Audi S4 as daily driver?

[ArgCarp83]

Hi all,
I am considering buying my first audi as my next car and I really like the S4 but I am wondering if I am making the right call buying it as a daily driver or if it more meant to be a side car instead.
My commute is 25 miles one way (35-40 mins).

My concerns....
1. I have some back issues so comfort is very important to me, how is the seat on the S4? Does it stay comfy or after like 20-25 mins you start to not like it anymore?
2. We have a 2 yr old so going to have to have a carset in the back - how comfy will it be for the little guy?
3. How is the AWD on the S4? The reason I ask is due to snow conditions in the winter here in the NE.
4. Not much into buying used cars but I cant afford a new S4 so have no choice ;)
What should I look for when I go check one out in person? Also, what year would you guys recommend I go with, how many miles etc.

Any other information I should pay close attention to or i am not thinking about, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

[hilmar2k]

1. I find the seats to be very comfortable.
2. It should be fine. PLenty of room and the standard LATCH anchors for car seats.
3. Awesome, like all quattro cars.
4. I bought mine used and have zero regrets.

I daily drive mine and it's a great car. Go for it.

[bee_easy1216]

I am using mine as a daily driver and love it.


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[awwturbo]

Why wouldn't people be driving their S4 as a daily driver? You buy this car to drive. It's not some magical super car. Why don't you just take one out for a test drive (20-30mins) and put the seat in the back to see if it works for you?

That being said, it's a very capable car that is fun to drive.

[UltraSchnell34]

I love it as my DD! Drives nice and easy and when you want to have fun you've got the power

[BigKeshy]

Hi all,
I am considering buying my first audi as my next car and I really like the S4 but I am wondering if I am making the right call buying it as a daily driver or if it more meant to be a side car instead.
My commute is 25 miles one way (35-40 mins).

My concerns....
1. I have some back issues so comfort is very important to me, how is the seat on the S4? Does it stay comfy or after like 20-25 mins you start to not like it anymore?
2. We have a 2 yr old so going to have to have a carset in the back - how comfy will it be for the little guy?
3. How is the AWD on the S4? The reason I ask is due to snow conditions in the winter here in the NE.
4. Not much into buying used cars but I cant afford a new S4 so have no choice ;)
What should I look for when I go check one out in person? Also, what year would you guys recommend I go with, how many miles etc.

Any other information I should pay close attention to or i am not thinking about, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

I daily drive 50-60 miles a day (~60% highway)

1. I have minor back issues. I've been able to take a 12+ hour road trip from DC to Toronto and a 14+ hour road trip from DC to St. Louis with limited need to stop, get out, and stretch outside of normal bathroom breaks/food stops. There's a decent amount of adjustment ability to the lumbar support system. I find the bolsters very supportive too, but that may not hold for someone with different body composition.
2. I don't have kids, but I do recall a car seat discussion thread that came up a few months ago. A search for that may yield some more enlightening answers and brand recommendations.
3. The AWD system is great in snow and in the wet. If you have the storage space available for an extra set of wheels/tires, get a dedicated summer and winter set-up. Winter tires make a huge difference in the snow.
4. Neither was I. If you want a little more peace of mind, go CPO if you can find one.

Once you decide on a model year, check for any TSBs and ensure all major service requirements have been completed on time.

Good luck!

[Blueiris]

You should have no issues using it as a DD especially if you keep up with the maintenance. I find the seats to be extremely comfortable, probably one of the most comfortable ones i have sat in.
In terms of buying it used, IMHO thats the best option given how quickly it depreciates once you drive it off the lot. Don't rush and wait for the right one to come around. Depending on your budget, i would recommend looking for one 2-3 years old and under 30k miles. The 2015+ models seam to have fewer issues than the older ones - but only time will tell.

Good luck!

[doughboy17]

1. I find the seats to be very comfortable.
2. It should be fine. PLenty of room and the standard LATCH anchors for car seats.
3. Awesome, like all quattro cars.
4. I bought mine used and have zero regrets.

I daily drive mine and it's a great car. Go for it.

This, and I have lower back issues, too. The best seats of any car I have owned. Since Audi changed its CPO program to 1 yr., it has lost some of its luster, but you could still go that route. Otherwise, find one 2-3 yrs. used with <25K miles, with all service records, and AudiCare remaining.

[Morritse]

The s4 is a luxury sedan, in my standards. The only thing that might be annoying is if you can't handle the dsg jerkiness, or learn how to avoid it.


The dude i bought it from took his 3 kids and wife to tahoe in it. That should speak for itself.

[whiped]

The s4 is a luxury sedan, in my standards. The only thing that might be annoying is if you can't handle the dsg jerkiness, or learn how to avoid it.

Or tune it out... The stock DSG tune blows.

[Morritse]

Or tune it out... The stock DSG tune blows.

TBH, owning an s4 and not going at least stage 1 + TCU is a travesty

[esimp2k]

Prior to my A6 I had three CPO S4s all daily driven, all with one or two kids in the back from rear facing to booster seats, drive a similar commute in NE and had zero issues. Only reason I went to the a6 was the s4 was too small and I couldn’t really decide what I wanted to do seemed like a good foot in the interim with the 3.0t motor. Do it! And get snows in the winter. It’s a monster.


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[ArgCarp83]

Thank you so much all for the information. Keep it coming.
I did test drive one this weekend and LOVED it, but the one I drove def. had something going on in the steering...at least it needed an alignment and brake job but at least I got to drive it, it's just that one I wasn't happy with.
What can I expect to pay for a 2015 with <25k miles? I am really hoping to find one around 25k or less - is that crazy?

thanks again

[Dobbler]

Thank you so much all for the information. Keep it coming.
I did test drive one this weekend and LOVED it, but the one I drove def. had something going on in the steering...at least it needed an alignment and brake job but at least I got to drive it, it's just that one I wasn't happy with.
What can I expect to pay for a 2015 with <25k miles? I am really hoping to find one around 25k or less - is that crazy?

thanks again

Yes, crazy

[whiped]

One of the first things you should get if you buy an S4 is the CR-15: https://eurozonetuning.com/products/...4-s4-a5-s5-rs5

It makes such a big difference driving on the highway reducing the car's desire to tramline and the steering to wander.

[Vogz]

The S4 is the best daily driver I've ever owned. Just enough comfort, luxury and sound deadening to be a highway cruiser, but has the handling and power to be fun too. Seats are fantastic and I hardly ever think about them. I have 2 kids (6 and 3) and they fit in the back without issue.

[hilmar2k]

I paid $30k for a 2014 with 42,000 miles on it back in April. Now mine is pretty well loaded and in near perfect condition, but that should give you some sort of idea what you should expect to pay.

[Dr GP]

S4 is a great daily driver, No problem with kids in the back seats. You can go just abut anywhere you want (within reason) with dedicated snow tires. I live 50 miles North of Phila and 80 miles west of NYC. Never need dedicated snow tires here and got around just fine with All season tires and my 4 S4s since 2006, as long as the the tread is not worn. The driving experience with all B8 S4s is the same regardless of model year. Newer models will have more standard equipment,the quintessential S4 has Nav, B&O and a Sport dif. Other options are nice but gravy. I would not buy one without a Sport differential but others will disagree.Buy the newest model,in the best condition with the lowest mileage,with the options you must have in a color combo you like that you can afford. Higher mileage cars have been very reliable.IMHO,a warranty is a waste of money.and current CPO is not a great warranty. I wasted m $2700 on a 3 yr warranty on my 49k mile 2011 that I purchased used. Never had a claim.Put the money you would have spent into a slush fund for repairs and brakes,tires,rotors,battery and spark plugs.

[esimp2k]

Depending upon where you live in NE you need snows. Numerous times I have had to go out in unplowed roads with snow 6”-12” deep and dedicated snows are far superior to all seasons. It’s been debated forever so OP get what you want!


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[hilmar2k]

Depending upon where you live in NE you need snows. Numerous times I have had to go out in unplowed roads with snow 6”-12” deep and dedicated snows are far superior to all seasons. It’s been debated forever so OP get what you want!

You can get away with good all seasons in all but the worst snow. I have not yet had the S4 in the snow, but I had an A6 and a TT before, and both had all season tires. I never had any problems. It helps to have grown up in MA and have been driving in the snow for almost 30 years. The only car I ever put snows on was my MB E500 with was RWD.

[rvcahawaii808]

Thank you so much all for the information. Keep it coming.
I did test drive one this weekend and LOVED it, but the one I drove def. had something going on in the steering...at least it needed an alignment and brake job but at least I got to drive it, it's just that one I wasn't happy with.
What can I expect to pay for a 2015 with <25k miles? I am really hoping to find one around 25k or less - is that crazy?

thanks again

i dont think you'll be able to find one that cheap with that low miles. i bought mine a little over a year ago with 22k miles. i paid 36k OTD. 2015 prestige plus

[casablancab5]

I just hit 70k miles on mine. They are great. I've driven 18k miles in 6 months so comfort speaks for itself. As for price, I would say 32-35 for a DSG car around 25-40k miles and 35-38k for a similar mileage manual. I opted for manual as I just don't trust DSG at high mileage or any auto and a clutch is so much less to replace than an auto or dsg unit. Maybe that's just an opinion or a moot point, if you won't be keeping it.

[JustPlaneChris]

As others have said, it's a great DD car. The only car I've had with more comfortable seats was a 97 Volvo 850R. Nobody does seats like Volvo, but the S4 seats are close.
I paid around $37k for mine in May of 2016, it had 22k on the clock, and now just turned 40k. No regrets.

[esimp2k]

You can get away with good all seasons in all but the worst snow. I have not yet had the S4 in the snow, but I had an A6 and a TT before, and both had all season tires. I never had any problems. It helps to have grown up in MA and have been driving in the snow for almost 30 years. The only car I ever put snows on was my MB E500 with was RWD.

Agreed thats why I said snows make it a monster and that they are > than all seasons. Not that you couldn’t live without them. I have all seasons on two of our Audis now and don’t intend to put snows on them. But they’d be better if I did.


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[Blueiris]

Thank you so much all for the information. Keep it coming.
I did test drive one this weekend and LOVED it, but the one I drove def. had something going on in the steering...at least it needed an alignment and brake job but at least I got to drive it, it's just that one I wasn't happy with.
What can I expect to pay for a 2015 with <25k miles? I am really hoping to find one around 25k or less - is that crazy?

thanks again

For what you are looking for, you will likely pay between $34k and $40k. As a reference, I bought mine this past March fully loaded with black optic, 15k miles CPO with warranty till 2021for $37k. They had it priced at $39k and it was very hard to get them to drop the price due to so much demand.

[trosell14843]

Lol 08 S8 is my daily super car driver;)

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08S8 Western NY

[303 Spartan]

As others have already mentioned, the S4 was built to be a daily driver, not a weekend warrior. An R8 or TT RS would be better examples of cars more designed to be weekend cruisers/track cars.

I also find the seats in the S4 to be very comfortable. I broke 3 vertebrae in my lower back in a snowboarding accident about 10 years ago. The seats in my 2011 STI and 2015 WRX felt very uncomfortable and would make my lower back feel sore after about 30 miles of driving. This is not the case in the S4. I can drive for 4+ hours straight with no issues in this car. Especially since I can adjust the lumbar support to be very stiff on my lower back, which helps a lot.

There is plenty of room in the back seat. In fact, this is one of the reasons I got the S4. I hated trying to cram friends/relatives into the back seat of my STI/WRX. For reference, in the S4, my 6'2" 220lb father can fit very comfortably in the back seat. So now I don't feel like I always have to throw my 5'1 100lb wife back there when we are with my parents.

I'd say the AWD system is sub-par to that of what's available in a Subaru. I traded my old STI in for the S4 in the middle of winter and even with the same Blizzak snow tires installed, I immediately felt a notable difference in stopping/turning in snow. Though, I think the added weight of this car plays a factor to this. With that said, I'm essentially comparing the S4 to likely the most rally-oriented production car on the market (at least at the time). Regardless, with some dedicated snow tires the S4 is still a beast in the snow compared to pretty much every other car.

[TMurt]

In my opinion, the car is very comfortable. I covered 750 miles in one day and another 500 the next day (Denver to Indianapolis) with no issues at all, granted I'm only 24. I can't speak for the car seats in the back but the AWD system has been great in all weather. If your location is accurate, I'd say you straddle the line on needing winter tires. Only having 20 inches or so of snow on average likely means you deal with just as many 45+ degree days where snow tires won't be great.

The car is fantastic and very reliable for an Audi, I'm at 117k and have only done routine maintenance (incl. clutch) and an oil pressure sensor. Finding a CPO 2015 with <25k will put you around 35/36k list price I think. Honestly, I wouldn't be afraid to pick up one with 40k even if it checks your boxes and has good records. I picked up mine with 88k and its been great.

[jhoffy22]

Bought mine at the beginning of this month with 46k miles for $37k otd. 2015 Sepang Blue Prestige 6MT with every available option. $64.5k MSRP. Completely clean Carfax and no rust due to being Nevada driven.

Just to give you an idea of what you might expect.

Good luck on your search!

[arashcuzi]

OP, I bought my 2014 S4 P+ with DSG, B&O, Sport Diff, Dynamic Suspension, Black Optics in Ice Silver with 52k miles for 27k.

That was a steal considering it was one of the best equipped for under 30k in the US (I was willing to go anywhere and road trip it back).

I’m happy with it, considering it also came with a free Stage 1 + TCU.

I daily drive it and also have a 4 year old, so his giant ass car seat means the front passenger seat is pushed up all the way...but for a shorter person (my wife is only 5’4”) it’s not too uncomfortable that way.


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[Dr GP]

Funny thing about the seats is that although most think they are great , there is a small percentage of drivers who do find them uncomfortable.I have always felt it was due to underlying back issues.I have had a few bouts of sciatica and for me the seats feel good. But depending on what and where the origin of your back issue is, you might or might not have an issue. Only way to know is to drive the car and a 10 min test drive will tell you nothing,,

[Low Orbit]

One of the first things you should get if you buy an S4 is the CR-15: https://eurozonetuning.com/products/...4-s4-a5-s5-rs5

It makes such a big difference driving on the highway reducing the car's desire to tramline and the steering to wander.

I'm not sure if the tramlining is an S4 issue but rather a tire issue. I had this problem with the original Conti summer tires but I replaced with Michelin PS4S and no more tramlining and the grip is sooo much better and steering feel seems better too. I use Michelin Alpin PA4's for winter driving and they're equal to the Conti's handling in the dry and very effective in the snow and cold.

OP, I have minor back problems and the seats are good for long distances. $25K is probably too low for a 2015 - check autotrader for 2013-14s. I wouldn't worry about getting CPO unless you buy it from a private party and transfer it. The CPO from dealers only add 1 year (used to be 2 years), albeit with unlimited miles. I would just buy non-CPO and maybe add a 7yr/70K or 7yr/100K Audi Pure Protection Platinum extended warranty if you get DSG and sport diff, which can be pricey to fix. Troy Dietrich at FD Warranty is a good place to start - much cheaper than dealer pricing.

I live in the mountains at North Lake Tahoe and it is the perfect car IMHO - sports car in the summer and snow beast in the winter (with the right tires). It really is the perfect all-weather sedan for the enthusiast.

[ArgCarp83]

Thanks guys sorry but what do all these acronyms mean? Haha and what is recommended and what should I try n stay away from?
I keep seeing ones with less than 50k miles for about close to 30k, how much will add warranty run?

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[ArgCarp83]

What about maintenance? Is this car easy to work on where I can make my own oil changes etc and take it to dealer to do big maint? What can I expect to pay for maint?

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[NickLim]

Isn't daily driving the entire point of this car?

If you're not intending to daily drive this car, there a lot better application specific options for the same price....

[Gordon Shumway]

This is the best daily I have ever had. I have a 2013 I bought new and now have about 150k miles on it and no issues at all. The seats are very supportive and the car is a great mix of sportiness, practicality and luxury. I am 6'2" and I have plenty of room, but I cant fit a car seat behind me. I haven't found the backseats to be a roomy as other have described here, but that is my only complaint. Overall, I couldn't be happier with it.

[NICOOOOS4]

May2018 paid $34k for my 15 fully loaded except BO stereo and it had 24k miles


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[MrFunk]

The S4 is based on an A4.
It is a regular sports sedan. It's made to be a daily. It's not some exotic that you need to preserve.
It makes for a great daily and has more than enough room for a family. My S4 has more room than my wife's Mini Countryman which is an "SUV".

[Atrevido]

I picked up my 2013 S4 (6MT, B&O, Sports Diff, nice but not fully loaded) with 42K miles for $23K earlier this year. It's my daily driver and I absolutely love it! I drive about 40 miles round trip every day,
and can confirm the seats are quite comfortable and provide great support. Passing power on the turnpike is only a mere throttle "blip" away, and if I do manage to keep my right foot out of it can actually
get about 21 MPG. Looking forward to my first real road trip down to Key West!

My recommendation: search far and wide, and be patient. It's a great car.

Good luck!

[ArgCarp83]

Thanks, I want to be patient and take my time but also would like one soon and trade my wifes mini van in. I will keep my eye out for a nice one but I was hoping for 300 a month payment

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