Yperion
Cornering Kingpin
- Messages
- 9,256
- Name
- Yannis
To be honest, I was kind of expected the Audi to annihilate the Volvo because I recently twin-tested the manual Audi S4 sedan and the BMW M3 for a European magazine and I found myself preferring the mature Audi to the hopping-mad M3.
But the automatic S4 Avant doesn't have the same balance and isn't nearly as much fun as the clutch-equipped sedan. The Volvo, on the other hand, was something of a revelation, cornering with surprising vigor and feeling much more composed than the Audi through the tight stuff. I don't know if it's necessarily faster than the Audi on tight roads but I definitely felt more comfortable throwing it around.
That said, on-limit driving isn't something you do a lot of in wagons, even if they do have performance pretensions and for most driving situations the Audi's more intimate steering, nicer transmission, and distinctive V-8 growl make it a more enjoyable machine to pilot, while its better quality, higher residual value, sportier seats, and vastly superior ride quality place it firmly ahead of the Volvo in this comparison.
The Volvo's bigger cabin, better on-limit balance, surprising pace, and stealthier appearance just aren't compelling enough reasons to choose it over the Audi, even if it is more than eight grand cheaper. The S4 Avant wins this bout, so now you know where to trade in your minivan. Or two.
Source: http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?DID=RSS&n=181&sid=181&article=9674
