opinions on going from 05 sti to 04-05 s4
Registered User
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 202
From: San Francisco
Car Info: Saab 9-2x Aero/Sti
Never ever buy an audi/vw. Some fanboi will come and defend them to the death, but they're really unreliable cars that are expensive to fix and maintain. Also, the local dealers service departments are terrible. I've driven a few S4s and they're great to drive, but I'd never own one.
Never ever buy an audi/vw. Some fanboi will come and defend them to the death, but they're really unreliable cars that are expensive to fix and maintain. Also, the local dealers service departments are terrible. I've driven a few S4s and they're great to drive, but I'd never own one.
that being said sti still owns imo unless you are doing a shat ton of miles.
Last edited by slow04wrx; Jul 2, 2010 at 05:57 PM.
Registered User
iTrader: (13)
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,035
From: Sunnyvale, CA
Car Info: 02 WRX Wagon
If I were you I would go for an STI and plan on a few extra grand to luxury it up a little. A stereo upgrade, Dynamat extreme all over the car, some Saabaru leather heated seats up front (or whoever offers them), and whatever other little mods you like will make the STI into a rather more luxurious feeling car.
Dynamat works wonders when it comes to making a car feel more solid and it will make it quite nice in the cabin as well. You could probably get all of this done yourself for ~2.5k including audio components and seats, with 1-2 days of install time.
Then rip off that STI wing, get a FMIC+whatever power mods you feel like and replace the hood with an N/A version without the hood scoop.
It'll look simple, not attract too much LEO attention, and you get all the benefits of both cars! Cheaper maintenance, cheaper insurance probably (?), faster drivetrain, and a very luxurious feel.
At the end of the day the most important thing is how you feel about your car. Drive them both, sleep on it for a day or two, maybe do some research on costs of maintenance/mods, and go with whatever feels right.
Dynamat works wonders when it comes to making a car feel more solid and it will make it quite nice in the cabin as well. You could probably get all of this done yourself for ~2.5k including audio components and seats, with 1-2 days of install time.
Then rip off that STI wing, get a FMIC+whatever power mods you feel like and replace the hood with an N/A version without the hood scoop.
It'll look simple, not attract too much LEO attention, and you get all the benefits of both cars! Cheaper maintenance, cheaper insurance probably (?), faster drivetrain, and a very luxurious feel.
At the end of the day the most important thing is how you feel about your car. Drive them both, sleep on it for a day or two, maybe do some research on costs of maintenance/mods, and go with whatever feels right.
If I were you I would go for an STI and plan on a few extra grand to luxury it up a little. A stereo upgrade, Dynamat extreme all over the car, some Saabaru leather heated seats up front (or whoever offers them), and whatever other little mods you like will make the STI into a rather more luxurious feeling car.
Dynamat works wonders when it comes to making a car feel more solid and it will make it quite nice in the cabin as well. You could probably get all of this done yourself for ~2.5k including audio components and seats, with 1-2 days of install time.
Then rip off that STI wing, get a FMIC+whatever power mods you feel like and replace the hood with an N/A version without the hood scoop.
It'll look simple, not attract too much LEO attention, and you get all the benefits of both cars! Cheaper maintenance, cheaper insurance probably (?), faster drivetrain, and a very luxurious feel.
At the end of the day the most important thing is how you feel about your car. Drive them both, sleep on it for a day or two, maybe do some research on costs of maintenance/mods, and go with whatever feels right.
Dynamat works wonders when it comes to making a car feel more solid and it will make it quite nice in the cabin as well. You could probably get all of this done yourself for ~2.5k including audio components and seats, with 1-2 days of install time.
Then rip off that STI wing, get a FMIC+whatever power mods you feel like and replace the hood with an N/A version without the hood scoop.
It'll look simple, not attract too much LEO attention, and you get all the benefits of both cars! Cheaper maintenance, cheaper insurance probably (?), faster drivetrain, and a very luxurious feel.
At the end of the day the most important thing is how you feel about your car. Drive them both, sleep on it for a day or two, maybe do some research on costs of maintenance/mods, and go with whatever feels right.
Registered User
iTrader: (13)
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 517
From: Concord, Ca
Car Info: Subaru Wrx Sti 2005, 2012 Silverado, 2013 ZX-10R
I have a coastie buddy on my boat that had an 05 STI like I do. He got rid of it and bought an Audi S4. He now is making 525whp running a dual front mount set up. Way more power than I am making at this point. But, from what he has said he loves his Audi.
Registered User
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 9,581
From: on the way to lake tahoe to shread! turbo beast
Car Info: 2016 WRX, 2014 lifter forester XT, 2005 JDM207 WGN
Audi's look great but are a big POS and with cost lots of $$$ to keep it running, my friend has a 05 with 100k on it and he puts like $3500 a year keeping it running...
yea imo audi is the only awd sys as good as the subies.
Registered User
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 202
From: San Francisco
Car Info: Saab 9-2x Aero/Sti
I won't go into the details of each of these cars' issues. Let's just say that they are very expensive to "maintain". I don't feel that the service intervals/failure rates of these parts are acceptable.
And yes I have personally turned wrenches on these cars. And they are a pain in the *** to work on. Did the valve cover gaskets on the first s4, and the replacement. After doing those I refused to do the turbos. Did an ABS module on the original as well. I've done a couple p/s pumps, and a rack on A4s for friends.
Registered User
iTrader: (4)
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 784
From: Folsom prison,California
Car Info: 2005 forester
My brother owned a '00 S4 from new. Only bought it because they cut him a deal as part of a lemon law buyback on his TT when the dealer couldn't figure out the electrical problems with it. Passed that s4 on to my cousin, who bought another b5 after wrecking it last year. His father worked as a service writer for Oakland Audi ~10 years ago.
I won't go into the details of each of these cars' issues. Let's just say that they are very expensive to "maintain". I don't feel that the service intervals/failure rates of these parts are acceptable.
And yes I have personally turned wrenches on these cars. And they are a pain in the *** to work on. Did the valve cover gaskets on the first s4, and the replacement. After doing those I refused to do the turbos. Did an ABS module on the original as well. I've done a couple p/s pumps, and a rack on A4s for friends.
I won't go into the details of each of these cars' issues. Let's just say that they are very expensive to "maintain". I don't feel that the service intervals/failure rates of these parts are acceptable.
And yes I have personally turned wrenches on these cars. And they are a pain in the *** to work on. Did the valve cover gaskets on the first s4, and the replacement. After doing those I refused to do the turbos. Did an ABS module on the original as well. I've done a couple p/s pumps, and a rack on A4s for friends.
sounds like my s4 2 bennett is my best friend!
Thread Starter
Registered User
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 318
From: Los Gatos, CA
Car Info: 05 Audi S4... trying to mod the driver!!!
So--I test drove the s4. It is a tick slower in acceleration up to roughly legal highway speeds but really shines in the luxury, nice features, nice daily drive catagory. It handles very well and would take an autocross/trackday/rallycross to show its shortcomings vs the sti. Truth is, I just don't get out to autocrosses or trackdays that much anymore! Yes it has a big ole v8 hanging out over the front axle which promotes understeer but guess where our suby engines also live? Might be why the evo handles just a little better than the suby (Evo is a front drive based awd platform so the engine sits over the front axle instead of in front of it). Yes I understand that there is a big weight diff between the audi v8 and the suby flat4....
As for looks etc, to each his own. I have now owned 3 subies and bought them for their capabilities and NOT for their looks. IMHO, my 99 legacy gt wagon was an ok looking car while my 02 wrx and 05 sti stray a bit into the ugly side of the curve.
I know that VW/audi has had a bit of a bad reputation for how often they need repairs etc. My wife and I just sold her 10 year old, 2000 gti with the vr6 motor with 130k miles. It never gave us a problem. We did make sure, when we bought the car, that it was built in Germany instead of Brazil or Mexico and I think that makes a difference. We replaced her 2000 gti with a 2010 gti (4 door for the baby) and it too is built in Germany. Hopefully it provides us with 10 years of reliable, fun service. The s4 is also made in Germany and hopefully, it won't cost me too much in service/repair costs. I also have a great vw/audi mechanic (www.autowerkstat.com) whom I trust to work on the s4 should it need it. I do realize that an audi s4 is going to cost me more than the sti to maintain (can you say 10qts of oil per oil change?!). Side not--the most expensive car to maintain I have ever owned (and I have owned bmws, vws, subies, mazda rx7) is my 2001 toyota prius!
I am buying the s4 today and thus will begin the "experiment" of audi (s4) ownership. My sti will be up for sale soon and trust me, there will be days that I regret selling it.
lndbrusr
As for looks etc, to each his own. I have now owned 3 subies and bought them for their capabilities and NOT for their looks. IMHO, my 99 legacy gt wagon was an ok looking car while my 02 wrx and 05 sti stray a bit into the ugly side of the curve.
I know that VW/audi has had a bit of a bad reputation for how often they need repairs etc. My wife and I just sold her 10 year old, 2000 gti with the vr6 motor with 130k miles. It never gave us a problem. We did make sure, when we bought the car, that it was built in Germany instead of Brazil or Mexico and I think that makes a difference. We replaced her 2000 gti with a 2010 gti (4 door for the baby) and it too is built in Germany. Hopefully it provides us with 10 years of reliable, fun service. The s4 is also made in Germany and hopefully, it won't cost me too much in service/repair costs. I also have a great vw/audi mechanic (www.autowerkstat.com) whom I trust to work on the s4 should it need it. I do realize that an audi s4 is going to cost me more than the sti to maintain (can you say 10qts of oil per oil change?!). Side not--the most expensive car to maintain I have ever owned (and I have owned bmws, vws, subies, mazda rx7) is my 2001 toyota prius!
I am buying the s4 today and thus will begin the "experiment" of audi (s4) ownership. My sti will be up for sale soon and trust me, there will be days that I regret selling it.
lndbrusr
