2010 Audi S4 (photos)

Audi managed to get more than 300 horsepower out of its latest S4 while getting fuel economy of 28 mpg highway, an impressive achievement and one of the reasons this car is the best we've seen in a long time.

Wayne Cunningham

April 13, 2010 4:07 p.m. PT

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The Audi S4 is the sport version of the company's A4 small sedan, but beyond simple suspension tuning and a body kit, Audi fits the car with a whole new engine. View Local Inventory

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Although most of the body is the same as the A4, the S4 gets bigger front vents, with a fascia designed to better funnel air. The wide bumper band across the grille de-emphasizes the size of the grille. View Local Inventory

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For 2010, Audi replaced the previous S4's V8 with a supercharged 3-liter V-6. Taking advantage of direct injection, this engine makes 333 horsepower, getting the S4 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. View Local Inventory

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In form, the S4 is a quintessential European sedan, with curved, modern styling. View Local Inventory

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The S4 gets beefier brakes than those on the standard A4, complete with Audi S logos on the calipers. View Local Inventory

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The mirror caps differ from the body color, using this brushed aluminum look. View Local Inventory

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Being an Audi, the S4 comes standard with Quattro all-wheel drive. The Drive Select package brings in a torque vectoring rear differential and active suspension. View Local Inventory

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The cabin of the Audi S4 feels more luxurious than past models, with better-looking materials. We also had a carbon fiber trim package that replaced some of the uglier plastics. View Local Inventory

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The Drive Select package also brings in dynamic steering technology, which helps considerably in cornering. View Local Inventory

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With the responsive engine and thrilling acceleration, it's not hard to hit redline in this car. View Local Inventory

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The instrument cluster display shows route guidance information when a destination is programmed into the navigation system. View Local Inventory

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We are really impressed that you can actually select music on an iPod using this instrument cluster display. View Local Inventory

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Our car had the six-speed manual, which shifted with nice precision, but the high-tech option would have been the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. View Local Inventory

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Nvidia supplied the graphics chip for the navigation system, allowing this detailed rendering of downtown San Francisco. View Local Inventory

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This destination entry screen is a little rough, one of the few failings of the Audi S4. View Local Inventory

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The navigation system includes traffic information, and it will dynamically route around bad traffic. View Local Inventory

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Strangely, Audi includes SD card slots near the CD player, so you can play MP3s through the stereo. View Local Inventory

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The car has an onboard hard drive, with room for music storage. The interface lets you choose music by album, artist, track, and genre. View Local Inventory