donromani

Do not underestimate the power of testosterone to bypass all "safe" driving impulses. Look, you've clearly got your heart set on a car that will impress everyone at school. I understand - I had a civic in highschool and I envied the kids who drove daddy's bmw or got a new Civic Si for their birthday.

Still, the kinds of stunts I pulled in that 105hp POS almost got me killed on several occasions and the teen driver + stupid decisions equation just gets worse with each additional HP. If I knew I had a fast car instead of just wishing I did I probably would have taken more risks, rather than fewer.

I'm not saying you're as dumb as I was back then but looking back on it I realize that the real goal during your teens is simply to survive long enough to turn 20. An S4 will not help you in achieving this goal.

buy a subaru wrx

bcr84urq

Hey I can appreciate wanting awd for snow - I live in CO, too, and yes you can live with fwd and good snows - but yes I agree awd is better and more fun. I can also appreciate wanting a cool car - I know how Boulder is. Like a already said - take a hard look at a B5 1.8Tq. You will get the good looking body style, nice interior, quattro, turbo, great handling (look hard for one with Sport everything - suspension and seats) but with much less maintenance hassle...I had one prior to my S4 -and while I do love the S4 - the A4 1.8Tq has quite a few advantages.

Brandon
'84 ur-quattro 20Vt
'01.5 S4

~pino~

The smell should be the coolant. These cars love coolant and love to have their auxiliary water pump go bad and leak coolant everywhere. I have already replaced my auxiliary water pump and the smell has gone away along with the coolant level staying at regular levels. Good luck!

jsh100

Most of the feedback here is really good Bruny43, however since I have a 19 year old who has pranged my 01 S4 (backed into a Volvo... didn't look), and pranged my wife's A6 Avant and my F-150 (thought he was driving my S4, surprisingly, the truck does not brake as well as the S4), this is an important discussion. First off, the car you looked at is a heap of junk and I would not touch it with a barge pole. Forget about it. Your best bet is (for a B5 S4, or any car for that matter) is to find one cared for by an enthusiast or a maintenance minded owner (not one from a used car dealer) with complete maintenance records; if it smells funny and you have a funny feeling about it, run away! Take your time and be picky; you should not be in a rush. Regarding a first car, the advice you have received on the B5 A4 1.8T is spot on. It takes time to "learn to drive", and less is more when you are 15 / 16 years old. A car that is too good (like the S4) will not allow you to develop your skills as quickly and as well as a lower powered car with less capabilities. You can always upgrade to a higher performance model later as your skills develop as a driver. No matter how many hot cars you have "driven", it is much better to start out with a lesser performing car so you can learn to get the most out of it. This is where you "learn to drive". Just my two cents worth. Good luck to you and be safe.