Sunday Drive: Audi S4 vs RS 4

Sunday, 15 November 2020

Audi has refined the RS 4 even further. (Audi supplied footage)

AUDI S4 and RS 4 AVANT
Base price: $122,500 (S4), $153,500 (RS4)
Powertrain and economy: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6, 260kW/500Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 8.8L/100km, CO2 202g/km (S4, source: RightCar), 2.9-litre turbo-petrol V6, 331kW/600Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 9.4L/100km, CO2 216g/km (RS 4, source: RightCar)

The S4 is a remarkably good executive wagon, particularly in black. Is it better than the RS 4 though?

Vital statistics: 4745mm long, 1842mm wide, 1427mm high, 2820mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 500 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels (S4), 20-inch alloy wheels (RS 4)

Audi is perhaps the most well-known maker of fast wagons. In fact, there are four different Avants (Audi-speak for a wagon) on offer right now, the S4, S6 and the high-power RS 4 and RS 6. We’ve already looked at the bonkers RS 6, regarded as the benchmark in fast wagons, but what about the 4 family?

Weirdly, the S4 has a nicer interior than the RS 4 with the carbon fibre trim.

The body of the 4 twins is less rambunctious than the bigger 6, with fewer vents and more subtle flares. I prefer this sort of understated look, which largely belies the performance hiding underneath. Even more so with the slightly updated S4, which I drove in this sleek gloss black. It looks exactly like the fast executive wagon it should be.

The only real changes for 2020 include a new single frame grille at the front, an updated MMI interface packaged into a 10.1-inch floating display and fully automatic Matrix LED headlights.

The RS 4 gets thicker arches and more prominent vents compared to the lesser S4.

**READ MORE:

* Road test review: Audi RS Q8

The RS 4’s twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 makes more than 70kW more than the 3.0-litre single turbo V6 in the S4, as well as an extra 100Nm.

* Road test review: Audi RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback

* Strength in numbers for Audi RS models

* Audi RS 5: can an extra letter really be worth $30,000?

Just because the 260kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbo V6 is the same as last years S4 doesn’t make this a slow or boring car. It’ll haul that big booty to 100kmh in a claimed 4.8 seconds, and sports suspension coming as standard lets the S4 can hustle around corners too.

Not too much, mind, since Audi’s habit of overweighting the front is prevalent and quattro won’t route more than 85 per cent of the power to the rear, which all translates into understeer at the limit. Though, to be fair, you have to be doing pretty silly speeds to find that limit.

Tug the gear selector back into S mode and the powertrain really comes alive. While D mode keeps the quartet of exhaust pipes at the back fairly quiet thanks to a valve on each side, S mode unites them all in a crackling symphony.

So the S4 is good, then, despite getting on a bit. I’d argue it’s more than good, it’s a fantastic piece of kit, but what about that grey thing?

That’d be the RS 4, the big daddy of the 4 line-up. Like the S4, power comes from a V6, though this one is a bit smaller at 2.9 litres, and has an extra turbo sandwiched inside the cylinder banks. That means it produces a healthy 331kW/600Nm, and you really do feel the difference.

Some 70 extra kilowatts and an extra hundred Newton metres of torque means the RS 4 is handily faster than the S4, by nearly a second in the 0-100kmh metric. There’s more punch when exiting corners but you’d be hard-pressed to separate the two on a technical Kiwi road, despite the RS 4's higher-specced suspension.

The RS 4 sounds gruffer in S mode, its engine spinning up to just under 7000rpm, with more bangs and pops off-throttle too. Push the gas and the rumble turns into a howl before the snap of the transmission resets the soundtrack. Speaking of, this retains its eight-speed automatic. You don’t find yourself wanting a dual-clutch unit, the shifts are so fast in Sport mode and the take-off from standstill isn’t nearly as jerky.

Unfortunately, the steering in the RS 4 leans too far in the way of neutrality, which ultimately translates into a lack of feeling. It’s weighted nicely so you do know where the front wheels are pointed but it’s a bit too digital for me.

So, is the RS 4 worth paying north of $30k over the S4? Not in my mind, though that says more about how good the S4 is. If you decide you can’t live without the RS badge, the RS 4 will sate that thirst, even against the bonkers RS 6. Or, you could consider the really rather good BMW M340i and the forthcoming M3 Touring…