Any B9 S4 owners on PH yet?
Discussion
Another bump for this thread...
Has anyone taken possession of a diesel S4 yet? I’ve seen a few reviews on YouTube and seemingly the economy is no better than the previous petrol version. I’m keeping an eye on used prices of the petrol version but can’t justify changing from my A6 at the moment.
What’s the views on the latest incarnation?
Has anyone taken possession of a diesel S4 yet? I’ve seen a few reviews on YouTube and seemingly the economy is no better than the previous petrol version. I’m keeping an eye on used prices of the petrol version but can’t justify changing from my A6 at the moment.
What’s the views on the latest incarnation?
For those that went from a B8 S4 to the B9 S4, both with standard fixed dampers, did you find the ride in the B9 better or worse from a comfort perspective?
As an overall compromise I think the fixed dampers on the B8 S4 do a reasonable job, but are most notably lacking in the comfort dept. For that reason I promised myself my next Audi would have adaptive dampers (so I can use comfort for around town/family trips etc).
However including adaptive dampers on my not so short list of must have options is hindering my search for a used B9 S4 Avant.
Interested to hear from those that did spec adaptive dampers (probably none of the lease deal peeps) or those that didn't and wished they did.
As an overall compromise I think the fixed dampers on the B8 S4 do a reasonable job, but are most notably lacking in the comfort dept. For that reason I promised myself my next Audi would have adaptive dampers (so I can use comfort for around town/family trips etc).
However including adaptive dampers on my not so short list of must have options is hindering my search for a used B9 S4 Avant.
Interested to hear from those that did spec adaptive dampers (probably none of the lease deal peeps) or those that didn't and wished they did.
GrahamC230K said:
For those that went from a B8 S4 to the B9 S4, both with standard fixed dampers, did you find the ride in the B9 better or worse from a comfort perspective?
As an overall compromise I think the fixed dampers on the B8 S4 do a reasonable job, but are most notably lacking in the comfort dept. For that reason I promised myself my next Audi would have adaptive dampers (so I can use comfort for around town/family trips etc).
However including adaptive dampers on my not so short list of must have options is hindering my search for a used B9 S4 Avant.
Interested to hear from those that did spec adaptive dampers (probably none of the lease deal peeps) or those that didn't and wished they did.
I had a B9 for 2 years and would say the B9 is a big step up. I didn’t have a B8 before but drove my mate’s one a few times on long trips to Santa Pod.As an overall compromise I think the fixed dampers on the B8 S4 do a reasonable job, but are most notably lacking in the comfort dept. For that reason I promised myself my next Audi would have adaptive dampers (so I can use comfort for around town/family trips etc).
However including adaptive dampers on my not so short list of must have options is hindering my search for a used B9 S4 Avant.
Interested to hear from those that did spec adaptive dampers (probably none of the lease deal peeps) or those that didn't and wished they did.
I found the comfort level in the B9 very good without adaptive suspension. The seats have excellent electronic adjustment as standard, which obviously helps.
On the contrary, the suspension wasn’t really firm enough for hard driving, in my opinion. If you were to track one, I’d imagine it would be pretty poor and quite ‘wallowy’ (happy to be corrected though).
Overall, for typical use, I found the way they were set to be a happy medium.
Obviously a test drive with and without is a must to determine whether you really want it.
Lots of lease cars going back at the moment and working their way through auction, so keep looking.
This will come down to personal preference (and pain threshold). Unlike roadsmash, I found the B9 on standard dampers atrocious. They were the single biggest thing that let the car down: nasty, cheap and hard. I winced every time I drove over manhole covers and minor potholes. For that reason alone, I decided not to buy the car at the end of my lease. A family wagon should be capable of dealing with a wide spectrum of road surfaces, not just billiard smooth.
I'm afraid I don't know how they compare to the B8. But if it's any help, AMG's Ride Control (fitted as standard to the C43) is much more bearable about town but slightly on the wallowy side at high speed (pre 2018 facelift, after which I hear they improved it). Ditching the run-flats makes it even better.
The best of the bunch is BMW's 340i (F31) on adaptive dampers. Very impressive all rounder.
ETA: sorry, should also have said the pre-sense was another reason I didn't want to keep the car.
I'm afraid I don't know how they compare to the B8. But if it's any help, AMG's Ride Control (fitted as standard to the C43) is much more bearable about town but slightly on the wallowy side at high speed (pre 2018 facelift, after which I hear they improved it). Ditching the run-flats makes it even better.
The best of the bunch is BMW's 340i (F31) on adaptive dampers. Very impressive all rounder.
ETA: sorry, should also have said the pre-sense was another reason I didn't want to keep the car.
Edited by Harris_I on Tuesday 4th August 16:19
Harris_I said:
This will come down to personal preference (and pain threshold). Unlike roadsmash, I found the B9 on standard dampers atrocious. They were the single biggest thing that let the car down: nasty, cheap and hard. I winced every time I drove over manhole covers and minor potholes. For that reason alone, I decided not to buy the car at the end of my lease. A family wagon should be capable of dealing with a wide spectrum of road surfaces, not just billiard smooth.
Have you had a lot of cars in this class before? I ask as I test drove a b9 S4 Avant at the weekend and thought the ride was amazing, however it may be due to my (rather limited) car history. Currently and S2K and an R-Design V40, previously owned a Civic Type S, Mazda 3 sport and a 106. The S4 was my first drive in a more grown up car, I loved its relaxed comfy nature with the power when i wanted it. If they had offered a little more for my S2k I would have put the deposit down there and then. Instead I am going to sell mine privately and keep an eye out for a car with the cockpit, sunroof and stereo.
Decisions decisions.....
I've got a £25-30k sized bit of cash for my next car. Currently in a Golf R estate. It's a fabulous car, and tbh I'm an idiot for wanting to move onto something else but I don't need to explain that to anyone here do i.....
I really want an RS4, but I'm also trying to be somewhat practical because I like to put a lot of miles on road trips and from what I can see, 25mpg is about your lot on a 4.2 V8. Also the misses does a fair bit of commuting in the car and I can see the RS4 just being that much more expensive to maintain over time.
Whereas the B9 S4 I've seen loads of reports that it will do 30mph comfortably (so about the same as my Golf R then), or even higher on long cruises.
Plus I'm told a B9 S4 remap will put it in the region of 400bhp anyway. And the B9 will come with loads of electronic goodies and an updated cabin.
I've got a £25-30k sized bit of cash for my next car. Currently in a Golf R estate. It's a fabulous car, and tbh I'm an idiot for wanting to move onto something else but I don't need to explain that to anyone here do i.....
I really want an RS4, but I'm also trying to be somewhat practical because I like to put a lot of miles on road trips and from what I can see, 25mpg is about your lot on a 4.2 V8. Also the misses does a fair bit of commuting in the car and I can see the RS4 just being that much more expensive to maintain over time.
Whereas the B9 S4 I've seen loads of reports that it will do 30mph comfortably (so about the same as my Golf R then), or even higher on long cruises.
Plus I'm told a B9 S4 remap will put it in the region of 400bhp anyway. And the B9 will come with loads of electronic goodies and an updated cabin.
chris333 said:
BevR said:
Have you had a lot of cars in this class before? I ask as I test drove a b9 S4 Avant at the weekend and thought the ride was amazing, however it may be due to my (rather limited) car history. Currently and S2K and an R-Design V40, previously owned a Civic Type S, Mazda 3 sport and a 106.
I owned an F10 M5 and an S8 immediately before the S4 (plus everything from hot hatches to family estates to track cars over the past 30 years). I currently have a C43 estate which is directly comparable to the S4.The M5 was slightly on the firm side (as one would expect) which translated into a little jitteriness in the secondary ride, but outstanding body control over fast sweeping roads. The S8 is probably the finest all-round suspension I've ever experienced in a car. Brilliantly supple over rough roads and cosseting over a long distance, but very tight on a demanding road. Scarcely believable the car weighed 2 tonnes. Money well spent by the engineers there.
It's early days with the C43, but indications are the primary ride needs tightening up on the most undulating roads but is otherwise comfortable and the body is reasonably well controlled, and the secondary ride would be fine if it were not for the run flats. I have no doubt the ride will be far superior to the Audi when these get replaced.
I'm afraid I view the dampers on the B9 S4 as a win for the finance department. They were only suited to the right kind of fast smooth road. In 90% of daily driving, they were unforgivable for a car of this nature. Seems odd to say it of a car that was otherwise really quite good, but I was glad to get rid. Back to back against my brother's mk7.5 Golf GTi on standard passive dampers shows that VAG are capable of good judgement on this issue, but for me they got it wrong on the S4.
I sometimes think the buying public have come to accept cheap hard dampers = sporty without thinking about the bigger picture. Here's an excellent article from Autocar on the subject of comfort and ride quality:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/smooth...
Harris_I said:
I owned an F10 M5 and an S8 immediately before the S4 (plus everything from hot hatches to family estates to track cars over the past 30 years). I currently have a C43 estate which is directly comparable to the S4.
The M5 was slightly on the firm side (as one would expect) which translated into a little jitteriness in the secondary ride, but outstanding body control over fast sweeping roads. The S8 is probably the finest all-round suspension I've ever experienced in a car. Brilliantly supple over rough roads and cosseting over a long distance, but very tight on a demanding road. Scarcely believable the car weighed 2 tonnes. Money well spent by the engineers there.
It's early days with the C43, but indications are the primary ride needs tightening up on the most undulating roads but is otherwise comfortable and the body is reasonably well controlled, and the secondary ride would be fine if it were not for the run flats. I have no doubt the ride will be far superior to the Audi when these get replaced.
I'm afraid I view the dampers on the B9 S4 as a win for the finance department. They were only suited to the right kind of fast smooth road. In 90% of daily driving, they were unforgivable for a car of this nature. Seems odd to say it of a car that was otherwise really quite good, but I was glad to get rid. Back to back against my brother's mk7.5 Golf GTi on standard passive dampers shows that VAG are capable of good judgement on this issue, but for me they got it wrong on the S4.
I sometimes think the buying public have come to accept cheap hard dampers = sporty without thinking about the bigger picture. Here's an excellent article from Autocar on the subject of comfort and ride quality:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/smooth...
Thanks for the reply, I am going to look at another one this weekend and should hopefully get a little longer to asses the ride (I only left 90 minutes between appointments last weekend and it took about half an hour to get the car). The M5 was slightly on the firm side (as one would expect) which translated into a little jitteriness in the secondary ride, but outstanding body control over fast sweeping roads. The S8 is probably the finest all-round suspension I've ever experienced in a car. Brilliantly supple over rough roads and cosseting over a long distance, but very tight on a demanding road. Scarcely believable the car weighed 2 tonnes. Money well spent by the engineers there.
It's early days with the C43, but indications are the primary ride needs tightening up on the most undulating roads but is otherwise comfortable and the body is reasonably well controlled, and the secondary ride would be fine if it were not for the run flats. I have no doubt the ride will be far superior to the Audi when these get replaced.
I'm afraid I view the dampers on the B9 S4 as a win for the finance department. They were only suited to the right kind of fast smooth road. In 90% of daily driving, they were unforgivable for a car of this nature. Seems odd to say it of a car that was otherwise really quite good, but I was glad to get rid. Back to back against my brother's mk7.5 Golf GTi on standard passive dampers shows that VAG are capable of good judgement on this issue, but for me they got it wrong on the S4.
I sometimes think the buying public have come to accept cheap hard dampers = sporty without thinking about the bigger picture. Here's an excellent article from Autocar on the subject of comfort and ride quality:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/smooth...
I think our car histories are at nearly opposite ends of the spectrum so I may find it fine simply due to a lack of experience in other cars. Otherwise its back to the drawing board. The other car I test drove was a Volvo S60 Inscription and it did not ride as well as the Audi and the gearbox was really really slow.
very subjective topic of ride comfort. i have gone for an s4 b9 avant over a c43 estate not just because of the better quality cabin but because it rode so well and i felt it superior to the merc. all just opinion though and anyone choosing between these cars will make their own mind up about it.
Nigel, tend to agree with you there (and it does seem to be a rather subjective topic)!. The ride quality of my B9 S4 is significantly better than the 7.5 GTI PP that I had before it. The GTI was just not set up for UK roads, and on my weekly 600-mile round trip the hard ride became rather tiresome! When really pressing on (and on good quality roads) the S4 may benefit from slightly firmer damping, and likely the adaptive chassis control option would give you this.
I've driven several 7.5 GTI's (hire cars for work) running 18's and 19's, (passive dampers) and found them all to have cheap hard sporty dampers similar to how Harris_I describes the setup for the S4. It did improve with extra people / weight in the back of the car. Jumping from the GTI to Alpine or Elise 220, the GTI setup is significantly firmer than the more track focussed (but very well setup) Elise / Alpine.
Back to the S4, it is common for dealers to forget to take out the shipping blocks, so if the ride is poor, this would be my first port of call. The S4 damping / rebound is about right for me, and that's on 19's.
Interesting to hear the views of others (maybe when we're out of lockdown I'll have to try the C43 as a comparison). For point of reference, I'm 26 (but I've had feedback from relatives with bad backs etc when in comparison to my previous cars)
I've driven several 7.5 GTI's (hire cars for work) running 18's and 19's, (passive dampers) and found them all to have cheap hard sporty dampers similar to how Harris_I describes the setup for the S4. It did improve with extra people / weight in the back of the car. Jumping from the GTI to Alpine or Elise 220, the GTI setup is significantly firmer than the more track focussed (but very well setup) Elise / Alpine.
Back to the S4, it is common for dealers to forget to take out the shipping blocks, so if the ride is poor, this would be my first port of call. The S4 damping / rebound is about right for me, and that's on 19's.
Interesting to hear the views of others (maybe when we're out of lockdown I'll have to try the C43 as a comparison). For point of reference, I'm 26 (but I've had feedback from relatives with bad backs etc when in comparison to my previous cars)
Very interesting hearing about everyone's experiences on ride quality C43 vs S4 vs 7.5 GTi, all of which I'm familiar with. Clearly very subjective topic and a good reason why everyone should try the car for themselves.
I'm still on the run flats in my C43 and doing my best to finish them off. Can't wait to try the car on non RFs. Beggars belief that German manufacturers are ruining their cars this way. The only car I've driven on RFs that managed a plush secondary ride with tight bump and rebound was the F30 340i touring with adaptive M-suspension. My guess is without the adaptive dampers it would have felt harsh like every other German car on RFs.
I'm still on the run flats in my C43 and doing my best to finish them off. Can't wait to try the car on non RFs. Beggars belief that German manufacturers are ruining their cars this way. The only car I've driven on RFs that managed a plush secondary ride with tight bump and rebound was the F30 340i touring with adaptive M-suspension. My guess is without the adaptive dampers it would have felt harsh like every other German car on RFs.
Hi I'm considering a b9 S4 Avant. I'm after some advice really what is fuel consumption really like I've read some saying no more than 20 others saying 30 easily. I've started a new job and should be off to see clients but I have no idea how many miles I will be doing it won't be a every day out in it but obviously lockdown currently means I'm not going anywhere so I have no idea how many miles I will be doing.
So is the S4 a sensible ish idea or would a c8 be a better option?
Budget is up to 30k
So is the S4 a sensible ish idea or would a c8 be a better option?
Budget is up to 30k
Harris_I makes some very valid points. Different people like different setups, and I would highly encourage anyone in the market to go and test drive and make their own decisions (appreciate the current covid situation doesn't help with this). Pay attention to wheel sizes / tyres as well as the types of road you will be driving on too. There's good reason why race drivers opt for a different setup than their teammate for the exact same track and car.
Trustmeimadoctor it really does depend on the type of driving you do. On short 5/6 mile runs driving normally and having some fun when safe, I would get low 20's. For similar runs driving like miss Daisy I can get close to 30, but for me this is a rare occurance! Having said that, with the regular long runs, it's common for me to get high 30's, even into the 40's at times (measured rather than the slightly optimistic on board display). I normally set the cruise for 70 however as I value my licence!
For £30K you will get a nice 2018 B9 S4 Avant from a main dealer, but you will have to search to get one with good options. If mpg is a big thing, you might just stretch into a base B9.5 ex demo saloon for £35k (Diesel). With the S8 (D4 gen), for that kind of money, the fuel economy would be a fair bit worse, I'd estimate just getting into the 30's on a long run (driven with a light foot).
Trustmeimadoctor it really does depend on the type of driving you do. On short 5/6 mile runs driving normally and having some fun when safe, I would get low 20's. For similar runs driving like miss Daisy I can get close to 30, but for me this is a rare occurance! Having said that, with the regular long runs, it's common for me to get high 30's, even into the 40's at times (measured rather than the slightly optimistic on board display). I normally set the cruise for 70 however as I value my licence!
For £30K you will get a nice 2018 B9 S4 Avant from a main dealer, but you will have to search to get one with good options. If mpg is a big thing, you might just stretch into a base B9.5 ex demo saloon for £35k (Diesel). With the S8 (D4 gen), for that kind of money, the fuel economy would be a fair bit worse, I'd estimate just getting into the 30's on a long run (driven with a light foot).
Trustmeimadoctor said:
Hi I'm considering a b9 S4 Avant. I'm after some advice really what is fuel consumption really like I've read some saying no more than 20 others saying 30 easily. I've started a new job and should be off to see clients but I have no idea how many miles I will be doing it won't be a every day out in it but obviously lockdown currently means I'm not going anywhere so I have no idea how many miles I will be doing.
So is the S4 a sensible ish idea or would a c8 be a better option?
Budget is up to 30k
So is the S4 a sensible ish idea or would a c8 be a better option?
Budget is up to 30k
Trustmeimadoctor said:
Hi I'm considering a b9 S4 Avant. I'm after some advice really what is fuel consumption really like I've read some saying no more than 20 others saying 30 easily. I've started a new job and should be off to see clients but I have no idea how many miles I will be doing it won't be a every day out in it but obviously lockdown currently means I'm not going anywhere so I have no idea how many miles I will be doing.
So is the S4 a sensible ish idea or would a c8 be a better option?
Budget is up to 30k
My S5 over 28k has averaged 29mpg. Motorway cruising at 75 will see 35mpg. If you get to enjoy the engine then low teens.So is the S4 a sensible ish idea or would a c8 be a better option?
Budget is up to 30k
It's proving really hard choosing a new car as basically I need something with a decent boot 500 litres plus really but then the rest is quite open. Previously when buying a car I've always known a specific car I want and always been a much lower budget this time it feels I can pretty much get anything do the choice is overwhelming.
I started off wanting a 7 series/xj/s class but Mrs decided they were bit too big for her to drive or more so park happily.
Also I'd rather try to minimise how much I loose in depreciation and on that front the S4 seems to do well if I buy at circa 30k at a year old they are still up for 20k at 4years
I started off wanting a 7 series/xj/s class but Mrs decided they were bit too big for her to drive or more so park happily.
Also I'd rather try to minimise how much I loose in depreciation and on that front the S4 seems to do well if I buy at circa 30k at a year old they are still up for 20k at 4years
My S4 in for its 2nd MOT, failed on 2 front shocks leaking after 35k.
What is it with VAG group cars and leaky shocks seem to change them at low miles on every car!
Also advisory for 3 tyres close to limit and discs are getting lipped.
It’s going to be an expensive few months!
What is it with VAG group cars and leaky shocks seem to change them at low miles on every car!
Also advisory for 3 tyres close to limit and discs are getting lipped.
It’s going to be an expensive few months!
Edited by Patch1875 on Saturday 27th March 19:00
Edited by Patch1875 on Saturday 27th March 19:02
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