I have owned a stage III S4 for 4 years before trading up on the Evo. The has been with me for 6 months now. I have found that most Audi S4 owners buy it because they need an awd car with great all around capabilities. In this respect, the Evo is not much different. Both cars have 4 doors, awd, a big trunk, and the important turbocharged engine. Here are some of my thoughts:

I miss the huge low end torque that the S4 had. The Evo needs to be revved to get going. It's not a bad thing, I'm just used to short shifting. My Evo is at the same level of tune as your stage II S4 and I bet you would have a very hard time keeping up with me. Add a little twisties and it's game over. I had H&R / Koni sport combo on the S4. Still, no dice.

There are some gripes with though. The interior noise is LOUD. Coming from an exceptionally quiet S4, it is very annoying. The rear seats do not fold down. Not sure if it matters to you, but, it did to me. No heated mirrors nor heated seats.

I thoroughly enjoyed my S4 although I did have some reliability problems. It was the best car I ever owned until the Evo came. Evo is an amazing driver's car. Modifying is sooooo cheap compared to Audi, it's not even funny. I wish I never spent $10000 + on the S4! The tuners here actually know what they are doing. How refreshing is that?

S4 to Evo. No regrets whatsoever.

 

Yeah the Evo is quite loud compared to the S4. Easy to carry on a quiet conversation at any speed but WOT and spirited decel (like in the twisties). The drivetrain makes the usual AWD whine, louder than Subaru. Audi did do a good job with the Quattro and noise levels, very refined. The Evo engine is very rough compared to BMWs I6, not as smooth as Subaru H4, and less so than a Nissan 4cyl SR20DE. The engine mounts are harder than all though, so it's to be expected.

 

Thanks these are all great feedback.

Humm, like I said earlier, If my warranty would of been longer and if the turbo is not so damn hard to replace then I would defenitely keep the S4. But robS, you are correct. I have HR/bilstein setup and it very comfortable but when the twist comes I cant even stomp on it because I feel like im gonna go on the next lane. fixing these problem spot will cost and arm and a leg. I like the idea of modifying it for a lot less money.

Where in NJ are you located robS? Do you mind if I you can give me a ride your EVO. I would like to know what and how you mean by loud. I know that no testdrive from a dealer would do it for me. Thanks again.

 

I live in Northern NJ, Paramus to be exact. I can give you a ride in the evening. It's got to be soon though. We are expecting a baby in about a week.

 

OH wow, congrats. Thanks but I dont want to bother you and your family that much. I dont want to inconvenience you so I will try to go to a meet if there is any instead.

 

As for preformance the EVO has it hands down all around, other than hiway cruising. To keep it simple I think the evo is a better "driver's car" and the S4 just got more "bling". After my swap, I never looked back, even tho I loved my S4.

 

the s4 was not the best luxury/sports sedan in '00 to '02... bmw m5, s55 amg... there were lots that are equally as good, if not better

 

Maybe the best luxury/sports sedan under $40k........hmmmm

 

how about "the best 4dr, awd, turbocharged vehicle that was mod friendly" in the United states, prior to the evo and sti's debut?

hehe I'd agree with that

 

I got a friend who's a regular at the autocrosses with an S4. He's been autocrossing for couple years now and has gotten really good at it, but it took me 4 events to beat him in my Evo . When I ride with him, the car feels like a pig.

 

It is a great car. The 4.2 liter V8 puts out 340 hp. The clutch and gearbox, once you get used to them, are very smooth. You can let the clutch out in first gear without giving it any gas. As the light is about to turn green (watching the yellow going the other way), I ease out the clutch and the car starts to just barely roll. Then the light turns green, I already have the clutch pedal all the way out, so I just hammer it.

It is a great looking car. Mine is Nogaro blue, and I removed the S4 badges, front and rear. The brakes are quite good, and haul it down from high speeds very well. I have had my S4 up to 152 mph (it is electronically governed at 155 mph, so I backed off before I hit the fuel cut-off). It feels like driving a BMW at about 95 mph; the S4 is really easy to drive fast.

Now for the drawbacks. As posted above, it is very heavy, at 3800 lbs. The ride height is a little too high, making for cornering that could be improved. The stock Conti tires are crap. That's about it. Some suspension work will cure the handling, and you have to buy competition tires, but there is not much you can do about the weight unless you want to gut the interior of the car, and no one is going to do that to a $48,000+ German autobahn cruiser.

All that said, I have a strong appreciation for the EVO. I considered the EVO VIII and the STi. I prefer the EVO hands down to the STi. The EVO is certainly a better track car than the S4. But the S4 is my daily driver, not my racetrack car. I have a heavily modified N/A 350Z for the track. It can't beat an EVO either.

If I could only own one car, for both street and track use, it would be an EVO for sure.

 

Whats goin on everybody? Just thought I'd chime in, my best friend Brandon owns a B5 Audi s4 stage II (stratmosphere with milltek exhaust). I have an 04 Evo with a turbo back exhaust and his audi doesnt even keep up (unless we start at 100 b/c of the gear ratios on the FIVE SPEED EVO) also the S4 is alot more expensive to tune, given my evo isnt exactely a bargain though. Everything he wants for his car is very expensive thanks to the German brand name. It seems to have alot more low end torque and feels very fast...untill it meets an evo. Also the luxury in the Audi is a bit higher than in the Evo, like previously stated the Evo is a drivers car the audi is for cruising. However your more likely NOT to encounter civics with a full "axle back" exhaust made by Maxwell House decaf tuning as you will with the whaletale evo. The S4 is a great car just not as great as an evo when it comes to performance.

 

You are crazy. No way the S4 from 00-02 compares to the M5 from 00-02. For the price of an MR, you are into a reasonable mileage M5. Tiff called it the best sedan for drivers in the world...gotta mean somthing

 

I agree with that. Its very mod friendly and not friendly to your pocket.

How much HP does the engine block can hold before it becomes unreliable??

 

I love my totally tricked out 2000 Audi S4 to death, but I'm afraid I just did the unthinkable today: I replaced her with an 04 Evo RS! The main reasoning behind this decision was that the RS has a much larger, cheaper aftermarket than the S4. My S4 ran consistent 11.5-11.6s but to go much faster than that would require mucho dinero. With the RS, I can run mid 11's on the stock turbo and do it for under $5,000. It's also a better handling car and much more of a sleeper than the S4 was in the flashy Nogaro Blue color. I also get a killer 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty with 4 years/65k miles "maintenance free" service, including, but not limited to, the clutch!!! How can you beat that for $25K? You can't!

Gonna be asking about $28K to $29K for her which I think is a steal for a luxury sedan that runs 11 second 1/4 miles on street tires and pump gas! Check out my signature for some videos and timeslips.