thoughts on the b7 s4
 

anyone on here ever driven one of these things? looking at one for my next car, but not so sure they have enough power. what are some impressions from people who have driven them?

The car doesn't feel very fast, it just kind of goes without making too much noise. They do have history of blown engines at about 100K (read timing belt guides), so prepare to have some extra $ in case it brakes.

I'm considering a 2008 RS4. Anyone have experience with those?

i see the word carbon building coming up quite a bit with these audi v8's.. kinda worrying

S4's have many issues. Carbon buildup, weak timing belt/chain, etc.

i traded in my 09 S5 do to it being a lemon

Found this gem:

Home - AUDI-SUCKS.COM -- My Problems With an S4 Lemon

I had an 02 S4 leased brand new, worst car I have ever had sadly... Mine would stall out and the wiper fluid would just start spraying...made a great fountain less a fun car to have.

Very nice cars but heavy as hell!

A good friend of mine has a '07 RS4 - very close race when he was stock versus my Z modded.

nice car in and out but never actually drove it. he barely drives it, weekend toy car.

Audi mechanic told me $10,000 for a rebuilt/new automatic transmission for the b6(B7?) . . .

Okay, my last car was a B6 S4 Modded with APR cats, exhaust, tune, PSS9 coils, JHM SS, and Alcon brakes all around...

So...B6 and B7 use port, not direct injection= no carbon issues
RS4...direct injection.....carbon issues...needs a 1K or so cleaning every 10K miles or so to keep full power...go to 15K and you get CEL's

B6 and some B7 motors...timing chain guides can and do break...and ruin the engines...it takes 4-6K to remove motor and fix the silly things....don't WAIT till it happens as you will ruin the motor...used is 12K or so....

B6 and B7 scored cylinders....leads to massive oil consumption and a new short block...

RS4...built better motor, I don't think it has guide problems...

Stay away from B6 and B7 S4's unless you have cash on hand 10-15K for repairs, as Audi will not help you on this...OEM warranty are all gone by now.

B8 faster and better than the B6, B7, and RS4. Had initila problems with water pumps going bad...still hear about buzzy electronics going bad, DSG controllers going out, and a few other things....having to pay for this own your own....VERY expensive.

So that's why German cars get dumped by the original owner not long after or right before the OEM warranty ends.

I loved driving my B6, it was fast and smooth....but also a ticking time bomb. It was making cam chain noises last November....I knew what was up....so I traded it on my Nismo.

I have owned a B5 S4 6MT since 2008. I bought it with 62,000 miles and I'm the second owner. It currently has 142,589 miles on it. I have had the clutch replaced at 65K miles, timing belt done at 80K miles, tensioner arm pulley done at 80K miles, upper and lower front control arms, linkages, and bushings done at 120K miles. Other than that the car has been pristine and has had no issues. The labor and parts were very expensive though.

Now, for my 2 cents... every German car is different. It’s a 50/50 chance you'll get a good one that will have no issues or you'll get a bad one that will be money pit. It's just a risk that you will have to be willing to take if you want to have an amazing, all wheel drive, luxury car, that will always put a smile on your face when you drive it, pending you get one that wont have issues. A bad one will be a huge let down for you. My buddy experienced this when purchasing his M6. Also, getting the "Oh, you drive an Audi!?" when you go places can be cool too. Mine may not be a B7, but I can attest for Audi in saying that they are wonderful to drive and own. The interior is by far better than BMW and Mercedes, IMO. As for power, it was easy to get gains being a boosted car. I’m a member of some Audi forums and a lot of the V8 S4 guys complain about not being able to get power gains without spending tons of money. If you could swing the cash go for the B8 or find a pristine B5 if power is what you’re after. Not that the B7 is slow, it’s just harder/more expensive to get more power.

I would go with a B8 S4, with 6 speed, sports differential, ADS, navigation....and call it a day if I was shopping for one. They are coming off lease now, so a nice 2010 model is low 40's now. But make sure it has the updated water pump.