View Full Version : New S6 driving experience
Jrh13s4
11-09-2018, 05:44 PM
So I drove a brand new S6 that had been sitting due to the stop sale. It didn’t feel slow, but definitely not fast. Check engine light was on (not sure if that’s from the recall). Does the car have to adapt to my driving style before really waking up and responding . Beautiful car, it was just a little weird .any ideas?
FourRings115
11-09-2018, 05:56 PM
Was tranny in normal mode? It starts in second gear everywhere unless you are at a dead stop. Sport mode wakes it up nicely. I can’t complain about 450hp+ that the S6 has from the factory.
Jrh13s4
11-09-2018, 06:02 PM
It started in dynamic
doc-haz
11-09-2018, 07:03 PM
I have an S7. One of the issues from a power standpoint imo is the initial throttle tip in especially from a stop or low speed crawl. It’s only for a second and you get the power surge after. I thought it was normal from turbo lag but my AMG truck doesn’t do that at all and feels like a naturally aspirated car.
After discussing with enough friends and enthusiasts, I think it boils down to the dual clutch getting caught flat footed and not knowing what gear to be in.
Is this what you noticed or more midrange? I think the car is ridiculously fast in the mid range, highway passing and on ramps...etc.
Jrh13s4
11-09-2018, 07:24 PM
Just seemed sluggish, which is why i though it had to learn or adapt to driving style
Jrh13s4
11-09-2018, 07:26 PM
Second test drive tomorrow, I will get a better idea
It will be sluggish with CEL on. It has to protect itself somehow.
sikessr
11-09-2018, 08:08 PM
What are you comparing it to that you are used to driving? C7 S6?
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Joe'sS6
11-09-2018, 08:25 PM
I have an S7. One of the issues from a power standpoint imo is the initial throttle tip in especially from a stop or low speed crawl. It’s only for a second and you get the power surge after. I thought it was normal from turbo lag but my AMG truck doesn’t do that at all and feels like a naturally aspirated car.
After discussing with enough friends and enthusiasts, I think it boils down to the dual clutch getting caught flat footed and not knowing what gear to be in.
Is this what you noticed or more midrange? I think the car is ridiculously fast in the mid range, highway passing and on ramps...etc.I also think that the transmission is not good at low speed transitions. It is only a matter of getting used to modulating the accelerator pedal.
My EPL tuned 2016 S6 is quite quick at high requirements, but low end transitions are not much better than stock. Just a matter of the DCT. The new ZF autos are better for sure, also at start up and parking manoeuvres.
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doc-haz
11-09-2018, 08:46 PM
I also think that the transmission is not good at low speed transitions. It is only a matter of getting used to modulating the accelerator pedal.
My EPL tuned 2016 S6 is quite quick at high requirements, but low end transitions are not much better than stock. Just a matter of the DCT. The new ZF autos are better for sure, also at start up and parking manoeuvres.
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Completely agree. It is lightening fast though when driving aggressively on a back country road in my experience. Very PDK-like in those instances but unfortunately not as good in slow speeds.
OlyS6
11-09-2018, 11:17 PM
The check-engine light means something is up. Not secondary to the recall, as that's just a potential issue with a sensor in the passenger seat. Likely an individual engine issue with the specific car you were driving.
Jrh13s4
11-10-2018, 12:48 AM
My comparison is b8.5 s4. Man that thing is a little rocket ship, best car I’ve ever had. I just need something a little bigger. S6 is perfect size...
HardHitter
11-10-2018, 04:35 AM
My comparison is b8.5 s4. Man that thing is a little rocket ship, best car I’ve ever had. I just need something a little bigger. S6 is perfect size...
We are in the same ball park. I'm looking for a daily driver and have been comparing a B8.5 to the S6. I'm trying to figure out if paying the extra $20-$25K to get the S6 is worth it vs just buying a B8.5.
With that said, here are my thoughts after driving a stock B8.5 S4 and stock 2016 S6 back to back
- Tech/Comfort: This is no competition. The S6 has all the bells and whistles where the S4's "technology" is having a backup camera. The S6 has cameras all over (front, rear, top view, front corners, rear corners, etc) as well as both front and rear sensors. Include heads up display, being able to have your navigation/maps in the dash freeing up the dash screen to display something else, etc, it is just day/night difference.
- Power: This is where your mind plays tricks on you. The S6 has way more HP than the S4 stock and a lot higher ceiling for mod power but because of the supercharger vs turbos, the power delivery is different and you'll feel as though the S4 is faster even though we know the S6 will destroy the S4
- Handling: I took a back-to-back 20 minute test drive between the S4 and S6 to test this out. I expected the S4 to handle a lot better, but I was pleasantly surprised with the S6 ability. I was driving on public roads, so I'm sure I wasn't pushing either car to its limits, but taking the same exact turn/roads for both test drives, I didn't feel a big difference between the cars. The S6, with its air suspension, handled any bumps/imperfections I hit while in a turn smoothly vs the S4 where you could actually feel the bump/imperfection through the suspension.
With that said, I have no idea which car to get either. I can get a stage 2 S4 for $30K, where you can get a stock 2016 S6 for $55K. Is it worth the extra $25K? I think the power and space for me, it is. The only concern I have is that the new A6/A7 was just released, so when the new S6 comes out in a few years, what kind of value hit will the C7.5 S6s take just because of that not including standard depreciation. The B8.5 S4 has already basically taken its depreciation hit.
Was the transmission in Dynamic/Sport? The S6 doesn’t default to that when starting in Dynamic and you need to pull the shifter back. I agree the S6 feels slower, but it’s an illusion.
I traded a daily driven (20k miles/year) B8 S4 in on a 2018 S6 and the S6 is better in every way except handling twisties.
I liked the S6 a lot during my test drive, but didn’t fall in love (which surprised me). Different story after 8 months: I absolutely love the car, probably more than any vehicle I’ve owned.
Jrh13s4
11-10-2018, 06:38 AM
Thanks for all the input. I’m going back today for another look. They are going to check on the CEL as well. Hopefully that was the difference.
ryanlada
11-10-2018, 10:16 AM
Starting in Dynamic will still leave the trans in D mode (unless you select dynamic when
it's already running) Make sure it says S in the dash.
Starting in Dynamic will still leave the trans in D mode (unless you select dynamic when
it's already running) Make sure it says S in the dash.
Yep. S under a D. (that doesn’t sound right at all lol)
Avned
11-10-2018, 10:53 AM
CEL will put the car in limp mode so definitely it won't have all the power available to you. Definitely get that checked out. Good luck!