It’s smooth around town, quick and gets very impressive mileage yet still very “domestic”.

The car has nice styling, the polished dual exhaust mufflers a nice touch on the base V-6 model. The taillights are distinctively Mustang with cool sequential lighting pattern when a turn signal is activated.
One thing that has bothered me is the dark, rectangular body strip on the side of Mustang that has been prevalent for years. It seems like a styling shortcut, like a big mudflap.

Of course loading luggage was the first part and although having a high sill, the trunk space is pretty good, far better than the larger and heavier Camaro. The rear badge is enormous which as we learned later, is a recurring theme. A large center console has great storage yet oddly the large doors offer very little. Even though the rear seat cushions are high, the front seat recliner switch on the back of the front seat will hit or scratch you if you’re not careful.

After getting comfortable with seat adjustments, it’s immediately apparent the high hood line gives the car a “big car” feel and yet the windshield is very close to the driver. The hood immediately reminded me of the Hertz Shelby GT I had some seat time in back in 2007. The gauges are large and so are the needles for the speedometer and tachometer. In fact, the needle is so thick it’s about a 4mph guess on the speedo.

Driving the 305hp Pony Car revealed some interesting aspects. It’s very smooth around town, effortless for city driving although the transmission shifts with that seemingly old school audible “whew!”. But if the roads get rough at speed, it gets particularly choppy. The suspension conveys what feels like an extra or exaggerated movement when absorbing bumps, almost as if it shivers. Not sure if this is a function of the also old-school solid rear axle but it does bring to mind a past description used for recent Mustangs, “truck-like”. You would think any coupe making this kind of power is a “highway car.” This one is not. Now I know what my non-car brother was talking about, go figure.

So what is 305hp from the V-6 like? It’s definitely quick, a little hesitant from idle and seemingly long pedal travel. It roars, but sounds coarse and not unlike a vacuum cleaner. Downshifts are delayed but the transmission shifts smoothly, far too smoothly at wide open throttle though. The best description is extremely lazy. A factory adjustment is desperately needed.

More interior observations occur over time. The glove box is rather small underneath a massive front panel. Speaking of massive, the shifter, speaker grills, badges, etc. are very large. They look heavy and as Pretty Navigator observed as if Ford is trying to get guys to buy the V6 by making the base model seem more masculine. The legroom for front passengers is excellent but the driver’s headrest is an abomination. It can’t be tilted back so the driver gets “biffed” often.

The custom color scheme of the lighted door sills (a superb touch), foot wells and dashboard lights is a great feature to personalize the car. Oddly contrasting is the 1980’s style dot-matrix display of the radio and the narrow font of the characters. It does display a lot of information however. It can be controlled with the numerous steering wheel buttons; one was counter-intuitive having one function but only one side worked vs. the others with rocker functions.

Ford has done a nice job updating the Mustang with impressive power and outstanding mileage. At an MSRP of $27,690, it may not be the most refined or well-optioned but it does offer a patriotic and powerful rear-drive alternative to the cookie-cutter masses. The few updates and changes needed are not extensive either. If you think 305hp and 30mpg in a coupe sounds attractive, it is definitely worth a look, and in my opinion more so than the Camaro.