RE: Audi S4 Avant: Review

RE: Audi S4 Avant: Review

Author
Discussion

silentbrown

8,793 posts

115 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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deepvolleymaster said:
335 d xdrive for 10k less, its a no brainer!
Except they're only a couple of K less. List price 335d : £43K, S4 £45K.

Massive discounts available on both, of course.

No idea on B9 S4 tuning, but B8 S4 with stage 2 tune + supercharger pulley is around 480BHP.

http://audisrs.com/archive/mrc-s4-b8-stage-2-power...o_tt_40085.html

TomScrut

2,546 posts

87 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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GTEYE said:
Maybe its me, but the "S model" Audis seem to have lost their appeal these days . They do seem to be a bit between a rock and a hard place...too similar in looks to the TDi S-Lines and forever living in the shadows of the RS models...

I'm sure they have their place, but I'd much rather have the afore-mentioned 335d Touring which has just as much real world power, better economy and MUCH better value.

IMHO anyway.
I agree they don't do enough to make them look better than S lines, but then BMW don't even differentiate spec on their better models (apart from the Ms* of course). A 340i looks the same as a 320d (apart from exhausts) doesn't it?

In the case of the BMW 3/4 series I would think it would line up better with the Audi S4/5 and Merc C43 if they did an MX40i/MX35xd which came with the M Sport plus as standard and a few other bits of kit not available on lower models to make it slightly more special than a normal M Sport, and don't offer them engines in M Sport. Note I say line up better, not that it would be a better thing for them to do.

Merc are the only one of the three that do a decent job of making the middle of the road performance car look better than the standard car. A C43 looks more like a C63 than it does a normal C class IMO.

The S series are a token gesture to the A series I think, as there seems to be an RS in everything nowadays it lacks the importance or aspirational value of days gone by. If the S4/S5 had had 400hp rather than 350hp it would probably do a lot better sales wise, and as the RS4/5 will probably have 500ish hp then its still a big jump to the RS, but enough poke more than a diesel rival such as the X35xd to give better justification to the economy. The performance difference from the best A4 diesel is probably already justified given if you make the specs equal the prices are pretty similar and the S4 has far nicer (IMO) seats that arent available on the S line and (slightly) better brakes. Its only the fuel economy that is the downer and that is something that varies from person to person. If they had put the TT RS engine in it so it was like a hark back to the RS2 it would have been a goo marketing gimmick and people would have bought it for the engine.

I think it is really a case of the manufacturers attempting to make the more popular models look more like the models that are aspirational products. Look at all the Mercs nowadays with the double bumps on the bonnets, something that was more or less exclusive to the AMGs a few years ago.

  • by Ms I mean both proper "MX" models and the mid-way "MXXX" models.

dinkel

26,886 posts

257 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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The new Avant is a wonderful car. I prefer the 2 litre diesel which is quick enough.

Carl_Manchester

12,103 posts

261 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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Grantstown said:
When you can get hold of a 335d
PH Classic.

Does it have to be chipped? smile

Tomatogti

362 posts

168 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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This isn't comparable to a golf r estate. The S4 is the next class size up. It's like comparing it to an s6. We've got the b8 s4 avant (also in red) and an M135. M135 is way more fun to drive though both cars have numb steering. S4 is more of a wafter. It's a great family car with a decent turn of speed. If you're comparing to a hatchback estate then you haven't yet decided what car you want.

Edited by Tomatogti on Tuesday 7th February 20:29

moonigan

2,127 posts

240 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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deepvolleymaster said:
335 d xdrive for 10k less, its a no brainer!

Go to DMS Automotive and get the map changed to 395BHP 798NM of torque for £950

0-60 3.7 seconds, Top speed 188mph, 35mpg average. 45mpg on Mways at anything below 100mph

Go to Birds UK and get the exhaust, suspension and brakes done for £3800, if not all of that just the suspension and you will have a car that will easily keep up with an M3/M4 and is much more driveable. The suspension makes a very big difference to how the car absorbs bumps and holes and easily copes with extra power.

There are a couple of M4 drivers around here who just gawp as you go past!

I have one and its fantastic
Does all that money stop it from sounding like a tractor and blowing black smoke out the back.

(steven)

446 posts

213 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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A quick look on broadspeed (other brokers are available) shows you can have a BMW 340 discounted to about £33K where as S4 will be more like £41k (and that is before you've speced the options to make it drive properly).

Based on those figures, you would be mental to get the S4 over the BMW.

Grantstown

Original Poster:

952 posts

86 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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It sounds like I'm not completely wrong then (maybe partially!). I wasn't intending this to be a diesel v petrol debate but more a 300+bhp 4wd heavy road car with a turbo power delivery one. I've got a 435d and my wife a 330d. They're both effective but a bit dull, good for what we need them for.
I'd be interested to hear from anyone who shells out for one of these new S4s.

Onehp

1,617 posts

282 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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moonigan said:
Does all that money stop it from sounding like a tractor and blowing black smoke out the back.
An M5 V10 sounds like a tractor. And diesels haven't been smoking for almost ten years but hey, who's paying attention anyway...

Oh chipped 335d, PH classic. Golf R estate, the new classic. Class down from an S4? Not if you look at the boot, it's 100l bigger. Want performance? Stage 2 will give 400hp/500Nm for 2k in a car 200kg lighter than the S4 and 335dX, the latter needs torque because it can't rev to 7000... and it will do 35mpg on the highway, 40 if taking it easy.

I *don't* have one.

Just buy the car you like best after trying them all. Over and out smile

damienm

12 posts

191 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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Just buy the car you like best after trying them all. Over and out smile
[/quote]

Quote of the day right there

Edited by damienm on Tuesday 7th February 22:15

MaxSo

1,910 posts

94 months

Tuesday 7th February 2017
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nunpuncher said:
I went from a mk7 Golf R to a Cupra 290. If Seat hadn't called it a 290 I would have swore it had more ponies than the Golf. Once you eventually get the thing moving it feels a fair bit more urgent.

Drivetrain losses ?

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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urquattroGus said:
Also a bit fed up of reading about twin scroll turbo's. So what. Can't deny the benefits sounds more fancy than it is. Do most journalists undertand what it actually means?
Yes.

Thanks,

Dan

TomScrut

2,546 posts

87 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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MaxSo said:
nunpuncher said:
I went from a mk7 Golf R to a Cupra 290. If Seat hadn't called it a 290 I would have swore it had more ponies than the Golf. Once you eventually get the thing moving it feels a fair bit more urgent.

Drivetrain losses ?
Don't think a Haldex system loses very much at all does it? Once the car has traction it's effectively 2WD

Onehp

1,617 posts

282 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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TomScrut said:
Don't think a Haldex system loses very much at all does it? Once the car has traction it's effectively 2WD
Not really, on acceleration the gen V haldex will pre-emptively (partly) lock up. So some drivetrain loss. But mostly because the Cupra ST is lighter by approx 100kg. Some say it even has the same sw as the Golf and that 290 is pure marketing. Unless you need blistering standing start getaways, the Cupra is the one that feels more alive.

QTNC

8 posts

85 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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Wondering if you (PH) tried an S4 with the new Dynamic Steering option?

Appreciate Audi's DS had awful reviews on previous models, but I tested the new S4 with and without Dynamic Steering, and found the car with it to have far better responsiveness and even that missing connection to the road thats evaded most Audi's I've driven. Both cars has the sports diff and adaptive damping.

Disclosure - I tested the 340i Touring, 335d Touring and C43 AMG.

Found the Audi to be the best all rounder (Touring whilst great and good value is at the end of life and the Merc had too many niggles) . I ordered the S4, with Dynamic Steering, Sports Diff and Adaptive Damping. With all the other extra's on the list it was £55k (about the same as the C43), though got a pretty chunky discount (far better then Merc and better APR).


TomScrut

2,546 posts

87 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
quotequote all
QTNC said:
Wondering if you (PH) tried an S4 with the new Dynamic Steering option?

Appreciate Audi's DS had awful reviews on previous models, but I tested the new S4 with and without Dynamic Steering, and found the car with it to have far better responsiveness and even that missing connection to the road thats evaded most Audi's I've driven. Both cars has the sports diff and adaptive damping.

Disclosure - I tested the 340i Touring, 335d Touring and C43 AMG.

Found the Audi to be the best all rounder (Touring whilst great and good value is at the end of life and the Merc had too many niggles) . I ordered the S4, with Dynamic Steering, Sports Diff and Adaptive Damping. With all the other extra's on the list it was £55k (about the same as the C43), though got a pretty chunky discount (far better then Merc and better APR).
Nice, what colour have you gone for? If there had been a comparable lease deal for an S4 avant at the time I ordered my S5 I would have given it some strong consideration.

I aren't sure I would want that Merc interior, and at least the Audi screen look built in rather than a cheap iPad knockoff on a stork. Does annoy me that the Audi's isn't retractable though, not sure what use it is when virtual cockpit is specced?

Dale487

1,334 posts

122 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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Tomatogti said:
This isn't comparable to a golf r estate. The S4 is the next class size up. It's like comparing it to an s6. We've got the b8 s4 avant (also in red) and an M135. M135 is way more fun to drive though both cars have numb steering. S4 is more of a wafter. It's a great family car with a decent turn of speed. If you're comparing to a hatchback estate then you haven't yet decided what car you want.

Edited by Tomatogti on Tuesday 7th February 20:29
The A4 Avant may be from the class above the Golf estate but both the Golf & Leon ST have larger boots than the Audi - I know classes of car are judged on more than boot space but 100 litres of boot space is significant.

The S4 strikes me as a why bother car; want a performance A4 wait for the RS4, more engaging sporting estates are available for less money (Golf R & Leon Cupra with or without all wheel drive & a manual option but not together) or just buy a high spec A4 diesel auto.

TomScrut

2,546 posts

87 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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Dale487 said:
want a performance A4 wait for the RS4
The RS4 will be at least 25% dearer? Why not just buy a new RS6 so that it has a bigger boot than the Golf? (Note that last question is tongue in cheek)

Edited by TomScrut on Wednesday 8th February 10:38

Bryans69

248 posts

131 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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TomScrut said:
The RS4 will be at least 25% dearer? Why not just buy a new RS6 so that it has a bigger boot than the Golf?
Because the boot on an RS6 is still smaller than the Golf's? (I guess the Gold must be Tardis like to actually achieve that)

TomScrut

2,546 posts

87 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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Bryans69 said:
Because the boot on an RS6 is still smaller than the Golf's? (I guess the Gold must be Tardis like to actually achieve that)
Really? Wow! I suppose it is quite boxy compared to the sloping shape of the avants.