Advice and opinions on b6 s4 please :)

[miniturhero]

Hi everyone ,

I'm new to the s4 side of things as I currently have a s3 8l amk 265bhp , don't get me wrong I love it but as I am planing on starting a family soon I decided to get a more practical car ie 5 door something I wouldn't have trouble getting bubba in and out of so being an audi lover I naturally picked a 4.2l v8 monster as my car of choice . I picked it as I wanted a more practical car but to still have a fast audi as I love them , I was thinking about an avant as I also have a dog that I take shooting with me and thought it would be perfect as it has a larger boot "and of course it will fit a buggy inside for baby " just after a bit of in site into both avant and saloon model ie is there and difference other than appearance and space , do they still handle the same etc etc .
Thank you in advance guys

Minuturhero

 

[miniturhero]

Hi guys also has anyone got one mapped ? And if so what sort of gains did you get and what mods have you got to achieve it ?

 

[adamss24]

I bought mine mapped and without cats. The power is about 370Bhp (JHM tune) and it sounds sublime on a run. The downside is the fuel economy dropped due to me pressing harder on the loud pedal ! Mine will be for sale soon, i have advertised it in the classifieds a while ago, it's running 20" d3 s8 alloys on falken tyres 9" wide all round... Drop me a pm if interested, no chain issues and it's under 100k.

 

[JimGreen]

My simple answer having only had mine two months and coming from a BMW M3..................... Go for it.

I love mine so much I'm spending a bomb on it, but don't care.

 

[miniturhero]

Nice to hear mate I've been seeing how they sound on YouTube and I've fallen in love lol

 

[dualmono21]

had mine for very nearly 9 years now
the pre cats are very restrictive if your after extra power this is what to attack first , combine that a good quality exhaust and a decent re-map and your looking at the best part of 370-380bhp
it is possible to get them over 400 with normally aspirated tuning but some of the extra parts are not cheap and need importing from the states
reliability wise make sure the chain isnt rattling on start up , if its a tiptronic version see if the owner has had a gearbox oil and filter change done

 

[ruffrida]

Would love a S4, B5, B6, any would do lol, would have to be an Avant though lol

 

[miniturhero]

had mine for very nearly 9 years now
the pre cats are very restrictive if your after extra power this is what to attack first , combine that a good quality exhaust and a decent re-map and your looking at the best part of 370-380bhp
it is possible to get them over 400 with normally aspirated tuning but some of the extra parts are not cheap and need importing from the states
reliability wise make sure the chain isnt rattling on start up , if its a tiptronic version see if the owner has had a gearbox oil and filter change done

Nice one dualmono21 thank you for the tips I'm not too fussed at absolutely ramping up the power as it's going to be a daily driver for me but would be more than happy with 370-380hp ! That's plenty for me . Have you done anything to urs yet or have you left it also what sort of mpg should I expect around town , on a run, and heavy footed

 

[Hodge]

I am on my second B6 V8 Avant now, both have been used as Sunday cars and had very few problems with either, the Manual vs Tiptronic was the main difference for me as for a fun experience I prefer the manual. Mine current 6spd is as standard apart from a Milltek non-res, the sound is very pleasing. Look out for rust on the wing edges along the roof channels, chain tensioners are a must and at this age Alternators and Batteries and any of the pumps will be starting to show their age including the suspension but that is true of all car 10 plus years old, don't be in a rush to up the power until you are sure all the other failing issues have been addressed, the standard performance is hardly pedestrian.

HTH

 

[miniturhero]

Yeah that's why I'm not too fussed or in a rush to up the power I think it's plenty as is especially coming from a s3 8l lol thank you for tips on what to look for from the ones I've seen on eBay most seem to have been well looked after

 

[p1tse]

My simple answer having only had mine two months and coming from a BMW M3..................... Go for it.

I love mine so much I'm spending a bomb on it, but don't care.

Bit off topic
But what do you like and dislike versus s4 and m3

 

[JimGreen]

Both very equal cars...... I posted this in an earlier post, just after I bought the b6 S4 :

M3 (E46) v S4 (B6 4.2) :

M3 = Engine: In-line 6-cyl, 3246cc, 24v - Max power: 338bhp @ 7900rpm - Max torque: 269lb ft @ 5000rpm - 0 - 60mph: 5.1sec - Top speed: 155mph (limited)


S4 = Engine: V8, 4163cc, 40v - Max power: 344bhp @ 7000rpm - Max torque: 302lb ft @ 3500rpm - 0 - 60mph: 5.4sec - Top speed: 155mph (limited)

As you can see, very similar power figures, the M3 obviously lighter but you really need to keep the M3 at the top of the rpm range which makes it feel thrashy to keep it on song, as peak torque is at 5k rpm. The S4 produces considerably more torque at just 3.5k rpm with a much wider power band which makes the engine feel more usable throughout the rev range.

On paper the M3 is marginally faster to 60mph, but I couldn't find any mid range acceleration figures to compare. Both of these figures were taken from "EVO Magazine" which always seems to be pretty accurate.

Having now driven both and always been a BMW Enthusiast, Audi has given me a whole new experience which I'm really enjoying. Similar build quality, more torquey engine, equal handling to an M3 (Which is very agile), the main thing is that the Audi appears to do things with less effort. But........ in the wet it would be a No Contest, the Audi has obvious advantages which would leave the BM in it's wake. So taking into account that it rains more than it's dry in England, there's one good reason to choose the Audi.

I'm not converted, but I'm very happy with the S4 and it's certainly a car you can show some enthusiasm in. My Opinion - Nothing in it, both great cars and it's down to what "you" prefer.

 

[JimGreen]

What appears to be two decent looking B6 S4's on Ebay at the moment, both look good, but you never can tell till you see them properly and take them for a drive, but both look decent.

Audi S4 4.2 QUATTRO AUTO !! OUTSTANDING CONDITION ! ONLY 65K ! | eBay

The one below is my car's double......

2003 (53) AUDI S4 4.2 V8 QUATTRO - IMMACULATE EXAMPLE | eBay

Good Luck with your search.

Get a good one and I'm sure you won't regret it. Personally I prefer the manual, I did drive an auto but didn't find it as involving as a manual which I enjoyed driving more.

I have no connection to either of these cars, just prone to browsing ebay.......... LOL.

 

[miniturhero]

Thank you very much for sharing that info mate and taking the time to find it out it's really mDe for a good little read and I've always wanted to know how close in performance they are from each other , I think I'm definitely going for the s4 I just love the build quality of the audi and the smart looks too and who doesn't love the roar of a fat V8 lol

 

[p1tse]

I'll try and add some useful info and ideas to consider

With a new baby you'll need a baby car seat, rear ward facing.
Ideally IMO isofix is better option to seat belt
Baby car seat can take up a lot of length space, so probably easiest to put behind passenger front seat allowing you the driver to have more room. Compromise would be passenger would have less leg space up front.
If you use the seat belt method to buckle in, you need enough room between front seat and car seat to get in and buckle.
With isofix you don't need to as it anchors and locks in to a base.

Do the s4 come with isofix is a question?
If using the isofix I've found it takes up more back seat space and also require more length and depth towards front seats, thus reducing front seat leg space even more.

Many have used the a4/ s4 as a family car, but it's not actually that big if you are karting things around with passwngers

I've read the saloon boot space is actually deeper than avant, so moving onto the rear
Avant has a good loading entry but these baby systems take up a lot of space length, depth and height
Many cope with smaller cars, but just saying it will be placement again in the b6 avant. Weekend away, with push chair, weekend bag, travel cot we would have had to put the folding seats down on the b6 avant

I actually moved up a step and went the next size up a6 avant equivalent (but in BMW version e61 5 series)


Hopefully gives a bit more insight

 

[dualmono21]

the s4 avant is actually shorter than both the saloon and the cabriolet by a few mm
this is why the saloon has a deeper load space ... literally by a few mm

yes the s4 comes with isofix if ordered

 

[JimGreen]

Family = Two Adults + 2 Children - Fit no problem and comfortable

Family = Two Adults + 2 Teenagers (15 Upwards) - Fit ok, but a long journey may well be a bit cramped in the back.

Four Adults = Short Journey's only.

Personally = My son is at University, so he has a students rail card........ Problem Solved, he gets the train ...... LOL.

Luggage = Huge boot on the S4 Saloon, I can fit more in than in both my previous cars (BMW E39 M5 & M3).