Value of a 2019 Audi S4: $30,782$43,505 | Edmunds.
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How much does a brand-new Audi S4 cost?
The improvements made to the 2020 S4 mirror those made to the 2020 A4, including new design (particularly up front) and a thorough overhaul of the multimedia and dashboard systems. These two vehicles are still difficult to distinguish from one another, but the S4 has unique features including a quad-tailpipe exhaust system, a modest rear spoiler, and aluminum mirror covers. However, unless you have a keen eye, you won’t see those from a distance greater than 50 feet.
Due to this, the S4 is something of a sleeper vehicle. Although it has the same exterior design as an A4, it has significantly greater power (101 or 161 more horsepower, depending on which A4) and significant suspension improvements.
Tuning Makes the Difference
Prior to driving the S4, I tested the larger three-row Q7 SUV, which had its own update for 2020. The engines and transmissions in the two cars are identical: a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, an eight-speed automatic transmission (rather than a dual-clutch transmission), and standard all-wheel drive. This didn’t initially look good for the S4 because the Q7’s powertrain made driving a real drag. Even worse would be a performance automobile without a performance engine.
However, there was still some optimism for the S4. It receives some significant upgrades, like as specific tune and transmission gearing, and it does away with the Q7’s 48-volt mild hybrid technology. In the S4, those adjustments prove to be beneficial (as does the car being 1,235 pounds lighter than the Q7 55 TFSI variant).
The S4’s engine and transmission feel more tighter, and the throttle response is significantly better. Similar to 2019, these tuning adjustments provide the S4 349 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque. Although there is still a little bit of latency for a performance-oriented sedan sporting a S label, it is at least tolerable, and the car’s explosive acceleration at roughly 2,500 rpm helps to make up for it. Audi claims that the S4 can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, but in my experience, it accelerates far more quickly.
The S Sport Package ($2,500) that my car had added an adaptive damping suspension, red brake calipers, and a sport rear differential that gives the all-wheel-drive system the ability to vector torque. According to Audi, 75% of S4 purchasers would choose this option, and it makes sense if you want to drive the car for pleasure. I left the car in Dynamic mode for the most of the drive, and the adaptive damping suspension didn’t feel overly busy while yet keeping a welcome sensation of tautness.
I wish I could say the same about the steering of the car, which is light and provides little feedback. Although Audi does provide a Dynamic Steering option that could be useful in this situation, my test vehicle was devoid of it. Although the S4’s potential is immediately obvious when you begin to hustle it through the corners, the entire experience is almost robotic. That sense of disconnection is caused by the absence of steering feel, the subdued exhaust note (even though it sounds great outside the car), and a slight lag in the gas pedal. Although you’ll move quickly, your heart won’t beat faster.
Interior Upgrade
The S4 receives the identical interior improvements for 2020 as the A4, with the largest change being a brand-new entertainment system that substitutes a sizable 10.1-inch touchscreen for the outdated rotary dial controller. Even better, it keeps the physical climate controls that are simpler to use and avoids the dual-screen configuration found in the Q7 (among other vehicles). The screen is really attractive and reacts to inputs rather rapidly. I was also appreciative that I could reach the opposite side of it without having to lean out of the comfortable sport seats, even though that meant that after only a few short hours of use, I had fingerprints all over it. (The screen attracts fingerprints; keep a microfiber cloth close at hand to wipe it down frequently.) Standard features include wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a USB-C port has been added up front.
The system’s biggest flaw is one that most contemporary Audi cars share: a volume knob that wants to hang out with the passenger. This time, the volume control is also hidden behind the shifter, so you must reach over or around it to get it. The fact that the button serves as both the tuning and track-skipping controller only makes the problem worse.
The backseat is still cramped, and there is a noticeable floor hump that makes it difficult to fit three people because the car’s dimensions haven’t changed since the refresh. If you have taller passengers, you’ll need to arrange the chairs carefully to accomodate everyone. Although vision is actually rather good because of the relatively large back windows, I had problems fitting behind myself properly because I’m just under 6 feet tall.
S4 Price: What’s It Going to Cost Me?
Similar to the A4, the S4 has three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige, with pricing beginning at $50,895 (destination included). The starting price is somewhat cheaper than in 2019. Mid-grade Premium Plus with the S Sport, Navigation, and Driver Assistance options served as my test vehicle. This increased the cost to $62,840, which is not inexpensive but is within the range of the competition. The S4 falls somewhere between the 2019 BMW 330i we most recently reviewed ($57,420) and the 2020 BMW M340i ($69,570), in terms of both price and performance.
The S4 doesn’t really hold up to the M340i. In our tests, the BMW accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.89 seconds, which is far faster than the S4’s stated 4.4-second time. An RS 4 might stand a better chance, but at the moment, that vehicle is only available in Europe as an S4 Avant wagon. I’d also rank the S4 behind the G70 we owned for a year in the 3.3T trim. Although it may not be quite as quick as the S4 in a straight line, the G70 3.3T is a complete blast to drive around corners. You could have something if you swapped the steering from the G70 into the S4.
I liked a lot of things about the S4: Its design improvements look terrific, and the interior revisions are an improvement (especially those aluminum trim pieces around the air inlets). It can be difficult to tell apart from the conventional A4 unless you are near to it, which gives it the air of a sleeper vehicle. That exhaust note serves as a good representation of how driving the S4 finally feels: While it may seem like you’re having a blast from the outside, from the driver’s seat, the experience is more like a yawn than a bang.
The cost of an Audi A4?
What Is the Price of the Audi A4? The starting price of the 2022 Audi A4 is $39,100, which is approximately normal for the luxury small car class. The starting price of the performance-focused Audi S4 model is $50,500. See if your local Audi dealer is participating in our U.S. News Best Price Program for fantastic savings.
Are Audi S4 vehicles good?
The Audi S4’s overall reliability rating is 42.8, which is not very reliable. The exact rankings of this car in relation to various other cars are shown in the chart below, however as a point of reference, the average overall rating is 57.
This information is based on a combination of looking at the cost and frequency of maintenance, warranty coverage, and long-term reliability by looking at how long these vehicles are normally kept on the road. Remember that not just compact or subcompact vehicles in the Audi S4’s class are included in this comparison; all automobiles are.
You may notice that these numbers differ significantly from those in J.D. Power or Consumer Reports. Most publications look at complaints made to the dealership within the first few months of ownership (like JD Power) or solicit biased feedback from owners regarding longer-term cycles of their new cars. Instead, this study examines data from wholesale auctions and repair businesses on actual repair prices and frequency.
What does a 2018 Audi S4 cost?
The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2018 Audi S4 starts at $51,875 for a Premium Plus variant and $56,775 for the Prestige.
The Audi S4 has what speed?
The 2020 Audi S4 effortlessly exceeds the posted speed limit on one lengthy stretch of arid road where only roadrunners and tumbleweeds create any dust. It could only be slowed down by some stray pebbles that was left over from a flash flood.
There is much more to this strange location in the American Southwest. More than 40 degrees change from day to night in the temperature. Olives, dates, and oranges are abundant, and the hot, dry air is infused with an exotic scent by sweet-scented orange blooms. In places like Palm Springs, California, the prickly pear cactus can be consumed or used to make margaritas. In the midst of the desolate rock formations and the sun-drenched ground, festa, flora, and faunalife of all kinds bloom.
The 2020 Audi S4 is also lot more than it first appears to be. The calm small sedan differs nothing from the updated A4 in terms of appearance. The A4’s slats are replaced with a honeycomb grille, 18-inch wheels are standard, the door handles are body color, and the rear is identified by quad chrome exhaust points. The majority of the panels, with the exception of the roof, have been altered, and this includes a less noticeable rocker crease that climbs into the buff rear bumper.
The 2020 revisions are as little as the S4. The internal technology is quicker, clearer, and enhanced, but it is still recognizable, while the powertrain is the same.
Why then would someone spend $50,895 (plus $995 for destination) up front or possibly up to $60,000 after all the extras are included?
Since subtlety produces surprise. Additionally, the 2020 BMW M340i is not significantly faster than the S4, costs roughly $6,000 more, and has less advanced in-car technology.
With all-wheel drive, the M340i’s 382-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 propels the vehicle from zero to sixty miles per hour in 4.1 seconds and up to 130 mph. The S4’s 3.0-liter V-6 engine with 349 horsepower can propel the vehicle to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. They both have excellent 8-speed automatic transmissions, and they produce 369 pound-feet of torque.
The majority of buyers will choose the S4, which has adaptive dampers as part of the $2,500 S sport package and is lighter, lower, and broader than the M340i.
Even when it hits speeds higher than the desert’s peak temperatures, the S4 is amazing but hardly mind-blowing on such vast roads with no opposing traffic, turnouts, people, or anything but sand. When traveling at high speeds, the handling is stable even when faced with road undulations that are severe enough to warrant repeated “Dip” flags. The automobile feels like it could gain air off the hill as the front end squeezes down into the dip, causing compression that makes one’s stomach tingle. There isn’t. Instead, the S4 is able to regain speed because of the active damping in Dynamic mode, which maintains all four wheels firmly in place to ensure stability and grip. When the following dip shows a dusty wash out from a recent flash flood, the 6-piston red caliper front brakes, also included in the S sport package, stop the car effortlessly.
85 percent of the torque may be sent to the rear axle with the Quattro all-wheel-drive system in its base configuration, and almost all of that torque can be sent to either rear wheel with the S Sport package’s electronic limited-slip rear differential and torque vectoring. Although we weren’t able to track it to test its handling in turns, we know that the Audi stable has better track vehicles.
The S4 doesn’t get a chance to flit and dart about, sharp as the sting on a cactus, until we get close to town. Even during Palm Springs rush hour, daily driving in the S4 turns into fun.
Even after seven hours of driving and riding in Audi vehicles, I still want to keep going.
There isn’t much lag from a stop thanks to the turbocharger’s location between the banks of the V-6 engine. However, it pays to be forceful with the little but ideal paddle shifters when entering and exiting curves because otherwise, the 8-speed may hesitate to select the lowest gear. The transmission is swift and fluid, but if you push it close to the redline, it shifts quickly. In my afternoon with the S4, I turned it to Dynamic mode and forgot to adjust the settings once again.
Audi’s thick, flat-bottomed steering wheel, which has the kind of substantial reins you’d expect from a horse with twice the power, is standard equipment on the S4. Although it responds to inputs, especially when accelerating out of a corner or maneuvering past the stationary RVs that dot this terrain, it lacks the immediate connection to the road that I would like in a performance car.
That’s not a terrible thing, as the S4’s interior is comfortable both when accelerating and while cruising, especially with the 19-inch wheels on the Prestige trim. The new 10.1-inch touchscreen that is a component of the MIB 3 infotainment system is the focal point of the cabin and the interior changes for 2020. Even though it protrudes from the dash over the vents and has an aftermarket appearance, the functionality of this device elevates one of the greatest infotainment systems available to the best.
The middle console’s rotary controller dial is no longer there. The touchscreen now simulates the sense of buttons via audio and haptic feedback. Although it is simpler to operate than previous touchscreens, safety concerns remain as your fingers and eyes move through the menus. Thankfully, the icons are bigger, the design is clear, and the climate controls still have physical controls. The handwriting recognition on the screen is the most precise I’ve seen. It’s a real feature, not simply a marketing ploy.
Even better, Audi’s upgraded Virtual Cockpit, which features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, allows access to nearly all the information on the touchscreen. The MIB 3 system is 10 times more powerful than the previous one because to its CPU, which also makes it faster, clearer, and simpler to use. The Google Earth map projection is excellent and accurately represents what you can see from below or what you can’t see from above. Even the most tech-averse among us should find something to like in the various views, where the map can take up the entire display, be positioned in the centre, or be relocated to the edge. For every trip, I would choose it over CarPlay navigation.
I’m using the S4 to travel farther than Audi’s recommended route for yet another purpose.
The 2020 S4 is more than it seems as the sun sets and night approaches, which motivates me to keep the windows down, the music loud, and drive for a little while later, to who knows where.