anyone go from an a3 or mkv gti to an s4?

[leegf]

lately i've become really intrigued by the b6/b7 audi s4. the combination of v8 power, awd, and maturity/exclusivity over the gti is increasingly tempting to me. i don't drive much, so gas mileage is not a huge concern. what would it be like to go from a dsg mkv gti to this car? any mechanical/electrical gremlins to look out for? is the b7 a material improvement over the b6, or was it mostly a cosmetic refresh? and how much should i expect to pay?

i expect (and am prepared) to pay more for parts, maintenance, and probably insurance for the audi. the version i'd be in the market for would probably be an avant with tip, ideally b7 instead of b6 (unless they're mechanically very similar, in which case it would probably be harder to justify the higher buy-in cost of the b7). failing that, i'd also consider the 4-door with tip.

this car would see some track time - maybe 3-5 track days a year - so input from a track and motorsports perspective would be extremely useful as well.

the gti is a great car and i love it, but for me i found it to be a great starter german car (my first) and more like a gateway car to better things. i'm also sort of over the gti scene. i've been listening to youtube clips of various catback exhausts mated to the v8 and the sound is absolutely and i thought the r32's vr6 sounded good..

thanks for reading!

[RAudi Driver]

I own a 4 door MKV, used to own a B6 S4 and have an '08 RS4. The GTI is my favorite car out of all of them. There are no rattles, no mechanical issues, no oil burning, nothing. It's even chipped with REVO software and there are absolutely no issues whatsoever. this is more than I can say for my previous B6 and my current B7 RS4.

As for fun factor, the GTI is a great car to drive also. Yea sure the RS4 is fun and you'll get more attention, but for everyday jetting around the city, the GTI is hard to beat. I love that car.

If you are going to get an S4, make it a manual, especially if you plan to track it.

[Rodknock]

My previous car was a mk5 gti and on a modding level the GTI is a better car meaning that there is more out there for the gti than there is for the S4..
On the other hand the S4 is a nicer car. The AWD is amazing and the power and torque is fantastic.

Good luck in what ever you choose.

[cam]

I had a mk5 gti before my s4, and they are 2 totally different cars. the gti was fun as hell and i miss it to this day, it had all the bolt ons, a set of baller wheels and a nice suspension set up. the s4 is more of your cruiser the v8 has a good bit of power, quattro is amazing and not to mention the car gets alot of respect in the streets.

[RAudi Driver]

The torque is better on the GTI if you measure torque per cubic inch. The GTI can put out close to 300 ft/lbs, which is just a tiny bit less than the S4 with twice the motor size.

[littleredwagen]

I also came from a MKV GTI, I must admit i enjoy my S4 100x more than the MKV. The GTI is an awesome car, but the S4 is more to me and less mod friendly (good for me!)

[leegf]

I also came from a MKV GTI, I must admit i enjoy my S4 100x more than the MKV. The GTI is an awesome car, but the S4 is more to me and less mod friendly (good for me!)

thanks! got your im on vortex. which exhaust did you decide to go with?

thanks all. still undecided between this, an a3 3.2, and just keeping my gti.

[littleredwagen]

thanks! got your im on vortex. which exhaust did you decide to go with?

thanks all. still undecided between this, an a3 3.2, and just keeping my gti.

fast intentions catback

[leegf]

sweet. if i end up getting one, i'd love to hear yours in person sometime.

[darbyfam]

I own both a MKV GTI and a B6 S4. I always forget how fun the GTI is when I go to drive it. Much more fun that the S4. My GTi is bone stock and the S4 is modded (downpipes, exhaust, chip, intake, Ohlins Motorsport, swaybars, etc). I still prefer the GTI when it comes to fun factor. The S4 is a good commuter car and gets lots of looks and "respect" on the street but if someone made me chose between the two - the S4 would go bye bye.

I also own a 99 Miata autox-specific car and learned from that project that less is more. So, the GTI wins when it comes to tracking too due to the lower weight.

[leegf]

holy crap. decisions... decisions. darbyfam, have you also done track days with both the gti and the s4? i'd be doing some tracking but probably not a whole lot of autocrossing with the s4. the gti is fun on the track, but it feels somewhat unsteady at higher speeds. i was hoping the s4 would feel more planted and instill more confidence.

[ToMMyRsK04]

<< Buy my mk3 turbo ( 450ish on race gas )

[poopypants]

My previous car was a mk5 gti and on a modding level the GTI is a better car meaning that there is more out there for the gti than there is for the S4..

Fortunately tuning companies have kept their ears open and the winds are changing. Unfortunately for me, that means more money to spend when i bought my S4 to keep me from modding it.

the s4 is more of your cruiser

No offense, but you have no clue about what you are talking about.

The torque is better on the GTI if you measure torque per cubic inch. The GTI can put out close to 300 ft/lbs, which is just a tiny bit less than the S4 with twice the motor size.

Only one reason why... the GTI is turbocharged. Remove the turbo and it be no faster than a Honda. Now, i go out and slap on twin turbos on my car... I'd rather have a bigger platform to build upon than something smaller. But that's my preference.

I own both a MKV GTI and a B6 S4. I always forget how fun the GTI is when I go to drive it. Much more fun that the S4. My GTi is bone stock and the S4 is modded (downpipes, exhaust, chip, intake, Ohlins Motorsport, swaybars, etc). I still prefer the GTI when it comes to fun factor. The S4 is a good commuter car and gets lots of looks and "respect" on the street but if someone made me chose between the two - the S4 would go bye bye.

I also own a 99 Miata autox-specific car and learned from that project that less is more. So, the GTI wins when it comes to tracking too due to the lower weight.

Really, who's gonna track their S4 to such as extreme extent? S4 is more of a gran touring sport sedan. I used to own a MKIV Jetta with K04. Not much power but for its size, that little rocket was fun. Since i bought the S4, its a lot more fun IF you know how to utilize the Quattro system to your advantage. Plus having that high power/high reving V8 under the bonnet is sure gonna propel you out of tight corners over any stock GTI. The S4 may be a bit heavy, but it has the goods to allow it to handle better than majority of the smaller sedans/coupes out there. I cant speak for most drivers since few here really know how to actually "drive" their cars. Im sorry, but i cant stand when folks make uneducated responses. I admit the the S4 is not the best performing car out there, but i luv how it combines performance with class for the dollar. There are a lot of great competitors out there, but im sorry... VWs do not compete in this category. Its like saying a 500 hp Honda S2000 is better than the Mercedez CLK Black series or BMW M5. No comparison whatsoever. Just becuase VW is the parent company for Audi, doesn't mean that Audi's cars are built in Mexico alongside VW. Some of you are saddly misled.

[charliemike]

All due respect to the GTI owners, I will never buy a FWD car again unless that's all there is to buy.

[littleredwagen]

I own both a MKV GTI and a B6 S4. I always forget how fun the GTI is when I go to drive it. Much more fun that the S4. My GTi is bone stock and the S4 is modded (downpipes, exhaust, chip, intake, Ohlins Motorsport, swaybars, etc). I still prefer the GTI when it comes to fun factor. The S4 is a good commuter car and gets lots of looks and "respect" on the street but if someone made me chose between the two - the S4 would go bye bye.

I also own a 99 Miata autox-specific car and learned from that project that less is more. So, the GTI wins when it comes to tracking too due to the lower weight.

while I might agree with you on some of your points, others i don't. I had a MKV 6 spd, and I drive my friends MKV DSG, and I drive my friends A3. They are fun at slower speeds high speeds in turns is where it gets dicey. The shorter wheelbase on the MKV chassis is the cause of it. You can tune the suspension to help but it will never go away. After driving the S4 on a track it is much better than any MKV car that is FWD. I almost spun the DSG car at high speeds becuase of how light the backend got. The S4 is way more than a commuter car. Take it to a track and find out.

[ZachPDX]

All due respect to the GTI owners, I will never buy a FWD car again unless that's all there is to buy.

x2. Ive had FWD RWD and AWD cars and can never see myself getting back into a FWD car..... hate wheel hop.

[RAudi Driver]

Only one reason why... the GTI is turbocharged. Remove the turbo and it be no faster than a Honda. Now, i go out and slap on twin turbos on my car... I'd rather have a bigger platform to build upon than something smaller. But that's my preference.

I realize that, I own one. One would never remove the turbo on the 2.0 and one would never toss twin turbos into an S4. That being said torque can be compared between the two. However, putting that torque to the pavement is another story where the GTI falls real short, but I still love that little FWD car.

[killintime]

The torque is better on the GTI if you measure torque per cubic inch. The GTI can put out close to 300 ft/lbs, which is just a tiny bit less than the S4 with twice the motor size.

I went backwards...I had an '04 S4 and went to an MKV GTI. I had my GTI chipped and it's fun and all, but I have to say...there just isn't any substitute for cubic inches.


The numbers may say that with the APR chip the GTI is putting out 303 lbs per ft of tq and that is 1 lb more than the S4...but it honestly doesn't feel like it.

My S4 would pin your ass in the seat, big time with a neck snapping abilitiy compared to the GTI.

I'm looking to get an S4 again, and to me here's the biggest difference...

When you have a GTI (or any small speedster, MazdaSpeed3, Cooper S, etc) they are fun but it's almost like you have to prove to yourself that they're fast. So you find yourself racing them around quite a bit. Almost like your proving something.

With an S4, it's known...to you and to whoever has any knowledge about automobiles. So your a bit more relaxed, taking your time because you know you got it covered.

Both are great cars, but I'd take the S4 over the GTI any day of the year.

[ubermkv]

lately i've become really intrigued by the b6/b7 audi s4. the combination of v8 power, awd, and maturity/exclusivity over the gti is increasingly tempting to me. i don't drive much, so gas mileage is not a huge concern. what would it be like to go from a dsg mkv gti to this car? any mechanical/electrical gremlins to look out for? is the b7 a material improvement over the b6, or was it mostly a cosmetic refresh? and how much should i expect to pay?

i expect (and am prepared) to pay more for parts, maintenance, and probably insurance for the audi. the version i'd be in the market for would probably be an avant with tip, ideally b7 instead of b6 (unless they're mechanically very similar, in which case it would probably be harder to justify the higher buy-in cost of the b7). failing that, i'd also consider the 4-door with tip.

this car would see some track time - maybe 3-5 track days a year - so input from a track and motorsports perspective would be extremely useful as well.

the gti is a great car and i love it, but for me i found it to be a great starter german car (my first) and more like a gateway car to better things. i'm also sort of over the gti scene. i've been listening to youtube clips of various catback exhausts mated to the v8 and the sound is absolutely and i thought the r32's vr6 sounded good..

thanks for reading!

im in the same boat as u are. i currently have a mkv gti and have have been considering a b6/b7 s4. i took one for a test drive 2 weeks ago and fell in love. i love that NA power that is already there. the sound of the v8 and most of all the quattro. but i must say if i do sell my gti, there will def be a tiny piece of me gone.

anyone here race any mkvs? i ran a b6 once on the highway when i only had stage 1 and we were dead even from 60mph to 110mph then he started pulling hard. i think i could do better now with stage 2. i made 244whp and 303wtrq. i can only imagine if the s4 were about 500lbs lighter....unstopable