platinumphoenix

Hi All,

This is my introductory post to what seems like a pretty active and quite knowledgeable forum.

I'm on the fence with a couple of other options but I think I'm finally going to make the jump to an Audi after the better part of a decade DDing Corvettes. I'm going to keep a track toy but I want something a little more practical for my daily needs. I have some experience with Quattro in nasty weather and was thoroughly impressed. It's also appealing to be getting 4 seats and a car I can have a phone conversation in without giving the caller on the other end of the line the impression that I'm standing on a jetway.

I'm considering a '14 or '15 S4 or S5 (leaning toward the S5) and have a few questions if you'll indulge me. I've done quite a bit of reading but haven't yet found satisfactory answers to all my questions.

1. I'm trying to decide between S-Tronic and manual transmissions. I've driven manuals forever and love the heightened experience but the dual clutch unit is compelling. I am aware of the differences in engagement, performance, fuel economy and driveability in traffic and, for my personal needs and preferences, consider them to be largely a irrelevant. My questions are in the areas of maintenance cost, longevity and reliability. I will consider an APR Stage 1 ECU remapping (more on that later) but will not mod my DD significantly beyond that. I have other choices when I want to go really fast . Does anyone have any insight as to how long the S-Tronic transmissions last between service and the cost associated with said service? Same question for the 6MT. I find myself firmly planted in the "spirited" driver category most days but won't beat on it often.

2. I've driven a friend's S4 on several occasions and enjoyed it, but you can only get just so much of an impression with a few test drives. I'm concerned the car will feel anemic to me given that I'm used to driving a much lighter car with much more power. Could anyone else who has made a similar switch give me your impressions? Not just with power but with real world (read spirited daily driving) cornering ability. I'm considering an APR Stage 1 ECU Remapping, can anyone comment as to how significant the difference is after having that done? After considerable research I'm given to understand that the APR tunes are pretty reliable and that they won't void manufacturers warranties. Does anyone have any experience to the contrary? I'm hesitant to go with the Stage 2 as it requires a non-OEM pulley (warranty concerns).

3. I cannot get a straight answer on this. How good is the Audi warranty? I'm looking to purchase a vehicle with under 20K miles in model year '14 or '15 so I should have plenty of warranty left. Is the stuff that's most likely to break going to be covered? I will probably keep this car for about 3 years at which point it will probably have ~75K miles on it. I'm on the fence as to whether a CPO vehicle is worth an additional premium to me. I've wrenched on all my previous cars and wouldn't hesitate to continue to do so (I'll get a German to English dictionary) but would prefer not to have to tackle any very large jobs if I don't have to.

4. What are your annual maintenance costs like? My biggest fear in switching to a German sled is that I'll have some dealer mechanic pull his head out of my wheel well to inform me that my blektirlichtenschlagenthingen has malfunctioned and will need to be ordered from Germany and that after waiting for the part for 3 weeks while I drive a loaner A3 1.8 around the beltway I'll return to the dealer and bend over in front of the cashier only to mistake the total an the bottom of my invoice for a phone number. Exaggerated obviously, but how bad is it really?

5. What will I not like about it?

Thanks in advance and I appreciate answers to any of my questions you have experience with!

Harleyguy

Posting on the wrong forum. Need to be on the S4 or S5 forums. This is the A6 portion.

platinumphoenix

Don't think so. This is definitely in the A5/S5/RS5 B8 section. Thanks though!

eric strauss

My last four Audi's have been B8: S4, S5 (2), RS5.

1. I have always been a manual transmission guy for most of my 30+ years of driving and 31 cars/trucks. Modern Audi's have a drive by wire throttle where your foot position merely sends a "wish" to the ECU about throttle position. As a result, with the clutch in, the rpm rise is painfully slow and hard to rev-match downshifts when driving with some aggression. The Audi S-tronic is really great - either in S - or manual mode - no complaints.

2. My wife and I are passionate canyon carvers and storm the twisties almost every weekend. We have about a dozen options of 150+ miles and I have never thought any of the four cars were down on power. The mid-range grunt from the supercharged three-liter (S4/S5) is phenomenal. Everyone wants more power, but thee balance of thrust and drivability is nearly perfect. The upgrades I believe are transformative are 1) better brakes and 2) tightening up the handling (accept the RS5). That's where I invest in modifications.

3. CPO is the way to go. My experiences with Audi warranties have been very positive.

4. Maintenance will be expensive - no way around that. I have the Audi plan, but that doesn't cover tires, brakes and rotors. I do much of the work myself, but a decent set of four rotors and pads are $1600 just for parts. Parts are readily available as this is a shared platform and a current model. I figure an additional $250/month on upkeep. For us; tires last 8-10K, pads and rotors (front) at about 15K intervals, oil changes on the 5K interval.

5. If you are looking for a raw sports car experience, you will not like the Audi. It is very well balanced, but understated compared to say; Subaru STI/370Z Nismo/Mustang GT (Track Pac)/Camaro SS. Except for moderate understeer, the Audi behaves very predictably when pushed. Some folks like big oversteer or short wheelbase twitchiness that translates to a sports car experience.

Happy hunting

Eric

platinumphoenix

Eric,

Thanks for taking the time, I appreciate it.

I've driven enough DCT type transmissions around the track to know they're superior in every way but, were it not for my fears on the 6MT clutch not being up to the task of holding the power resulting from even moderate tuning, I'd probably be tempted to go that way. Just something about rowing your own gears. Yours was an interesting comment on the rev matching issues though, it's the first I've heard of it. I'm leaning toward the DSG unit and I'm thinking I might have to track down a 6MT vehicle to test drive just to validate my decision. If the revs come up as slowly as you say, I know that would irritate me every time I drive it. I'm also not keen on dealing with aftermarket clutch/flywheel packages to correct the issue on a DD, my track toy gives me enough grief in that area.

I actually though an RS5 would be my next DD and was ready to pull the trigger until I test-drove it. I was a somewhat underwhelmed. The power delivery came REALLY high up in the band, you really have to spin it up before it gets off it's ****. Low end and midrange weren't what I was expecting at all out of an RS vehicle. The front end aesthetics and the exhaust note from that V8 are something special though.

eric strauss

...it is an acquired taste. However, driven hard, the powerband is extraordinary - from 4000-8000rpm it is just a beast. It underwhelms you off the line at first and it is deceptive under load, because the power builds in such a linear fashion. Since we have both power plants in the family, my wife and I swap back and forth on the weekends in the canyons. She thinks I am ******* behind her in the S4 because she gets so far ahead, but then realizes just how fast she is coming out of corners.

Once on the boil, it is just fabulous and unlike any other car I have owned. I consider it a a very special car as it combines the grand touring size with very strong performance and all-weather capacity. The new RS5 (2018) will likely be a twin-turbo six and by all quantitative measurements a better car. However, the linear pull and sound from the 4.2 V8 is an indulgent pleasure that time will leave behind in favor of less emissions and better fuel mileage. The depreciation on the RS5 is a steep slope, so you might find a 2013 CPO for less than 50% off of new MSRP. It would be a neat experience...

Best wishes

eric

mhblaw

FWIW, I was looking at trading my '13 RS5 (63k) on a 2017 911 Carrera. Dealer offered me $38k (cost new 2/13 was $70k)...I declined and may wait for the '18 RS5. Here in ND a 911 would really be a 6 month only driver.

eric strauss

Here in LA, my Audi, VW and Porsche dealerships are all owned by the same family and they treat us very well. My salesperson from Audi, Fred Vand has sold me four Audis and is now at Porsche and eager to sell me a Porsche. The leases are actually pretty good and in SoCal, a Cayman/911 is a year-round proposition :-)

However, the trade-in for the RS5 is grim and the Blue Book is a bit of a spanking as well. I am from Boston and there, like ND, even a 911 4S will get beaten up by the bad roads, etc. How cool though to have a 911 in the twists of the Badlands...

platinumphoenix

Just wanted to thank everyone for their feedback. I picked up a '15 S5 with DSG and have been DDing it for a couple of days now. Initial impressions are quite good. Looking forward to testing it in some inclement weather this winter.

Cheers!

eric strauss

… please post some images of the new car!