2025 Audi S4 Review and Test Drive
The subtle art of speed in the German sports sedan tradition.
Christian Wardlaw
Years ago, before 2.5-ton hunchbacked "SUV coupes" roamed the planet, driving enthusiasts seeking speed and practicality turned to German sports sedans for their daily fun fix. Engineered for speed limit-less autobahns, these Audis, BMWs, and Mercedes-Benzes had a singular mission: Get four or five people to a destination as rapidly and securely as possible. And without drawing too much attention along the way.
That's a far cry from today's performance cars, many of which come in loud, louder, and loudest flavors. They snap, crackle, and pop. They're painted in attention-grabbing colors. And they've got scoops and slats and spoilers, oh my!
I'm an old-school believer in stealthy speed and performance, so when my 2025 Audi S4 Prestige test vehicle arrived in plain Arkona White paint and little more than red-painted brake calipers and a slightly raspy exhaust note to suggest its driver might occasionally exceed the speed limit, I was looking forward to driving it.
Christian Wardlaw
Prestige is the top trim level in the 2025 S4 lineup, sitting above the car's Premium and Premium Plus versions. Base prices range from above $56,000 to almost $63,000, including the destination charge for shipping the vehicle from its assembly plant in Ingolstadt, Germany, to your local dealership.
For this S4 review, I test-drove the Prestige in Southern California. Optional equipment highlights included the S Sport package, Black Optic Plus package, fine nappa leather, and dynamic steering, bringing the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $68,445, including the $1,295 destination charge. Audi provided the vehicle for this S4 review.
Is the 2025 Audi S4 a Good Car?
By wrapping rewarding power and thrilling dynamics in a plain and unassuming package, the Audi S4 follows a traditional German sports sedan recipe that's mighty tasty. And while it is terrific to drive, this Audi's Bang & Olufsen sound system alone is a powerful enticement.
Christian Wardlaw
The Audi S4 Is Not for Extroverts
Last redesigned for the 2018 model year, the Audi S4 has received several styling tweaks since, and few are good. Compared with some rivals, the Audi lacks emotion and elegance, which helps it blend into the scenery as any proper sports sedan should.
The same is true of the interior, though the test car's luridly red leather and fancy Carbon Atlas trim injected plenty of personality. If not for the tacked-on appearance of the 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment display, the cabin would look cohesive, if dated. Fortunately, the quality of materials and construction is faultless, though I grew tired of the front passenger's seat belt buckle rattling on the interior trim.
Dated interiors usually have lots of physical controls, and that's true in the S4. For example, in addition to the analog climate controls, you'll find a simple volume and tuning knob on the center console and another knob on the left side of the dashboard for adjusting the head-up display. Oddly, safety-system controls are on stalks instead of the steering wheel.
Christian Wardlaw
Audi installs heated and massaging front sport seats in the S4, and they're terrific. Adjustable side bolsters hold you in place when taking corners, and nothing digs into your knees when bracing your legs on the door panel or center console.
Rear-seat comfort impresses. My legs clear the front seatbacks, and the seating position is excellent, with good leg support and side bolstering. A rear climate panel gives passengers control over their temperature, and the test car had heated outboard rear cushions.
Open the trunk, and you'll find 12 cubic-feet of cargo, a relatively small amount but enough for four people on a long weekend getaway. The space is usefully shaped, too, so you might be surprised by how much luggage will fit.
Christian Wardlaw
Google Creates a Glitch in the Audi S4's Matrix
When I fired up the S4's turbocharged V6 engine, the Audi Multi Media Interface (MMI) screen illuminated with an unfamiliar — to me — home screen, but a swipe right brought me to the clearly labeled tile-structure menus I expected. Everything worked flawlessly for the first 200 miles of my driving, from pairing to Bluetooth and running Apple CarPlay to using the voice controls and navigation system.
Then I got curious, and we all know what curiosity did to the cat.
"Hey, I wonder what Google TalkBack does," I thought as I activated that feature. As I learned, one thing it does is destroy the MMI user experience. When you turn it on, it explains it is "a screen reader intended for situations where people have difficulty seeing the screen." But in my experience, it completely incapacitated the MMI's functionality, and because there wasn't an obvious way to turn it off, it became an infuriating problem.
Christian Wardlaw
Ultimately, I discovered that the system would reset if I logged into the MMI as a guest user. Instead of leaving S4 owners to stumble upon that solution themselves, using a voice command to turn Google TalkBack off would be really helpful. Unfortunately, once TalkBack was active, I forgot its name, and the test car didn't have an owner's manual in it, so I couldn't have issued a voice command if I'd wanted to.
As far as the S4's advanced driver-assistance systems go, it is hard to understand how a car at this price doesn't include a standard blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, but that's the case with the S4 Premium. However, my Prestige test car had everything Audi offers in this regard, and while the systems are effective, they also need modernization and refinement.
Christian Wardlaw
Performance Upgrades Make a Big Difference
Every S4 has a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 generating 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels, and Audi says the car will accelerate to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. My test vehicle had the optional Dynamic Steering upgrade, and the S Sport Package added an adaptive damping suspension, a sport rear differential, and red brake calipers.
While the S4 is louder inside than you expect of a luxury sedan, those options made it an unmitigated blast to drive. This Audi might look calm, cool, and collected, but switch it into its Dynamic driving mode, pitch it onto your favorite back road, and its capability in the twists and turns is unexpectedly rewarding for an Audi without an RS emblem.
Christian Wardlaw
Following a rousing run down Mulholland Highway, I determined that the S4 is less aggressive or responsive than an equivalent BMW or Benz. Still, this Audi is so consistent and predictable that you can trust it more, making it a confidence-inspiring thrill ride. In addition, outward visibility is outstanding. In short, this is my kind of sports sedan.
In daily driving, it's just as pleasurable to zip around the city and suburbs, and I recommend using the car's speed warning system because, at 80 mph, this Audi feels like it's crawling along at half that velocity. As for fuel economy, the official EPA estimate is 24 mpg in combined driving, but my test vehicle averaged 21.6, reflecting how much fun I had behind the wheel.
Christian Wardlaw
Overlooked, underappreciated, and underestimated, the Audi S4 is an absolute delight and well worth consideration if the BMW M340i, Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance, and Mercedes-AMG C 43 are on your short list.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Christian WardlawChris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.
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