For those interested I`ve been hankering after a practical V8 daily driver for the last couple of weeks since selling my runaround.
I`m pretty keen on V8 Jeeps especially SRT8s but also have a fondness for big power Audis. I noticed last night (Sunday) that a red 2004 S4 Avant has been advertised on 50 miles from me in apparently `fantastic` condition. This exact car below..
The car was as described and asides from the normal slight stone chipping and tiny wear marks from use it was spot on. I`m now thinking here`s a 344hp estate car that is not only decent looking but immensely practical with a V8 sound track AND a manual 6 speed gearbox. The interior was stunning. Seriously. Immaculate and with it being a two owner car with a full history I thought there`s a chance I`m going to end up doing something impulsive here. The salesman ( I know, dealer
) was spot on and gave me the keys and let me go about whatever I wanted uninterupted. Started first time having sat a week. Not a rattle , knock or anything with that nice understated V8 note from the rear twins and it settled and idled nice. By now, I`m looking for fault as I don`t like it when things appear too good but looking through the service book just added to the sale. "Take it a run" he says, take your time".
So here I am with a more modern quality German V8 car that, lets be honest and pull no punches here, in terms of build quality is head and shoulders above my 4th gen General Motors `muscle` car. I remember reading a review a while back about the 4th gen Z28 and how it was a superb motor planted in a `creaky bath tub with a woefully inadequate interior`. Not really fair to compare it to a £38,000 German super estate but even opening the door on the S4 was a different affair. Ar$e in recaro driver seat, adjusted mirrors and off I went. Now bear in mind I had driven my old `1999` American `vauxhall` only a day before with my 16 valves, which incidentally is TWENTY FOUR less than the S4 so I was expecting this Audi to feel like it could trade punches with the Z28.
Lovely car to drive. Smooth, quiet, sumptuous interior and has all the modern gadgets on display on the lovely red lit dash. I did give a bit of welly a couple of times on the dual and on a nice A road. A few people kinda moved over and there was a few `looks`. Not really sure what they were thinking but they were looking anyway.
On return I gave the saleman my verdict. I genuinely couldn`t fault the car. Straight as a die and honest as hell. No paintwork, no filler, no oil leaks, no issues.
I really was working out earlier how I was going to leave a deposit or would I come back up if I was going to take it. My fear was that I would like it too much and it would cloud my SRT8 dream.
I didn`t buy it. Reason? This, I swear is the truth. The Camaro as outclassed as I thought it was would absolutely pull that things pants down and smack it`s ar$e. Absolutely NO comparison in terms of putting a big stupid grin on your face with a small block Chevy V8. For a car with the same power the Z28 delivers it in a totally different manner, in 3rd and 4th gear on full throttle there`s an element of fear that isn`t present with the Audi. The S4 is slower, less exciting and sluggish compared to the Z and if you`re going to buy a car to drive daily with a big power V8 it`s pointless getting one that `pales in comparison` to the old girl in the garage with the plastic wings.
I read a thread on another forum by a guy that basically said `Never under estimate your LS1 F body`. I`ll have to back, find it and tell him he`s right.
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