Compare the2023 Audi S4VS 2023 Dodge Charger

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Dodge Charger doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The S4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Charger doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S4 and Charger have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Charger’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Audi S4 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Charger doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The S4 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Charger doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S4. But it costs extra on the Charger.

The S4’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Charger.

The S4 Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard Top View Cameras to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Charger only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the S4 and the Charger have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Warranty

The S4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Charger’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The S4’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Charger’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the S4 has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Charger.

Engine

The S4’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 57 more horsepower (349 vs. 292) and 109 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 260) than the Charger’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The S4’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 49 more horsepower (349 vs. 300) and 105 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 264) than the Charger GT/SXT AWD’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the S4 gets better mileage than the Charger:

			MPG
S4
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	21 city/30 hwy
Charger
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/30 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	16 city/25 hwy
		6.4 OHV V8	15 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.6 V6	18 city/27 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the S4’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Charger doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S4 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Charger Scat Pack requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi S4 higher (5 out of 10) than the Dodge Charger (1 to 5). This means the S4 produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Charger every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the S4’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Charger:

	S4	Charger
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.6 inches

The S4’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Charger SXT are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S4 has larger tires than the Charger (255/35R19 vs. 215/65R17).

The S4’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Charger SXT’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S4 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Charger SXT.

Chassis

The S4 is 10.9 inches shorter than the Charger SXT, making the S4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Audi S4 amounts to more than styling. The S4 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the Charger (.304 to .38) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the S4 get better fuel mileage.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the S4 easier. The S4’s trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Charger’s liftover is 30.1 inches.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S4 offers cargo security. The Charger’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S4’s available trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Charger doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Dodge. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 25% lower rating, Dodge is ranked 21st.

Ergonomics

The S4 Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Charger doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The S4’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Charger’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The S4’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Charger’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the S4 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Charger can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The S4 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Charger doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The S4’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Charger’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S4 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Charger doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the S4 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Charger doesn’t offer cornering lights. The S4 Prestige also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the S4 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Charger doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The S4’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Dodge charges extra for heated mirrors on the Charger.

The S4 has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Charger.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi S4 Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Charger doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The S4 Prestige’s Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Charger doesn’t offer an automated parking system.