Wesley Walls

I found a VERY good deal (out-of-state) on a low-mileage 2018 S4, the exact color and (generally) options I was looking for. The sales material stated that it came with the S Sport package (dampers, diff and red calipers). However, upon further investigation, it does NOT have the S Sport package, which is very disappointing to me. I don't really care that much about the red calipers, and while the sports diff is nice, the REAL reason I wanted it is for the adaptive dampers/adjustable ride.

All of this being said, a bit of context for me...when I purchased my last car, a 2014 BMW 335i manual M-Sport, I looked far and wide to finally find one with the Dynamic Handling Package (adaptive dampers)...and I'll be the first to admit that it's VERY hard to tell the difference in ride quality between modes. So looking back on it, I'd categorize that as an exercise in futility.

I don't want to fret about this option on the S4, cancel my sale, spend more money, come to find out that it's not perceptible. So, I would love feedback from others about how important or noticeable the ride quality is between modes? I'm trying to decide whether or not it's worth canceling my purchase to find one with the S Sport package. Quick responses would be welcomed! I need to decide ASAP! Thanks.

p.s. It is also equipped with the 18" wheels, which are NOT my favorite aesthetically, but I presume would result in a better ride (especially if the standard, fixed sports suspension is fairly stiff)

SYMAWD

Get one with the adaptive dampers. It is the one thing I regret not getting on my S5. There is a noticeable difference between modes when you get the adaptive dampers.

markcincinnati

In my opinion, the most important part of the sport package is the red calipers. The sport diff is important when you race the car (not on the public highways, at least if you live in any city with a population greater than 100,000.) I had the "adjustable dampers previously and they too are, after a period of time, a set and forget kind of feature. They are not continuously adjustable, they have two modes, "Comfort" and "Dynamic." They do not adjust in real time like the magnaride shocks -- if you leave them set in auto, they default to Comfort and from time to time they switch (on or off) to the stiffer Dynamic mode.

The S4 comes with "torque management" (pg 146 of the owners manual) -- which isn't as good as the sport diff, but you don't have to be on a race track for you to appreciate their assistance in reducing understeer in "normal" driving.

The package's greatest contribution to your ownership experience will be the red brake calipers. Of course, the calipers contribute exactly ZERO to the performance of the car, much the same way SLine doesn't improve the handling or acceleration of the most of the cars Audi "upgrades" with that feature (the exception being IF the SLine offering happens to include the sport suspension.)

Now, as serious as I can get -- there are psychological benefits to the sport diff -- if you (on a road that is deserted) take an S4 without the sport diff on a curvy road where at least one of the curves is a 90 degree turn, you should be able to take it at twice the posted speed. If you then take another S4 with the sport diff (and set it to dynamic) on the same road, you should be able to take the turn two, three, maybe 4 or 5 MPH faster. You have to be close to the limit of your personal courage to FEEL the sport diff's impact (and, despite my wise-*** comments, it IS real) is my point. Otherwise, the impact is largely psychological. Personally, for $1,100 as a stand-alone option, I would get the sport diff, even knowing that its impact is largely psychological (on the public roads). The adjustable shocks should be standard equipment -- if they could be puchased separately, I'd avoid them. I would, however, pay the full $400 for the red calipers in a heartbeat.

njspeedfreak

Personally, I think the adaptive dampers are worth it. The difference is subtle but noticeable. For daily driving I usually leave the suspension in comfort mode as I find the dynamic mode a bit to stiff. But I also like being able to firm the ride up during spirited drives. I also have 18" wheels, but I'm driving the S5SB rather than an S4.

mplsbrian

@ Mark- almost all of what you said about the dampers is incorrect on the B9. I know you mean well but I've seen this misinformation about the adaptive suspension posted a few times and so wanted to take a moment correct & educate.

First, the S4/S5 dampers do actually have 3 modes which loosely correspond to "soft / medium / firm" but which are actually just a median setting for a much wider ranger of possible values, and those values do in fact adjust in realtime: there are level sensors in each control arm assembly which feed data to the B9's new chassis ECU, which processes the data and signals the CDC dampers to change firmness in realtime via a highly efficient, electromagnetically-actuated flow control valve in each damper head. This can happen dozens of times per second and it allows the car to do interesting things like firm up the outside/weighted/working tires in a curve to improve cornering precision and combat body roll or squat during launching/braking, for example.

Here's a full breakdown of how it works, straight from Audi. Be sure to click "Full text" to expand and read the entire article. https://www.audi-technology-portal.d...damper-control

Bobby Kinstle

To me the sport package is one of the defining characteristics of the S4. The sport diff makes the car corner in unbelievable ways.

The adaptive suspension has a better control range than the B8s did. Comfort is smooth enough for my 70 year old mom or my pregnant wife. Auto is great for daily driving and Dynamic is very firm for those occasional spirited drives in the canyons.

dbuxton13

I don't really understand separating the sport package out from an 'S' car. Without the sport package you really only have an A4 with a larger engine. The sports suspension and sport differential are transformative features, and allow Audi Drive Select to make actual changes to the driving dynamics of the car... for the price of the sport package it's like getting two different cars. Tossing emotion out in favor of facts, and to foot stomp two key aspects:

1) the sport diff increases yaw (kills understeer) anytime force (torque) is applied in a turn... this works in ALL circumstances (from low to high speed). For some reason this idea that it's only good for chucking around corners at high speed keeps coming up. That's bad gouge. The sport diff also has beneficial qualities when not under load.

2) The sport suspension computer analyses the signals from 14 sensors continuously, and calculates the current for the electrically controlled shock absorbers at each individual wheel 1000 times per second. The car stays planted and flat in turns in dynamic, body roll is minimized; you don't get that without the sports package.

As always the choice is yours, but it seems a shame every time I see an S car without the sport diff and suspension. I certainly wouldn't buy a used S car that way.

jlarke

I'm with dbuxton13 on the sport diff. If you think about it only in absolute terms - "will the sports diff enable the car to do things that a car without the sports package can't" - then I'm sure the answer is, "only if you're on a track." The base car can do pretty aggressive things already. But the sports diff will make it feel a lot more composed any time you're making a hard turn, and for my money, that's important.

nims_s4

When I was shopping for the S4, I initially knew what I wanted but would be willing to go without them if the price was right. The sport package was one of those things I was willing to sacrifice. The car I ended up buying had the sport package. After having it, I can honestly say if I had given the sport package a test drive vs an s4 without one, the sport package would have been a must-have feature. Audi drive select by itself makes the car drive completely differently. Comfort mode makes NJ roads bearable and dynamic is there when I want to have a little more fun. It really makes a big difference in how the car drives. Hope that helps!

Wesley Walls