04 S4 gas mileage? How is it?

[4ringdynasty]

Considering maybe getting an 04 S4 ..how is the gas mileage on the 4.2 V8? I can't imagine it's very good..but just trying to get a real world idea. I want an S4, but deciding if I want to go with an 04, or just get another A4 for now and wait for the new B8 to come out. The 3.0 TT sounds pretty niiiice Thoughts?

[Chris from Cali]

My B7 S4 got about 18mpg in mixed driving. Figure 14 or so around town, 21 or so on the highway. Compare that to a 2.0T A4 at around 24 around town, 32 on the highway...

FWIW, my RS4 gets about 18 around town, 24 on the highway. Gotta love FSI...

[sleeperwagon]

I went back and forth with your question also, my friend has an 06 S4 that avg 16 MPG combined (he drives it hard). I just went with an 05 A4 Ultrasport and getting 27 combined (lowest has been 25). I did this b/c I drive 35K miles per year and bought a certifed Audi for $22K adding $3K (Chip, testpipe, exhaust, springs, B7 brakes) in Mods and my buddy and I have fun running around town. His S4 with intake and Miltek exhaust does piss me off b/c it sounds so damn good. I do plan on getting a B8 in 2 yrs.

[S4J]

I drive 20 miles to work every day and it takes me 34 minutes (all but 2.5 miles are surface streets). Driving with traffic, not zipping around, and maintaining momentum, I get 24+ mpg almost every day (no A/C) according to my display. I recently drove from Vegas to Sacramento (619 miles one way) through Yosemite (read mountains) and averaged 24.3 mpg going 80 mph whenever I could (no A/C). On the way back (more direct route), I was doing near a hundred for several hours and I still got 19.1 mpg (occasional A/C). Elevation of Sacramento is 20 feet and Vegas sits at 2000 feet. I’ve never actually calculated mileage by true fuel consumption, but my car seems to get better than many I’ve seen posted over the years. I love the car and it is what it is, a gas hungry performance sedan that provides me tons of driving pleasure.

[3 bar]

I drive 20 miles to work every day and it takes me 34 minutes (all but 2.5 miles are surface streets). Driving with traffic, not zipping around, and maintaining momentum, I get 24+ mpg almost every day (no A/C) according to my display. I recently drove from Vegas to Sacramento (619 miles one way) through Yosemite (read mountains) and averaged 24.3 mpg going 80 mph whenever I could (no A/C). On the way back (more direct route), I was doing near a hundred for several hours and I still got 19.1 mpg (occasional A/C). Elevation of Sacramento is 20 feet and Vegas sits at 2000 feet. I’ve never actually calculated mileage by true fuel consumption, but my car seems to get better than many I’ve seen posted over the years. I love the car and it is what it is, a gas hungry performance sedan that provides me tons of driving pleasure.

Is yours an auto? I just drove mine 300 miles from Baltimore to North Carolina and only got 20.9 mpg. I had the cruise control set at 70 to 75 mph. Around town i'll get 14.5. Im trying to find an a4 because I drive over 100 miles a day and am usually filling it up every day.

[Audi0005]

terrible i got 150kms for half a tank, didn't push it to much, i just got it on monday. i went from an a4 which had awesome fuel consumption,to an s4 but i woudlnt change my car for anything!!!!

[markbradford]

Frigging HORRIBLE. I average about 13-14mpg. I get about 16-17 on the highway. While it's nice not to have to downshift to pass on the highway, 6th gear is way, WAAAAAAAAAAAY too short. It's not a true overdrive like it should be - I'm not sure what the point of having a 6-speed trans is with no overdrive. :-/

[Silververtu]

Sleeperwagon, what part of ohio are you? I also have a buddy who has a 07 B7 S4 avant. We should meet up some day.

[drvolkl]

I drive 20 miles to work every day and it takes me 34 minutes (all but 2.5 miles are surface streets). Driving with traffic, not zipping around, and maintaining momentum, I get 24+ mpg almost every day

Bullsh**.



Expect to get around 18-20 depending on how you drive. City driving 15, hwy 24 (and that's 60-70mph for the whooooole tank) ...unless you REALLY baby it.

But then why the hell would you buy an S4?

[heliskyr]

I get 16 mpg avg. with "spirited driving". Not a car to buy if you worry about gas consumption, but like anything else, you have to pay to play!

[S4J]

Is yours an auto?

I'm manual (just updated my sig).

Bullsh**.



Expect to get around 18-20 depending on how you drive. City driving 15, hwy 24 (and that's 60-70mph for the whooooole tank) ...unless you REALLY baby it.

But then why the hell would you buy an S4?

The display reads what it reads. As far as babying it, I love to get on my throttle whenever I can, but in heavy commuter traffic, I refuse to drive like a jerk. Plus it’s too annoying to squirt into a little hole in traffic only to have the lane you just vacated pass you in the next 10 seconds. Traffic is heavy here, but it flows. Don’t be mad because my S4 is faster than yours “and” gets better gas mileage.

[RAudi Driver]

Bullsh**.



Expect to get around 18-20 depending on how you drive. City driving 15, hwy 24 (and that's 60-70mph for the whooooole tank) ...unless you REALLY baby it.

But then why the hell would you buy an S4?

lol, i find it hard to believe also.

[zachf88]

guys, you have to remember what type and brand the gas is. I remember when I was living in Texas, I use to get really good gas millage and then they added "up to 10% ethanol" and my gas millage, my friends, and my parents all decreased about 3-5 miles..... Also, when we used exxon, we got more miles per tank than any other brand out there....

[2k1s]

After my first tank of gas, I learned to baby my s4. My first tank I got something like 8 mpg and went through an entire tank in 1 night. After that, commuting all on surface streets in LA, I could get like 18-19 mpg all the streets babying it all the way. Next car I buy won't be so damn high strung.

If you want/can buy an S4, you should be able to afford the gas for it. Hell, my insurance was like 4,800 a year and I have no points on my license (I'm 22 right now and bought the car when I was 21).

[turbo4s]

I get 17 around town and 24 on the highway. thats normal driving. when i beat on it, well thats another story.

[drvolkl]

The display reads what it reads. As far as babying it, I love to get on my throttle whenever I can, but in heavy commuter traffic, I refuse to drive like a jerk. Plus it’s too annoying to squirt into a little hole in traffic only to have the lane you just vacated pass you in the next 10 seconds. Traffic is heavy here, but it flows. Don’t be mad because my S4 is faster than yours “and” gets better gas mileage.

How many miles do you drive on a tank of gas and then how many gallons do you fill up? That's the only way to know for sure....don't trust the display.

Your roof spoiler must add a lot of HP...or maybe that's your secrete to better mileage!

[3 bar]

I'm manual (just updated my sig).


Don’t be mad because my S4 is faster than yours “and” gets better gas mileage.

Im sorry but I dont like you Just kidding

[bklein8888]

Thats all I have to say....

[S4J]

The only time I fill all the way is on long trips and I posted my most recent results above. I'm rarely over half a tank to keep it feeling a little lighter. There would be no way for me to get a true “commute only” reading because I’d have to fill the tank, then only use the car for sedate driving the entire tank and I could never ever possibly do that. I race around too much at most other times. I don’t doubt my mileage would be much worse over the entire tank, but then good gas mileage was never a concern when I bought the S. I just love driving it.

[BSBG]

15 around town (suburbs, light city traffic)
20 highway (70-80)

[S4J]

Ok, an update for all the doubters. I filled my tank when I showed “0” miles to empty. I drove the entire tank over the week, then filled when my distance to empty showed 10 miles. I was able to squeeze in exactly16 gallons. My trip meter showed 288 miles, so that’s 18.1 mpg for the tank. This was mixed driving, commuting, some freeway, and a few small races (smoked an early 90’s Mustang 5.0 with LOUD exhaust, and pulled on a another B6 S4, mods unknown, at 3 different lights), basically a normal week. Today took me 28 minutes to drive the 20 miles (this was ALL surface streets). I got over 25 mpg like I often do. This car is still on it’s original plugs and drinks nothing but Chevron.

[bhvrdr]

I have no idea how one would get that good of mileage on a non tip car. If I set the cruise at 84mph I get around 19-20mpg. I don't like cruise except on road trips so otherwise I get around 17-18 mpg doing freeway driving only. Around town I get 12 mpg. Spirited driving (why have an S4 if you arent going to use it?) I get about 7-11 mpg.

[B18b1ex]

I have no idea how one would get that good of mileage on a non tip car. If I set the cruise at 84mph I get around 19-20mpg. I don't like cruise except on road trips so otherwise I get around 17-18 mpg doing freeway driving only. Around town I get 12 mpg. Spirited driving (why have an S4 if you arent going to use it?) I get about 7-11 mpg.

I think many of these great mileage quotes are from or ultra accurate trip computers, I think if they did the math based on the gas they actually used it would be a whole other story.

BTW on my long trips (about 7 miles) to work I'm getting like you about 12 mpg

[i_eat_staples]

its pretty crappy, lol

i mean you can squeeze 20+ out of it if you grandma around(or highway), but that kind of defeats the purpose of having the car in the first place

[Chris from Cali]

I don't believe an S4 can get 25mpg or even close.

When I drove my S4 cross-country, I experimented with different ways to improve mileage (it's boring driving 900 miles of interstate a day).

The best results came from a freshly-washed, tires with correct pressure, windows up, A/C off run... 22.5mpg. I was feathering the throttle, maintaining around 70mph or so (the continuous mpg read was best at whatever speed I maintained).

25mpg might be possible in a downhill run, but there is NO WAY on a level surface, especially not with a HINT of traffic. FWIW, my RS4 (which gets 24mpg on the highway) does maybe 15mpg in traffic. Still better than my S4, but not touching 25mpg.

[bluextc]

I can't believe I bought a sedan that requires gas guzzler tax. lol

I'd expect to pay something like that for a Porsche or other high end sports cars.

[S4J]

I think many of these great mileage quotes are from or ultra accurate trip computers, I think if they did the math based on the gas they actually used it would be a whole other story.

BTW on my long trips (about 7 miles) to work I'm getting like you about 12 mpg

I did the math (see my post). I also worte the odometer reading on my first reciept and did the math that way to compare to the trip meter, they matched exactly.

[B18b1ex]

I did the math (see my post). I also worte the odometer reading on my first reciept and did the math that way to compare to the trip meter, they matched exactly.

No one is questioning your 18 mpg calculation, it is the 25 mpg claim we can't swallow. It just plain will not happen.

From the S4 spec's:
Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 21 and EPA city (mpg): 15

And we all know that the EPA estimate is for Idea conditions which never occur in the real world.

[Tgr_Clw]

I just lol at the fact that the thirsty S4 uses the same sized gas tank as the B6 1.8T.

[S4J]

No one is questioning your 18 mpg calculation, it is the 25 mpg claim we can't swallow. It just plain will not happen.

Gotcha...thanks. I'm just letting people know what the display is showing. I do know that if I were to baby it for an entire tank, I could get better than the 18 I got with mixed driving though. I tried to do it with my latest fill-up, but like any other S owner, we're not wired that way.

[B18b1ex]

Gotcha...thanks. I'm just letting people know what the display is showing. I do know that if I were to baby it for an entire tank, I could get better than the 18 I got with mixed driving though. I tried to do it with my latest fill-up, but like any other S owner, we're not wired that way.

I've tried numerous times, I make it to about 100 miles at most and then I say F**k it, I can't drive that way it makes me fall asleep.

[cotmfk]

Thats all I have to say....

LOL

[cotmfk]

A few things about gas mileage...

The EPA estimate is based on 55 MPH in top gear. Go try 55 MPH in top gear in your S4, then try 65 mph... just cruising. I get higher mpg at the higher speed because the rpm is too low at 55 mph.

Another thing is that mods might actually increase gas mileage. I know when I owned an Evo from talking with other owners that when modded and tuned properly, they got better gas mileage when modded rather than stock, even though they have more power. The explanation I came away with from that was that the Evo ran rich from the factory, and that when tuned, they leaned out the a/f ratio, which also resulted in better gas mileage. Maybe this is happening for that Audi owner who is claiming 25 mpg.

I don't think 25 mpg is out of this world.... tough yes, but unreal, no.

[Chris from Cali]

I don't think 25 mpg is out of this world.... tough yes, but unreal, no.

Maybe he was tuned at DTM, home of the 32mpg Evo tune... LOL (inside joke w/me and cotmfk)

[cotmfk]

Maybe he was tuned at DTM, home of the 32mpg Evo tune... LOL (inside joke w/me and cotmfk)

LOL.... I had forgotten all about that!

[B18b1ex]

A few things about gas mileage...

The EPA estimate is based on 55 MPH in top gear. Go try 55 MPH in top gear in your S4, then try 65 mph... just cruising. I get higher mpg at the higher speed because the rpm is too low at 55 mph.

Another thing is that mods might actually increase gas mileage. I know when I owned an Evo from talking with other owners that when modded and tuned properly, they got better gas mileage when modded rather than stock, even though they have more power. The explanation I came away with from that was that the Evo ran rich from the factory, and that when tuned, they leaned out the a/f ratio, which also resulted in better gas mileage. Maybe this is happening for that Audi owner who is claiming 25 mpg.

I don't think 25 mpg is out of this world.... tough yes, but unreal, no.

A turbo car yes, but not so much on a NA car, also of you look at any of the stock ecu car's dynos they don't really run rich in the middle rpm's where you would be while cruising. I met a guy here in florida who went BT on his GTI and is making a shit load of power and when he can stay off the gas probably picked up mpg's, from his estimate 6-7 mpg.

[cotmfk]

This is my first NA car since I was 16... so I have a lot to learn...