A very frustrating car to own

[Urban Sports]

First and foremost the gearbox is absolutely dreadful, it's so slow to react that I feel like there is absolutely no connection between my foot and the reaction of the car. There is a lag/ hesitation / delay thread on here, it doesn't scratch the surface, if you want a good auto box buy BMW with the ZF, it's faultless.

If I put my foot down even in sport it has the reaction time of a sloth.

Then there are things like the star button which I have configured for the drive select, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

The music display sometimes decides not to show the current track, sometimes it doesn't.

And many many other irritating issues....

I'll be honest I gave Audi a go after 5 BMWs in a row and there are things I love about it but my god it frustrates the life out of me.

The gearbox is ****, have I already said that?

 

[RichardMMM]

I had 3 BMW's in a row with the 8 speed ZF box and since getting the Audi I've often thought how 'unpolished' the gearbox is compared to BMW's use of it. Having said that the BMW was a right pain to put into reverse, you seemed to have to completely stop then wait a second before selecting reverse or the car would just beep and do nothing. I often cursed it when trying to reverse onto my drive. I've never had that with the Audi.

 

[rich_16]

First and foremost the gearbox is absolutely dreadful, it's so slow to react that I feel like there is absolutely no connection between my foot and the reaction of the car. There is a lag/ hesitation / delay thread on here, it doesn't scratch the surface, if you want a good auto box buy BMW with the ZF, it's faultless.

If I put my foot down even in sport it has the reaction time of a sloth.

Then there are things like the star button which I have configured for the drive select, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

The music display sometimes decides not to show the current track, sometimes it doesn't.

And many many other irritating issues....

I'll be honest I gave Audi a go after 5 BMWs in a row and there are things I love about it but my god it frustrates the life out of me.

The gearbox is ****, have I already said that?

I agree with all your points as have the same issues. I feel a bit silly as forked out extra for the 3 litre but with that laggy gearbox I may as well have gone for the entry level engine.

You do get used to it (I came from a bmw) but it robs the car of fun. The work around I use is to pop the gearbox into sport mode when approaching a roundabout but it’s still slower than a bmw in eco mode!

Star button is also temperamental! The a4 is all about comfort and refinement for me, but not outright fun.

 

[Syed Shah]

First and foremost the gearbox is absolutely dreadful, it's so slow to react that I feel like there is absolutely no connection between my foot and the reaction of the car. There is a lag/ hesitation / delay thread on here, it doesn't scratch the surface, if you want a good auto box buy BMW with the ZF, it's faultless.

If I put my foot down even in sport it has the reaction time of a sloth.

Then there are things like the star button which I have configured for the drive select, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.

The music display sometimes decides not to show the current track, sometimes it doesn't.

And many many other irritating issues....

I'll be honest I gave Audi a go after 5 BMWs in a row and there are things I love about it but my god it frustrates the life out of me.

The gearbox is ****, have I already said that?

Must agree on the gearbox. At first I thought it was good, but 4000 miles in, the gear box is a complete mess. Extremely laggy and just really gets on my nerves at times. I also have had the same issue on the star button, so i've just stopped using it.

 

[Nham68]

Is the gearbox on S4 different at all ? My S4 gearbox is just fine , I don’t recognize the issues,.. but it’s not a dual clutch ... it’s the tiptronic gearbox.
Star button I have connected to drive select ... only time it didn’t work was whilst I was in the middle of inputting destination on nav .. so as long as not multiplexing, has been fine ...

 

[Riko0073]

Sorry to hear of your bad experiences.

No issues with lag on my S4, sport mode sends it off like a rocket if you really want a quick getaway!

Only issue with star button (also set to drive select) is when first starting vehicle sometimes and whilst other various systems are setting, wait 10 seconds and then works fine, although does work straight away most of the time.

Yes sometimes the album artwork/text doesn’t match the song playing but is this more an Apple issue rather than Audi...or both? Annoying but no deal breaker for me.

I’ve only owned older diesel BMW’s and the lag on those were awful, my S4 is just as sharp as my previous S3 with tiptronic.

 

[cuke2u]

Firstly, the gearbox on the S4 is, I believe, the same as the ZF fitted to BMW's
Secondly, personally, there is so many things about a BMW that are worse than the A4 and I have no issues with my gearbox at all. It is super smooth and seamlessly quick to make gear changes. I would say it is one of the best things about the A4, amongst other things. Having tested both before I made my decision the A4 is far ahead of the equivalent BMW....

 

[Urban Sports]

Firstly, the gearbox on the S4 is, I believe, the same as the ZF fitted to BMW's
Secondly, personally, there is so many things about a BMW that are worse than the A4 and I have no issues with my gearbox at all. It is super smooth and seamlessly quick to make gear changes. I would say it is one of the best things about the A4, amongst other things. Having tested both before I made my decision the A4 is far ahead of the equivalent BMW....

You post on every thread on here saying how good the A4 is.

Please explain about what is worse about "a BMW".

 

[DohNut]

Really. Hasn’t the been done like a zillion times already? Most will agree that dynamically BMW shade Audi.

Refinement, quality and interior however - then Audi lead the way.

And as for Cuke2 posting how good the A4 is, well of course he’s going to. He’s got one and he’s on an Audi forum.

 

[1oldaudi]

I cant comment on the gear box but I do agree with your other comments. I also set up the star button to change the Drive Select, worked for about 2 days and now it does nothing so I need to re-assign it. The track information on the dash tab does not change even when the middle display shows it is playing the next track. My apple car play works 1 in 5 times. Not to mention all the other issues ive raised in other threads. Most of my issues are software related though and I've just this morning reset the entire thing back to factory resets and drove down the M4 with it "initializing" on the dash for 25 minutes. Sat in silence which did give me time to appreciate the acoustic glass, only slightly ruined by my clunking noise. Thing wont come back on now, perhaps I should've been parked before I did this? Anyway, its parked now for several hours and Ill look later. However, I've now worked out how to get the foot swing correct 100% of the time to open and close the boot and my iphone just told me I had parked my car at work... so thats something

 

[Urban Sports]

Really. Hasn’t the been done like a zillion times already? Most will agree that dynamically BMW shade Audi.

Refinement, quality and interior however - then Audi lead the way.

And as for Cuke2 posting how good the A4 is, well of course he’s going to. He’s got one and he’s on an Audi forum.

I didn’t mention anything about dynamics at all.

And if we’re going to talk about the interior it is much nicer but at least everything works in the BMW.

My last one had apple CarPlay and it worked perfectly, it doesn’t in the Audi.

I also have an Audi and I am also on the Audi forum.

 

[Jsmills]

Is there an engine gearbox combo issue here?
Or maybe an age issue, I have had software updates on previous transmissions that change the gearbox significantly, you only get them when you moan about an issue.

Having said that I think bmw possibley have the fastest feeling gearboxes but Audi are still top 3 and far from the worst.

 

[Paul Golding]

Does anyone use the star button for something else? On the admittedly rare occasion that I use it, it brings up the drive select menu fine. The gearbox is a lot better than the s-tronic I had in my B7 and I'd have to say smoother than the gearbox in the 5 series I had to drive for 3 weeks in January. Maybe the fact that you can "feel" the BMW gearbox changing makes it seem better, I don't know.

The A4 does have the odd niggle though. I hate having to put my fingers on the dirty boot to close it (worried about scratching the car, not me getting dirty). I feel for the door mirrors are too small/in the wrong place.

Going back to the gearbox, I have noticed/thought that when using the paddles, the reaction time of the gear changes, especially going down the gears, seems slower than I expected. That said, it certainly doesn't bother me.

 

[kmanmx]

Have you taken it to the dealer ? There was a review on YouTube that complained about the laggy gearbox, Audi updated the software that controls the gearbox and he reviewed it again, and said the gearbox was now fine.

I have the 6 speed dual clutch in my Leon Cupra and find it good overall, no real lag or hesitation. But that's a more powerful car and the older wet clutch 6 speed version. I believe the S-Tronic in the Audi is the 7 speed dry clutch. I'll be interested to compare it to my Leon.

One thing I will say is when I got my Cupra I had previously come from a manual car. When I first pulled out of junctions, it felt slow and laggy and I couldn't pull away like I could even in a slower manual car. But i've come to realise that if you want to launch quickly you have to quickly depress the peddle down quite a lot maybe 50% or so, this "fires it into life" so to speak, and as soon as it's starting to pull away I modulate the throttle to pull away at the speed I want to, and it behaves exactly how I want. But I do distinctly remember this took some getting used to compared to the linear 1:1 relationship of a manual clutch and gearbox.

Not to say they're as good as the ZF gearbox's...but I find the dual clutch in my Cupra good, fast and smooth 95% of the time. The Audi A4 is a nicer car than a 3 series in almost every other respect IMO. But each to their own.

edit:

Sounds like people complain about the same thing on my current Cupra... http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=398777

And notice this guy (username: Shadak) basically said exactly what I said above:

"Ok I went out to have a go.

I tried Normal,Sport - D and S and Manual modes. And in every single one of them I could get almost instant reaction from the throttle as long as I didnt treat it as a Manual Transmission (maybe what some do?), obviously when I started pressing really gently it would give 1-2s delay. But whenever I pressed it a bit further immediately not progressively, it would be noticebly faster, Id say comparable to MT, but it didnt jump (unless you press it down real hard, obviously it takes getting used to) .. just a normal smooth take off."

I think anyone with the issue should try what is described above by this guy and myself ? You just have to treat it differently. It's second nature for me now, if someone asked me about the gearbox I wouldn't even mention the above to them because I just do it instinctively. It's only occurred to me now having sat down to think about how I drive it properly.

 

[cuke2u]

You post on every thread on here saying how good the A4 is.

Please explain about what is worse about "a BMW".

Nope, with respect anyone thinks the BMW is better go buy one and then we can talk about the A4 in an A4 forum...

 

[Urban Sports]

Nope, with respect anyone thinks the BMW is better go buy one and then we can talk about the A4 in an A4 forum...

Nope, with respect anyone thinks the BMW is better go buy one and then we can talk about the A4 in an A4 forum...

With respect which BMW and who said it was better....?

 

[pierreluigi88]

The A4 does have the odd niggle though. I hate having to put my fingers on the dirty boot to close it (worried about scratching the car, not me getting dirty).

Have you found the finger slot on the inside of the boot, RH side? You can shut the boot using that without touching the paintwork

 

[SMI77]

First and foremost the gearbox is absolutely dreadful, it's so slow to react that I feel like there is absolutely no connection between my foot and the reaction of the car. There is a lag/ hesitation / delay thread on here, it doesn't scratch the surface, if you want a good auto box buy BMW with the ZF, it's faultless.......
The gearbox is ****, have I already said that?

Another person who just waffles on without the slightest courtesy of informing what model is being referred to.
How hard is it to state, or even easier, to have it in the signature.

On the basis that you are referring to the S4, yes, I have observed that the reaction time higher up in the range is not the quickest, but will purchase a DTUK pedal box to improve that.

On the carplay, care factor = <zero. I just listen to the exhaust.

 

[Urban Sports]

Another person who just waffles on without the slightest courtesy of informing what model is being referred to.
How hard is it to state, or even easier, to have it in the signature.

On the basis that you are referring to the S4, yes, I have observed that the reaction time higher up in the range is not the quickest, but will purchase a DTUK pedal box to improve that.

On the carplay, care factor = >zero. I just listen to the exhaust.

Ha ha back off.

 

[Nickfrog]

I think it's entirely possible to like different brands of cars for their respective merits and be objective about their strengths and weaknesses, on any forum.

I chose the Audi because it is a brilliant commuting car and very cheap. The fact that the interior is the best in class is a bonus.

On the other hand, if the equivalent BMW had been as cheap I'd have preferred it.

 

[Chris S 1245]

Nowt wrong with the S4/S5 gearbox that I found when I drove one. Very responsive and no lag at all. Gearchanges were quick especially when ur driving to make progress .

 

[Daggerit]

I have to admit that I only find the gearbox slow in comfort/efficiency mode and when I stick it auto it's alright. Dynamic is better still but the kick down is pretty lazy, which can be overcome by using manual mode. Overall I'm happy enough with it and I don't think that it's any worse than the s-tronic I had in my B8.5 3.0tdi A4.

I can count on one hand how many times the star button has stopped working for the drive select and I think that it seems to be when I'm trying to change the driving mode on startup while all the other systems are firing up too.

I've never had any issues with the MMI displaying different tracks than what's playing so I'm afraid I can't help with that one at all.

Have you taken it to Audi to get the most recent updates installed on your car? There have been a few even since I got my car back in September that help the MMI and gearbox response I believe?

 

[SRB93]

It's easily adaptable, but for a fix that may suit you would be using a PedalBox.

 

[Urban Sports]

Nowt wrong with the S4/S5 gearbox that I found when I drove one. Very responsive and no lag at all. Gearchanges were quick especially when ur driving to make progress .

Mine is the S Tronic and compared to BMW’s application of the ZF it’s a pain in the ****.

 

[kmanmx]

Mine is the S Tronic and compared to BMW’s application of the ZF it’s a pain in the ****.

Did you not test drive before you bought ?

 

[Urban Sports]

Did you not test drive before you bought ?

Yes but it’s the living with it, don’t get me wrong it does other things better than the BMW but the BMW’s auto box is so polished it would probably show up most cars.

 

[silicon]

You post on every thread on here saying how good the A4 is.

Please explain about what is worse about "a BMW".

Bmw is worse for the pure fact you can’t start the car and have it remember the eco, comfort or sport mode setting it was last put into. Drives me nuts.

 

[kmanmx]

Yes but it’s the living with it, don’t get me wrong it does other things better than the BMW but the BMW’s auto box is so polished it would probably show up most cars.

Fair enough. You should try what I mentioned on the other page. I'm not saying it's right that you have to treat it like that to get a quick response out of it, but it does the trick for me. I've no issue pulling out into small gaps at roundabouts and such due to lag or hesitation following that method. Once on the move, actual gear shifts via the paddles are super quick.

 

[Urban Sports]

Fair enough. You should try what I mentioned on the other page. I'm not saying it's right that you have to treat it like that to get a quick response out of it, but it does the trick for me. I've no issue pulling out into small gaps at roundabouts and such due to lag or hesitation following that method. Once on the move, actual gear shifts via the paddles are super quick.

Manual with paddles is great but not really useable all of the time.

I’m only 2800 miles in I’m sure I’ll become accustomed to it.

 

[Jsmills]

Bmw is worse for the pure fact you can’t start the car and have it remember the eco, comfort or sport mode setting it was last put into. Drives me nuts.

Mercedes do a this too, remembers nothing and I have full memory pack... I feel your pain

 

[Syed Shah]

Firstly, the gearbox on the S4 is, I believe, the same as the ZF fitted to BMW's
Secondly, personally, there is so many things about a BMW that are worse than the A4 and I have no issues with my gearbox at all. It is super smooth and seamlessly quick to make gear changes. I would say it is one of the best things about the A4, amongst other things. Having tested both before I made my decision the A4 is far ahead of the equivalent BMW....

The equivalent being the current shape 3 series which is in need of an update... apart from the interior however I believe the BMW is far superior in most aspects

 

[silicon]

We are specifically moving from bmw to audi due to the long list of problems with our 1 and 3 series.

Currently Its in for warranty work on the exhaust. It never ends...

 

[SimonAshley]

Hi guys,

I'm new to Automatics only owned manual previously!
Did drive an automatic Mustang across America (Route 66)
But from my first 200 mile experience of the A5 it's not the auto box that's an issue it's the silly start stop function.

It cuts the engine before the car is fully stopped so when you then put foot down it has to start and select gear before you get up and go!
Turned start stop off, and it responds much quicker in my experience anyway.
That being said not gone full on yet as running it in gently!

 

[hmy7k]

Mine is the S Tronic and compared to BMW’s application of the ZF it’s a pain in the ****.

The s-tronic is a dual clutch auto and its not a ZF box. The ZF box is used in the tiptronic S4 and the 3.0 Tdi 272.
In the latter the tiptronic works pretty well depending on the mode you use, efficiency is pretty sloppy but fine for cruising, auto for general and sport for junctions gives perfectly acceptable response.

Can't comment on the s-tronic as I haven't driven one.

 

[NeilHD]

Hi guys,

But from my first 200 mile experience of the A5 it's not the auto box that's an issue it's the silly start stop function.

It cuts the engine before the car is fully stopped so when you then put foot down it has to start and select gear before you get up and go!
Turned start stop off, and it responds much quicker in my experience anyway.
That being said not gone full on yet as running it in gently!

I've got into the habit of pulling down on the gear selector to put it in Sport when I come up to a junction or roundabout if I don't want it to cut off.

My wife's car also has start-stop, but it's a manual gearbox and if you put the clutch in it doesn't cut off, so it's not an issue in those situations. It's definitely too eager to cut out on the auto Audi.

Annoyingly, I also find that when the car is cold that it refuses to activate the auto-stop. On my journey to work in the morning, I spend a lot of the earlier part of my journey stationary at traffic lights and it just doesn't cut out. It's only later when it's warmed up that it will do so - and that's exactly when I don't need it. Again, my wife's car does it better and will happily cut out within a couple of minutes of use.

 

[Nickfrog]

We are specifically moving from bmw to audi due to the long list of problems with our 1 and 3 series.

Currently Its in for warranty work on the exhaust. It never ends...

Really sorry to hear that - you've probably been unlucky as I reckon reliability stats are pretty much on a par between the 2. If your experience was statistically symptomatic of BMW's reliability, they would have gone out of business a long time ago. I have had several 1ers and zero issues. But then again I might have just been lucky !

 

[silicon]

yeah - hopefully just unlucky - really liked them to drive when they were working though! And like other posters have said above the 3 series is in need of a refresh - the interior is getting old!

 

[Candell]

I don't see an issue in mine, although my only auto experience before this car was cars I have hired in the USA and they have all been awful. Compared to those, the A4 is superb. If I'm tootling along and need to give it some, I use the left paddle to shift down and the car seems to want to go.

By the way, I use the star button for navigation voice guidance. I often have the sat nav on for traffic even on routes I know. In those cases I press star to turn off voice guidance. When I don't know where I am going, press star to turn it back on. Works every single time so must be an issue with mapping to certain functions.

 

[cuke2u]

I use the star button to turn on or off tp. I seem to remember if you hold it down it gives a list of options..

 

[Nham68]

It’s very subjective what is best. I moved from a 335x drive to the S4.
Some things I miss, some not . Some things better, some not .
Really depends upon what you value ... hence the reason why different companies make different variants,
At this level, The cars are so well engineered (lemons excepted), I don’t think you can generalize and say one is better vs other.