More power to ‘em
How fast do you need to get to the grocery store, dry cleaners or lumberyard?
Audi obviously thinks you need to get there very quickly because for 2004 it has brought back the performance S series for its A4 sedan, wagon and the new cabriolet (convertible).
Audi last offered a performance S version of its A4 sedan and wagon in the 2002 model year.
For ’04 the S designation returns on a car with a 4.2-liter, 340-horsepower V-8 to give it quite a pop.
Although the sedan will make up the bulk of sales and the cabriolet will attract the most attention, you have to dance with the one you brung.
Though there isn’t a big call for performance wagons sporting six-speed manual transmissions at a shade under $50,000, an Avant so equipped arrived to be tested.
Avant is the term the German automaker uses to keep from calling it a station wagon.
Officially it’s the ’04 Audi S4 Avant quattro MT6, a moniker that if printed on a business card would take up both sides.
To further decipher the name, quattro designates all-wheel-drive, or that all four wheels are at work at the same time, and MT6 is the code for the manual transmission, which, though smooth-shifting, is more in character with a sedan or cabriolet than a wagon.
Whether sedan, cabriolet or Avant, all are powered by the 4.2-liter V-8 and are rated at 15 miles per gallon in the city/21 mpg on the highway. So all carry a $1,700 gas-guzzler tax.
Audi says the $1,700 hasn’t kept folks out of showrooms, though you may have a difficult time convincing the Sierra Club of that.
The automaker says its sales are down about 4% through the first four months of this year, to 24,149 units, because motorists are waiting for the next generation A6 series coming out this fall -- not because they are sitting back in protest of the guzzler tax or waiting for gas prices to slip under $2 a gallon again.
Regardless, a gas-guzzling station wagon with manual transmission finished in brilliant yellow? Audi either has a heck of a sense of humor, or its engineering and marketing departments have been sniffing exhaust fumes for way too long.
But the Avant is a real kick. Press the pedal and you are more than gently nudged back into the leather bucket seat as the V-8 flexes its muscle. It’s a very potent machine that exceeds most speed limits in third gear.
Of course, while the engine propels you like a rocket, it takes a huge infusion of fuel to do so.
The S4 Avant V-8 is a vehicle for those who can look environmentalists in the eye without wincing and hand a $20 bill to the station attendant knowing that (1) there will be no change and (2) the tank won’t be full when they leave the station.
If gas prices hadn’t soared, there probably would be less focus on the mileage rating and guzzler tax than on the fact that before the ’04 model year, the performance S versions of Audi’s regular 4 series were powered by a 2.7-liter, twin-turbo V-6 developing 250 horsepower and producing 258 foot-pounds of torque. This is far less than the 340 horsepower and 302 foot-pounds of torque for ’04.
With the 4.2-liter V-8, the zero-to-60-mph acceleration time is a very quick 5.3 seconds.
Although all-wheel-drive is known for the grip and handling it provides on dry roads and the traction for optimum security on snow-filled roads, the quattro Avant proved to be equally impressive when the interstate filled with so much rain that the lane-divider marks disappeared.
A look in the rearview mirror showed four sets of headlights approaching abreast from the rear, which was more than a bit unsettling because there only were three lanes and one of those followers was driving on the shoulder, thinking it was the road.
The S4 Avant held its ground in what had become an asphalt lake bed.
So the wagon devours high-priced gas? There are times when you don’t care.
The low-profile, 18-inch radials that are standard are performance summer tires meant for no-nonsense handling on dry roads. But they did a more than admirable job in the rain, thanks no doubt to the Avant’s all-wheel-drive.
But in the Snow Belt, Audi says, you’ll want to store the summer tires and replace them with all-season radials when the white stuff covers the lane markers.
In the cabin, the S4 Avant was loaded with goodies, including a pull-up divider screen behind the rear seats to separate cabin from cargo hold for your pet; an extension that pulls out from the bottom of the front seats to provide more thigh support on long trips; and a cargo hold shade to hide objects from prying eyes.
Also, there’s a fold-down rear seat armrest that houses dual slip-out cup holders as well as a handy first-aid kit; a sack to hold skis that pops out from behind the rear-seat armrest; fold-flat rear seat backs to expand cargo capacity; and a 12-volt power outlet in the cargo hold for whatever you need to plug in whenever you need to plug it in.
The S4 Avant starts at $46,650. Standard equipment includes four-wheel anti-lock brakes, automatic dual-zone climate control with dust and pollen filter, cruise control, power locks/windows/mirrors, power front seats, leather upholstery, headlight washers, AM/FM radio with in-dash six-disc CD changer, driver/passenger side-impact air bags and front/rear seat side air-bag curtains.
Kudos to Audi for the 4.2-liter V-8 in all the S models, but we’d prefer enjoying it in the sedan or cabriolet.
