Must have options on an S4?

[GSDog89]

I'm looking to buy a used S4 (2010 most likely) however I'm not sure which options are worth looking out for? I definitely want the sports differential, the only other thing really important to me is bluetooth and the speaker / entertainment system however when it comes to the entertainment system I am not familiar with this at all.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[opelfruit]

I'm very happy with the spec on mine, it's a 2012 facelift. Fully loaded except for B&O sound and Sports rear diff.

Personally, I think the 19in wheels make the car look a lot better on the road so I'd have those.
The standard seats are good but full leather super-sports are a different league, they feel a lot more up market and are very, very comfortable as well as supportive.
I use Drive Select a fair bit as I've got a family so I change it out of dynamic whenever the kids are in the car - I guess it's not a must but it's a nice toy to have and really does give you 2 cars in 2.
S-Tronic - must.
Tech Pack High (HDD Nav 3G) - must. The full infotainment system and the ability to store music etc on the disk is wonderful. It runs the nav off the HDD and it's a pretty good system, if you have ADS and MMI it's all fully integrated.


I didn't bother with B&O sound as I thought that the standard system was good enough for my ears.
I didn't bother with the sports rear diff as (from what I've heard) it only makes and different, or is noticeable, if you are tonking it and on the edge of the handling. 99% of my drives are about with the family, to the shops or to work so it's not something I would ever get the use out of.


It's a tough find to get the spec you want, in the right colour and right mileage....for the right price. Good luck.

 

[elpeterol]

What he said I think that the adaptive suspension is worth having especially on our beaten up roads!!

 

[benjie]

x3 on the ADS - I use it often, with the sports diff it's just brilliant when you're hooning it - which you will want to do often.

If you get an Avant, get power tailgate, it's brilliant.

B&O is a must for me - it's day and night compared to the standard A5 I am given when my car's being serviced.

x2 on S tronic - Made for the supercharged V6. Perfect match.

Side assist - permanently on, very useful.

 

[desertstorm]

From what I have seen of S4's I think the sports diff is not a very common thing. looking on Auto trader there are 60 S4 saloons and Avants in the country.
And doing a search on differential only brings three that are around the 10 plate area.
I would definately recommend the ADS if it does the same in an S4 as it does in my mapped 3.0 TDI it's definately worth it.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201412139618846/

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201501079995659/

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201412049432936/

These all seem like very well specified cars. Seems if you must have a sports diff then you will be getting pretty much everything with it. Personally I wouldn't have thought it would make that much difference on the road, The standard car is very capable, maybe more useful on a track day,
with a remap and a pulley change.

Karl

 

[GSDog89]

Really helpful replies, thanks guys.

So I think for me ADS and B&O are a must, sports diff is very desirable for me as I do like to 'drive' and will be taking it up mountain roads around Europe etc but not sure if I'll find one with it. I'm wanting to buy from Audi for the warranty etc so my search is limited.

Do all cars come with bluetooth?

 

[benjie]

Do all cars come with bluetooth?

I don't think they do, but happy to be corrected.

Only way to tell if it has sports diff is if you look under the back of the car. (Edit: You can see it in the ADS menu in the car's computer too) I called Audi with the reg, I think the PR code on the data sticker is GH2 if that helps. ADS is available without the diff, but not the other way round. I don't think many dealers would know, especially as many advertise the "Huge spec" on the cars which are mostly base model S4s.

 

[scotty76]

I'm with everyone else on this, ADS is a must. Who would have thought one little button would be so useful but I use it all the time. Pootling to work I leave it in "Auto". Having some fun I set to "Dynamic" and the difference in throttle response is immediately noticeable. I don't really use "Comfort" or "Efficiency" but that's just me. Some people seem to toggle between "Comfort" and "Dynamic". I bought my S4 new in 2014 and kept the options list short. Mine has bluetooth as standard but I couldn't tell you when that was added. Option wise (lifted from my order PDF) I went for:

- Audi drive select
- Audi hill-hold assist
- Black styling package
- Audi quattro Sports differential
- 3-spoke multi-function flat-bottomed steering wheel with gear-shift paddles
- Audi Parking System Plus

I didn't spec 19" wheels as I wasn't that bothered and didn't want the additional cost of 19" tyres. 18" is expensive enough. I also didn't spec the adaptive suspension as I was concerned it would be expensive to fix later. I've found the standard suspension to be just fine. You might say the sports diff would be expensive to fix too and you'd be right but it seemed a shame not to spec it on a new car, so I'm just crossing my fingers on that one.

More ramblings on my S4 here: http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/s4-1000-mile-mini-review.226733/