S4 for towing

[griff2be]

Has anyone use an S4 for towing? If so, how did you find it? (This is to tow a race car, not a caravan in case anyone was worried).

And I'm talking about the 2.7 twin turbo, not the new V8 S4.

Any other pearls of wisdom about this car gratefully received. Was toying with the idea of changing the Jeep for something a bit more fun, but still bale to haul the Tuscan and spare wheels etc on the trailer.

Ta

Andy

[s2ooz]

I haven't, sorry, it certainly has the power, but you will have two issues:
1) MPG - it isnt good anyway, but towing will kill it.
2) getting a towbar fitted. Its unlikely you will get one to fit due to the fuel tank and 4x4 mechanicals. Audi will probably be the only ones, and its likely to be £600 or more.

a cheap sierra would negate any need.

resale: I for one would be put off buying an S4 with it fitted, I would be paranoid the chassis had taken a hiding from the unusual forces directed in a way it was never intended to force.

[griff2be]

Hmm. Not too encouraging then!

I doubt the chassis (i.e. monocoque) would suffer much, but the clutch, brakes and possibly transmission might - although we are talking a light trailer and a lightish race car here, not a huge horse box and two nags. Audi quote a towing capacity of 1800kg which is more than enough for my needs. And its not like I would be hammering it up and down the country every weekend with a laden trailer - maybe 15 times a year. Take your point about resale value though.

Presumably the tow bar fitting issue is the same for any A4 Avant quattro?

[Yertis]

Audi do really neat removable tow-hooks on most models - I've got one on my 100 S4 (285bhp) and have used it for tugging around the TR6 alot. I'm not sure if this was available on the S4 biturbo but expect it was. When the hook is taken off there is no outward sign of it having been there.

Fuel economy definately took a hit, but not too bad.

[biturbo]

It is available for the 2.7T as I have one.
Never used it though.

[iguana]

Hello Tuscan racer boy

S4's are great, reasonable grunt as standard and an easy & totally reliable 50bhp from ECU mods also RS4 baiting & over 400bhp is easy if you want to go silly and have a few £.


The awfull 1st to 2nd gearchange, i.e feeling like its an HGV truck is normal & RS4's are the same.

The brakes are a bit marginal in very hard press on type driving (they use an odd double motorbike type pads set up on the front calipers) so this 'could' be a factor in the towing but anyhow I can probably get you a dead cheap set of Porsche 'big reds' for a bargain price if it was an issue.

Might also be an idea to consider getting a set of adjustable koni shocks, as S4's suffer from a bit of Audi wallow as standard anyway, so it would help that, but also you can twist up the rears a bit to cope with the towing.

Also consider an RS2 mate they are great & IMHO the most fun S or RS Audi- yes they are older & its difficult to find one thats not a heap, but they a good one is fab- you will have to ask Jeremy what it tows like then again if you can up the budget a bit to say £30k 'ish' you can get an RS4.... (if this did cross ya mind e-mail me I could posbily get ya a good 'un)

Ref fuel consumption, yes they do drink a bit like oliver reed on a bender if you hoof it, but if ya jeep is a petrol I would say its not much worse overall.


Also an off the wall non Audi sugestion for ya- Subaru Legacy Turbo, great cars a lot lot lot cheaper than an S4, leauges above scoobydoo impretzels in terms on interior trim, bags of room (estate) & dead reliable and as a bonus shite on fuel too mine was the older single turbo jobbie & only had the 200bhp as standard, but chipped it flew & would be in the S4 area perfomance wise coz its a fair bit lighter.

If it were my cash id get the Subaru & spend the extra on running the Tuscan mate

ps you bringing the Tuscan to Brunters on Sunday for a laugh??

[jeremyc]

iguana said:

Also consider an RS2 mate they are great & IMHO the most fun S or RS Audi- yes they are older & its difficult to find one thats not a heap, but they a good one is fab- you will have to ask Jeremy what it tows like

Tows fantastically, but the max. towing capacity is 1700Kg which might be marginal for your lardy Tuscan and luxury trailer.

Nothing better than beating others off the line in the traffic light grand prix with the Caterham on the trailer behind.

>> Edited by jeremyc on Thursday 9th October 20:27

[griff2be]

iguana said:

ps you bringing the Tuscan to Brunters on Sunday for a laugh??

Would have loved to my lizardy friend. I was trying to arrange a go in No6 for my sponsor and Brunters would have been ideal

But unfortunately the tall moustachioed chap from Blackpool wants his engine back, and although I could take the floor out and pedal a la Flinstones, I think not

Thanks for the top tips by the way. Had a Pretzel in the past and liked it. Did think about Legacy. The trouble is you know what a tart I am and no laydee is going to say 'hmm, nice Legacy'.

The Uberwagon on the other hand, particularly if I install a baby seat in the back, will clearly demonstrate my racing drivers virility

Er, not

I just quite fancied the idea of the S4. I prefer the RS4 naturally, but as always a shekel shortage prevails....

[griff2be]

jeremyc said:

Tows fantastically, but the max. towing capacity is 1700Kg which might be marginal for your lardy Tuscan and luxury trailer. >> Edited by jeremyc on Thursday 9th October 20:27

Are you saying my bum looks big in that Tuscan?

My svelte T car weighs in at 850kg avec fluids. And my trailer is the last word in automotive minimalism.....

[viper paul]

Used to tow with my S4 it tows greeeeeeat.

Audi bar is the business and can be aftermarket fitted but it is about £600.00 plus fitting.

RS4's however due to the body kit cannot have a tow bar, neither can the new S4 which has the same trouble.

[Northernboy]

griff2be said:

Hmm. Not too encouraging then! I doubt the chassis (i.e. monocoque) would suffer much, but the clutch, brakes and possibly transmission might - although we are talking a light trailer and a lightish race car here, not a huge horse box and two nags. Audi quote a towing capacity of 1800kg which is more than enough for my needs. And its not like I would be hammering it up and down the country every weekend with a laden trailer - maybe 15 times a year. Take your point about resale value though. Presumably the tow bar fitting issue is the same for any A4 Avant quattro?

I doubt the clutch and transmission are really going to notice the difference. Rememberr, this is quite a big heavy car that canb do 0-60 in 5.5 seconds. A light trailer, driven sensibly will mean the car is less stressed than the unladen car being driven hard.

I loved my S4 (until it was stolen to order), but it definitely wasn't a particularly fine handling thing. It was very fast, surefooted, and refined, but didn't really offer the sort of feedback that you get from a well sorted saloon chassis.

The mileage concern is a pretty valid one. I never got much over 20mpg in normal use, A trailer will probably hammer that.

[Guy Humpage]

I've seen an RS4 being used as a towcar, so it can be done. Although the owner in question is a fairly well known WRC nav/team boss/etc. so it might have been a bit special.

[fat arnie]

I have an MTM tuned S4 which I have used for towing a Caterham on a BJ trailer. You really do not notice the trailer is there.

I have the £600 remobable Audi towbar and its a neat price of kit with no cutting of the rear bumper.

[heightswitch]

I towed with an A4 2.8 30v quattro. the towbar only cost me £200 fitted with a very small nick out of the bumper. It tends to sag at the back though if you are pulling any weight.

buy a Land rover or Sierra 4x4 ghia estate with self levelling rear suspension, the best tow vehicles I have ever owned.

Neil.

[griff2be]

heightswitch said:

I towed with an A4 2.8 30v quattro. the towbar only cost me £200 fitted with a very small nick out of the bumper. It tends to sag at the back though if you are pulling any weight. buy a Land rover or Sierra 4x4 ghia estate with self levelling rear suspension, the best tow vehicles I have ever owned. Neil.

I already have a Jeep Cherokee - and whilst its fine for towing, it really is as dull as sh1t to drive the other 99% of the time. The idea of the Audi was to up the enjoyment of the 99% whilst maintaining the ability to do the 1%

[heightswitch]

It was the opposite in my case. I bought a Nogaro Blue S4 Avant which my wife promptly took from me. She then wouldn't allow me to fit a Towbar to it so I had to buy a Land Rover.

I would look into self leveling dampers in the rear on the S4 if you want to tow regularly

Neil.