B8 S4 Ownership
Discussion
Idle musings on tyres.
Still have the Winters on, with tons of tread left, acceptable ride and handling, if not pin sharp. I tend to mostly cruise in the S4 (TVR for thrill seeking). Do I swap them out now for summer tyres (if so, recommendations that suit the quattro drive) or run the winters out then stick on some All Seasons, such as the Michelin Cross Climate, which is supposedly more a summer tyre that works well in the winter. I've run winters the last 5 years and, being on the South Coast we haven't seen snow for the last 3 years, and this last winter we had about 5 days total of sub 0 degrees.
Still have the Winters on, with tons of tread left, acceptable ride and handling, if not pin sharp. I tend to mostly cruise in the S4 (TVR for thrill seeking). Do I swap them out now for summer tyres (if so, recommendations that suit the quattro drive) or run the winters out then stick on some All Seasons, such as the Michelin Cross Climate, which is supposedly more a summer tyre that works well in the winter. I've run winters the last 5 years and, being on the South Coast we haven't seen snow for the last 3 years, and this last winter we had about 5 days total of sub 0 degrees.
All this talk of mpg... I got 28 mpg on my 750 mile round trip to Paris this week, which I thought was pretty good (for a B8 S4 
)
It was a very easy run both ways (no traffic on the M25 at around 10-11pm), and as I've said before it seems to be stop-start traffic that kills my mpg rather than anything else (eg. roof bars fitted, heavy luggage, car full of passengers, etc). Though I'm sure without 4 passengers and a boot full of luggage I'd have probably got a bit more than 28 mpg.
)It was a very easy run both ways (no traffic on the M25 at around 10-11pm), and as I've said before it seems to be stop-start traffic that kills my mpg rather than anything else (eg. roof bars fitted, heavy luggage, car full of passengers, etc). Though I'm sure without 4 passengers and a boot full of luggage I'd have probably got a bit more than 28 mpg.
FUBAR said:
Idle musings on tyres.
Still have the Winters on, with tons of tread left, acceptable ride and handling, if not pin sharp. I tend to mostly cruise in the S4 (TVR for thrill seeking). Do I swap them out now for summer tyres (if so, recommendations that suit the quattro drive) or run the winters out then stick on some All Seasons, such as the Michelin Cross Climate, which is supposedly more a summer tyre that works well in the winter.
I never bothered with winters this year, and we're in the chilly Welsh borders. Also considering switch to Cross Climates, but not sure if they're available in S4 sizes...?Still have the Winters on, with tons of tread left, acceptable ride and handling, if not pin sharp. I tend to mostly cruise in the S4 (TVR for thrill seeking). Do I swap them out now for summer tyres (if so, recommendations that suit the quattro drive) or run the winters out then stick on some All Seasons, such as the Michelin Cross Climate, which is supposedly more a summer tyre that works well in the winter.
Thinking of getting a b8.5. Any reliability issues if buying private on a 12 plate onwards? Mpg is a slight concern as my 335i manages 30 on a short run quite easily and 35 if you drive carefully. Overall average is 22.9 on 335 which is fine by me it's just the cruising which I would prefer it not to be too thirsty on,
I had a 130i previously which seems to be similar to later single turbo 335i economy from those that have had both, and my B8.5 S4 is about 3-4mpg less economical over the same 20 mile rural A road journeys to and from work. It seems more weather temperature dependant though, during the winter it was down to about ~24-25mpg even when driving fairly conservatively, now its warming up it's getting back up to high 20s and 30-31mpg is achievable if the traffic is right. You'll struggle to get anything much over that unless you're very light footed though.
Alrey87 said:
Thinking of getting a b8.5. Any reliability issues if buying private on a 12 plate onwards? Mpg is a slight concern as my 335i manages 30 on a short run quite easily and 35 if you drive carefully. Overall average is 22.9 on 335 which is fine by me it's just the cruising which I would prefer it not to be too thirsty on,
s4tronic said:
sidekickdmr said:
If anyone has a B8 S4 Avant they are thinking of moving on, drop me a PM, in the market for one and there isnt a great deal of choice out there.
Thanks
if you would consider Salon I've got one for sale - top of the range 2010 model. PM me for details.Thanks
Thanks though
If MPG is an issue don't get one and keep the 335i, a turbo engine will always be better in that respect.
The S4 with its SC gives you the benefit of zero lag, and IMO a broader delivery of power lower down, but you pay a slight MPG premium for that, however it's still v good, 25mpg average and sits outside the next level of cars which will always be under 20mph, and £500 a year in tax etc etc. If you don't want an RS4/AMG/m3 level of running costs but 85% of the performance the S4 sits lovely in that zone.
The S4 is a different car, less driver focused but more comfy and modern IMO than a 335i. Depending on the reasons for the change I'm not sure it would be the right car?
The S4 with its SC gives you the benefit of zero lag, and IMO a broader delivery of power lower down, but you pay a slight MPG premium for that, however it's still v good, 25mpg average and sits outside the next level of cars which will always be under 20mph, and £500 a year in tax etc etc. If you don't want an RS4/AMG/m3 level of running costs but 85% of the performance the S4 sits lovely in that zone.
The S4 is a different car, less driver focused but more comfy and modern IMO than a 335i. Depending on the reasons for the change I'm not sure it would be the right car?
So I'm off to look at a S4 avant on Sunday, its a private sale so no comeback/warranty etc.
This one:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Anything to look out for/common faults?
It’s a manual, so no issues with the auto box hopefully
This one:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Anything to look out for/common faults?
It’s a manual, so no issues with the auto box hopefully
Looks good spec, the sports seats are great, the Bose is a must and so is the nav for resale value.
The wheels are small but you can replace those with 19's later on. Black is a B*tch to keep detailed/clean but looks great when it is.
I don't think there are many known issues as such, just check for a good service history, check the tyres are good brand etc as this is usually a clue - oh and the exhaust tips looksfairly clean which IMO is a good sign, silly as it sounds, but many are properly blacked up where they have never been cleaned. Just make sure everything works.
The wheels are small but you can replace those with 19's later on. Black is a B*tch to keep detailed/clean but looks great when it is.
I don't think there are many known issues as such, just check for a good service history, check the tyres are good brand etc as this is usually a clue - oh and the exhaust tips looksfairly clean which IMO is a good sign, silly as it sounds, but many are properly blacked up where they have never been cleaned. Just make sure everything works.
sidekickdmr said:
Thanks for that,
Is the Bang and olufsen better or worse than the bose?
There's no Bose option on these - it's standard or B&O. Definitely worth having unless you're minded to rip it all out for an upgrade anyway...Is the Bang and olufsen better or worse than the bose?
Pimp tints may be aftermarket, as it's not a Black Edition, so worth checking.
Has hill hold assist, which isn't mentioned in the advert
Tech pack high = navigation mid = MMI 3G which basically = the better nav option, with jukebox HDD for storing music, AMI in the glovebox etc. Can be self-updated
Shame no panoramic roof, and the 18s would be perfect for winter tyres, and I agree that black is a pain in the arse (our Sportback's black).
No mention which of the 3 ADS options it has? It may only have the steering, which isn't worth having.
Adrian E said:
There's no Bose option on these - it's standard or B&O. Definitely worth having unless you're minded to rip it all out for an upgrade anyway...
Pimp tints may be aftermarket, as it's not a Black Edition, so worth checking.
Has hill hold assist, which isn't mentioned in the advert
Tech pack high = navigation mid = MMI 3G which basically = the better nav option, with jukebox HDD for storing music, AMI in the glovebox etc. Can be self-updated
Shame no panoramic roof, and the 18s would be perfect for winter tyres, and I agree that black is a pain in the arse (our Sportback's black).
No mention which of the 3 ADS options it has? It may only have the steering, which isn't worth having.
Ok thanks for that, the B&O sounds good.Pimp tints may be aftermarket, as it's not a Black Edition, so worth checking.
Has hill hold assist, which isn't mentioned in the advert
Tech pack high = navigation mid = MMI 3G which basically = the better nav option, with jukebox HDD for storing music, AMI in the glovebox etc. Can be self-updated
Shame no panoramic roof, and the 18s would be perfect for winter tyres, and I agree that black is a pain in the arse (our Sportback's black).
No mention which of the 3 ADS options it has? It may only have the steering, which isn't worth having.
Are you saying this car has the Tech pack high and MMI 3G?
Can you explain a little more what this means? Upgraded navigation and music storage HD, will my Iphone music bluetooth through it ok or will it be plugged in?
Best place to look for 19" wheels?
sidekickdmr said:
Ok thanks for that, the B&O sounds good.
Are you saying this car has the Tech pack high and MMI 3G?
Can you explain a little more what this means? Upgraded navigation and music storage HD, will my Iphone music bluetooth through it ok or will it be plugged in?
Best place to look for 19" wheels?
Tech pack high in the brochure = MMI 3G, but weirdly if you decode the spec codes Audi calls it 'mid' nav hence the description in the advert, I suspect. There's 3 different nav versions on the B8 platform - 2G (DVD drive in the left side boot compartment), 3G Basic (runs off DVD drive or SD card in the front and show BNav when you look at the software version info, and 3G which has the mentioned jukebox HDD (and the nav maps live on the HDD as well). The DVD nav has a 6 disc CD changer where the pictured flap is in the centre console, behind which you will find 2 SD card slots that accept 32GB card and possibly an entirely useless SIM slot!Are you saying this car has the Tech pack high and MMI 3G?
Can you explain a little more what this means? Upgraded navigation and music storage HD, will my Iphone music bluetooth through it ok or will it be plugged in?
Best place to look for 19" wheels?
All have bluetooth phone prep for voice calls, but NONE allow bluetooth streaming until you get to the facelift models. You can either buy a genuine Apple 40 pin to lightning 20cm fly lead like I have, and use the AMI to plug and charge your phone and allow it to play music via that, or buy a tunes2air module to plug into the AMI which then allows wireless streaming.
Adrian E said:
Pimp tints may be aftermarket, as it's not a Black Edition, so worth checking.
No mention which of the 3 ADS options it has? It may only have the steering, which isn't worth having.
Wasn't "Black Edition" only available later? 18" wheels are perfect for an everyday car - The extra sidewall height gives a bit more compliance so copes with sNo mention which of the 3 ADS options it has? It may only have the steering, which isn't worth having.
tty road surfaces better. ADS options can be checked via the MMI screen. It might not even have dynamic steering, as you can order ADS by itself...
Good spot on the HHA
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