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From YourSITE.com Reviews & Road Tests Editor's Note - In the latest installment of Fourtitude's '4 Season S4 Cabriolet' series, SpeedArena.com contributing editor Jim Sykes takes the car for a long trek westward, first to a CART race in Denver, and then to Road America in Wisconsin the following weekend, finally returning to the East Coast two weeks later. Jim recounts his whole experience, from learning the new car and its electronics to the full driving experience to and from Denver.
Working as a photographer covering motorsports all over the country, I spend a lot of time on the road. Recently I was given the opportunity to use the Fourtitude S4 Cabriolet on one of those trips and I would end up spending two weeks and 3700-miles with the car. Traveling from the Washington, DC area out to Denver, Colorado, then back to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin before heading home would give me a great opportunity to use and evaluate the car.. The trip started out when I picked up the car and got a quick lesson in the basic uses of the car. Instruction on how to work the convertible top and how to work with the Audi navigation system/stereo were some of the main points covered. First reactions upon driving away were mixed. I could tell the car was fast, however, it did not have that visceral feeling that I was expecting from a car of this caliber. The quattro all-wheel drive system plants the tires to the tarmac so well, that the car just took off with not even a hint of wheel spin or the feeling that it was going to get away from me. All 340-horses were being put right to the pavement and there was no doubt that I was in control of every single one of them. This feeling of control, while initially being a little disappointing, soon became quite welcome as I realized how fast I actually was accelerating and how fast that speed needle was leaving the double fives behind. Other aspects of the car also contributed to the comfortable feeling that the S4 can bestow upon its occupants. The quality of the interior is very good and things are well put together and attractive. When I slid into the car I was faced with a thick, leather covered, steering wheel and behind that, a well laid out instrument cluster. The seats are well bolstered and held me firmly in place. With multiple power adjustments, finding a comfortable position is not a problem. Surrounded by solid wood, aluminum and leather made me feel right at home and did an admirable job isolating the driver’s compartment from road and engine noise. I was quite impressed with the interior as it supplied enough luxury to feel as though you could live in this car every day, while still having enough sport to feed the need when it arises. The suspension is the last piece of the puzzle that keeps this beast feeling domesticated. It is firm feeling and gives enough feedback as to not leave me wondering who was in control, yet it is soft enough to soak up the expansion joints and potholes. Unlike some cars that will either rattle your teeth or make you seasick, this car did neither and handled all I could dish out on public roads, while still leaving the kidneys intact. While all seemed rosy at first, I still had 3700-miles to go that would either confirm or bust all those initial feelings about the car. It was now time to familiarize myself with the navigation system and be on my way.
Initially this piece of equipment was quite daunting, however, that turned out to just be an ugly first impression for the beauty that lay within it. This system, in a word, is awesome. I have used several systems in other vehicles from portable aftermarket units to systems in several Japanese competitors and this was by far the best I have used. All the info that I could ever want is right there on the screen and, better yet, is also displayed in the gauge panel as well so I could always see my next turn and how far it was from me with just a glance. Inputting the addresses is a little clunky as the one thing Audi left out was a touch screen, but seeing as how you should never be doing that while driving anyway, maybe that is not such a big deal. If this system had a touch screen though, it would be, dare I say it, perfect. As it is, it’s just absolutely great. In addition to the navigation controls, the unit is also comprises the stereoand allows for music play from either a single CD, a CD changer in the glove box, MP3s from a CD or SD memory card, satellite radio (your choice of XM or Sirius) or simply that old school medium… radio. With the push of a button I could switch between the nav screen and the stereo controls. Most of the time I just used the XM satellite service that this car was equipped with. Again, the controls took a little bit of getting used to and there was no way to directly input a station, but if this were your car, you would have plenty of presets so that the lack of direct tuning would not be a significant issue. The system was a pleasure to use and got easier to navigate each day.
As I headed out onto the road the navigation system pleasantly told me where to go and, when I didn’t follow exactly for whatever reason, it quickly re-calculated and got me back on track. The car was extremely nice on the highway and my initial fears of the convertible being loud were quickly put to rest. The top is very well insulated from wind noise and only when I was next to a loud truck or vehicle did I get a hint that this was not a hard top. When next to something loud, the noise penetrated the fabric top more than it would on a tin top car, but it was not overbearing at all and was very easy to live with. It was no louder than maybe just having a window cracked in a hardtop while coming upon a semi truck - not bad at all and as soon as you pass, back to quiet cruising again. Speaking of cruising, this is where this car is totally at home. The S4 was solid on the road with good feel and just felt as if it wanted to run. I can totally see this car screaming down the Autobahn at 150mph without batting an eye. Using the cruise control, the car just went on its way and didn’t let anything get it off its rhythm. Even in sixth gear, the torque of the engine made passing without having to downshift a breeze.Resuming speed after getting stuck behind slower traffic is nothing more exciting than hitting the resume button on the stalk and letting the 4.2-liter do its thing. The thirsty V8 averaged about 21-miles to the gallon according to the on board computer and required a stop about every 300 miles or so for a refill. The only drawback to that was that, as comfortable as this car was on the highway, sometimes I just felt like I was getting started when it was time to stop again. Oh well, all that power and fun under your right foot has to have a downside somewhere. If that was the biggest complaint I could come up with for this car, I thought it was doing pretty well. After having the navigation system guide me effortlessly through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and into Missouri, I felt it was time to stop for the night and continue on to Denver the next morning. The following day was more of the same and the car just kept on ticking off miles. However, this day provided one of the few hiccups I had on the trip. At one point, a warning light came on in the dash. It was green and wasn’t making much of a fuss, so I waited till the next fuel stop to check it out. According to the manual, it was a warning about the Dynamic Headlight System and suggested having a dealer look at it. Since it didn’t seem major, I went on my way and figured I’d watch it and get it looked at when I could. Fortunately, upon starting the car again, the light had turned off and never returned.
Upon arriving in Denver, the weather was not conducive to top-down driving and the track being in the city meant there would be very little driving as the hotel was close by. So the Audi was mainly a pretty face in the Ramada parking lot for the weekend and I hoped that Wisconsin would provide me the opportunity to really experience this car. As it turned out, it did just that. After driving from Denver to Illinois and a quick stopover at the Vortex Media Group offices, I arrived in Wisconsin and was greeted by absolutely gorgeous weather. This allowed me to finally put that top down and I have to say, I enjoyed every minute of it. While never being a convertible person I was not expecting much. But, when the top came down the car really entered its element. The open air driving experience completely transforms the car and brings out its best. With the top down, the engine and exhaust note are more audible and the unobstructed view in all directions made me really feel one with the car.
With the top down the car looks much better as well. The lines were flowing and smooth , the way the car was supposed to be. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t look bad at all with the top up, unlike many convertibles. But with the top down, it just lookes the role of an S-car, sleek and ready for action. Apparently I was not the only one that felt that way either as the car never got as many stares during the whole trip as it did those few days with the top down, living around Road America. If I had this car, I would have the top down every chance I got … no question. Finally it was time to head home. I traveled the final leg of the trip thinking about how I did not want to give this car back. It is fun to drive and also something that can be lived with each and every day. Now it is not the most aggressive car out there and, for many, it might be a little too sedate compared to something like an M3. But, as it stands, this car is a wonderful highway cruiser and everyday driving machine that can be flogged on the weekend if you so desire. Plus, you can be confident that the S4 Cabriolet will be able to hold its own against most anything out there. It is fast, it is comfortable, it has plenty of luxury and plenty of sport to top it off. In that regard, it is what an S car has always been.
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