Buy a car
from the safety of your home.
The Audi most often competes against the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class—specifically the 340i and C43, respectively.
We'll concede that the Audi is faster, but the C43 and 340i are more enjoyable to drive, they're more visceral cars.
The styling on the C43 is somewhat divisive, and the BMW is just old at this point, but the Audi S4 stops short of delivering a knockout to either one.
The S4 beats the BMW on tech, but stops just short of beating the C43—we'd prefer a touchscreen to Audi's MMI.
The Cadillac and Lexus are both outliers in this race, neither offer a direct competitor but have refreshing approaches to luxury compact cars available.
Get FREE Dealer Quotes
From dealers near you
 2018 Audi A4Browse Used Listings |  2018 BMW 3-SeriesBrowse Used Listings |  2018 Cadillac ATSBrowse Used Listings |  2018 Lexus ISBrowse Used Listings |  2018 Mercedes-Benz C ClassBrowse Used Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Specs | ||||
|
The 2018 Audi S4 balances perfectly performance with luxury in a package that's both practical and sharp. Hardly a recipe for excitement, but one that touches all the bases. |
The 2018 BMW 3-Series makes its strongest case in performance for luxury compact buyers’ attentions. |
A sports car with a more practical body, the 2018 Cadillac ATS-V represents American engineering at its very best. |
The Lexus IS needs more powertrain guts, and more styling glory, to tackle the cars it wants to take down. |
Very expensive and still not very large, the 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class nonetheless leads its luxury niche with fabulous style and fantastic power and grip. |
| MSRP From | ||||
| $36,000 | $34,900 | $35,495 | $38,210 | $40,250 |
| Gas Mileage | ||||
| 21 MPG City / 37 MPG Hwy | 16 MPG City / 43 MPG Hwy | 16 MPG City / 31 MPG Hwy | 19 MPG City / 32 MPG Hwy | 17 MPG City / 33 MPG Hwy |
| Engine | ||||
| Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 | Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 | Turbocharged Gas I4 | Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 | Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 |
| EPA Class | ||||
| Compact Cars | Compact Cars | Compact Cars | Compact Cars | Compact Cars |
| Style Name | ||||
| 2.0 TFSI ultra Premium S Tronic FWD | 320i Sedan South Africa | 4-Door Sedan 2.0L RWD | IS 300 F Sport RWD | C 300 Sedan |
| Drivetrain | ||||
| Front Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Passenger Capacity | ||||
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Passenger Doors | ||||
| N/A | N/A | 4 | N/A | N/A |
| Body Style | ||||
| Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan |
| Transmission | ||||
| Auto-Shift Manual w/OD | Automatic w/OD | Automatic | Automatic w/OD | Automatic w/OD |
| Detailed Spec Comparison | ||||
| 2018 Audi A4 vs. 2018 BMW 3-Series | 2018 Audi A4 vs. 2018 Cadillac ATS | 2018 Audi A4 vs. 2018 Lexus IS | 2018 Audi A4 vs. 2018 Mercedes-Benz C Class | |
Related Head to Head
Related News
