I've had my 2001 Nogaro Blue S4 Avant for close to 2 years and its been a great car...fast! When I bought it - it was already been modded - APR chip, big honking Apexi cat-back exhaust, custom air intake (forgot which one - not K&N), lowered with H & R coilovers, 19" OZ Superleggara wheels with Toyo Proxis tires.....its a nice ride. Only thiing I've done is put Forge diverter valves in and buy new wheels - a winter set -17" with Vredstein tires (highly recommended) and new RS4 replica 19"s. The Supperleggaras looked great and were light etc - but not a street wheel IMO. I went through about 3 of them when I decided no more. Very happy with the RS4 wheels - (riding on Yoko AVS sports) - even though they are noticibly heavier then the Supperlegaras. Over all the S4 Avant is a very very sweet ride - love the all weather power and the somewhat stealth charcterisitcs. Recently just picked up (in Germany) a BMW 330 (ZHP) - Performance Package - sedan - also a very sweet ride - though not as quick as the Audi. While I still prefer the Audi (its close though) - my wife really loves the BMW - it is a bit smoother ride for one...anyway - I've only recently discovered this forum and I joined up right away. Some of the other S4 forums are a bit over technical for me - I mostly a driver - though love the mods. I've been active in some of the BMW forums in the past few months (under the same moniker). I'll have a number of questions and issues to discuss in the comming days/weeks/months etc (like advice on short shifters and related...)- but just wanted to introduce myself. Hope I'll be able to contribute.

 

welcome Roadhawk! this is a great site, for all kinds of questions. congrats on the new BMW!

 

Welcome to the forum Roadhawk!

This is a great site. We keep the dialogue friendly and the attitude positive. The info is well received by all and we are here to help anyone with questions about their Audi or related subjects. It is a great site to find camaraderie with other "Audiphiles", too. I hope you find it to your liking.

If you're not familiar with this forum and the vocabulary, please click HERE or you can, at any time, go to the "New Member Welcome Area" forum and click on the "START HERE!" post at the top of the forum. There you will find a forum vocab list, an Audi forum terminology list and an Audi lexicon list. They should be very helpful to you if you're not familiar with the jargon.

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Sounds like a great buy! Good luck with it.
Your wife is lucky, too!
Consider Neuspeed, Tanoga, and V&S shortshifters. Each have their merits (% of reduction and inches of drop) and all are very well made with loyal customers.

 

Welcome to the forums! Hope you like it here. Great site and a lot of Audi knowledge on these boards.

 

Thanks for the welcome. Yeah - looks like the site for me. Funny how I just came accross it...I was looking/searching for S4 Avant toy/model cars - found nothing satisfactory on this - but did finnd this site...anyone know of anything available for S4 Avant scale models? I supose there is another subforum where this question best fits...(BTW I did come accross some A4 Avant models...may have to do...)

I've been involved in some of the Volvo & Audi forums since last Spring when we were considering a car to pick up in Europe (sadly Audi no longer has a program - but I've heard they may reinstate one sometime in the next few years). My first post on a BMW forum was - so if I buy and drive a BMW will I have to change my slogan - "no BMW shall pass!" - got a somewhat cool reaction to that one. Anyway I have certainly come to appreciate the BMW - a truly great drivers car. I still prefer the S4 though. There is much similar and much different with each...in the end I love the "wagon"...the Quattro AWD (and if Volvo would have had their new S40t5 with AWD and a stick available this summer it likely would have been our new car)...and most of all - of course - I love that torquey turbo push!

I do feel that I am in desperate need of a shifter upgrade however. The current one has way too much slop IMO (and the BMW factory short shift is much superior - convincing me that I could do better in the Audi). I want tight throws with no slush...the local performance shop (Curries here in N. Viginia) as well as a local S4 driver both recommend the UUC hands down. I really don't know the difference - if there is much (I am somewhat familiar with differences in reductin & throws & such)...but don't know any specifics. So any advice here (links to prior discussions etc) would be a help. I suppose I should figure how to do a search eh?

 

Unfortunately the short shifter isn't one of my strong suits. I don't have one myself and haven't researched it like I have other topics. As for the search, at the bottom of the page there is a box that says "search term". Just search for short shifter and you should find our previous threads on the topic. I've never owned a Bimmer, what do you think is similar and what do you think is superior on each vehicle?

 

Doose - I just did the search - unfortunatly not much specifics - only some talk about the V&S...so perhaps this thread may elicit some responses...

BMW versus Audi - I could go on and on...its certainly been in my thoughts of late - we just had the BMW redelivered to us in the states a few weeks ao and I've been doing a lot of back to back driving and such. So for now the short version - both cars are roughly the same size and have very similar controls (and control logic)...I prefer the guages on the Aud but some of the controls and control layout on the BMW. BMW has an all windows down on the keyfob that my Audi doesn't...Audi window controls on the door handles are grouped together and easier to raise/lower more then one window at a time - BMW has window controls around shifter. etc Quality and fit and finish seem comparable. I love both interiors - have alcantra in each! BMW - with 50-50 weight balance is a bit more easily tossable and easier to drive in many ways - it also is deceptively fast - and both likes to go fast and you feel as if your going much slower. Audi has these characteristics somewhat - but I would say less so. S4 is quicker - seemingly by a lot - but I suspect much is also the turbo sensation. Love the torquein the Audi. BMW is not bad - but it loves & needs the revs - engine is smooth and sounds great. Audi sounds great too - Turbo vacume suction and nice growel from my Aexi exhaust. Obviuosly AWD and RWD have different driving characteristics - both superior to FWD IMO (in every way). Love the AWD and the way the S4 feels like its riding rails in cornering - though sometimes a bit nose heavy. BMW is suprmely balanced and I realized I've missed the fun one can have with a nice RWD car. Again I could go on and on and on...love them both. Perhaps I will chart it all out one day and rate each...Both fine German cars.

 

Now that I think about it I think the thread I'm thinking of started out as a different topic. So it may not be turning up on the search. I'll try and find it here in a sec. Great review on the two cars. It's been so long since I've driven a RWD car, I think it'd take me a while to get my chops back. IMO, once you drive a Quattro, most don't want to drive anything else. At least for me. I have not done any suspension work on my A4, yet. I feel like I know exactly how my A4 will react when I'm driving it. There is most certainly a comfort and familiarity factor that comes with learning every inch of the car you drive. My other comparison vehicle is a 2001 Montana van. lol. What a great gig, being able to decide each morning which car to take. I think even if I did have the option, I'd probably drive one the majority. Which ever car fit most closely my driving style. This thread has a really interesting start. Hope it continues.

 

I should add that one reason I love my S4 Avant is that it is a very unique auto (and it just kicks *** so!). Both cars look sharp (and drive great) - and I get appreciative comments with both of them - and the ZHP (performance package) gives the Bimmer a very nice look - its lowered with some nice body molding etc - and 18" M style wheels with Pilot Sports that are very nice. Both are very tight with little body roll - and I love the balance in the BMW - it is supreme there. Tough choice - and the Bimmer is a brand new car - and thats alwasy nice...but I'm still finding that I prefer the Audi (my wife feels the opposite way - but also likes both). The ride on the BMW is also more compliant though it has slightly better road feel at the same time - amazing how BMW does that... The BMW also gets better gas milage (noticably) and the plan was that I would be driving it to work as my commute is much longer - also would save wear and tear on the Audi (which is at 52K miles...just out of warrenty - it had less then 20K when i bought it less then 2 years ago!). (BMW has only about 2K so far - and the engine is still breaking in/loosening up). But so far the wife has been driving the Bimmer in to work every day except for the first week we had it...she's in no hurry to give it up...and I'm in no hurry to give up the Audi!

 

Yeah - and its funy with all the torque the S4 has in effect made me a bit lazy - fun to have to rev the Bimmer to get the most our of it. Still I tend to drive both cars hard. I do find the BMW to be easier to drive. It feels lighter (and I suppose it is - a bit) and again that balance...and RWD is great fun as well (S4 was my first experience with AWD and I'm convinced...the things I ca do in wet & snow!!! I have been expounding on this in a thread over on Bimmerfest and I will not give an inch to those who are claiming that the M3 (& RWD n general) are better in the wet...its just not possible IMO...