Flash43AMG

I am planning in selling my c43 to buy another S4. i am still unsure if this will be the right decision???? my c43 looks great & runs like a champ but i also like the S4 nogaro blue 6sp! my c43 currently has 210,XXX miles on it, and the S4 i am looking at has 126,XXX...i need some advice on this
please help!!!!!!!!

MyFirstAMG

What happened to your first S4? Don't buy an Audi, they suck. JK. The 2.7t is a blast to drive. The one thing about S4s is the fact that they are mostly always "tuned". This could mean that an enthusiast had the car and took excellent care of it, or it could mean that the previous owner beat the sh!^ out of it. I think the a4/s4 body is very nimble and the quattro is very nice.

LawRens

Why not have both? :P

Flash43AMG

it gets me mad when it comes to this part(telling what happend to our first S4)
we had it literally for 3 weeks (i drove it twice) until my wife wrecked the car!(this car was her b-day gift) ------its a long story!!!!!!
well, in order to repair the car i had to put in around 10k..(yea thats how bad it was) thank God nothing major happend to her.&.at the time i couldnt afford it! so i had to let it go. this was 5 yrs ago. now i want to get one for my self! so i am deciding if i should keep my c43 or get rid of it and buy the S4!!!!!!!!!!!

i need pros n cons on both cars! please help me blog buddies

AMGC

S4- stick, nogora blue B5 S4s make me drool, if it has the black leather/blue suede inserts they are sexiest seats, endless mods for fair prices since the markets so large, the sound, but not the most reliable cars.

C43- Good looking, little quick, but automatic (one that loves to get replaced too)

I'd say nogora S4 slammed on coilovers, tuned with KO4s

ECTurboGSX

I have a 98 or 99 Car and Driver with a C43 v M3 v S4 v Viggen. C43 was last and S4 was first. You've owned both, so I would assume you are in a better position than most of us to know the Pro's and Con's. I wanted a V8 more than I wanted a manual transmission, so the C43 was the answer for me. B6/7 S4's are very tempting though.

MarcusF

How long does the S4 turbo last? I would think that at 125,000 miles, it's due for a rebuild. Anything special about Audi's turbo that would make it tough (expensive) to rebuild? Are rebuilders plentiful where you are? As long as the turbo is being rebuilt, it'll be upgraded, so what are the standard upgrades for the S4?

mufflerman

Interesting question, I currently own one of each. I am a newcomer to the C43, but I have had an 01.5 S4 Avant for a couple of years. The S4 is more fun to drive than the C43, mainly because it is a three pedal car, the power is very similar between the two. The C43 is a little more comfortable and the automatic is nice for the longer freeway driving I do, but if I am going driving in the curves I think I still prefer the S4.
As far as maintenance, again I am new to the C43, but I understand that other than a few having trans problems, they are pretty bulletproof, the S4 is a different story. I am on my second set of valve cover gaskets, the AC system has been serviced once and needs it again, and I am due for a belt and water pump service soon. The 01.5 supposeadly fixed the oiling problem to the turbos, but mine only has 70K on it, so I still have yet to see.
Bottom line, I think the Audi is a more expensive car to own, but I will let you know more as I build some history with the C43.

PJmak

Since when is a boosted car more fun to drive than N|A??


At the track at least

LawRens

ask the jdm'ers in japan, and you'll get the answer contrary to your implication

but ignore me, i never drove an F/I, not even a kompressor.

MyFirstAMG

I have the same engine in my A6 and I had an ECU flash at approximately 80k miles. I'm at 159k now. Since my car is an '01, I didn't get the upgraded oil lines. I have been chasing an oil leak from the first day I got the car. It may be the oil lines or the turbos. If it is the turbos, the problem will never get fixed. From what I understand, the engine has to be removed to replace the turbos.

steve s

purdy


maybe.. maybe not.. but u have to admit boosted cars offer more flexibilty on the wallet for mods.. although i do like the blue b6 s4. btw, test drove the is300, 328i, and a4 3.2 quattro back to back to back at an event a while back, and found the a4 to understeer ridiculously and refusing to turn in as eagerly as the other 2 rwd. does the s4 exhibit the same traits?

AMGC

When it has 200 more HP than a C43

If turbos need to be rebuilt, just upgrade to KO4's I almost bought an ogora S4 last year due to the fact a few hundred bucks gets you a BEAST of a car.

AMGC

Since there is such a large market for aftermarket parts for B5s, it is easy to get the suspension how you want it to perform.

Flash43AMG

sold my c43 with 209,xxx miles for $3,700, do you guys think it was a fair deal?

Saaboteur

I had the same feeling as you - V8 desire. I considered an S4 too, and in my winters, it's probably a better overall driving proposition. But for some reason, I don't think Canada got the B5 S4 Avants, though I've seen one imported. At any rate, I had already owned a boosted car, and wanted something different, ie. large displacement V8. Now I've gone from all Swedish cars, all FWD, mixed with NA and turbo, to an all RWD and NA line up, German and Japanese. The S2000's shift feel puts just about everything to shame, and I think it's just about the most potent corner carving vehicle this side of an Elise/Exige/Atom - and for a fraction of the cost.

For me right now, the C43 and S2k complement each other very well. Both very different in feel. I'm hoping by next year I will then have a a split induction line up when I get a charger for the S2000.

I have a PDF of that article, decent read. It took me a bit of googling and forum surfing to find it, but if anyone wants it, PM me and I can email it.

And I agree with you too about the later V8 engined S4s. Love those. Would love an Avant, but would 'settle' for an RS4. I hate to say it, but the current C-class interiors are just crap in feel of quality. Okay, the 6.2L engine under the hood would go some way to alleviating that, but VAG knows how to do an interior! Even base model CC feels better than a C-Class! And actually Volvo and Land Rover interiors too. I'll have to wait for the depreciation curve to work in my favour before unloading my C43 for a V8 S4 or RS4 though.

PJmak

uhh :\


Its all about how linear the power is bro

200 hp more means nothing

when ur turbo or supercharger unexpectedly kicks in in the middle of a turn, ur fuked

C43AMG

I thought your car was in a accident ?

LawRens

that COULD be why it sold for $3700? lol

appatula

Any REAL "track driver" will tell you that F/I and sprchrged cars are unpredictable, and when you are in a corner its a very weary situation under boost. Most track purists prefer LINEAR power. Like said in a previous post, because the power is predictable, and on tap immediatly. No lag, no all of a sudden spool...then...pin against your seat action, just a linear powerband. On a circuit a N/A Engine is has a much better advantage unless you are very well aquianted and comfortable with your car. A driver comfortable with where and when and you start to spool and produce boost is a good contendor to N/A.

Either way I FREAKING LOVE that moment boost hits, the turbo screams a sick whistle, you become pinned to your seat and you just fly. Just an amazing natural high that anyone that likes to drive would become addicted to hands down. I need a E30 or something as a project car.... or go through with my modest C36 3-4psi setup..............

AMS Performance

C43 is 100x more reliable... and its not even THAT reliable...

Unless you are bill gates its not recommended to own one b/c you will easily pay the price of the car in maintenance alone

chichie320

I never had a C43 but I have had a 94 E320 and I am currently on my second S4. My first S4 was a tip and it was stage 2+, awesome car to drive....I love S4's but they certainly do tend to break the wallet. I always have loved mercedes and I do plan on getting back into a w210 E55 within the next year or so. Personally keep the C43 and if you can get the S4. You can pick up a stage 3 with under 130k for about 9-14k depending on the mods and what color and if its been well taken care of. Be prepared to spend at least 2-5k per year depending on what it needs in terms of maintenance and what you plan to do to the car.

AMS Performance

w210 e55 really is the best daily ever, it has everything you'd ever want. And the best part is they love to be modded and respond very well to mods compared to other 55s.

s4avt

I used to have B5 S4 avant,

I had it for 3years and now I drive CLK55..

My s4 was stage 3ed (k04 plus all kind of ****), and yes, it was faster than CLK, and more fun to drive. On the other hand, I was tired of endless modding thing, and worrying about all little bad things that could happen (transmission, turbo, and oil leak).

Pros: Fun to drive, can be really fast, stick.

Cons: Because its an old car, fit and finish isnt as good as newer audi, B5 body isnt as stiff as newer S4s, worrying about clutches... (Mine was around 450hp and it is easy to burn clutch if you mess up) and if you looking at 125k mile S4, check for syncro either they are bad or they will go bad soon..
Engine block itself is bulletproof, but turbo isn't... especially stock K03...

Good Luck, I still miss my S4, but I don't regret

mufflerman

I am going to be careful with my response here, I don't want to challenge yours or anyone elses opinion here with any disrespect, but you are very mistaken about real track drivers.
I instruct for trackmasters racing and at least half of our staff uses forced induction cars, a properly tuned turbo car is linear and predictable in throttle response and they can be signifigantly lighter than N/A cars that make the same power. Furthermore companys like Porsche, Nissan, Saleen, Ferrari, Audi, etc have all been extremely successful in road racing using F/I powerplants. I think that most people relate the power output of Turbo cars to those built for drag racing, and yes that sort of setup is quite explosive when boost come on, but road race cars are usually setup to be very linear. The 2.7TT Audi engine even with the larger Ko4's is also very linear, and other than reliability issues, makes a great track engine.
Again please don't take offense, just giving you some insight from inside the road race circle.