I found a stock S4 to be great fun - but the ride was sloppy - it is in serious need of suspension tightening up. The 2.7 tt is sweet even in stock form where you can get great performance using the revs a bit. Chipped is recommended though - at the very least - the engine was made for the extra power IMO. The quattro can be great fun - particularly on wet/snowy or gravelly roads - and it can be great in certain corners. I prefer rwd in many cases though as it is more tossable where the quattro seems to just hunker down and grip. The S4 is very front heavy though and has a tendency to plow when driven hard into some corners...again tightening up the suspension greatly helps - but does not eliminate this problem. The S4 is a heavy car - and with the AWD you do have a heavy front/steering as your putting power down through the front wheels. When I get into my S4 after driving my BMW it sometimes feels ponderous for a bit as the BMW has a much lighter - yet somewhat more engaging road feel...the S4 comes alive with the power down however and it has tons of grip - particularly with the right wheel/tire combo. Again its not really a sports car and its not really a luxo-cruiser either - its somethign in between. For me its a great combo-middle ground...but I use it to haul kids to baseball games and pick up groceries more then I am out hot rodding around per se...but I do certaily have my fun in it. When I was younger though I owned a Supercharged Toyota MR2...and with its low stance, more then sufficient torque and power, small nimble size and engine (and drive) in th the rear it could do things i will never be able to match in either my S4 or my BMW. It was great thrills in the twisties and very nice out on the highway too. Its why I always recommend such cars to younger folks who have no need for 4 doors or even 4 seats necissarily. I think small, nimble & quick is really where its at and the S4 is really a larger heavier sedan (or wagon) and not really a proper sports car. You really should drive different cars before you settle on one and you should value what you want based on your enjoyment and needs and not someone elses expectations.

 

I say stick to your guns, if you want an S4, get an S4. Save up until you can get a nice one and enjoy it. I recently upgraded from an A4 to an S4 and couldn't be happier. I owned several Mustang GT's and a Cobra in the past, great cars, but different. Not really fair to compare the Mustangs to an S4, IMO. I still have one Mustang and love it, on nice sunny days. I drive my S4 every day, and look for excuses to drive it. Good luck