Wesley Walls

All - I'm a long-time Audi enthusiast and previous owner of an original B5 A4 (a 1998 A4 1.8T Sport/6MT)...in fact, my forum membership history goes back to that time (dial-up internet!). I am considering purchasing either an A4 or S4, and having been out of the Audi market for some time (we own a 2014 BMW 335i manual, a 2014 Volvo XC60 R-Design and a 2018 Volvo S90 sedan), I'm a bit unfamiliar with the available options, pros/cons, etc. This is a car I would drive for 3-4 years, then hand off to my youngest son to take to college. So I hope you'll oblige me with my random questions:

1. I've always preferred manual transmissions...how is the 6MT in the B9 A4? I've read very positive reviews, but they're so rare, I can't find any to test drive?
2. I've also always preferred the sportiest model, and in this case, an S4 or S5 Sportback. I have driven one recently...impressive power, but I'm not sure if an engine upgrade is work $10K (either new or used). I also hate to give up on the manual transmission. Thoughts on the S4 vs. A4?
3. In researching the A4, I discovered the Sports Plus package is the one with better performance, adaptive dampers, etc., but apparently you can't get Sports Plus AND Black Optics? It's either one or the other? Is this true? If so, disappointing. I like the aesthetics of the Black Optics, but would prefer the adaptive suspension, etc.
4. If I end up with an Automatic transmission (A4 or S4), I REALLY want the Adaptive Cruise, as we love it in our Volvos? Worth it? Does it perform well?

Thanks all!

p.s. I'll admit, I also REALLY like the ATS-V and CTS-V Sport (not the full V). Phenomenal cars.

mplsbrian

1. The 6MT in the B9 A4 is, I've heard, very similar to the B8/B8.5. It's widely regarded as an inferior transmission to the DCT and makes the car slower, but some people simply must row their own and frankly this is about the only car you can get with an MT in the sport-luxury segment anymore.

2. We here on this subforum obviously made the choice to go S4. Objectively, the A4 is the better everyday city car and is more nimble about town, cheaper to insure, more suited to daily driving, etc etc. The seats, the exhaust note, and the supposition that I'd have probably always wondered about/wished for/regretted not just going for that extra 100 horsepower etc when I could have, are what upsold me to the S model. You will have to drive both and decide for yourself.

3. I thought you could spec both, but from a quick visit to the audiusa.com configurator just now it appears you might be right. I'd suggest you confirm this question with your dealer.

4. Yes, it's the best option you can add. Frankly pretty ridiculous (IMO) to buy a $45000+ car in the sport-luxury segment and not get adaptive cruise, IMO, especially considering that feature comes standard now on absolute bottom-of-the-bracket stuff like a stripper model Accord or, believe it or not, even Corolla. But you won't be able to spec it with Sport Plus, and though you can still spec it on MT non-sport-plus trims it doesn't make tons of sense to have if you still have to shift.

Whichever option you choose, whether S4 or A4, I suspect you won't regret it.

The merits (or demerits) of passing onto your college aged son a well-equipped, late-model sport-luxury car with $30,000+ of residual value still in it is perhaps another story, but that is ultimately a parenting decision for you and your family to make. All I will say on that is that I am 32 years old and well beyond college now, but looking back I am very very thankful I drove a POS Saturn Ion throughout college. I crashed it 3 times, stuck a rusty bicycle in the back seat every week, moved with it twice, retrieved dozens of absolutely belligerently drunk friends (more of them than the car had seatbelts, sometimes) when it was my turn to DD (at least one of those times one of them threw up *mostly* out the window), and got laid in the back seat a couple times. It was parked on the street or in a driveway every single day for 4 years straight and when I finally got rid of it reverse no longer worked, 2 body panels were "repaired" with dollar store nail polish, both bumpers were covered in scratches, and the interior was by all accounts trashed. Got $1200 for it towards a brand new Accord V6 Coupe, which is probably more than it was worth in hindsight.

Wesley Walls

Ha! Good point. But to clarify, this is based on them earning a full ride to college. I had told my boys if they were well behaved, and got college paid for, I would provide them with a (nice) used car. Boy #1 did just that, and starts as a Freshman this Fall, and is taking the 2014 335i. I anticipate boy #2 achieving the same goal. I'm 49...my "college" car was a 1980 Chevrolet Citation X-11, manual transmission (of course!). I did NOT get my way paid to college, though it was substantially less expensive back then!

mplsbrian

Well, I guess considering a full ride to college costs more than an S4 anyway, it sounds like you aren't out anything financially so at least there is that! Grats your boys on the good work. I was not that great of a student, but had I been (and been in your kid's position), I definitely would have appreciated coming along for the final test rides and maybe having some input on the color or something. Call it a little extra motivation.

JDA_yeg

dang, my college cost for 4 years was only $35,000... not enough to buy an A4 really lol

Wesley Walls

Just a reminder that this will be MY car that I drive for 3-4 years, then give to them used...so it will have value, but I'm not buying them a new car.

VM

The flip side of that is that the 4 year old A4 will be a lot safer, including some safety features which can be extremely helpful for more inexperienced drivers...