If you've read my review of the standard Audi A6, you know I did not find that car very enjoyable to drive. Power was lacking, and the very stability of all-wheel-drive meant the chassis did not feel very tossable. The S4 does not have either of these problems.

The S4 was one of a number of cars I drove with my father while he was visiting. He's in the market for a new car, and being the good son I offered to help. The things I do for my father!

We actually went to the dealer to drive the A6 2.7T. Since none of those were prepped yet, the salesman asked if an S4 would be OK. The idea was to give us a feel for the engine, since we already knew what an A6 felt like otherwise. Well...uh...OK...if you insist.

The experience driving this car was enough to make my father wonder whether he might really want an S4. This is a man coming out of a Lexus LS400. Who that same day had already driven a BMW 740i (totally unimpressed) and a Lexus GS400 (probably what he'll end up with). Who doesn't even really want a manual transmission. It's that much fun, while still being refined.

The additional power provided by the turbos transforms the car. It's not just 50 more horsepower. It's really at least as much about the huge amount of torque available down low. Way down low. This engine peaks in terms of torque at 1850 rpm. And then the torque just stays there all the way to 4400 rpm. I've owned cars with turbos before, and the lag as the turbos spooled up made me want to never own one again. I didn't perceive any lag with the S4. Hit the gas, and you immediately feel the results in your lower back.

Front-wheel-drive could not handle all of this power well. All-wheel-drive does. Point the car wherever you want it to go, hit the gas, and it goes there, fast. With all of the drama you want, and none of the drama you don't want. No torque steer here. With this much power, this chassis, previously a little heavy on its feet (the S4 does weigh about 3,600 lbs.), comes alive.

All-wheel-drive continues to have some trade-offs. While the additional power does permit a little power-on oversteer, a well-tuned rear-wheel-drive chassis is still more tossable. Because the front wheels transmit some of the power, and the steering system has been damped to mask the effects of this, the steering lacks some of the precise feedback present in a BMW. What you get in return is greater stability, especially in nasty weather or when you miscalculate a turn. Unless you live where it never rains, or never make a bad move, this trade-off is probably worth it.

The ride is firm but well-controlled. You might feel the bumps, and you'll certainly hear them, but they don't upset the balance of the chassis or make the body shudder. My father has been coddled by an LS400 for eight years, yet he felt the S4's ride was acceptable, even on notoriously bad Detroit-area roads.

The same goes for quietness. While no match for a pure luxury car, the S4 is reasonably quiet at speed. There is more road than wind noise. Under full throttle the engine becomes quite loud. It is a generally pleasant sound, though I wouldn't quite call it enjoyable. More exhaust than machinery. I personally like to hear the machinery.

The A4's exterior design is one of the best of the '90s. Car designers at other car companies have envied it. It's beginning to age a little in my eyes, but just a touch. The A6, though a newer design, and one I really liked when I first saw it, is actually aging much more quickly. Unfortunately, that's where the design of the A4 is going.

Actually, I like the design of the S4 less than that of the A4. the main change is the wheels, and I dislike them. The wheel is overly flat, like many coming out of the VW Group lately. I like a more muscular, rounded spoke. Worse, where the spokes join the rims the surface is indented. One thing that makes the standard A4 look so good is the big, large spoked wheels. Whenever the flow of a spoke is interrupted, the wheel is made to look smaller. (For the worst example of this in the history of performance car wheels, see the early '90s M5.) Not what you want. I have no idea why Audi did this. At least this is the easiest part of a car to fix.

The interior of the S4, like that of any other current Audi, is very, very nice. My father didn't like the BMWs we looked at in large part because the interiors lack a certain feel of luxury and style. No problem with the S4. The design is refined if predictable, and the materials look expensive. Audi has traditionally led the German auto industry in interior styling, and they continue to do so.

Where this car really wins some points with me is the driving position. I don't like the driving position in the larger A6 because the beltline (base of the windows) is so high. You feel like you are buried in the car and somewhat cut off from the driving experience. That is not a problem in the S4. You sit fairly high, and the beltline and cowl are relatively low, or at least feel lower than in the A6 because they are closer to you. Though I would personally like them even lower, you can see out well, and you feel more connected to the car and the road.

The front "sport seats" are fairly comfortable, but could be more aggressively bolstered. In typical German fashion, the seats are very firm but generally support you in the right places fore and aft. They do not support you (at least if you have a fairly slim build like I do) very well laterally. You sit on these sits rather than in them. I'd personally like to be held in the seat a bit more.

While the rear seat is not as good as that in the new 3-Series, it is a match for the one in the Lexus IS. There's no room to stretch out back there, and the seat cushion is too low to provide thigh support (like the Lexus but unlike the BMW). But I wasn't cramped. However, I'm only 5'9". Taller people would probably have a different opinion.

The powerful engine combined with the well-tuned, all-wheel-drive chassis makes the S4 powerful yet refined. Some performance cars while fun are so rough in going about their business that they fall plainly into the guilty pleasure category. They lurch and lull, bump and grind, fling you here and there. In a word, adolescent. This is not the case with the S4. It's fast enough to get the adrenaline pumping, but smooth and solid enough to keep your conscience quiet. My father, thanks to me, just became a grandfather. Maybe this is the car he needs after all.

Epilogue: My father ended up in a Lexus GS 400. But this could still be the car for you. The Lexus IS 300, which costs about $8,000 less, offers slightly more nimble handling and bleeding edge interior design touches. But the Lexus interior feels like that of a far less expensive car. The BMW 330i, which costs about the same, offers more refinement, more room and comfort, and more nimble handling. In the past, many people have bought an Audi instead of a BMW to get all-wheel-drive. But the 330i soon will also be available with all-wheel-drive (for another $1,750, coincidentally the same amount Audi charges on the A4).

Where the Audi has an edge is in low-end torque, of which it has gobs and gobs. While the BMW is more refined, the Audi on most roads is probably more fun to drive. Finally, the S4's interior, while less roomy and comfortable than that in the 3, is the most tasteful. In the end, you can't go wrong with either the Audi or the BMW. Drive them both, and see which you like better. Myself, my head says I should prefer the BMW, but I'd be very tempted to go with the Audi.

Reliability

People often email me asking about the reliability of the cars and trucks they are considering. Existing sources of reliability information just aren't helpful enough.

In response, my website, truedelta.com, will more clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy an S4 rather than something else by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). Those who help provide the data--which will require just a few minutes a year--will earn free access to the site's reliability information. To encourage participation, this access will otherwise cost $24.95.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.