bcristea Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Ok, So here's the deal, I've had 3 Subarus since 02. I've had an 02 WRX wagon with Vishnu Stg 2, an 04 STi at Cobb Stg 2 and an 06 WRX wagon at Cobb Stg 3. I'm selling my 06 and I'm looking at an 05 Audi S4 Avant (4.2L V8) or an 08 Legacy Spec B. Both are AWD and similar in performace but I don't have any experiance with Audi's. Any opinions on each car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolksey85 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 The Audi is a real maintenance whore. Synthetic oil, expensive parts, and a lot of electronics to go weird. A lot. If you're going used European, get one that is either certified pre-owned or still underthe factory warranty. Also take into effect the Audi is a bit heavier and any gas mileage will be cut quite a bit. If you need something to talk you out of an S-class Audi, check the cost on something like brake pads or an alternator. And another thing, they are a b1tch to work on. Take a look under the hood and tell me if you want to swap those plugs or do a valve cover gasket. But the prestige if an S-class Audi ranks right up there on the "Should drive at least once" list right next to an M3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingray1967 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Agreed on the comment about high maintenance costs for the Audi. A former corworker has an A4, and it isn't the best in terms of reliability. I'd go for the new car over the used car. That way, if you have a problem, it is the dealer's to fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieSpecB Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 05 Audi 4.2 V8's are sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjundi Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Interestingly enough consumer reports has Audi S4 with above average reliability for 2005+. The S4 will likely cost more to maintain and repair. The Spec B is going to cost you in exorbitant depreciation unless you are buying used. They depreciate significantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcristea Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Thanks, I had a feeling the Audi was expensive to maintain. For some reason the styling of the Legacy is holding me back. I just seems so simple. Seems like it's dated even compated to an 05 S4. Any other comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exarus Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Thanks, I had a feeling the Audi was expensive to maintain. For some reason the styling of the Legacy is holding me back. I just seems so simple. Seems like it's dated even compated to an 05 S4. Any other comments? Dated? Audi's have had the same look since 1994. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rice_rocket Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 I don't think the look of Audi has been the same since 95... it sure has changed to much more aggressive post 2003 now. I'd vote for the Audi if you can afford it. It is MUCH better in terms of the wows, the luxury etc. If it's under warranty, you're all good to go for 3 years at least. It's not all that much worse to maintain than any other car. Sure some parts will be a tad bit more expensive, but you have to pay to play. Just go for a ride in one, and there is an immediate difference. My experience with subaru has only been with an 02 wrx and the occaisional work on foresters/outbacks for friends. I now own two Audi's, and the interior comforts are much nicer, much more of a solid car. 05 vs 08 is the killer... I'd still rather get a new car than the S4 just about to roll out of warranty as we speak, unless you have an extended warranty somewhere? Turbo's tend to go out past 100K as well, and you have to replace two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LGT-NY Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Obviously you're going to get a bias answer on this site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siper2 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Yes, the Audi obviously will have more luxury to it. Nobody does interior quality like Audi; it's beautiful stuff. The overall feel of the car is so, so much better than Subaru. Reliability seems to be hit-or-miss with VW/Audi. You get one that never has a problem, or you get one that never leaves the shop. There's of course Audi forums, which I suggest you check out pre-purchase. http://www.audiworld.com is the big one. I've been a member there forever, but frankly haven't logged on for probably a couple of years. Great info there, though, and tons of front page reviews and such. On the negative end of things is http://www.myvwlemon.com which is geared toward the VW brand, but due to the family ties, might be something to look at as well. There was a review in SubieSport Magazine a few years ago, comparing an S4 to the GT. It was a decent review, though obviously biased toward the Subaru. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siper2 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Oh, one more thing... Even though I love the 6MT in the spec.B .... the fact that the S4 comes in wagon form, wins it for me. That and the interior/seat quality. Had I a 100K warranty on the S4, you bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrCloud Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Good grief. Experience with an 02 WRX is not particularly relevant in a discussion of a new Spec.B. And the S4 in question is the newer V8 version, with no turbos to be concerned with. That said, I think that this is an apples/oranges comparison -- sedan vs. wagon; 2.5T four vs. tweaked N/A V8; 1000 lbs or so difference in weight; best-in-class interior vs. fine and functional, but nothing special. You haven't indicated the transmission in the S4 (the S4 had the 6-speed TIP as an option) or where you live (I'm partial to turbos in the mountains, but the raw power of the S4 makes this less of an issue). These are additional considerations. Also, the S-class Audis sometimes get used hard, so the miles and the service records on the S4 are critical. Finally, although I haven't done any research, I'm surprised that the prices compare favorably. As I recall, the S4 Avant was in the $70K range (or more) in 2005. If this one is for sale at the price of a new Spec.B, well, I hope it's is OK shape. HPH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandman Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Ok, So here's the deal, I've had 3 Subarus since 02. I've had an 02 WRX wagon with Vishnu Stg 2, an 04 STi at Cobb Stg 2 and an 06 WRX wagon at Cobb Stg 3. I'm selling my 06 and I'm looking at an 05 Audi S4 Avant (4.2L V8) or an 08 Legacy Spec B. Both are AWD and similar in performace but I don't have any experiance with Audi's. Any opinions on each car?Isn't the WRX STi more directly competitive? Although it's 7" shorter. Who Dares Wins スバル Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolksey85 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Isn't the WRX STi more directly competitive? Although it's 7" shorter. Still gonna be down on power compared to the S but will be a lot closer in braking and raw feel under power. 300 for the STi compared to 340 for the Audi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolksey85 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 If you go for the Audi, MAKE SURE to get either an Audi preofessional or better yet, dealer to check it out along with a CarFax. At my old job, I had some douche come in and buy 2 quarts of regular, non-synthetic Castrol GTX. Didn't cross my mind until I saw him lift the hood on his S4 and proceed to dump them in. Probably because the ass couldn't afford M1 or the labor. Then, he peels out in reverse. As he's coasting back, he just grabs the shifter and jams it into drive. I could have killed him. Just goes to show that owning an S-class car still doesn't mean you can afford it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieSpecB Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 That said, I think that this is an apples/oranges comparison -- sedan vs. wagon; 2.5T four vs. tweaked N/A V8; 1000 lbs or so difference in weight; best-in-class interior vs. fine and functional, but nothing special... ...Finally, although I haven't done any research, I'm surprised that the prices compare favorably. As I recall, the S4 Avant was in the $70K range (or more) in 2005. If this one is for sale at the price of a new Spec.B, well, I hope it's is OK shape. HPH Ex-S4 owner here... So I'm fairly qualified. Yes, this is apples and oranges. First of all, because these two cars are in different classes. The Audi S4 is a luxury performance sedan. The Legacy is a performance sedan. Fit and finish will never compare (simple economics here). A few points I wanted to correct... Not sure where you got the 1000 lbs difference in weight. The Audi is in the 3700 lbs range. The Spec.B is 3500 lbs... This is curb weight. Second, the S4 Avant is in the $50k range, new... An RS4 is $70k+ Third, Audis depreciate A LOT FASTER than Subarus (percentage wise). This is particularly accurate for "mid MY changes", which Audi is notorious for... Example being the 2005 and 2005.5's, these signaled the change from B6 to B7 platforms, and with it came an instant $10k drop in the already plummeting value of the '05's. You can pick up a 2005 B6 (not .5 B7) for $23 ~ $25k, they were $52k new with options). The .5 B7's will go for $30 ~ $35k depending on mileage and condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrCloud Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 OK, I looked some stuff up: Audi specs put the 05 & 06 S4 Avant right around 4K lbs (just under for the manual; just over for the auto). But it's not as much heavier as I thought (I was remembering my allroad, which was the A6 platform, at about 4400 lbs). And I'm surprised at the pricing, but the 50s are right for new ones. I guess you wouldn't call that "cheap", but it's way lower than I thought. I've been thinking about a tricked out TT3.2, which prices into the 50s pretty quickly. I guess there's been some inflation. Anyway, the S4 Avant and Spec.B are just too different to compare effectively. HPH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcristea Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 Ex-S4 owner here... So I'm fairly qualified. Example being the 2005 and 2005.5's, these signaled the change from B6 to B7 platforms, and with it came an instant $10k drop in the already plummeting value of the '05's. You can pick up a 2005 B6 (not .5 B7) for $23 ~ $25k, they were $52k new with options). The .5 B7's will go for $30 ~ $35k depending on mileage and condition. So how do I know the difference between and 05 and 05.5? Is there a styling difference? Performance difference? So, 08 spec B with 15k miles or 05 S4 Avant with 40K miles for the same price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcristea Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 I don't think the look of Audi has been the same since 95... it sure has changed to much more aggressive post 2003 now. . Just go for a ride in one, and there is an immediate difference. My experience with subaru has only been with an 02 wrx and the occaisional work on foresters/outbacks for friends. I now own two Audi's, and the interior comforts are much nicer, much more of a solid car. 05 vs 08 is the killer... I'd still rather get a new car than the S4 just about to roll out of warranty as we speak, unless you have an extended warranty somewhere? Turbo's tend to go out past 100K as well, and you have to replace two . I can't seem to find an 05 S4 in MI to take a ride in. Also, the 05 I'm looking at is NA 4.2L V8. On the same note, I can't seem to find an 08 Spec B in MI either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcristea Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 Still gonna be down on power compared to the S but will be a lot closer in braking and raw feel under power. 300 for the STi compared to 340 for the Audi. I think the performance #'s for the STi are greater than the S4. I've come to realize that the Spec B or the S4 will not exceed the power of my 06 Stg 3 wrx at least not with minimal mods. Stock for stock I even think the WRX is closer to it than the STi. Not sure where minimal mods get you on the S4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoWagon Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 I had 2 B5 A4s before my 7 Subarus. I don't think I will go back until I can afford an R8 or RS4/6. I spent a shitload of money on that 1.8T only to get my ass handed to by a Stg.2 WRX (my A4 had upgraded turbo, FMIC, injectors, etc.) If you plan on modding the car, I would definitely stay away from the S4 (it's not like the B6 S4 is that modeable anyways). Audis are heavy and expensive I mod/maintain. But if you are looking for class and don't mind the maintenance costs then go ahead and get the S4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOMSWGN Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Man, it is a wagon. Get the wagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alaskajoel Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 I wouldn't own another Audi out of warranty for anything - not worth it. Subaru Reliability FTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djsnoops Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 i hear vw's and audis aren't all that coming from the dealer mechanics themselves. they have lots of mechanical issues. id go with subaru for reliability. and the spec b is a great car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nm Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 That engine is shoehorned in that engine bay on v8 S4s. All the timing stuff is on the back of the motor and needs an engine pull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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