As the title reads I’m thinking about adding a new (2011 or 2012) A4 S-type or an S4 to the garage as the GF’s daily driver. Originally I liked the C350 loaded up which is only $300 more than the A4 S-type in Alberta right now, but the GF likes the sportier Audi and I can’t blame her. It looks like the A4 S-type loaded vs. S4 loaded cost difference is about 10k here and I think for the money it may be worth the difference to get into the S. (if your spending 60, might as well spend 70 right?) Of course the financing is 1.9% vs. 4.4% but that’s another topic and we would likely be eligible for a better rate on the S from a bank anyways.

My main question is, how bad is a stock S4 on gas? It would be used as a daily driver and a highway car (to and from the ski hills) as my Jeep is definitely not a great highway mileage vehicle. I realize the S4 vs the A4 will be significantly more fuel consumption, but are they reasonable highway cruisers? (I have read they can be thirsty)
I would likely keep the S in stock tune / pulley trim unless playing at the track, so modifications should not be considered to the S. The A4 S-type though I would likely add at least a mild tune to get her up to reasonable power levels on a daily basis.

Any other comments welcome. I know very little about these cars and am here to learn. Thanks in advance.

 

The S4 is a monster, no doubt about it - and a much different beast than the A4 S-line. You really need to test drive both of them.

The new supercharged V6 should be a bit more gentle on fuel consumption than the V8 is. I drive a V8 S4 and I got my foot in it all the time, I average 14.5 mpg and I still don't regret my purchase. I raced a Maserati Quattroporte on my way back from dinner the other night and it was a dead even race all the way up to 140....

My personal opinion would be the S4, Audi's are pretty refined cars and are therefore pretty girlfriend-friendly. Mine has no problem driving it. The M3 we test drove before this purchase was a handful for her. The resale will be better in the S4, but not good enough to offset the additional fuel cost for the term of ownership - unless you own it for 10 years and are absolutely meticulous in it's care.

They ride a bit rougher, they are significantly faster, they drink tons more and they are way more fun to drive. I actually like the supercharged V6, I think it's a good idea for Audi to go back to the forced induction. The consensus at my local Audi dealer is that they like it, it feels the same (power-wise) but they miss the V8 grumble.

Do yourself a favor and test drive a CPO V8 S4 (or RS4) first, just so you know why all the V8 guys are smiling every morning when they start it.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

Thanks for the feedback toitle. We definitely need to drive the S4 before making any decisions. The V8 grumble part I have heard as well from dealers and others that have bought a new S5 just for that reason alone over the S4. I know what you mean coming from two 6.1 liter SRT8’s (both modded).

 

Well, nothing grumbles quite like that =]

 

See next posting from eastbaypix. I accidently submitted it twice when I edited it. Sorry

 

My wife and I loved the V8 rumble when we began looking for an A6 4.2 Quattro for our snow trips. Then we test drove the S4, awesome. We finally came to our senses and decided upon an A6 3.2 Quattro since my wife would be the primary daily driver. Have you considered the A4, none S-Line? It is a smoother ride, gets better gas mileage than the S4, it's suprisingly fast on the highway compared to the average sedan, insurance is cheaper, and it will be more reliable since there would be less temptation to drive it hard. This would give you the best of both worlds, a comfortable luxury sedan and your "manly" Hemi. I have no regrets getting the non S-Line Audi A6 Quattro.

For my wife and I, the tradeoff with having a car that is maybe 1/2s faster and handles slightly better, is not worth the extra money. We use our recently purchased 2006 Audi A6 3.2 Quattro for long trips, given the compfortable and quiet ride, and nearly 30 mpg on the highway. On the flip side I use my 2005 BMW M3 for my "thrill rides" so to speak, and track days.