S6 to S4

[Rockwoodfarm]

I took delivery on a 2006 S4 Avant two weeks ago. It is a replacement for my 2003 S6 Avant. I can not believe the difference. This new car is very different. Much tighter, much more alive and it has a great sound. I hadn't had spent much time doing test drives before I took delivery, and the first 500 miles have been very revealing. Has anyone else made the transition from S6 to S4?

[rheudabaga]

tell us more. i'm looking to go from an 02 S6 Avant to an RS4 sedan. worried about losing all the space, but the wife will have a bigger car now and the performance increase will hopefully make it a worthwhile switch.

[Rockwoodfarm]

I had thought about waiting for the RS4 but decided that as an everyday driver the S4 was really enough car and that the RS might be too much. I was concerned about the size reduction fro the S6 to the S4 but there really aren't any other Avant options worth considerig so I went for it. The most notable differences seem to be in the suspension design. The car is lower, and from the handling characteristics must have stiffer springs prehaps larger anti-roll bars. Cornering is much flatter. I thought that the S6 was pretty accurate but it feels like awhale compared to the S4. The new Recarro seat are much more supportive. In fact so much so that my wife is already complaining. Finally I didn't think that they made any mods to the engine but the throttle reponse seems improved. That's my $.02 for what it's worth. I'm not too knowledgable about this stuff, I just like to drive.

[rheudabaga]

You were in the same boat that I'm in now (no pun intended).

I KNOW that the S4 is enough car for me performance-wise (I've test driven the sedan and rented the convertable in LA a couple of times), but if the RS4 is only incrementally more expensive (not sure what that threshold is yet) then I'm a enough of a nut to step up to that. My S6 lease runs till next July, when the RS4 should arrive (hopefully).

I too found my S6 to feel like a whale after driving the S4, but once the comparison-effect wears off, it is still a very amazing package when you consider the performance you get for the utility it provides.

We do cart a lot of stuff around (two small kids), but we'll be looking to my wife's future car as the hauler. 90% of the time when I drive my car it's just me or one other person.

At the end of the day, it does come down to price though. If they put the RS4 up in the stratasphere, then the S4 becomes the more 'sensible' choice...unless they bring the next generation S6 Avant.

Glad you're enjoying your S4. So the loss in space hasn't been that big of a deal for you?

[Rockwoodfarm]

The lease on my S6 came up in August and in spite of the fact that I went into the dealer 3 months in advance to order the S4 they still didn't get me the exact car I wanted. In thr end I settled for something very close and got the first 2006 to be delivered here. It's got the new BBS wheels, which are a cool touch and I'm getting used to the electronics (MMI). The size hasn't proven to be a problem as we have a Tahoe for hauling horse trailers and so if we really need space we use that. On the other hand my kids are teenagers learning to drive and the S6 was a bit more forgiving for the inexperienced driver.
I toyed with extending my lease and waiting for the RS4 but I really like the utility of the wagon and its "stealth" quality is very appealing. I'll admit to being a bit spoiled as I've also got a 97 C4S Porsche so when the intention is driving I take that one out. Good luck with finding the right one, S4 OR RS you really can't go wrong. I put 60k problem free miles on my S6 in three years, how's yours holding up?

[rheudabaga]

Ah, you have a recreational vehicle? Not fair! That's probably why I'm leaning towards the RS4.

Do your teenagers sit in the backseat often in your S4?

I also love the stealth quality and general schwagg of a wagon, but America in general doesn't seem to share our love. Audi seems to be backing away from bringing any high performance wagons here, beyond the S4. I think the RS4 still has a bit of that stealth factor.

Our S6 has been trouble free. I don't have to drive to work, so in 3 years I've only put 25k on it (!).

[RS4Ever]

Originally posted by rheudabaga
Ah, you have a recreational vehicle? Not fair! That's probably why I'm leaning towards the RS4.

Do your teenagers sit in the backseat often in your S4?

I also love the stealth quality and general schwagg of a wagon, but America in general doesn't seem to share our love. Audi seems to be backing away from bringing any high performance wagons here, beyond the S4. I think the RS4 still has a bit of that stealth factor.

Our S6 has been trouble free. I don't have to drive to work, so in 3 years I've only put 25k on it (!).

heh.. read a thread on Audiworld that someone brought up about an S4 avant MT B7 against some other wagons and [the jounalist] called it slow near the US version of and avant - the ugly magnum srt something that looks like a hearse :rolleyes: .

they got 5.6 for the S4
and like 5.1-.2 for the SRT

i think review was by car and driver :vhmmm:

[RS4Ever]

Originally posted by RS4Ever
heh.. read a thread on Audiworld that someone brought up about an S4 avant MT B7 against some other wagons and [the jounalist] called it slow near the US version of and avant - the ugly magnum srt something that looks like a hearse :rolleyes: .

they got 5.6 for the S4
and like 5.1-.2 for the SRT

i think review was by car and driver :vhmmm:


i initially thought it was car and driver however its road and track who did the review.