Category: Compact Executive 
Price Range: No data available
Quick, superb cabin, great to drive, more economical that previous version.
Not as impressive-sounding as its predecessor, doesn't look imposing.
The S4 is the latest in a lengthening line of hit cars from Audi.
Audi has rather built a rod for its own back in recent years. First it brought us the RS4, widely acknowledged as one of the great cars of recent years. Nobody, it seems, has a bad word to say about it.
Then came the R8. The very idea that Audi could build a proper supercar at its first attempt was scoffed at by many industry observers - but only until they drove it. It again proved that the company could defy the odds and laugh in the face of the sceptics (a diesel-powered car winning Le Mans? Ridiculous!).
Since then, though, there have been a few disappointments, with neither the A5 nor RS6 as good as they should have been.
But now the good news: the new S4 is a return to form.
On paper, it has all the hallmarks of being as disappointing as the previous S4, as the engine has been downsized from a 4.2-litre V8 to a new 3.0-litre V6, resulting in less power, down 11bhp.
However - and this is where Audi's engineers have demonstrated their genius once again - this downsizing has not only caught the zeitgeist by improving fuel economy and emissions, but it has also resulted in a car that will meet the challenge of the BMW 335i and Mercedes-Benz C350 head-on.
The S4 is also an attractive proposition for anyone who fancies a car with a bit of performance on tap, but doesn't want to attract too much attention - especially in the even more unassuming Avant form.
But is that enough to make the S4 worth buying while we wait for the next generation RS4? Read on...
