Audi S4

The engine-and-gearbox pairing is why this car is sought out. A turbocharged 3.0 TFSI V6 rather than a diesel, and a ZF 8HP rather than a dual-clutch. That box takes serious tuning software without complaint and shifts smoothly, which an S-tronic does not guarantee.

The quattro here is the real one. No Ultra -- permanent mechanical drive with a Torsen differential. Many cars also carry the optional sport rear differential with active torque vectoring, which removes the understeer but wants two different oils changed in it, not one.

Suspension is adaptive on most American cars. A damper leaking or bent in the impact is replaced with a genuine one at a serious price, and there is no cheap alternative.

The front end is specific and it is what takes the hit. Larger calipers and discs, plus extra cooling radiators inside the bumper. Those do not turn up in the yards here and inflate a repair quickly.

The practical consequence: an S4 is bought for the engine and the gearbox, not for the price. Sums done against a standard A4 come up short in exactly the parts that make the car what it is.