Decisions: S4 vs A6

[raremage]

Hi Folks, New to these boards, so please be a little gentle! I just posted a similar thread on the A6 board. By way of background, in the past I've owned C4 Corvettes, a '98 M3 Sedan, 01 CLK55, and an '03 C32. Bought all of them used, and in recent years I've been driving my wife's old '03 ML320 after we got her a 335i. In the middle of that I started a business and enjoyed the benefits of the down economy, so jumping into another sports sedan wasn't realistic for a few years, but finally I'm in a position to upgrade. I started looking at the available cars and have all but settled on an Audi, but I'm struggling a bit with which model I'll be happier with long term - S4 or A6, so I'm hoping for a bit of insight from owners of both. For the record, other cars I considered and decided against were a CTS/CTSV, various BMWs and Mercedes', a Taurus SHO, a Dodge Charger SRT (weird in this group, I know) and a G37. In either case it will be a new 2012. I definitely want something with performance roots but a healthy dose of comfort as well. I generally use my car around town going to and from client offices, but make two or three long-distance trips per year - anywhere from 600 - 1200 miles each way. The way I've looked at it so far is the S4 is an iconic sports sedan, a la the M-Motorsports / AMG brands. There's a certain cache to that idea for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the the size of the S4, it has a much larger feel than I expected, is well appointed inside and out, and the ride, while firm, is not as harsh as I would have expected with a sports sedan. The A6 on the other hand feels a bit more luxurious; more spacious. The interior seems a bit softer and upgraded from the S4 from what I can tell. Plenty of power, though slightly slower (just slightly) off the line compared to the S4. Seems to handle well (though I really didn't get much chance to evaluate that) though again, probably a stride behind the S4. Basically a very well appointed sedan with both luxury and sportiness. So, the big question: what am I missing? Is there a compelling reason for one over the other that I am missing, or does it just come down to taste in the end? Also, how easy is it to up the BHP on the S4 - I seem to see posts on various boards discussing tuning the horsepower up. I'm not much of a tuner nor a mechanic, but I'd like to know my options should I choose to go that route. Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

[NWS4Guy]

What do YOU want?

A sporty, more agile, smaller sedan, or a larger, more luxury oriented sedan?

[IvanS4]

What he said - it's going to be about what you want. It may not be your cup of tea, but if you're considering the A6 and S4, the A7 might be of similar interest.

[volsfan0911]

I drove the A6/A7 at the recent Discover Audi or whatever they had at FedEx field. Lots of fun - although it was a mini auto-X course in the parking lot. A7/A6 drive the same - pick hatch or no hatch basically. The 8 speed auto is remarkably good and fits the car perfectly. But the S4 is what I am ordering - very smooth, very fast, definitely a different performance level compared to the A6/A7.

[sdiver68]

If you have to ask, buy the A6.

[m444]

Originally Posted by sdiver68

If you have to ask, buy the A6.

+1 for comfort.... the A6 or maybe A7

They seem to come with ADS.

I picked the S4, since it is smaller and lighter, plus has S-tronic DSG

[Kilgore Trout]

the A7 is a gorgeous car. Pictures don't do it justice.

[dreaddontdie]

I was in the same position as you but decided on the s4 for a few reasons:

- I wanted a pure sports sedan and the s4 is that and more out of the box. I would have had to upgrade the wheels, suspension/springs, etc on the a6 to get it to look the part...not impossible but also speaks to the fact that the a6 is not a s6.
- Options. I love the two tone sports seats in the s4 and it's just not an option in the a6 unless u go s6. on the other hand, I like the DIS in the a6 better and some of the tech, but I had to choose what was more important. ...and I wanted a S model more than anything.
- Reliability. I'm new to Audi, but spent enough time on the boards to know that newer cars tend to have kinks and the fact that the s4 had many of its kinks worked out already gave me some peace of mind over the newly redesigned a6 (despite the same 3.0T engine)

[ZCD2.7T]

I moved from a C5 (2004) A6 2.7T to a 2011 S4, and so had many of the same questions as you do.

The S4 is definitely the better "luxurious sports sedan", while the A6 is definitely the better "sporty luxury sedan"

Your vehicular history would suggest that the S4 is the more natural next vehicle, but if you're at the point in your life where you want more comfort and space, then you can't go wrong with the A6.

I did the opposite, and after years of mid-sized luxury sedans went smaller and sportier with the S4. If we didn't also have something bigger for family travel (Acura MDX), I'd have gotten the A6, but I couldn't be happier with my S4.

As to tuning, in the US there are APR and STaSIS, both of which claim about 400 hp for their ECU flash. With the DSG transmission (which I'm guessing is what you're considering) you can expect 0-60 in the mid/high 4-second range and 1/4 mile times in the high 12s with either setup. APR also has a pulley and a cooling system, plus 100-octane programming that can get you down to low 12s in the 1/4, if that's what you want.

HTH.

[MSUplayer06]

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

the A7 is a gorgeous car. Pictures don't do it justice.

+1 I loved the A7 when I drove it, but still ended up going with the S4.