2016 s4 6mt

[eightamrock]

Hey Everyone,

I picked up my 2016 S4 in November. I'm honestly just not as in love with it as I really wanted to be. I think I am more of a turbo guy, and it makes me sad because I thought this was going to be my dream car.

Anyway, Im putting a feeler out there to see if anyone wants to take it off my hands.

2016 Glacier White, 6MT
Black Optics
Tech Package
Nappa Leather (Magma Red)
Supercharged Badges
Carbon Inlays
Rubber floor matts

Sticker was $56k and change, Im looking to get around $52k, it has 1500 miles and has been broken in as per the owners manual.

Here are some pics, the first is with the snow rims and tires. Others are the day I picked it up.





PM me if you might be interested.

[The Fat Kid]

Does that mean you are already moving on to the F80 M3?

[DannyDeez]

See if the dealer will buy it back from you. Thats what I did with my S5 after I had it for about 10 - 11 months. It was a lease too. Quick and easy.

[eightamrock]

See if the dealer will buy it back from you. Thats what I did with my S5 after I had it for about 10 - 11 months. It was a lease too. Quick and easy.

Yep. I called them today. The depreciation was pretty ridiculous for 3 months. They recommended I try private.

If all else fails I'll take the hit.

I'm also torn, if I chip it, it might become the car I expected, but with 1500 miles and a slew of reliability issues I've read about, it makes me nervous to give up the warranty so soon....

[eightamrock]

See if the dealer will buy it back from you. Thats what I did with my S5 after I had it for about 10 - 11 months. It was a lease too. Quick and easy.

Yep. I called them today. The depreciation was pretty ridiculous for 3 months. They recommended I try private.

If all else fails I'll take the hit.

I'm also torn, if I chip it, it might become the car I expected, but with 1500 miles and a slew of reliability issues I've read about, it makes me nervous to give up the warranty so soon....

[CrownSeven]

Yep. I called them today. The depreciation was pretty ridiculous for 3 months. They recommended I try private.

If all else fails I'll take the hit.

I'm also torn, if I chip it, it might become the car I expected, but with 1500 miles and a slew of reliability issues I've read about, it makes me nervous to give up the warranty so soon....

What reliability issues are you referring to? The B8 s4 is one of the more reliable audi's out there.

[Cepe7a89]

What reliability issues are you referring to? The B8 s4 is one of the more reliable audi's out there.

+1 what issues are you having??? Maybe tune it, and wait for the 2017 turbo s4 and trade in your car then???

[DannyDeez]

Yep. I called them today. The depreciation was pretty ridiculous for 3 months. They recommended I try private.

If all else fails I'll take the hit.

I'm also torn, if I chip it, it might become the car I expected, but with 1500 miles and a slew of reliability issues I've read about, it makes me nervous to give up the warranty so soon....

Ouch, that sucks. I guess its hit or miss. The dealer bought my S5 back with no problem but the A3 cab that I recently got my fiancé took a huge depreciation hit (like $15k).

Also +2 on which reliability issues have you heard about? These cars are pretty solid. The only thing you would have to be concerned with is if you were DSG and maybe sport diff, but you have a 6MT so no worries there.

I had APR stage 2 on my S5 and it was incredible. If speed is what youre looking for, that may be the answer Then again, I wasn't really in love with the S5 either so I feel your pain.

[eightamrock]

Ouch, that sucks. I guess its hit or miss. The dealer bought my S5 back with no problem but the A3 cab that I recently got my fiancé took a huge depreciation hit (like $15k).

Also +2 on which reliability issues have you heard about? These cars are pretty solid. The only thing you would have to be concerned with is if you were DSG and maybe sport diff, but you have a 6MT so no worries there.

I had APR stage 2 on my S5 and it was incredible. If speed is what youre looking for, that may be the answer Then again, I wasn't really in love with the S5 either so I feel your pain.

Yep $15k is about what they are telling me Im going to lose on the deal, that includes tax/title/tags/audi service etc. I think my main gripe for the car is the technology. It's severely behind even my 2012 GTI which is really surprising. MMI is slow, buggy, and unreliable. My backup camera was frozen for 2 days until I read up on how to hard reset. (Keeping that cheatsheet in my glovebox for sure).

Beyond the little things, it really is the performance. My chipped GTI with 250HP, and 270TQ felt much more spritely. You gain consistency with the SC. When I pull out onto the highway, I dont have to worry about charging the turbo before I go, thats nice. The quattro is heavy and sticky, thats been great, but when I mash on the throttle I just don't feel like the power I'm expecting is there. Maybe I just don't drive it hard enough? Gas mileage is also horrendous, but I knew that going into it. You don't buy this car to travel with. I'm just disappointed that I have never once hit the advertised 27MPG highway. Im consistently between 15-18 which I hear is normal. Also makes me feel like I am trying to drive it just as hard as everyone else.

As for the reliability, things I've read about include oil consumption, piston ring issues, water pump, AC leaking, fuel injectors going bad, melted cats, etc. Its hard to tell if these are only issues with the b8 or also the b8.5. Some are related to tuning, some not. I'm totally willing to pay to play, I just want to make sure any problems I cause are ones I cause and Im not ending up paying for things that are genuine Audi problems that I would face either way.

Let me ask you all this in a different way, in the first 50k miles what items have you had to fix that were or should have been covered under Audi warranty?

[rota92]

Do you drive it in dynamic mode?

[vwblackb5]

Seems like major buyers remorse. Did you test drive the car at all before pulling the trigger or was it a spur of the moment thing? When I was cross shopping my 2016 S4 with a 2016 340xi and 2016 C450 AMG, everything about the S4 (at least to me), power delivery, interior, and available sport differential sold me on it. There's some subjectivity with power comparison of turbo vs supercharger but I definitely knew for myself that the S4 was better than the alternatives I was cross shopping it with.

With regards to your chipped GTI (250chp and 270ft*lb tq) feeling faster.. I can sort of relate. FWIW, I have a K04'd B5 FWD with an aggressive file (GIAC PC16 for AEB) which sits at 250chp/270tq. Since the car weighs ~3200-3300lbs it definitely feels more tossable and lighter than the B8.5 S4, but it is definitely not faster, nor does it deliver the power as consistently as the supercharged S4.

As far as the slow MMI and frozen rear cam, have you brought it back and mentioned it to the dealer? TL;DR - hope you keep the car, if you're local I have VAGCOM and scan/perform tweaks for you if you need it.

[eightamrock]

Do you drive it in dynamic mode?

Yep!

[chaos2984]

I guess you didn't do your research good enough You got that little twinkle in your eye when you saw it and bought it. Most all problems are gone with the B8.5 Water pump problems were only with 2010 and some 2011's The oil consumption seems like it dwindles down to if you babied your car for break in. I didn't baby it and didn't dog it either. I put it through its paces and i burn 0 oil. A/C leaking thats a first. The only time I've seen that is with people's intakes rubbing a hole in the line. I don't know what you mean by technology. It has the 3g MMI. Yes its slow with boot up but once running its fine. I love the feel of the car. Maybe your trying to compare it to something its not. But if you don't like it you don't like it is all. The only S4 i was disapointed with was my B7 S4 now it sounded good but it was a dog lol

[eightamrock]

Seems like major buyers remorse. Did you test drive the car at all before pulling the trigger or was it a spur of the moment thing? When I was cross shopping my 2016 S4 with a 2016 340xi and 2016 C450 AMG, everything about the S4 (at least to me), power delivery, interior, and available sport differential sold me on it. There's some subjectivity with power comparison of turbo vs supercharger but I definitely knew for myself that the S4 was better than the alternatives I was cross shopping it with.

With regards to your chipped GTI (250chp and 270ft*lb tq) feeling faster.. I can sort of relate. FWIW, I have a K04'd B5 FWD with an aggressive file (GIAC PC16 for AEB) which sits at 250chp/270tq. Since the car weighs ~3200-3300lbs it definitely feels more tossable and lighter than the B8.5 S4, but it is definitely not faster, nor does it deliver the power as consistently as the supercharged S4.

As far as the slow MMI and frozen rear cam, have you brought it back and mentioned it to the dealer? TL;DR - hope you keep the car, if you're local I have VAGCOM and scan/perform tweaks for you if you need it.

Definitely agree with the subjectivity aspect of turbo vs SC. I definitely feel the consistency of the SC and appreciate it. I cross shopped the 340xi and totally agree that the S4 beat it in every way with fit and finish. Im definitely going to bring up the MMI with the dealer. Im slightly worried that they will blame it on my sub install, but I had the problems before I did that.

My wife and I had a long chat about it last night, she said, and I quote "F**k the warranty. Chip it, tint it, drop it, and go have fun". Ironically someone cut a corner too tight today and gave me a rub on the front bumper so I'll also have to "paint it".

I think I'll keep it and tune her up.... see how it goes.

[eightamrock]

I guess you didn't do your research good enough You got that little twinkle in your eye when you saw it and bought it. Most all problems are gone with the B8.5 Water pump problems were only with 2010 and some 2011's The oil consumption seems like it dwindles down to if you babied your car for break in. I didn't baby it and didn't dog it either. I put it through its paces and i burn 0 oil. A/C leaking thats a first. The only time I've seen that is with people's intakes rubbing a hole in the line. I don't know what you mean by technology. It has the 3g MMI. Yes its slow with boot up but once running its fine. I love the feel of the car. Maybe your trying to compare it to something its not. But if you don't like it you don't like it is all. The only S4 i was disapointed with was my B7 S4 now it sounded good but it was a dog lol

Thanks for the info around the reliability issues. I'm going to chip it and see how it goes. I will say, a hard reboot cured the camera issue, and sped things up. Just lame that Ill have to do that now and again.

It will be more like an episode of married at first sight. I just have to learn to love her.

[markskyline]

"F**k the warranty. Chip it, tint it, drop it, and go have fun".

Def quote of the day! Hard to compare to a turbo GTI. That's a totally different car. My cousin just picked up a 2016 Golf R 4 door and it's a nice ride but I'd still take my S4.

[DannyDeez]

Definitely agree with the subjectivity aspect of turbo vs SC. I definitely feel the consistency of the SC and appreciate it. I cross shopped the 340xi and totally agree that the S4 beat it in every way with fit and finish. Im definitely going to bring up the MMI with the dealer. Im slightly worried that they will blame it on my sub install, but I had the problems before I did that.

My wife and I had a long chat about it last night, she said, and I quote "F**k the warranty. Chip it, tint it, drop it, and go have fun". Ironically someone cut a corner too tight today and gave me a rub on the front bumper so I'll also have to "paint it".

I think I'll keep it and tune her up.... see how it goes.

Haha now that's awesome! Finally someone who's wife is all for modding instead of complaining like 99% of the posts you see here. My fiancé is like that too thankfully.
Take the car to EuroTech in Mahwah! I'll be there next week getting my newly acquired 12 S4 looked over.

[chaos2984]

Thanks for the info around the reliability issues. I'm going to chip it and see how it goes. I will say, a hard reboot cured the camera issue, and sped things up. Just lame that Ill have to do that now and again.

It will be more like an episode of married at first sight. I just have to learn to love her.

Yea I love mine. I cannot wait to drive it with a full tune on it. DSG and engine. But do you have the sports diff? Find some back roads and push the car. Its fun ill tell you that. You will have that grin on your face. But I was like you with my B7 S4 with the V8 engine. The thing that got me to keep the car was the tech and the sound of the engine. I thought it was lacking power like crazy and their was nothing you could do about it unless you have 15K burning a whole in your pocket. Atleast with the B8's you only need 1500 to chip it and make a lot more power. You will be happy with the chip.

[adamkb26]

You might have issues with your MMI unit if it's that bad. Mine is pretty fast and is way better in my opinion that most cars out there.

[AudiS4Slim]

Definitely agree with the subjectivity aspect of turbo vs SC. I definitely feel the consistency of the SC and appreciate it. I cross shopped the 340xi and totally agree that the S4 beat it in every way with fit and finish. Im definitely going to bring up the MMI with the dealer. Im slightly worried that they will blame it on my sub install, but I had the problems before I did that.

My wife and I had a long chat about it last night, she said, and I quote "F**k the warranty. Chip it, tint it, drop it, and go have fun". Ironically someone cut a corner too tight today and gave me a rub on the front bumper so I'll also have to "paint it".

I think I'll keep it and tune her up.... see how it goes.

You made the right decision, just enjoy the car. Im having a wonderful time with mine. I also cross shopped with the same cars plus some others, and found this to be the best one. Plus YOU HAVE A 6MT Im @ 3,899miles on My , and it hasn't given me anything but joy and happiness . Wish you all the best.. Im in NY, LI hope to see you around
[IMG][/IMG]

[mmm def]

Very nice car. Definitely not worth taking a 15k hit. Mod it, enjoy it. They're solid cars.

[Johnnycash]

im still trying to figure out why you are parked on the curb during delivery, and or if a sales person did that when they pulled up? dealbreaker imo

[DannyDeez]

im still trying to figure out why you are parked on the curb during delivery, and or if a sales person did that when they pulled up? dealbreaker imo

I don't know why, but this made me LOL.

Edit: I just looked back at the pics, and it looks to me like that curb is actually the same height as the pavement. Ive seen that parking lot/stone setup a lot.

[mgiglio]

I'm a year into my 15 S4 now and I can definitely see where the OP is coming from. I had similar feelings at first. Coming out of an E90 M3 and into this car was a big shock at first. Then I did some Mods and I can honestly say I like the car just as much as my M3 now. The added benefit is that this car is way more practical and a lot more comfortable as a daily driver.

When modding, I did the opposite of what everyone does. I didn't go crazy and go for power first. I felt the chassis and drive train is what was lacking in this car. My car, like the OP's is a 6 speed MT car. One of the first things I did was get the 034 trans mount and rear diff mount inserts. This is the most underrated mod. Everyone talks about going faster but no one likes to mentions driver involvement and feedback. This made the engagement of the stick a lot crisper and eliminated most the the drive line slop.

Next, get a rear sway bar. Paired with the rear diff mount inserts, this honestly feels like a rear wheel drive car when I get on it in corners. You will feel the diminished under steer immediately.

Lastly, go with a stage 1 tune. No need for a stage 2 with pulley upgrade. The car is a manual so even if your the worlds best shifter your not going to get the sub 4 second 0-60 times that people with dsg and stage 2 will get. Sadly the slush boxes are now faster than us and will put the power down a lot more effiecently when you increase the horsepower. Just be happy that your actually "driving" the car and not flipping the paddles like some nerd with his thrust master steering wheel.

If you think you still want a new BMW instead, go sit in the car, laugh at how cheap the interior is and ask your self if he extra $20k is worth having an M3/M4. Only to be disappointed that their new electronic steering makes the car feel numb like the Audis of 10 years ago used to feel like.


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[cW6mT mKviGLi]

Dannydeez, congrats on the S4, same year as me and you go to the same shop as me.

To the OP, my S4 has been modded since its original delivery date to the previous/first owner (full stage 2+). I just turned 51k and the only failure was wheel bearings @ 45k. Other than that, it's been fun since i acquired it at 27k miles.

I previously had a stage 2 MK6 GTi and stage 2 MK6 GLi.

Good luck on your decision.

[jsh139]

From classified ad to build thread. Haha. Good decision.

[eightamrock]

From classified ad to build thread. Haha. Good decision.

Over the last week I added a ton off goodies to the car including an Intake and stage 2 chip / pulley.

The chip and pulley made this a completely different car. Without a doubt the car I was expecting to get for $60k off the showroom floor. Holy cow. It's got so much power the floor mats fold over on themselves when I launch it.

I'm absolutely in love with it now. I can't help but giggle every time I feel it pull.

Lots of great advice and convincing here. Thank you all so much. Now it's definitely a build thread.


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[DannyDeez]

Dannydeez, congrats on the S4, same year as me and you go to the same shop as me.

To the OP, my S4 has been modded since its original delivery date to the previous/first owner (full stage 2+). I just turned 51k and the only failure was wheel bearings @ 45k. Other than that, it's been fun since i acquired it at 27k miles.

I previously had a stage 2 MK6 GTi and stage 2 MK6 GLi.

Good luck on your decision.

Thanks man. Just saw this post now lol

[Bruno_s4]

Over the last week I added a ton off goodies to the car including an Intake and stage 2 chip / pulley.

The chip and pulley made this a completely different car. Without a doubt the car I was expecting to get for $60k off the showroom floor. Holy cow. It's got so much power the floor mats fold over on themselves when I launch it.

I'm absolutely in love with it now. I can't help but giggle every time I feel it pull.

Lots of great advice and convincing here. Thank you all so much. Now it's definitely a build thread.


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As I was reading through the thread and your comments I kept saying to myself "go stage 2" and it looks like you did.
This car is just amazing when brought to Stage 2.
Glad you kept her.
Now address the handling!

[AudiS4SD]

When modding, I did the opposite of what everyone does. I didn't go crazy and go for power first. I felt the chassis and drive train is what was lacking in this car. My car, like the OP's is a 6 speed MT car. One of the first things I did was get the 034 trans mount and rear diff mount inserts. This is the most underrated mod. Everyone talks about going faster but no one likes to mentions driver involvement and feedback. This made the engagement of the stick a lot crisper and eliminated most the the drive line slop.


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I'm interested in these two mount inserts. Can you please link which ones you got? I want to make sure to get the correct ones. Thanks.

[ballinb5]

Yep $15k is about what they are telling me Im going to lose on the deal, that includes tax/title/tags/audi service etc.

If you're willing to take a 15k hit then why sell it so steep? 4k below sticker is a little unreasonable, who pays sticker anyway? Might as well give someone a good deal and still come out ahead.

[eightamrock]

I'm interested in these two mount inserts. Can you please link which ones you got? I want to make sure to get the correct ones. Thanks.

I got the ECS ones over the 034. They are almost the same but the ECS ones are polycarbonate. It reduces noise which can be a common issue with the metal ones.

Either are awesome though. Tremendously less slop on gear shifts.


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