DHS

I am stuck in neutral between an '09 CPO S5 with the V8 and and '10 S4, both in manual transmissions. They are basically same price. Would appreciate hearing from anyone one who has made the move from the S5 to the S4 - the good, bad and ugly.
Much obliged

DrGP

Don't have an S5, but did have a B6 S4 with the 4.2 V8. And that engine IS the deal breaker for me. IF the S5 had the 3.0T. I would love and choose the S5. The big advantage of the S5 is the styling of the coupe VS sedan. No amount of styling will overcome the drawbacks of having that gas guzzling, poor performing, unmoddable engine. Plus if you do need to use the back seat, it is much more ergonomic in the S4. If you can overcome the styling advantage of the coupe vs the sedan(which I find very attractive) the S4 is the way to go.

DHS

That of course is the rub. The S5 styling is plain erotic metal, and the exhaust note is "aural sex." I have read much about the V8, and have some to the conclusion that it is the V8 exhaust note that, for those who love it, drowns out rather dismal city mileage and the driving geometry of a very heavy nose. I have been there before. Whatever I get will replace a B5 S4 that I have had for 254,000 miles. That replaced a '99 A4 with the 1.8T. I loved the handling of the A4 but it was pathetic to have to downshift going up a hill. That is why I got the B5 S4 which had plenty of grunt but was way nose heavy. I rather assume that the comparison between the B8 S4 and S5 is similar in driving dynamics. And because my daily commute is 100 miles rt on the back roads of Maine whatever fuel economy there may be from the S/C 6 (which is not entirely clear) over the V8 would be welcome.
The best part, of course, is that both cars are wonderful and it is merely a choice between two automotive gems.

BD_TT_225

It should be out soon enough.

DHS

True enough. But I swore to myself years ago that I would never buy a car that cost so much more than I paid for my first house.

Stereodude

Well, you've got to adjust for inflation right?

sakimano

Calling it unmoddable is ridiculous. Those comments are made by people who wasted their money on crap parts for their B6 S4s 5 years ago. If you had bought an MTM piggyback and exhaust and intake for yout B8 S4, you'd gain almost NOTHING...have spent $5,000...and would likely complain the car doesn't respond to mods. Does that mean you're right? or does that mean you made crappy choices and should have done your homework or been more patient? I think it's the latter. That's what you (and just about everyone who bailed on the MPI 4.2 S4) did. Nobody should be talking modding advice from you.

that's a very poor post full of inaccuracies and references to a completely different engine altogether (B6 S4 engine is NOTHING like the 4.2 FSI). Absolutely typical of the ignorance that plagues these forums.

The 4.2 FSI in the S5 has forged internals and can handle 600 horsepower. There's a couple of supercharger kits in production for the S5 that will produce that (JHM and AMD) and another that is already being sold (TTS) that produces that 480 whp/600 crank hp level handily. On pump gas. No tricked up race gas which is irrelevant for a daily driver.

The TTS kit on an RS4 just ran 11.71 @ 124.7...which is something no b8 S4 has come anywhere close to. It did so on pump gas (3/4 tank), full weight, full interior. The only way a B8 will approach that trap speed is with $10,000-15,000 stage III suite of mods. And it will need to do so on race gas to make up for the lack of displacement (as we've seen with the TVS1320 RS4/S5 being as fast on pump gas as the B8 S4 is on race gas).

As for the 4.2 V8 FSI cars being un-moddable, again this reeks of ignorance. 2 different 4.2 FSI RS4s have run 12.2 on pump gas with tune/exhaust/clutch. We're talking about 3 to 5 thousand dollars of mods. Stock cars are running 13.0. \while the RS4 is slightly different the bottom end is the same...and that's the important part..and a JHM tuned S5 with full exhaust etc. will show similar gains.

So if I were the OP, I'd strongly consider the S5...ignore these comments from people who know NOTHING about the S5 and the capabilities of that engine. The B8 S4 is an awesome car...both of them are. Don't be scared away from the very special S5 by someone above with questionable knowledge on the 4.2 cars.

DHS

Cheeky.....

johnz

Went from an S5 to B8 S4. Loved the S5 but my leg couldn't take the manual shift anymore. Looks wise the S5 is fantastic. Got the S4 with DSG and the sport diff. the S5 and s4 have basically the same suspension architecture underneath and while I enjoyed the handling of the S5, the sport diff makes the S4 come alive- closest thing to an audi rear-driver yet. The S5 is a great cruiser but the S4 is more practical and more of a sleeper. You can't go wrong with either and having the S5 CPO'd really makes it attractive.

DHS

Thanks for your insight. Particularly valuable. Unfortunately, the used ones I am looking at do not have the sports differential. I am looking at the manual,though. I do a great deal of driving in the snow and find the stick a great tool in those conditions. So which engine stole your heart - and your pocket book for gas? I have read reports from disappointed owners of the S/C 6 whose expectations for better mileage were not realized. Thanks again.