S4 tdi or 2.0tfsi 45?

[Alex mac]

Hi guys

I currently have an S3 2018 facelift but I want to make the move to the A4 Avant for room. I’m a huge petrol head so when looking at my options on the A4 I have come up with either the 2.0 tfsi 45 or the S4 TDI.

My local Audi dealer has found me two options in the colour and spec I want, the only snag is choosing whether I want to go diesel or stay petrol.

The specs on the two are almost the same, exterior wise they look identical. Interior wise the s4 comes with better seats, sound pack, comfort pack and obviously the more exciting engine. Price wise the S4 is £90 more a month than the 2.0. So personally I think you get more bang for your buck.
It’s just the whole diesel thing is swaying me.

Does anyone on here own either cars? Thoughts on the new s4 diesel?

Thanks
Alex

 

[Zippytoo]

I'm leasing my S4 TDI. Good car. Very, very quick but more of a GT than a sports car. I'm averaging a real (calculated) 38.5 mpg so far, albeit the majority of miles being relatively tame A road commuting, 24 miles each way. If you're buying (rather than leasing or PCP?) I'd be a little nervous about the residuals for the S4. There's quite a lot of discounting and since lockdown / with new ways of remote working, many drivers are simply not doing the same mileage. I suspect that will remain the case for at least the medium term and possibly hit residuals a little further, since the obvious advantage of a diesel is in big miles. That said, if the maths works with you and you're intending to hand it back I'd definitely go for the S4!

 

[Alex mac]

I'm leasing my S4 TDI. Good car. Very, very quick but more of a GT than a sports car. I'm averaging a real (calculated) 38.5 mpg so far, albeit the majority of miles being relatively tame A road commuting, 24 miles each way. If you're buying (rather than leasing or PCP?) I'd be a little nervous about the residuals for the S4. There's quite a lot of discounting and since lockdown / with new ways of remote working, many drivers are simply not doing the same mileage. I suspect that will remain the case for at least the medium term and possibly hit residuals a little further, since the obvious advantage of a diesel is in big miles. That said, if the maths works with you and you're intending to hand it back I'd definitely go for the S4!

Thanks for the reply. Im not buying, I like to change cars every 3/4 years, I still enjoy the S3 but having a child has left us with limited space once the push chair takes up the entire boot and the kids seat in the back
I still want a car that I can enjoy and have a bit of fun in. The rs4 is the dream but I can’t justify £1K+ a month for one, especially as the wife is the main driver anyway

So you have no regrets having a diesel over petrol?

 

[Zippytoo]

Since it's a lease, none whatsoever. It's a long (and not particularly interesting) story pinned elsewhere but my original lease order was the petrol S4, before Audi stopped making it and I was left waiting for the best part of 18 months for the S4 TDI in ints place. The difference in mpg is saving me around £35 per month, after taking into account the additional cost of diesel and AdBlue.

As mentioned in some of the car mags, the torque converter can occasionally be a little laggy it you put your foot down from nowhere, before then launching like a crazy thing! But it's not so bad / so often that it's a major problem and you can get round it by driving in Sport / using manual mode / dropping a gear or three using the paddles.
The loss of the MMI wheel is a pain but then that's the same for all A4s.
And it's still nice to get into my current model MX-5 for a 'sporty' drive (even if the S4 would completely destroy it in a straight line!).

But all in all, if you're after a safe, practical, good looking and very fast family car, it's ideal.

 

[leedodds1]

I agree with Zippy, it's a great car and still feels fun even though it's a diesel, sounds good too. If anything the low down power and torque is way more usable that the TT I used to have as it's anyways on tap without having to rev the engine. I also agree with the 8 speed being a little slow compared to my previous 7 speed S-tronic.
I'm averaging 40mpg overall and managed a whopping 50mpg on a 200mile drive recently, I've often got 2 mountain bikes on the roof too.
The comfort and sound pack is a good option if available on the dealer stock cars you've been offered.

My car ...

 

[Alex mac]

I agree with Zippy, it's a great car and still feels fun even though it's a diesel, sounds good too. If anything the low down power and torque is way more usable that the TT I used to have as it's anyways on tap without having to rev the engine. I also agree with the 8 speed being a little slow compared to my previous 7 speed S-tronic.
I'm averaging 40mpg overall and managed a whopping 50mpg on a 200mile drive recently, I've often got 2 mountain bikes on the roof too.
The comfort and sound pack is a good option if available on the dealer stock cars you've been offered.

My car ...
View attachment 208197

Is that quantum grey? Looks identical to the one I have ordered it comes with the comfort and sound pack, the only one downside is it doesn’t have a sun roof.
Very excited!

 

[Zippytoo]

Mine:

 

[pagenotfound]

got a 2016 2.0 252 (basically the equivalent to the 45tfsi). quick enough to be fun but obviously not as quick as the S4 in the traffic light GP. Whichever you go for it's a decent family vehicle but I'd only have considered upgrading mine to an S4 if it still had the petrol engine. Also worth test driving and seeing if you prefer the 7 speed dual clutch or the 8 speed torque converter gearbox.

 

[cuke2u]

Personally the fake exhaust outlet and fake sound on the s4 would decide it for me. The 45 is plenty quick enough, and cheaper to insure....

 

[leedodds1]

Is that quantum grey? Looks identical to the one I have ordered it comes with the comfort and sound pack, the only one downside is it doesn’t have a sun roof.
Very excited!

Yeah Quantum, great choice

 

[Deadlysub]

I have had all kinds of performance cars over the years but bought a 2.0 252 BHP TFSI

It was bought in a rush as I had a Jag XE-S (supercharged V6) which ended up being rejected and needed a car very quickly. I wasn’t sure if it would be fast enough or special enough but I love it. It’s great on fuel compared to my previous 5 or 6 cars and the performance on offer is enough to keep me entertained. As it’s not crazy fast you can actually use the performance on the road.

 

[thisistheone]

Plus one for the 2.0 252 BHP TFSI.
It's a cracking car - not a slow coach and only marginally slower than an S4 ( somebody posted a 0-60 video between an S4 and a 252 ). I have no regrets in buying it and won't be giving it up for a long time .
Like the OP i had the dilemma of buying this and a petrol S4 . I went for the 252 due to the long term running costs being cheaper and it was more of a sleeper than the S4 and not as shouty .
The deciding factor was if i bought a 252 and someone pulled up next to me in an S4 would i immediately think " i should have bought an S4 " - nope . Not once. On the flip side if i was in an S4 and someone pulled up in a RS4 then i would think that i'm not that special any more !

I am sure leasing makes other factors more relevant but you have not mentioned how many miles you would do , if that is a contributing factor ?

 

[veetee]

I too have a 2016 252 quattro. Its an avant. I had the 2.0t quattro avant with the previous B8 shape, albeit manual, with a Revo Stage 1 map, so about the same power. The B9 handles so much better and is clearly quicker, although you have to have it in Sport mode to appreciate. I did have my heart set on a very late B8 S4 Avant as replacement, but buying a 2015 car based on a 2008 design didn't make sense, although on test drives the supercharged V6 was fantatstic....so very nearly tempted...Such a shame they don't do a manual 252 Q. And such a shame they've dropped the DSG and Supercharged V6 for the B9 S4...(and now petrol)That's progress I guess...

 

[Fozzie1960]

I can vouch for the 252 Quattro as well. Audi have tweaked it to 265PS for the MY21 variant. 0 - 60 is is 5.5 secs.

 

[Alex mac]

Thanks for all the replies. I went for the S4 in the end, better spec for not much more so it made more sense to me. Arrives middle of September hopefully