Going from an A4 to an S4 couple questions sports diff, driveselect....

[na_v]

Decided to finally pull the plug on an S4, but a couple things got me wondering. I'm looking at a black 2013 S4 w/ a red and black interior premium so it has the backup camera sensors side assist etc... but it has no drive select button and also has navi and based on the reading I've done here it doesn't have a sports differential .

im not a track guy more of a straight line but i do occasionally drive a bit hard and enjoy the on and off ramps too in my current a4, i am willing to wait but do you guys think its worth the wait to look for an S4 with a sports differential ?

anything else i should look for in this s4? this one has more km than my current a4 which is 69 000 which is okay?

[s42014DSG]

Wait. Ain't nothing like it.

[DannyDeez]

I have sports diff in my S4. I honestly don't see what people rave about. My B7 A4 handles just as good if not better.
Based on your description of your driving style, it seems like the sport diff will do nothing for you but add an additional cost.

[SDV325]

I have sports diff in my S4. I honestly don't see what people rave about. My B7 A4 handles just as good if not better.
Based on your description of your driving style, it seems like the sport diff will do nothing for you but add an additional cost.

Completely disagree.

Even going around simple exit ramps, traffic circles or a good old mountain/canyon cruise the sports diff is incredibly noticeable. If i am light on the throttle and just coasting through corners/exit ramps, the diff isn't being used. However when i make sure to constantly apply a slight throttle I can really feel the whole car rotate, the rear pushing me through the corner.

[wangshuo1989]

Completely disagree.

Even going around simple exit ramps, traffic circles or a good old mountain/canyon cruise the sports diff is incredibly noticeable. If i am light on the throttle and just coasting through corners/exit ramps, the diff isn't being used. However when i make sure to constantly apply a slight throttle I can really feel the whole car rotate, the rear pushing me through the corner.

Same here, it helps at every corner when on throttle.

[xpoweruk]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...=1#post6447756 sums it up for me

[DannyDeez]

Completely disagree.

Even going around simple exit ramps, traffic circles or a good old mountain/canyon cruise the sports diff is incredibly noticeable. If i am light on the throttle and just coasting through corners/exit ramps, the diff isn't being used. However when i make sure to constantly apply a slight throttle I can really feel the whole car rotate, the rear pushing me through the corner.

Same here, it helps at every corner when on throttle.

Yea I know. Everyone here raves about it. I won't even argue the point because it must just be me. I really don't feel it at all. I even try to mash the gas in corners and it just feels "normal". Nothing special. Honestly my B7 A4 impresses me more.

[RyanJon]

Someone put a video up on a thread on here of a b8 with sports diff, on a track and you could see it rotating the car through the bends, I can't find the thread though

[carlosvjr92]

I don't have it and I think it's still a blast to drive and corners are still fun. As said before unless you're planning on tracking your car or driving very hard it's an unnecessary option. Car handles well enough as is. For $1,000 though it's definitely worth it. If you can find one with it then definitely get it, but if not don't beat yourself up over it

[chaos2984]

Like others have said. I can notice the difference while on power around the corner. But with that being said. It still comes down to the deal. Now if the car's price is too good to pass up then you might have to take the deal. Unless you really want the sports diff then wait. Id wait depending on the price of ones with the diff and this one. Does it atleast have advanced key? Weight your options

[torinalth]

the sports diff is nice, and it does make a difference. no it is not necessary, but it does help. Things to also consider is the B&O stereo and nav. even if you don't use them, its great for resale. a guy was having a hard time selling his and I think it was partially due to not having many options. If resale doesn't matter to you, then it doesn't make a difference.

the audi drive select isn't a bid deal. I have it and its kinda nice, but nothing special. most people that don't have the car don't even know what it is. personal preference, but i'd make sure it has the adaptive cruise control (can't remember if its an option or what). aside from the B&O stereo, the adaptive cruise is my favorite option without a doubt.

[mmm def]

I wouldn't pass up an otherwise perfect car without sport diff but I would want it. My first one didn't have it my 2nd does and it's a noticeable difference when driving at anything other than cruising. I don't really drive that hard so to me it's cool but not a 100% must.

[Arn560]

Sports diff, torque vectoring, ADS - I have all of that good stuff but it never comes into play with everyday driving; and I have never tracked the car. I take solace in knowing that a Q7 will dust a Range Rover Sport to 60mph. Maybe my next car will be a Q7.

[bknewtype]

Yea I know. Everyone here raves about it. I won't even argue the point because it must just be me. I really don't feel it at all. I even try to mash the gas in corners and it just feels "normal". Nothing special. Honestly my B7 A4 impresses me more.

+1

just like when I put on the alu cruz and the strut bar. did 0 for me.

lets just look good with ecodes. leave the performance to the other boys xD

[The Fat Kid]

I am a "spirited" driver, but I don't push my luck on public streets. I have only felt the sports diff kick in a few times, which means you will likely be fine without it unless you plan on doing Auto-X or tracking the S4.

I would still probably try to find an S4 with the sports diff because so many people want it; that could make it easier to resell the car down the road. The potential downside is having the sports diff crap out and then you are left with a big repair bill.

I would also look for a P+ with B&O/Nav, or Prestige.

[administerturbo]

If you think you'll regret buying a car without it, then get it, if you don't think you will, don't worry about it, you won't miss it. For me, if I didn't have it, I'd wonder all the time about it. I don't feel it in city driving. What I feel the most is the 60/40 power distribution to the rear. Coming from 3 different older Audi's with front bias... this is nice.

[AudiS4SD]

I've had it both ways.

My first S4 had the sports diff and my current S4 does not. I only felt it come in a couple times and nobody should really be pushing their car so hard on public streets that you're trying to make the car rotate. Push a bit more and you're in the ditch.

I found a great car without the sports diff and weighed the options. Ultra low mileage car compared with B&O, ADS, manual, etc. greatly outweighed needing the sports diff. The car handles just fine for me as it is.


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[s42014DSG]

Resale value is a good point. Reading some of the posts above, I should probably agree vocally that it's not an absolute necessity unless you're really pushing it around corners, but hey: that's what I (and I'm guessing many of us) like to do now and again when we're enjoying our 60K cars...:)

[acsgp]

The sports diff is a great to have, and not a must have. It's nice not to have understeer in tight corners, and you can really feel the back come round.

But how often would that happen? It's more important to get a well maintained, uncrashed car.

[jimrobbington]

I have sports diff in my S4. I honestly don't see what people rave about. My B7 A4 handles just as good if not better.
Based on your description of your driving style, it seems like the sport diff will do nothing for you but add an additional cost.

It sounds like you don't actually have a sport diff. Lol

Completely disagree.

Even going around simple exit ramps, traffic circles or a good old mountain/canyon cruise the sports diff is incredibly noticeable. If i am light on the throttle and just coasting through corners/exit ramps, the diff isn't being used. However when i make sure to constantly apply a slight throttle I can really feel the whole car rotate, the rear pushing me through the corner.

This. The sport diff is 100% noticeable under hard cornering. The second you feel it, you know it's there. A passenger said it felt like a roller coaster. It literally feels like the rear end does a light, controlled drift, not unlike light oversteer, but it does it in a 100% controlled fashion without ever losing traction.

For me, it was one of those things where if I didn't get it, I would always be wondering what I was missing, and I didn't want that feeling. So I got it. And I am not disappointed in the least.

ADS you can live without.

Also the saying is "pull the trigger" not "pull the plug". I think pull the plug would infer exactly the opposite meaning. Lol

[S4_V6T]

I have sports diff in my S4. I honestly don't see what people rave about. My B7 A4 handles just as good if not better.
Based on your description of your driving style, it seems like the sport diff will do nothing for you but add an additional cost.

For what it is worth, I sort of agree. Having owned both an Auto with the Sports diff and now a 6MT without the sports diff, I really do not miss it that much at all... And I am a spirited driver!

[blackfunk]

I've had both. If the deal is good enough then its not that big a deal. Everyone on here is a race driver. Only you know how and where you drive. There's more to the car than the SD.

[TexasDfwS4]

For what it is worth, I sort of agree. Having owned both an Auto with the Sports diff and now a 6MT without the sports diff, I really do not miss it that much at all... And I am a spirited driver!

It's the corners that matter and yes it works well. I also had both and the 2012 (non SD) was a plow. I have had close calls and know that the Sports Diff was what saved me.

[jygesq]

you can live w/o it, but when you have it you will know as your car will feel it is on rails on turns.In 2015 it is has 3 settings via mmi comfort, dynamic and auto/

[na_v]

Thanks for all the input most people seem like it makes a diff if you have it. Might as well wait see if one with it pops ups, let's see how it goes

[ncharpy89]

I would have to agree with everyone saying it is all personal preference, and that it isn't a "necessity". That being said, I personally have driven both and can honestly say you DO notice a difference, however you only notice the sports diff when getting on the throttle quite a bit in the turns / curves. So, considering I commute 60 miles per day in rush hour traffic, I don't get to utilize the sports diff very often, and even on the weekends I rarely drive it hard enough on residential roads to really get the full effect.

I have a RWD classic muscle car, a dedicated race car (auto-x) and the S4 is my daily, so for me I absolutely wanted the sports diff, and it just so happened I came across a great deal on mine (2012 P+ w/ sports diff, sunroof, B&O, NAV) so I bought it on the spot.
Will you notice it in your daily commute? Not so much. But as everyone else has said, if you ever think you may wonder what you are missing out on, you at least need to drive one and see for yourself. In the end, yes you notice it, yes it helps resale, and yes I would recommend it, but I would NOT call it a deal breaker, it's still going to be a LOT more fun than your A4. Just weigh the options, if it's a great deal and you don't think you'll regret not having the sports diff, go for it!

[bberg22]

I test drove 2 2013 S4s (one with and one without the sports diff) when looking at buying one. I definitely noticed the sports diff when comparing the two cars, but you might not realize what the diff is doing for you unless you drive a car with and one without. As others have said you have to be on throttle in a turn to really notice it but you do feel like the car is pushing you from behind and helping you turn and tuck the back end in.

[littleredwagen]

I have sports diff in my S4. I honestly don't see what people rave about. My B7 A4 handles just as good if not better.
Based on your description of your driving style, it seems like the sport diff will do nothing for you but add an additional cost.

Then you aren't driving it correctly the B8 S4 with Sports Differential will frankly run 4 rings around any B6/B7 Platform car. I suggest when driving the car in Dynamic Go into a turn with your foot on the Throttle and feel the car pull tighter into the turn.

[SouthernBoy]

I agonized over this option when I ordered my 2016 S4 last June. One of the people on this site mentioned that if I am not planning to track the car or push it hard, as in hard, then I wouldn't miss it. I don't know this to be true since I have never pushed an S4 with the sport diff. I decided not to order this option for a few reasons. It adds additional weight to the car. If it breaks or needs repair and is either out of warranty or is determined to not be a fault of Audi, then the cost to repair or replace it is quite high.

I have no plans to track my S4 nor do I drive it hard. I am much more of a straight line person, as in drag racing, but I do like a machine that handles and I find that my 2016 S4 does a remarkable job of negotiating twisties and tracking true on nice country roads. I have even hit an exit curve off of an interstate highway at speed and the curve was more pronounced than I expected. The car just laid flat in there and did beautifully.

So I don't miss not having a sport diff for my specific wants, needs, and requirements. Others may vary and that's to b expected. I do think the person I mentioned at the beginning of this post was probably right. At any rate, the car without the sport diff is quite capable of anything most drivers are willing to throw at it.

[vaa4]

If you're the kind of person that likes to go full throttle in a turn, then sport diff is a must for you.
In other words, if you have enjoyed driving RWD cars in the past, then you will love it.

It makes me smile every day. I would absolutely pass on an S4, knowing such a great option exists.

[Race Shooter]

I have it and honestly would not buy it the second time around. I do not see enough use for it in a daily driver on the road. If I were tracking it or autocrossing it regularly, yes. Street driving, not worth it. It honestly has me thinking twice about buying out my lease as the cost to replace them is huge and there has been a track record of them going bad.

[sacandagaD]

Get it! "If not for thou, for thine next S4 enthusiast....."

[vtbert3]

Yea I know. Everyone here raves about it. I won't even argue the point because it must just be me. I really don't feel it at all. I even try to mash the gas in corners and it just feels "normal". Nothing special. Honestly my B7 A4 impresses me more.

Try turning TC off, stop at an intersection, floor it and turn the wheel hard which ever direction you want to go. I bet you notice it then... Be prepared for needing opposite lock. I bet your B7 can't come close to the rear end kick out of the B8 w sports dif.

[superswiss]

The sport diff is probably most appreciated by those who have owned RWD cars and know what throttle steering is. If you don't know what throttle steering is, then move on. The sport diff doesn't do anything for one's stop and go commute, neither does the additional performance of the S4. So if you are mostly driving in stop and go traffic, why exactly do you drive an S4? The S4 w/o sport diff is not a bad car, but if you have access to canyon roads, nice highway sweepers and don't spend all your time behind the wheel in stop and go traffic and as said you know what throttle steering is, then the sport diff greatly adds to the driving fun and isn't that what owning a performance car is all about?

[SteveYem]

IMHO, one of the biggest drawbacks of having a non sport diff car is that the sentiment on this discussion forum is generally that an S4 without sport diff may as well be an A4. That being said, it does make a difference and I can speak to it because I have owned both versions. It's a very cool feature for $1100 msrp. In fact it's kind of amazing that it only costs that much when the navigation system upgrade is something like $2500+, so while you're already paying $50 for your smart phone the sport diff has a lot more value added, relatively.

Anyway- I feel it does make a difference, and in fact where I notice it most is in the snow. It feels like the rear is being nudged out ever so slightly to counteract under steer and keep the car pointed into the turn instead of plowing off on a tangent.

Are you looking for 6MT or s-tronic? In case of the latter, there should be plenty on the market so you won't have a tough time finding one with sport diff and the other options you want. 6MT may be a different story.

[schirm]

Decided to finally pull the plug on an S4, but a couple things got me wondering. I'm looking at a black 2013 S4 w/ a red and black interior premium so it has the backup camera sensors side assist etc... but it has no drive select button and also has navi and based on the reading I've done here it doesn't have a sports differential .

im not a track guy more of a straight line but i do occasionally drive a bit hard and enjoy the on and off ramps too in my current a4, i am willing to wait but do you guys think its worth the wait to look for an S4 with a sports differential ?

anything else i should look for in this s4? this one has more km than my current a4 which is 69 000 which is okay?

Everyone has answered your question is it worth it. I love it.

But can anyone confirm that what he said is correct and should assume that this car does not have one? I read stuff like this, but it was different from b8 to b8.5.

[SteveYem]

Everyone has answered your question is it worth it. I love it.

But can anyone confirm that what he said is correct and should assume that this car does not have one? I read stuff like this, but it was different from b8 to b8.5.

He is correct. The 2013 were similar to the 2010-2012 in that they only have the driveSelect button if equipped with sport diff or full drive select features. However, starting in model year 2014 ALL S4's have the drive select button regardless of options. This allows the user to select engine and steering comfort/auto/dynamic modes as a minimum.

[schirm]

He is correct. The 2013 were similar to the 2010-2012 in that they only have the driveSelect button if equipped with sport diff or full drive select features. However, starting in model year 2014 ALL S4's have the drive select button regardless of options. This allows the user to select engine and steering comfort/auto/dynamic modes as a minimum.

Awesome, thanks for the explanation.

[AudiS4SD]

As I see it, test drive and see if it's for you.

For someone here to say that if you don't have it then you essentially have an A4 (like above) is ridiculous.

With or without, the S4 is still an amazing car. I personally don't see a huge difference and finding that my current S4 didn't have it was not a deal breaker whatsoever.


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[SteveYem]

As I see it, test drive and see if it's for you.

For someone here to say that if you don't have it then you essentially have an A4 (like above) is ridiculous.

With or without, the S4 is still an amazing car. I personally don't see a huge difference and finding that my current S4 didn't have it was not a deal breaker whatsoever.


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I agree with you and should clarify that my comment was a tongue-in-cheek response to the non sport diff flak the flies around here. It was a factor in my trading my 2012 for my 2025, but was not the deciding factor (which was that I loved my car and wanted to get a fresh start on what I thought would be the last model year with 6MT, but I digress).
My B8 non sport diff model was a blast to drive and I wouldn't necessarily dissuade anyone from getting one. Honestly, and maybe seemingly contrary to my previous post here, but for a daily driver duty car I would honestly take full MMI and Bang&Olufsen stereo over sport diff, hypothetically assuming I had to pick one over the other.