4 Season Audi S4 Cabriolet: Report 12, Series Wrapup

All good things must come to an end. In the case of our 4 Season S4 Cabriolet, itself a very good thing, that end of our 12-month test cycle has arrived.

We’ve managed to squeak a few more weeks in the car until Waterfest, though the S4 will be leaving our test fleet following that event. Between the point we close this report and the car’s departure this week, our S4 also did some additional beloved summer top-down motoring, a stint at a boarding school reunion where even partner level Wall Street traders envied our career in automotive journalism thanks to the S, a day run to Schenectady, NY for a wedding and additional guest ogling, and finally another day trip to Lime Rock’s ALMS Race for display near the Audi VIP lounge while we enjoyed a trip around the track with Alan McNish.

It’s hard not to feel like a rock star driving this car. Perhaps it was a bit undercover before we added the monster 19-inch BBS CK wheels, though from that point on the car was high-visibility to admirers and local law enforcement alike.

Between two DC based editors contributing to this series, we racked up four traffic violations in the car over a span of as many months. It’s hard to argue your way out of a ticket in a car that’s so suggestive of speed and fun.

Considering the fines and fuel costs, it’s hard not to wish you had the income of a rock star as well. While we had virtually no repair or maintenance costs to speak of during our time in the S4, the daily driving did add up. There were the tickets of course. There was also the 21mpg, the best we ever really logged on the car, which isn’t terribly bad considering the car does have a 4.2 V8 and all-wheel drive. Unfortunately, that adds up when the country is experiencing record fuel prices.

My Take (David Herlihy, Contributing Editor):

The 4 seasons S4 while in our tenure definitely earned its keep crossing the nation and putting in some heavy mileage on the East Coast mainly. While you can't say the winter was incredibly harsh in the Mid-Atlantic, thanks to global warming or El Nino or whatever theory you subscribe to, the S4 was a treat to drive in both warm and cold weather alike.

The grip from the quattro was legendary, but I wouldn't put the S4 on the list of cars I'd go pushing incredibly hard on back roads mainly due to its rather portly weight. Once pushed the weight of the S4 Cab clearly begins to tell. It's nothing drastic, but it's definitely built more for the cruising the boulevard vs. mixing it up on the back roads of the Shenendoah Valley.

If I owned this car, I might consider a mild exhaust upgrade to further release the sexy sound of that engine. On the convertible, the exhaust is already so enjoyable. The right aftermarket exhaust would really kick that up a couple of notes.

Likes:
Silky smooth V8
Effortless torque and passing power.
Great exhaust note. Sounds like an aircooled aircraft engine at idle. Lots of bass.
Looks: It's so subtle, but stylish at the same time that it goes unnoticed. Maybe that's a bad thing for many, but in this case it's a good thing.

Dislikes:
Mileage: You're lucky if you get 21mpg.
Weight. She definitely needs to go on a diet.

My Take (Anthony Garbis, Contributing Editor, Forum Administrator):

The S4 Cabriolet didn't wow me at first. The factory wheels are a bit mild and the styling is rather subtle and doesn't stand out much compared to the less expensive A4 Cabriolet. However, when the 19" BBS CKs were added, the look of the car was transformed and people took notice.

The V8 provides plentyof passing power and good acceleration, but at the cost of abysmal gas mileage. My 2,00-mile trip to Canada netted an 18.8 MPG average, mostly of highway and without the a/c on.

Considering it is a convertible, the S4 isextremely quiet and well insulated, and I often forgot I was driving a softtop.

Likes:

The navigation system. Audi integrated the nav extremely well, with a large screen in the dash and a readout in the instrument cluster. Furthermore, adding the Audi navigation plus gets you two SD card slots behind the power fold-down screen, which allows you to play MP3s. The Bose speaker system was excellent, as well.

Dislikes
To find a least favorite thing would be nitpicking, but the inability to operate the convertible top unless you are completely parked is rather cumbersome. I can recall more than one occasion when I was stuck in traffic and went to operate the top, and then the traffic started to crawl forward, and the top stopped moving. So I had to hold up traffic even more until the top, which is rather slow, locked back in place. As mentioned, this will be rectified with 2007 models this summer.

My Take (Jim Sykes, Senior Editor, SpeedArena.com):

I really did like the car. The combination of luxury and sport was right on and was a car in which I easily cruised several thousand miles without getting bounced around or feeling uncomfortable.

When I wanted it, the car was fast. I loved the interior and the navigation system and it would be a wonderful all around car to live with everyday. All that said, at $61,000, you’re paying quite a premium for those luxuries.

Likes:
The think I liked most about the car was the way it combined luxury with sport. The interior and ride was great and really made you feel comfortable when just cruising, but the power and handling was there when you wanted to get a little crazy.

Dislikes

The S4 Cabriolet looked far too plain for what was under the hood and for the price you pay for it. I want it to look different than any other A4 Cabriolet, a welcome change being implemented for 2007 B7 models.

© Source: original article on fourtitude.com