arU4ic

If you went to an autotrans S4 from a S-tronic 6/7speed, I'd like to know your comparisons... I don't have my S4 yet, but I'm predicting its going to be an annoying transition from my S3.

So disappointed, change my mind please.

stillwaterS6

Ok, I will try. I have had an S6 and have test driven the S4. There is no throttle "tip-in" issues with the 8 speed auto. I came to a very slow stop, didn't stop, and then took off again and it was immediate and smooth. Not like the 7-speed DSG. The downshifts were crisp and the rev match was good. It wasn't as fast as the DSG.

Maybe this can calm your fears - in audi's highest performance models, sans the R8, they use the 8-speed ZF auto. The S8 and RS7 are the first to mind. In Europe the RS6 uses one too. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Good luck.

superswiss

The ZF will be smoother for daily driving, but it will be softer for performance driving. It makes a lot of sense in an RS6/7 given the target market. It's a very good transmission for driving mostly in automatic mode.

The S-tronic is for those who prefer the direct mechanical connected feel of a manual transmission and accept that that means less smooth in certain daily situations. The S-tronic is also more about driving in manual mode instead of leaving it in automatic mode and it takes some skilled modulation of the throttle which makes it more interesting to drive, but annoying to those who expect it to drive like a regular automatic.

It all depends on what you like. I haven't driven the S4 yet, but I've driven other cars such as several BMWs and the ZF is not doing it for me so far. I've also been looking into the Jag X-type and watched a review of the SVR. The reviewer brought it to a point very eloquently. He said the transmission does the SVR no favors. It feels like a sports car with a Range Rover transmission.

I've yet to watch a review by a journalist who truly understands the essence of a dual clutch say that the ZF is a good transmission for a sport/sporty car. It's been praised in cars like the RS7, but these are big and heavy rocket executive barges. Nobody in their right mind takes an RS7 to the track or goes canyon carving with it on a regular basis and pretty much everybody agrees that the Panamera with the PDK is a better car if you do go to the track or like to canyon carve.

I'm equally reserved about the RS5 getting the ZF. It just feels completely backwards that the Panamera S with the same engine gets a dual-clutch and the smaller more sporty GT from Audi gets the ZF. That just doesn't add up for me. Maybe Audi pulled a rabbit out of the hat and came up with an amazing programming that has so far eluded sports car manufacturers such as Jaguar, but I highly doubt it.

JohnEnglish

Let's not forget that even the head of sales and marketing for BMW's M division said that they'll be dumping manuals and DSG/DCT transmissions for torque converter automatics within a decade. He said there's no future for them as torque converter automatics can handle higher power, can integrate easier into all the car's systems, and are closing the gap technologically with DSG/DCT transmissions.

aj6

The ZF in our Q5 is a better transmission than the DSG I had in the A3. I'm very glad they went with the traditional automatic, it's fantastic.

SYMAWD

It's hard for me to say what it is exactly, but the new S4 just doesn't feel as quick to me as the previous gen. However, I think it is the power delivery of the new engine and not the transmission, because the 8 speed on the MKI SQ5 felt just fine and I didn't mind it not having the DSG.

arU4ic

Really helpful and surprising. For the record I paddle shift 80% of the time - I love shifting and the connection to the car.

This is really why I like the dual-clutch trans, from Swiss, "The S-tronic is for those who prefer the direct mechanical connected feel of a manual transmission" as I feel I was even settling with the DSG as I wanted a manual.

The ZF seems like another step away from what I love - a good clutch or two.

I really don't care about smoothness, it's about shifting speed in expeditious driving.

stillwaterS6

MotorTrend just published their review - see what they have to say about the transmission.

2018 Audi S4 and S5 First Drive Review: S is for "Smoove" - Motor Trend

Talbot

I just read that review. Am I the only one who thought this was just odd:

"...and eight airbags to keep passengers comfy and safe."

Comfy? Really? Airbags?

jjsC6

Try T-boning a tree without them and let me know how comfy you are