Used 2020 Audi S4

There is something intrinsically satisfying about driving a well-built luxury sedan. It’s a feeling you can’t get from a tall SUV or cramped coupe, and it’s a feeling the 2020 Audi A4 and S4 sedans exude in spades. Beyond the impeccable build quality and cutting-edge interior electronics, the A4 and S4 excite with their stable ride, precise steering, and powerful turbocharged engines.

While it’s true a rear-drive sedan like the BMW 3 Series, Genesis G70 or Alfa Romeo Giulia can run circles around the front-drive A4 on an enclosed track, when you toss quattro all-wheel drive into the mix, that advantage quickly evaporates.

However, outside the A4’s performance attributes, matters such as long-term reliability and strong resale still favor the Lexus ES and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. There’s also the matter of a hybrid or electric model, of which the A4 offers none.

If you could peel away the 2020 Audi A4/S4’s cool virtual gauge cluster, remove the adaptive cruise control and turn off the adjustable shock settings, you’d still have an amazingly fun performer. The A4’s steering is precise and perfectly weighted at all speeds, and the sophisticated suspension finds that happy place between a comfortable ride and adept handling.

The high-output version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder puts every ounce of its 248 horsepower to good use. So good is this engine that it can launch the A4 quattro sedan to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds.

In the 349-horsepower S4, a twin-scroll turbocharged V6 drops that time to a scant 4.4 seconds. The 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (8-speed on the S4) is sheer joy in either manual or fully automatic mode, though we do miss the 6-speed manual dropped after the 2018 model run.

Opt for the S4 and you’ll gain access to an adaptive suspension with adjustable dampers that can be set to stiffen for improved cornering.

The A4/S4 interior is one of the nicest in this class. From its elegant design to its choice of materials, the A4 cockpit delights and pampers. High-tech features like the Virtual Cockpit further distance the A4 from lesser sedans, as does the excellent new 10.1-inch MMI touch screen that occupies the center dash.

The system provides easy access to music, navigation, and data via Audi’s new MIB 3 infotainment setup and includes acoustic feedback for easier use while driving. It even offers the option of handwriting recognition with whole word input. Regrettably, this upgrade means the old MMI rotary controller, which we found quite good, has been removed.

The A4’s standard seats are nicely equipped and supportive, but the available sport seats are suggested if you’re the kind who enjoys carving up tight turns. Rear-seat accommodations are not as generous as in a Lexus GS, and the driver’s right knee rests against hard plastic instead of a padded console.

For 2020, the Audi A4 sedan’s exterior gets a major makeover, touting a more aggressive look without sacrificing Audi’s familial DNA. Almost every piece of sheet metal has been changed, starting with the front end where a wide grille and larger air inlets flank LED headlights.

The A4’s sculpting is now more pronounced, with stronger creases running from the front of the car over the hood’s edge and continuing to the rear.

The quattro models get the S line treatment than includes a titanium-black honeycomb grille, matte-silver aluminum inserts in the front air intakes and rear exhaust cutouts plus unique 18-inch wheels. The S4 is distinguished by double-slat, single-pane grille design, color-keyed door handles, and quad exhaust outlets plus a slim trunk lid lip spoiler.

VIRTUAL COCKPIT
With Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, the A4’s traditional analog gauges are replaced with the automotive equivalent of an ultra-high-definition TV. Using a 12.3-inch TFT (thin-film transistor) display, the unit simulates full-size gauges or, when the screen is being used by the navigation system, smaller yet still visible versions. Google Earth provides a satellite view of the road ahead, and even informs the adaptive cruise control about upcoming curves or offramps.

ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Adaptive cruise control maintains a safe distance between you and the traffic ahead. In the 2020 Audi A4, the system can slow the car when traffic slows, then speed up again once the coast is clear. At speeds below 40 mph, Traffic Jam Assist provides steering assist and moderate braking to help reduce driver stress.

Of course, the 2020 Audi A4 comes nicely equipped. Standard issue on the base Premium includes 3-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, leather seating, and a power sunroof. The new 10.1-inch MMI infotainment display is mounted high on the dash and features easy-to-use touch control.

The Audi A4 also comes with collision-mitigation braking with pedestrian detection, keyless ignition, LED headlights with cool LED accents, a rearview camera, rain-sensing wipers, and LED taillights above dual exhausts. Other standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, paddle shifters for the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, automatic start/stop to help conserve fuel at stoplights, a 180-watt audio system, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto compatibility and Audi’s Drive Select adjustable drive modes.

We’ve talked the virtual cockpit to death, but it’s standard on the Premium Plus and Prestige. A sport-suspension option lowers ride height about an inch and gives the A4 more bite in corners, and an available adaptive-damping suspension on the S4 lowers the car about a half-inch and adds different shock-absorber stiffness for Comfort, Normal and Sport settings.

On Prestige models, you get the full driver-assist suite including adaptive cruise control, active lane-keeping assist, and auto high beams. Stand-alone options include rear-passenger thorax side airbags, ventilated sport front seats, and a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system (standard on Prestige).

The 2020 Audi A4 sedan has only one engine size but with two different horsepower and torque ratings. On the front-wheel-drive (FWD) A4 40 TFSI, a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder makes 188 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. This engine can move the A4 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds.

Move up to the all-wheel-drive (AWD) A4 45 TFSI quattro, and the same engine bumps horsepower to 248 and torque to 273 lb-ft, a significant improvement that drops nearly two seconds off the A4’s zero-to-60-mph run. A 7-speed dual-clutch automatic is the only transmission choice but works well and can be manually shifted via steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

The S4 employs a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 good for 349 horsepower. This model comes standard with quattro AWD and an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (A4 FWD)
188 horsepower @ 4,200-6,000 rpm
236 lb-ft of torque @1,450-4,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/35 mpg

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (A4 quattro)
248 horsepower @ 5,000-6,000 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/32 mpg

3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (S4)
349 horsepower @ 5,400-6,400 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,370-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/27 mpg