The high-performance version of Audi’s A4 small executive automobile is known as the S4. The original Audi S4, which was produced between 1991 and 1994, was a sportier variant of Audi’s 100 saloon/sedan.
In This Article...
What kind of vehicle is the Audi S4?
A sophisticated high-performance sport sedan, the Audi S4 debuts in 2022. In contrast to competitors like the Mercedes-AMG C 43, it is subtle, accommodating, and more affordable while yet being swift, capable, and handsome. It lacks many of the high-performance BMWs’ flamboyant appearance or loud exhaust systems.
What distinguishes the Audi A4 from the S4?
The quattro All-Wheel Drive and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission are standard on the A4. A turbocharged V6 engine powers the 2021 S4’s booming 349 horsepower and 369 lb/ft of torque, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The S4 comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission and All-Wheel Drive.
A and S Models
Sedans or hatchbacks are the types of Audi cars that start with the letter A. The size of the car increases as the next number increases. Accordingly, the A3 is Audi’s smallest sedan, while the A8 is their biggest.
The majority of Audi sedans and hatchbacks have a model that starts with the letter S. Sport, denoted by the letter S, refers to a bigger, more potent engine with more horsepower and torque. For instance, the S6 resembles the A6 in terms of look but has an 8-cylinder, 450-horsepower engine as opposed to the A6’s, which has a 6-cylinder, 333-horsepower engine.
Q Models
Q stands for quattro, the renowned all-wheel drive system from Audi. SUVs, crossovers, and wagons that begin with the letter Q always have quattro as standard equipment. The Q3 is the smallest and the Q7 is the largest, just like with Audi cars.
R Models
Roadsters with mid-engines and two seats, like the R8, are performance sports cars. Audi Space Frame, a high strength aluminum frame with integrated panels that is lighter and stronger than conventional steel, serves as the foundation for the body of these vehicles.
RS Models
RS stands for “Rennsport,” which is the German equivalent of “Race-Sport.” The most powerful and high-performing Audi models are called RS models. Audi typically only makes one RS model at a time, and the current RS 7 boasts a staggering 605 horsepower TFSI engine that accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.3 seconds.
TT Models
The Tourist Trophy, a motorcycle racing competition held on the Isle of Man for more than a century, inspired the naming of TT models, which deviate from the naming convention’s set norms. Compact sports vehicles known as TT variants have transversely mounted turbocharged engines. The TT is offered in the aforementioned S and RS variants.
Audi S4: Is it a V8?
The B6/B7 generation S4 is a very appealing vehicle, even though it may not be the most stylish sports saloon of the mid-2000s. It has a stylish saloon body with V8 power and a capable all-wheel drive system. If you need more space, a “Avant” estate variant is also offered.
You can’t help but be seduced by costs that start at just 5000 (budget 7000 upwards for a clean vehicle with fair mileage). But there are many elements, both good and bad, that you should be aware of before making the decision. In order to get a flavor of what it’s like to own one, we spoke with 2006 B7 S4 owner Chris Gregory and Hassan Fazel of Manchester-based VAG tuning specialists Awesome GTI. To get a feel for driving, we also got behind the wheel of Chris’ vehicle.
Here is what we discovered:
The chassis is capable, but not thrilling
It normally feels sluggish to go into a 10-year-old performance automobile after getting into a modern one. With this S4, which has a fairly rigid setup, that is not the case. It rolls much less than I anticipated, but the trade-off is a ride that is especially fragile at low speeds.
Although the quattro all-wheel drive system operates a 60/40 split (B6s are split 50:50 – one of the few non-cosmetic variances), biasing the rear wheels only slightly, it is not very thrilling in the corners. As a result, particularly challenging corners, it rarely fluctuates from being completely neutral. If you exert too much pressure, understeering will result. While the steering is slower than the lightning-fast racks we’ve grown accustomed to, it still feels more natural than many of Audi’s more recent fast cars.
The engine dominates the driving experience
The engine is an absolute dream, making up for the less-than-exciting chassis. Yes, the 1700 kg of car that the 339 bhp, 302 lb ft unit must move means that the S4 never seems all that speedy, but you just don’t care. Why? Because shifting through the gears with this 4.2-liter lump is a complete joy.
It serves as the focal point of the driving experience and is slick, sluggish, and rumbly. Given that the engine is the primary selling point for a vehicle like this, it seems sense that the contemporary V6 turbo S4 and S5s are somewhat lackluster in contrast. Add the rather smooth six-speed manual transmission that comes standard, and you’ve got a match made in heaven. Chris is positive that the owner’s handbook is the one to have and that it’s a lovely vehicle to cruise about in. “It transforms the vehicle. I test drove both [the manual and automatic] before I bought, and it’s much nicer to drive.
You might be disappointed by the comfort
The interior of this particular B7 still looks and feels wonderful, despite being about ten or so years old and a touch worn around the edges. But despite the stiff ride, it might not be quite the comfortable cruiser you were hoping for. “They might be Recaros, but they’re not that comfortable,” says the passenger. Owner Chris tells us that overall, it has been a little disappointing.
It’s horribly expensive to change the timing chain tensioners
Hassan Fazel from Awesome GTI has two primary pieces of advice for anybody looking to purchase one of these vehicles: make sure it has been serviced at the recommended intervals, and pay close attention for excessive timing chain rattling on a cold start.
“He explained that if oil servicing has not been performed, oil galleys may become clogged, which may affect the timing chains. You may experience a misfire and a check engine light once the tensioners begin to slacken.
You’re in for a world of financial agony if the chain and tensioners actually need to be changed. The components alone are only “a few hundred pounds, but the engine must be removed in order for everything to be installed, costing you thousands of dollars.
If you’re looking at an S4 with more than 100,000 miles on it, keep that in mind. Want to make the chain last longer? Maintain regular oil changes, and ensure that the oil is the proper one ( 0w40 or 5w40). It will also help if you wait until it is warm before thrashing it, but hopefully you already know that.
Audi S4 has a turbo?
The S4’s engine was its most crucial component. It was a 3.0 liter, direct-injected, turbocharged V6 engine. It was connected to an ordinary 8-speed torque converter tiptronic gearbox.
Audi S4: Is it turbocharged?
The S4 has a powerful 3.0-liter V-6 engine with supercharging that produces 333 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is the default, although a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission is also an option. Through Audi’s quattro system, power is distributed to all four wheels.
Is S4 more valuable than A4?
- Power Over the whole powerband, the S4 packs a ton of power. Although the A4 has a lot of “Unlike the S4, which has constant power that is smooth and constantly ready to go, the S4 experiences turbo lag and the power band has several spikes and lulls in it.
- Interior
- Although the A4 and S4 have a similar outward aesthetic, the S4 has a significantly superior interior. There are many additional standard features on the S4 that aren’t as simple to retrofit, such as the color Drivers Information System, even if you can retrofit the S4 Recaro seats like I did on my A4 (DIS).
- Note from the Exhaust
- The S4 has fantastic audio. Nothing compares to the sound of the normally aspirated 4.2 V8 in the S4I’ve heard lots of huge turbo A4s and pretty much every exhaust configuration available for the A4 in my time.
- The Whole Shebang
- Although many A4s with the S-line aesthetic package may resemble S4s, it is not the complete package. The S4 sports improved suspension, wheels, sway bars, differential, and brakes (bigger rotors up front and vented in back). It’s a well-upgraded machine that outperforms the A4 almost in every way right out of the box. If you’re stuck there like I am, “good enough alone this may not matter much (I will probably upgrade/replace all of the aforementioned components in my S4), but this is definitely something to think about, especially if you want to make only minor changes.
- Quattro
- I must admit that having Quattro (AWD), which my A4 lacked, is really, incredibly good. Instead of understeering, skidding, and then waiting until the turn is finished to resume the throttle, the car handles like a dream and not only takes corners with a ton of confidence, but you can actually add power while coming out of the curve. Even after extensive suspension adjustment, my FWD A4 was never able to match the handling of a standard S4 with Quattro.
Audi RS49/10
The Audi RS 4 features a twin-turbo V6 engine under its hood on several occasions. The first RS 4 debuted in 2000 with a 2.7-liter biturbo engine.
This brand-new vehicle shares a lot with the Audi S4 and S5 models thanks to its 2.9-liter twin-turbo engine (they run a 3.0-litre turbo – the engine in the RS 4 is a smaller capacity and has a shorter stroke, but adds a turbo over the lesser S models).
But it’s not a V8. A 4.2-liter naturally aspirated engine with 331kW and 430Nm of torque was used in the most recent model preceding this one.
This new model still produces 331kW of power, but it does it between 5700 and 6700 rpm rather than 8250 rpm like the original V8. Additionally, the torque received a significant boost, increasing to 600Nm.
Not only has torque grown by around 45%, but it is now more evenly distributed across the rev range, spanning 1900 to 5000 rpm, as opposed to the V8’s lower, shorter-lived, and less-usable torque (4000-6000rpm).
And what about the crucial 0-100 km/h time? Whereas it was at 4.7 seconds earlier, it is currently at 4.1 seconds. The top speed stays the same at 250 km/h.
But what about the sound? Read the part below about driving, or even better, watch the video!
Does the Audi S4 have issues?
On RepairPal, S4 owners have listed a great deal more issues. These issues can include the need to replace spark plugs, ignition coils, and oxygen sensors, as well as odd noises emanating from the sedan’s chassis. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that there is a persistent issue that would be expensive to fix.
Are Audi S4 vehicles good?
With a 2.0 out of 5.0 reliability rating, the Audi S4 is ranked 27th out of 31 premium midsize automobiles. Poor ownership expenses are indicated by the $1,171 average yearly repair cost. You can anticipate more major repairs for the S4 because both the frequency and severity of repairs are higher than those for the ordinary vehicle.
Cost
In comparison to the $739 average cost of premium midsize automobiles and the $652 average cost of all vehicle models, the total yearly cost of repairs and maintenance for an Audi S4 is $1,171.
the typical annual sum for unplanned maintenance and repairs for all model years of a car. A vehicle’s greater average cost alone does not imply that it is less dependable. For instance, your car’s parts and labor may be pricey, especially if it’s a European luxury model, but if there are few serious problems and frequent service visits on average each year, that’s a sign of a dependable vehicle.
The typical annual frequency at which a vehicle is taken in for unplanned maintenance and repairs. This metric is produced by monitoring millions of distinctive automobiles over a number of years to ascertain the typical yearly visits for each make and model. Controls were included to prevent small, routine shop visits, such those for oil changes.
The severity element of dependability calculates the likelihood that a repair will cause a significant problem. The cost of a repair is assessed to be excessively expensive given the unscheduled nature of the repair if it is three times the average annual repair cost for all models. Due to their more expensive labor and component expenses, premium and luxury brands have a higher barrier.
Frequency
Owners of Audi S4s need to take their cars in for unplanned repairs on average 0.9 times a year, as opposed to 0.6 times on average for luxury midsize cars and 0.4 times on average for all vehicle models.