As this automobile was introduced in the past century, so has our ability to measure its talents. A computerized, white-coat-verified test instrument has been fitted on this vehicle and its performance has been recorded. Speed, grip, handling, even the timbre of an engine's howl was measured down to a fraction, far past the bounds of argument or sanity. And yet this misses the point. Cars are subjective, emotional things. Car awards are even more subjective. Numbers and stats are starting points, but we believe that the Esquire Car of the Year should make you feel something deep in your gut. You should lust for it and dream about it, but it shouldn't be an impossible goal. It must be attainable for the average man. It should sit in front of your house or office without drawing attention to itself and tackle four seasons of day-to-day transportation with ease. Yet crucially, sometimes, without warning, it must make you snatch the keys off the wall, haul off to the country and just drive. We did just that, for hundreds of miles. We carved up mountain roads, slogged through traffic, blasted down interstates. And we have come to a conclusion: The Esquire Car of the Year is the 2010 Audi S4.
The Specs: 333-HP 3.0-liter V-6, 18/28 mpg, $45,900
Source: Esquire