Discussion
Talking the earlier models here, b5, b6.
Anyone had or got one ? been looking at them having seen one a few days ago and thinkign how good it looked, was the early model which is the 2.7 Twin Turbo, they then went to a more powerful V8 but am thinking that potentially the turbo is more my kind of thing, some of the turbo models are claiming huge power outputs.
Think the S4 is probably a really good car but one that lives in the shadow of the RS4, I kind of like the more low key approach, a silver, tuned 2.7 could be quite a a sleeper.
Are there any pitfalls to them, thinkign the V8 may be less problematic ?
Anyone had or got one ? been looking at them having seen one a few days ago and thinkign how good it looked, was the early model which is the 2.7 Twin Turbo, they then went to a more powerful V8 but am thinking that potentially the turbo is more my kind of thing, some of the turbo models are claiming huge power outputs.
Think the S4 is probably a really good car but one that lives in the shadow of the RS4, I kind of like the more low key approach, a silver, tuned 2.7 could be quite a a sleeper.
Are there any pitfalls to them, thinkign the V8 may be less problematic ?
My brothers wife had a 1999 one from new and only just got rid of it this year with 200 plus K on it. They never had any turbo problems that I know of. I drove it a few times and really liked it, plenty of shove from the turbo's. The B5 ones do seem like really good value now & still look great. I'm guessing preface lift B5's would have the annoying worn suspension problems that the other early B5's had, so best go with a facelift model.
I have one!
Mine is a black B5 with around 450bhp. Goes like absolute stink and sit's with 600cc bikes no probs.
I certsinly haven't had any big problems in 2 years of ownership! Just make you get one that's been looked after. In 2 years i've had a leak in my power steering, and a split boost pipe!
Although mine did have 7 grand spent on it at MRC replacnig everything for new parts, including brand new K04 turbos. Will be up for sale very soon if you're interested!
Mine is a black B5 with around 450bhp. Goes like absolute stink and sit's with 600cc bikes no probs.
I certsinly haven't had any big problems in 2 years of ownership! Just make you get one that's been looked after. In 2 years i've had a leak in my power steering, and a split boost pipe!
Although mine did have 7 grand spent on it at MRC replacnig everything for new parts, including brand new K04 turbos. Will be up for sale very soon if you're interested!
Got the B6 S4. Had it just over a year now. Tracked it once at Castle Coombe, lots of fun. Covered 9k and it's now done 151k - and dropped only 24 horses since new. Totally standard for now. Would love a zorst, but not sure about the drone in a cab. Not auto though, so could hold at different revs. If the B6 does go wrong, it can be costly. Timing chains seem to cause a bit of concern around a few forums. They do rattle on start-up if the oil has settled for their chain tensioners, but only for a second. No cam belts on the 4.2 v8's. Aux Rads do leak too. Need to get mine done. Over-steer is noticeable, with that much of the lump hanging over the front axle I'm not surprised.
Noise on standard is okay though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw6yeych1kU
Oh, and 17.6MPG since ownership, mostly because it sounds nice opened up!
Noise on standard is okay though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw6yeych1kU
Oh, and 17.6MPG since ownership, mostly because it sounds nice opened up!
St John Smythe said:
These were on my shortlist to look at. But the Audi forums are full of tales of woe. Oil leaks, turbo failures, etc. In fact one I was thinking of looking at had a recent bill of 2.5k. That sort of gives you an idea of how much these things can cost to run. Put me off.
Show me a performance saloon thats 12 years old with over 265bhp that is cheap to run...Beanoir said:
St John Smythe said:
These were on my shortlist to look at. But the Audi forums are full of tales of woe. Oil leaks, turbo failures, etc. In fact one I was thinking of looking at had a recent bill of 2.5k. That sort of gives you an idea of how much these things can cost to run. Put me off.
Show me a performance saloon thats 12 years old with over 265bhp that is cheap to run...St John Smythe said:
Beanoir said:
St John Smythe said:
These were on my shortlist to look at. But the Audi forums are full of tales of woe. Oil leaks, turbo failures, etc. In fact one I was thinking of looking at had a recent bill of 2.5k. That sort of gives you an idea of how much these things can cost to run. Put me off.
Show me a performance saloon thats 12 years old with over 265bhp that is cheap to run...But your post implies that the S4 can be costly to run, and that put you off. My point is, any car of that ilk will be costly to run, people should be under no illusions that you can buy a cheap fast saloon of that age and expect it not to be costly to run.
An S4 is relatively expensive to run, but that doesn't make it unreliable. What it means is they are so cheap to buy now that people that can buy them don't actually realise that it would easy to spend as much again in the next 24months on repair and maintanence. a £2.5k invoice for a car that originally cost well over £35k over 10 years ago is not unusual.
And again, you can read any forum and read about S4s, M3s, M5s, Mitsubishi Lancers, Porsches, VXRs, Jaguar XJRs etc etc, they will all be full of tales of woe, because 1) nobody ever moans unless something goes wrong, and 2) becuase they are all high performance cars that require lots of money spending on them.
I had one, briefly.
It was a Nogaro blue one, it was a very nice car, but when the two turbos needed replacing a month after I bought it I wasnt impressed. I spent over £2000 on the car and sold it 3 months after buying it for what it cost me initially.
They are good cars, I would have one again as the power delivery is amazing.
However I don't have the income at the moment to sustain such a car. 16MPG round town, mid to high 20's on a run. Tyres, brakes etc, all fairly expensive.
If the turbos need replacing its an engine out job too.
If you do get one make sure you get a facelift or if you go for a pre-facelift make sure its had the manifolds replaced. It was a recall by Audi as they were poorly designed and broke away sending bits through the turbo on the pre-facelift. (Again its an engine out job to replace them)
It was a Nogaro blue one, it was a very nice car, but when the two turbos needed replacing a month after I bought it I wasnt impressed. I spent over £2000 on the car and sold it 3 months after buying it for what it cost me initially.
They are good cars, I would have one again as the power delivery is amazing.
However I don't have the income at the moment to sustain such a car. 16MPG round town, mid to high 20's on a run. Tyres, brakes etc, all fairly expensive.
If the turbos need replacing its an engine out job too.
If you do get one make sure you get a facelift or if you go for a pre-facelift make sure its had the manifolds replaced. It was a recall by Audi as they were poorly designed and broke away sending bits through the turbo on the pre-facelift. (Again its an engine out job to replace them)
Beanoir said:
And again, you can read any forum and read about S4s, M3s, M5s, Mitsubishi Lancers, Porsches, VXRs, Jaguar XJRs etc etc, they will all be full of tales of woe, because 1) nobody ever moans unless something goes wrong, and 2) becuase they are all high performance cars that require lots of money spending on them.
How true!!!The main emphasis on the viability of a purchase of any performance car is surely how it's been treated and maintained. (How it's been treated is the difficult bit obviously)
Turbo's on these cars are not made by Audi and are not unique to Audi, so to say they are particularly prone to blowing on these models is I think, untrue. If the car has been bombed regularly, getting them all hot and then switching the engine off without letting them cool down, will always shorten their life. So it can all be down to the way the car's been driven previously and that's down to luck if you don't know the car.
My B5 RS4 has now turned 110k and other than 2 oxygen sensors (made by Bosch)the car's been totally reliable after 5 years and 60k in my ownership. Outwith normal maintenance of course. (kiss of death probably)
Edited by Nors on Wednesday 24th August 15:49
Beanoir said:
St John Smythe said:
Beanoir said:
St John Smythe said:
These were on my shortlist to look at. But the Audi forums are full of tales of woe. Oil leaks, turbo failures, etc. In fact one I was thinking of looking at had a recent bill of 2.5k. That sort of gives you an idea of how much these things can cost to run. Put me off.
Show me a performance saloon thats 12 years old with over 265bhp that is cheap to run...But your post implies that the S4 can be costly to run, and that put you off. My point is, any car of that ilk will be costly to run, people should be under no illusions that you can buy a cheap fast saloon of that age and expect it not to be costly to run.
An S4 is relatively expensive to run, but that doesn't make it unreliable. What it means is they are so cheap to buy now that people that can buy them don't actually realise that it would easy to spend as much again in the next 24months on repair and maintanence. a £2.5k invoice for a car that originally cost well over £35k over 10 years ago is not unusual.
And again, you can read any forum and read about S4s, M3s, M5s, Mitsubishi Lancers, Porsches, VXRs, Jaguar XJRs etc etc, they will all be full of tales of woe, because 1) nobody ever moans unless something goes wrong, and 2) becuase they are all high performance cars that require lots of money spending on them.
the first S4 was in the C4 chassis by the way 
i had one, when it worked was hilarious for looks of WTF from hot hatches bets was to get my kids to wave out the side window to the typeR 
I have seen a few B5 S4s in sleeper mode, google doug MRC for his one at VMAX a year or so ago. Fairly normal looking saloon which outgunned everything barr the 9FF.
The B5 had a paired K03 turbo, if you look around any ones iwht issues were often changed for the K04s (used int he RS4 and capable of bigger power still)
i had one, when it worked was hilarious for looks of WTF from hot hatches bets was to get my kids to wave out the side window to the typeR I have seen a few B5 S4s in sleeper mode, google doug MRC for his one at VMAX a year or so ago. Fairly normal looking saloon which outgunned everything barr the 9FF.
The B5 had a paired K03 turbo, if you look around any ones iwht issues were often changed for the K04s (used int he RS4 and capable of bigger power still)
Owned my preface lift for over 2 years. Fantastic car and at the moment quite a few are selling fairly cheap. Very easy to squezee a bit more power out of them. I don't have too much trouble keeping up with most things. Like any performance car things will need replaced and can cost a lot of money. Remember the B5 S4 was over £40k new. Mine is 13 years old and still feels a special car when i drive it. I use it as a weekend toy and average about 21mph. While using the car on baby duties i returned nearly 26mph.
Here is a vid of my car doing a quick fly past. My car is the 1st car of course!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/6C4GTS?feature=mhsn#p/...
Here is a vid of my car doing a quick fly past. My car is the 1st car of course!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/6C4GTS?feature=mhsn#p/...
St John Smythe said:
I've had some cars that are expensive to run in the past (check my profile) so am fully aware that buying a car is one thing and maintaining it is something else. But seeing adverts for S4s like this http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3091055.htm that have had a recent bill for near on 3k puts me off. Don't get me wrong I'm sure they are quick cars but to me they just aren't special enough to warrant bills like that (imho of course).
Drive one - properlyThen come back on here & tell us what you think!
nail_it said:
St John Smythe said:
I've had some cars that are expensive to run in the past (check my profile) so am fully aware that buying a car is one thing and maintaining it is something else. But seeing adverts for S4s like this http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3091055.htm that have had a recent bill for near on 3k puts me off. Don't get me wrong I'm sure they are quick cars but to me they just aren't special enough to warrant bills like that (imho of course).
Drive one - properlyThen come back on here & tell us what you think!
kmm said:
nail_it said:
St John Smythe said:
I've had some cars that are expensive to run in the past (check my profile) so am fully aware that buying a car is one thing and maintaining it is something else. But seeing adverts for S4s like this http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3091055.htm that have had a recent bill for near on 3k puts me off. Don't get me wrong I'm sure they are quick cars but to me they just aren't special enough to warrant bills like that (imho of course).
Drive one - properlyThen come back on here & tell us what you think!
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