B6 S4 in action

[quote user="Gary Cundliffe"]Any chance of a mini review?[/quote]

Anything in particular which you want to know?

[quote user="Gary Cundliffe"]Nice to know what the B6 S4 is like in both daily drive mode and also when giving it the beans![/quote]

OK, I'm sure you all know the Audi "ethos" behind the "S" models. They are designed to be a wolf in sheeps clothing, and not sacrifice any of the luxuries of say an SE model. That means fully electric seats, seat memory (option), usual choice of audio and nav equipment. The sporting pretentions are very much "unseen but very capable", if you get my drift, but are not as "hardcore" as Audi RS models.

For daily use, the B6 S4 will be just like any other B6 A4 - supremely well finished, a pleasure to be in the cabin, relatively quite and restrained. You could commute from one end of the country to the other, and still feel as fresh as a daisy. When you do open her up, the V8 communicates its passion very clearly to both the driver/passengers, and those on the outside. Of course it is very fast, but it handles very well indeed, considering the weight of the car. At low speeds on rough roads, the ride can be a little harsh, but it is no worse than similar cars running on 18" alloys, and even on very rough roads, your fillings should still remain intact. The engine itself has torque by the bucket-load, with most of it being available from 1,100rpm. At the other end of the rev range, max power is at 7,000rpm, and isnt afraid of the red line.

Traction. Torsen quattro permanent four wheel drive. Needs no further comment. It will out handle and out drag the old M3, even in the dry. In the wet, bye-bye M3, and in snow - it really is superb.

Brakes. OK. Track days really show up their weakness. Brake fade is a common problem on track days, even with relatively new pads. And if the car is fully laden, and driven at very high speeds, such as on Autobahns/Autoroutes, or in mountainous passes, then unless the pads have some serious meat left on them, they will also fade - but obviously it is easier to manage on "normal" roads rather than a race track. Front brake pads on the S4 will really need changing when there is still around 5mm of friction lining remaining, and this does help no end.

Running costs. It is a group 20a car, so insurance wont be cheap. VED (tax disc) is in the highest band, so that will be £400 next year! The V8 is a thirsty beast, more thirsty than my current RS4 - becuause, dispite what some of the Yankie sites say, the B6 (and B7) S4 does not, and never did have FSI - it uses good ole manifold sited injectors. V-max (where the law permits) will give just 6.7mpg, and driven sedately on a run, 22-23mpg should be achieveable, and around town about 17mpg. Drive it like a granny, and 26mpg will be about the best you can get. 98RON super unleaded is recommended for best performance.

Servicing costs. Par for any other Audi A4. Downsides - it needs 8 spark plugs instead of 6 or 4, though if you purchase them yourself, you can get them for around £4.50 each (compared to Audis £10 each). The sump takes a lot of oil - 9.0 litres, so again, supply the stealer with your own oil at a better price (and if you change your own oil, you will need a bigger drain pan). Upsides - no cam belts to worry about or change, as it has chain driven cams.

Known problems. Just like on all big high performance Audis, if the clutch is abused in any way, then their life is dramatically reduced. The weak front suspension link joints which plagued earlier models (B5 A4 range) are virtually unheard of on the B6 S4 - indeed, the B6 S4 proved so good, it became the standard fit on the entire B7 range. Oil level sensors (common on all VAG cars) can be problematic, so learn to use the dipstic regularly. Level sensors (for the Xenon headlams) can be troublesome, but again, these can be affected on all cars, and not just VAG cars. The standard Avus III alloys can be a real pain to keep clean. Early (2003 & early 04) B6 S4s were supplied with standard load tyres (235/40 ZR18 91Y), but these were really inadequate, especially on the front - so later ones were factory supplied with "Extra Load" tyres - with a 95 load index - so make sure that any S4 you look at has the 95Y tyres. Coinciding with the standard load tyres, the standard "sticker" tyre pressures were also inadequate, and 2004 models had a revised sticker, showing increased tyre pressures (along with listing Extra Load tyres).

[quote user="Gary Cundliffe"]I'm tempted to treat myself to a silver tiptronic avant around xmas/new year. The silver appeals as i've been car-jacked before and don't want a car that looks too overtly performance, and this colour looks a little bit more low key.[/quote]

A wise choice. An S4 in light silver metallic must be one of the ultimate "Q cars". To non-Audi enthusiasts eyes, a silver S4 looks just like any other A4. De-badge the boot and front grille for extra safety.

And a Tracker is a very wise investment.

[quote user="Gary Cundliffe"]I'd keep my Golf 150PD and have this as a weekender.[/quote]

Sensible, if you can afford or have the space to own two cars.

HTH

Still looking and its going to happen. Im not in any rush but im pretty gutted a black one sold today. Champagne interior, white steering wheel (very sophisticated imo) and show an shine winning paintwork with 45k on the clock all for 12.5k.

Looked into the tax and its the same as the cab, the government scrapped the pre 06 tax exemption rule, they decided..... like all conmen that they had done themselves out of a tasty slice of money and changed the rules to suit.

here are the costings............






Steve.