I am transfering out of my AR at Audi's expense due to mechanical issues. Drove a S-4 coupe but have not driven the Avant (I need a Wagon).
I would really appreciate any comments about the cars quirks or weak points.
My AR had steering wheel ossillations, low pitched rumbles at 65 MPH and general vibrations that a car like that should not have.
The S-4 is more expensive but the one I drove was sweet on performance with that V-8 and I will be going with the tiptronic.
Comments would be appreciated!!!!
Thanks in advance...

 

This might not answer your question directly, but here are some thoughts:

I had an alroad (6-speed) for 3 years - I loved that car, but it was stolen (that's a long story). I have replaced it with a new S4 Avant which I just picked up yesterday.

This is what I loved about my allroad.
- it looked great - everyone loved it.
- it was fast (subject to comments below about the S4)
- the variable height suspension meant I could go virtually anywhere, especially deep snow.
- it had lots of room, especially in the rear seat area and the "trunk"
- it was great on the highway (smooth, fast, and pretty quiet - especially on really long trips
- it had a beautiful large wooden shifter (sounds like a small detail, but it looked and felt great)
This is what I didn't like:
- I think it didn't handle very well
- It always felt very heavy, and except when cruisiing on the highway it felt too big
- The manual gearbox was very difficult to use, especially when not driving agressively
- The compressor for the suspension always made a lot of noise.
- I wasn't completely confident taking it "offroad" as opposed to just taking it on a gravel road or a road with moderately deep snow.

On the whole, however, like I said, I loved the car, and when it got stolen I was really pissed!

If you get an Avant S4 these will likely be your first impressions:

- the allroad is not a fast vehicle compared to the S4 - the S4 goes and feels very fast - especially the 6 speed.
- the S4 drives and feels like a sports car, the allroad drives and feels like a luxury car - the allroad is definitely more quiet.
- the quality of the finish in the S4 is superior to the allroad - it seems to be more up-to-date
- the seats in the S4 are much more comfortable than the allroad, and the quality of the leather seems superior to me - softer, finer
- you will have substantially less leg room for rear seat passengers - and I mean substantial - in the S4
- you will have less room in the trunk, but the trunk of the S4 Avant is still very generous.
- the manual 6 speed gear box and clutch is fantastic - very smooth (personally I wouldn't go for TIP) - you would be missing one of the best things on the new S4.

My biggest concern switching from allroad to S4 Avant was the space - that is paying more money for "less" car. If you think you don't need the variable height suspension and you can live with a little bit less room, you will not be dissapointed with the S4 (at least after 48 hours of having one).

 

Avant and Sedan you wont even really know the difference unless you look back and see all the extra space. We drove both - several times. we drove sticks and tip - got the stick. Its sweet.

 

..for the same reasons, and again with some help ($) from Audi.

All I can say is, go for it! I did, and I have not regretted it for a second. I loved my allroad, but even if my pull-to-the-right, brake shudder, and bad vibrations issues had been cured, it never quite felt a sorted-out and composed as it should have. (I didn't upgrade to the h-sport bars, fwiw.)

The S4 is a totally different car. (It's much different, even, than my wife's B6 A4 3.0). You are right to look forward to the engine and its amazing torque curve. But what I find the most satisfying about the S4 avant is the suspension setup, the steering, and the brakes.

The suspension is firm, but somehow it's never punishing. This week, i drove 15 hours over 2 days, va to philly and back in terrible storms, and it was a much more secure and comfortable cruiser than my 03 allroad. And throw it into curves, and there's minimal body roll; the car just plants itself and feeds power to the road. Amazing!

The steering is light around town, but weights up well with speed. Better modulation of steering effort than in the allroad, with no (repeat NO) unwanted wheel vibrations, pulls, etc.

Brakes...well, it's the first Audi that had brakes like i got used to on all my previous bmw's. Finally, audi puts decent brakes in a car!

What's the downside? Well, rear seat passenger legroom stinks, just like in an A4/S4 sedan. And, um....well, that's about it. I use mine to carry a large dog, and the cargo divider (dog net) is better integrated into the rear seats than it is in the allroad. The cargo area itself is somewhat smaller, but i've never really noticed it. (Neither car is a Suburban, after all.)

Any more questions, please ask, or email me directly.

 

The impressions of the allroad are right on as well. Not the car I thought that it would be but I bought it at the time for different reasons that I would not buy a car for now. Thanks

 

Awesome response...You have mail

 

You can read my signature for more detail on the drive-by-wire bugs, but the short version is that while all current audi's have some flakiness in the accelerator programming, they are extremely pronounced in the S4. For whatever reason, they have chosen to program the S4 so that the top 25% of accelerator travel will give you as much as 90% of wide open throttle.

This basically makes the car kindof a spaz. You'll frequently over-rev the engine, and there will be other times when it will completely ignore you. It is very difficult to drive this car smoothly if you are driving aggressively.

 

I'm in the same place you are. I needed the wagons space. I've got a dolphin avant 6spd coming in two weeks to replace my chipped allroad.

I love the allroad, and the MTM chip put optimum (low heat and humidity) HP around 310, but I really wanted something that handled and braked better. This car seems to be just right.

Good luck.

Regards,

Mike
First time poster, long time stalker.