Jason on Cars

My opinions on cars can be a little utilitarian sometimes. While I love really fast and sexy cars, it is hard to truly imagine some of them actually being useful on a day-to-day basis. In the back of my mind, I always am comparing sporting performance with what would it really be like to drive this car in traffic on a Friday afternoon in the summertime at 99 degrees, or in the snow the four times a year we get any. Could this be my only car?

This is exactly why the Audi S4 is so dreamy.

From the outside, it is a fairly unassuming car. If you are not familiar with Audis you wouldn’t know that the ‘S’ made this car anything special. It doesn’t scream mid-life crisis, and it isn’t bright red with a wing or mesh grill. It just has a nice, well-balanced exterior with a little sport tucked away. When you get in, it’s very comfortable, and you feel a little pampered. I definitely see a similarity between this interior and BMW’s, which is a nice, elegant aesthetic with very clean instrument panel (I’m speaking of the 3 series, not the iDrive of the 5 and 7).

Driving at normal speeds is quiet and comfortable. The clutch isn’t overly stiff, and you can pull out of the driveway while your passenger drinks their morning coffee. At freeway speed it’s smooth and calm with all the amenities of a $50,000 car.

Then, you put your foot down.

This car isn’t a rocket, but it’s damn fast. It loves corners, keeps you upright in your seat all the way through the apex, and hugs your back as you come accelerating out. First and Second wind out and then you realize you’re already well past the legal speed limit so you decide you might as well skip 3rd and 4th and slip into 5th. Then, it’s easy to forget why you slowed down and you fight the urge to drop it back into 4th, put your foot back into it, and try and see triple digit speeds. It’s hard because it’s so fun.

The whole time I had this car I kept trying to find another reason to go out and drive. My friends needed to be picked up at the airport, I’m on it; want to go get some coffee? There’s a perfect place on the other side of town; it’s Saturday? Let’s go for a drive, maybe around 300 miles? Every time I shifted I giggled and every time I cornered I leaned in and thought about how I could take it a little faster and where I should be hitting the apex. It was a thrill to drive in every way.

But the best thing about this car is the balance. It has a useful trunk. It’s stiff in the corners, but comfortable over speed bumps. You can shove yourself into the back seat with acceleration, or quietly pull out and cruise. The wind is comfortable with the top down, not violent and loud. And when you want it, it’s got a deep gas pedal.

With all of the cars I’ve driven, this is the first car that really made me stop and imagine what it would take to own one. If I sold my current car, and got a second job, I just might be able to pull it off, especially if my wife used her allowance to help cover insurance.

The only thing I could ask for is better rear visibility. But, it is a convertible, and you have to sacrifice something.

5 stars.