S4Shinobi

Going to purchase my first S4. Single dad with a son turning 3 in 2 weeks. Need some thing reliable and that is going to be safe and fun. I am a gear head and love Audi's. My son may be young but he is a true gear head too. So I think the S4 is a perfect choice. I am not sure exactly wher to start. There is one that was rebuilt buy an Audi mechanic about 30k ago and upgraded alot of parts and put an active tune on it. This is intriguing due to not having time to do mods myself. If I had the time I would do it myself. But should I go with the B6 B7 or a B5. I am leaning more towards the B6-7 due to them being more reliable. But am not sure. I have a B5 owner who is a performance engine builder and has just completed a rebuild on a B5 that is supposed to get 40 plus mpg. I find this crazy. Can it be true. I love the 6and 7 look. The 5 is getting dated. What do you guys think and please help. Thanks alot.

synchros

The number one suggestion I have is that you don't rush the purchase. This is likely a long-term car for you, and it is often worth it to look around until you find something that fits your needs best. Read the forums, learn from others' experiences, determine your wants and needs. This is not a car to buy in a rush, if you can avoid it.

I really enjoy my 2008 S4 Avant 6MT - every option is in it that I wanted, and none that I didn't, save for color (I have the most common black/black combo). It has been great for me - but I paid a bit more for a vehicle that was unmolested and had fewer miles than usual for its age. I have had to do nothing to it other than typical maintenance. I required a manual transmission, didn't want Alacantra inserts, wanted an Avant, but didn't want a vehicle that was too old and would require a lot of age-related maintenance, hence I ended up with the last year the S4 Avant was available in the USA.

All that said, I'm in a similar position - I have two young kids and one more coming soon - so I don't have as much time to tinker as I'd like. That said, they're relatively tinker-friendly and the enthusiast community is great. Take your time and find the right car.

S4Shinobi

Really appreciate the advice. Something I needed to hear. As I am going through one of the most difficult times in my life. I am however in a position where I am without a vehicle and can't quite take the time I think that iy needs. I am trying to eliminate things by having an Audi dealership which does mods inspect the cars I am trying to buy. Unfortunately so far I have had a couple that I thought were the best to go after and was told they would not recommend putting my son or me in it and not to buy them. This is depressin and costly and discouraging. Due to being currently screwed by a dealership and in litigation, I am looking to spend 7 grand or less. I have been told I should be able to find one that fits for that. Have I been miss enformed. Thanks for the support

KleineRotWagen

B5 S4 will be the most amenable to modding; B6 40 valve seems to be an orphan, still, I have 230k miles on mine and expect many more; B7 returned to the 32 valve configuration and, I suspect, ultimately more reliability. $7k might be possible for a B5 but finding one in good shape without mods may be challenging; I doubt you'll find a B6 or 7 with reasonable mileage for that.