B8.5 - 2.0T or S4?

[RaymyM]

Hoping to go back to an A4 and wondered what I should go for, A4 2.0Tfsi Quattro or an S4?

Just can't decide. Pros and cons for each perhaps but I've been driving sensible cars for the last few years and need something more enjoyable and fun to drive, but can still get the family in when needed Might even look at a 3.0 TD perhaps...

All thoughts welcome

 

[mister.c.]

Simple as drive them all. One for whatever reason will tug at you more than others.

 

[RaymyM]

Cheers Mister.C. Keep an open mind and try not to automatically prefer the S4

May be the last chance to get a nice V6 before we are all heading down the electric route...

 

[AndrewW]

If you don’t mind the fuel consumption S4 is the one, although I’m obviously a bit biased. it’s just the best all rounder in the price range IMO.

I drive quite sensibly a lot of the time and never really see over 25mpg average for a tank, that’s mostly my 40mile/day commute and weekend driving.

 

[RaymyM]

I've a 70 mile round trip 3 days a week. Might get pricey, something to think about. Would the 2.0T be much better? Dare say the 3.0TD would be the best mileage but trying to stay away from diesels.

The balance between driving something quick and fun but poor mpg. I'll ignore the mpg

Your blue Avant would be perfect

 

[scotty76]

I had a remapped B7 2.0T before my S4 which was fun but the S4 is just awesome. I was commuting 250 miles a week in mine and never found the fuel consumption to be that much of a problem. I got low to mid 30s mpg. That wasn't much worse than the 2.0T. I imagine the road tax is more on the S4.

Always wanted to own the supercharged S4 so pleased I got the chance.

 

[RaymyM]

Had a B7 3.2 for a good few years which was great, just started to crumble once it went over 120k but has been my favourite car to date.

You may be right, could be my only chance to get an S4 and can't say I spend money on anything else these days...

 

[AndrewW]

I had a remapped B7 2.0T before my S4 which was fun but the S4 is just awesome. I was commuting 250 miles a week in mine and never found the fuel consumption to be that much of a problem. I got low to mid 30s mpg. That wasn't much worse than the 2.0T. I imagine the road tax is more on the S4.

Always wanted to own the supercharged S4 so pleased I got the chance.

Is that low to mid 30s in the S4?! Crikey. Both of mine have been 25-28 absolute max to a tank of mixed driving. On a run/single journey I can sometimes nudge 30 on the DIS but I don’t do that many long journeys really.

 

[Dippy]

Another consideration is the known issue Audi had with some of its 2.0TFSI engines having an oil consumption problem which I understand was due to a piston ring design fault. I'm not sure which batch of engines were affected and for which models, so maybe it was just the older A4s?

But then there's the s-tronic problem too. We know about it for the early S4s but presumably other A4s could have been affected.

It's a shame to provide advice based on faults rather than the benefits of the different models but of course the enjoyment of buying a new car is quickly reversed when it turns out to have a potentially expensive fault waiting to happen...

 

[jdp1962]

I’d take a V6 over a 4 cylinder all day long, for the mechanical refinement. Fuel consumption is only one factor in overall running costs. And I’ve heard it said you need to be covering around 15,000 miles a year before the higher maintenance costs of a diesel are offset by lower fuel costs. On a personal level, for all their effectiveness, I find diesels a bit joyless, so the S4 would be my pick all day long.

 

[scotty76]

Is that low to mid 30s in the S4?! Crikey. Both of mine have been 25-28 absolute max to a tank of mixed driving. On a run/single journey I can sometimes nudge 30 on the DIS but I don’t do that many long journeys really.

Yes that's correct, for the S4. The M4 round here means a slow speed commute at peak times hence the good numbers.

 

[scotty76]

@AndrewW...

https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threa...ording-to-your-dis.242304/page-4#post-3456423

 

[RaymyM]

Think I've been convinced on the S4.

Would you entertain anything high mileage? Not a massive amount around to choose from so broadening my search. Anything to look out for on a test drive?

 

[jdp1962]

Mileage in itself is less important than condition and service history. For example, if there's isn't documented evidence that the DSG gearbox has had a fluid change at least every 38,000 miles, walk away. A rare (but desirable) option is the quattro sport rear diff. If it is fitted, again, there needs to be evidence the oil has been changed at regular intervals (can't recall what it is offhand).

 

[rum4mo]

Had a B7 3.2 for a good few years which was great, just started to crumble once it went over 120k but has been my favourite car to date.

You may be right, could be my only chance to get an S4 and can't say I spend money on anything else these days...

A bit late into this discussion, but when I was replacing my B5 VW Passat 4Motion back in 2013, I never had any intention to replace it with an S4, I was only looking at 3.2V6 quattro - then I suddenly became aware that S4 offers so much more in terms of MPG, brakes and general features - then there is the extra power and better suspension, so that killed off the desire to hunt out an elusive slightly used B8 A4 3.2V6 quattro - apart from the insane road tax for 6MT, which was the transmission I wanted, I've never ever regretted that decision! My B8 S4 is far better to drive than my old B5 VW Passat 4Motion - in fact I'd say it is the equal of my old 1991 VX Cav GSI 2000 16V 4X4 which was a very little known gem of a car!

Edit:- for me dodging the "2.0TFSI oil issue" was just a lucky bonus as I had, in desperation veered across from 3.2V6 to 2.0T quattro in search of an available car prior to fixing my sights on an S4.

 

[RaymyM]

GSI 2000, showing your age there Was looking through the posts on the 2.0T oil issue, think I'll steer clear, although it's always easy to find faults and problems when you go looking for them.

Wonder how long it will take to find a good S4? Not too many around here in NI but that's only to be expected. Like my last few cars, I'll have to fly over to the mainland and come back on the Ferry. Never a bad thing to get a few hundred miles in when you've just got a new motor

 

[scotty76]

Mileage in itself is less important than condition and service history. For example, if there's isn't documented evidence that the DSG gearbox has had a fluid change at least every 38,000 miles, walk away. A rare (but desirable) option is the quattro sport rear diff. If it is fitted, again, there needs to be evidence the oil has been changed at regular intervals (can't recall what it is offhand).

Seem to recall Audi deem the sports diff a sealed for life job...

https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/gear-oil-and-sports-diff-oil-changes.348357/

 

[jdp1962]

Seem to recall Audi deem the sports diff a sealed for life job...

https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/gear-oil-and-sports-diff-oil-changes.348357/

Well mine certainly isn't.

 

[RyanJonS4]

Seem to recall Audi deem the sports diff a sealed for life job...

https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/gear-oil-and-sports-diff-oil-changes.348357/

strange one this, they don’t recommend servicing it on the S4 but if you have an RS4/Rs5 then it needs a fluid change.

I had mine done same time as my DSG service.

 

[Dippy]

RS4/5 also has s-tronic gear oil at 19K.

My S5 will be having both diff oils changed at 5 years and both s-tronic oils changed at 6 years.

 

[jdp1962]

@RaymyM , just in case you're not familiar with Audi terminology, DSG and S-Tronic are the same thing.

 

[Andy Butcher]

Is that low to mid 30s in the S4?! Crikey. Both of mine have been 25-28 absolute max to a tank of mixed driving. On a run/single journey I can sometimes nudge 30 on the DIS but I don’t do that many long journeys really.

I did a round trip of approximately 250 miles on Monday-Tuesday of mixed Motorway, fast A road and B roads with the odd burst of power for overtaking (which it does extremely well) and when I got home last night the average was 32.8 MPG which I was more than happy with.
Oh B8.5 S4.
A great all round car, comfortable, quiet and quick.

The thing about the TFSI engine is the well documented oil consumption.
I bought a brand new Skoda Octavia VRS 220 petrol in 2015 which uses the same engine, by 20k miles the engine was starting to blow blue smoke out the back on acceleration and an oil film formed in the airbox and around the oil filler cap, sold it.

 

[AndrewW]

Think I've been convinced on the S4.

Would you entertain anything high mileage? Not a massive amount around to choose from so broadening my search. Anything to look out for on a test drive?

Depends what you classify as high mileage. As above a solid service history means the mileage is less of an issue but in a B8.5 I'd still be looking for 60-70K miles max along with a good service history personally.

 

[Dippy]

If you are considering an S4 then do the research on the known problems - particularly with the earlier models. A late 2013 or even better a late 2014 is your best bet but of course they will be more expensive.