Using an S4 as an everyday car

[Sparky]

There's a fair number of members who using their S4's solely for track days, weekends etc, but not as a car to commute in.

So are they really not suited as an every day car, or is it just a way to reduce running costs to take the train etc?

I'm considering an S4, but doing at ;east 1200 miles a month, and paying approx £70 to fill it twice a month, I am working on double that figure, plus tax/insurance.

So, how many run it as an everyday car, and would you recommend it. If not, why not?

[Durrsaku]

Is there a way of seeing the result without voting?

[Cupramax]

I can see a "view the results of this poll" button, cant you?

[lmmlmmam]

I think it is a daft choice as anything other than an everyday car! Surely there are cars that are more fun if you just want a toy.

The true risk with S4 running costs is depreciation not fuel. Buy right and the costs are very reasonable. Buy wrong and it'll have the shirt off your back.

Whilst on cliches, I'm over the moon with running mine every day - it lends a fantastic sense of ocassion to even the most mundane occasion.

Go for it, but choose carefully.

BTW what bodystyle are you thinking off?

[Sparky]

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Is there a way of seeing the result without voting?

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I didn't select the "Force users to vote before seeing results" option, so there should be a button to let you see it.

[Durrsaku]

Yep can see it now, sorry. Cheers.

[sayerbloke]

Can those who have said they don't use it as their daily car explain why?

[Sparky]

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BTW what bodystyle are you thinking off?

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I prefer Saloons to Avants and Cabs.

Cabs - I suffer quite badly from Hayfever and this time of year, if I drive with the windows down for too long I suffer. With the windows closed, the pollen filter does it's trick!

Avants - too much room. I think they look lovely, but I honestly feel it's not my style just yet, and I'd have nothing to put in the boot!!

I'd don't mind manual or auto, and still love the B6 shape, although not sure if that's what you'd class as a unwise purchase with the B7 being out for a while now, and the B8 platform only a year away (I know the S4 variation will take longer).

[Sparky]

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Can those who have said they don't use it as their daily car explain why?

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Oh yes, well done mate. That would be helpful!

[J_C]

Sparky, if you're going to be doing 1200 miles a month, you'd be filling it four times, not twice!

[Sparky]

I know mate. I know

I reckon petrol would be around £280 per month, easily.

[jimdiesel]

When I had my S4, I was doing between 2500 and 3000 miles a month. Apart from the obvious petrol costs, nothing else was really much different to all the other Audis I have run.

Tyres Lasted 18000 on the front and 22000 on the rear.

AVS1 was £300ish at 17000miles. Sold the car before it neaded AVS2 so cannot comment on that.

Depreciation is the killer, but you use that to your advantage and buy a nice B6. You shouldnt loose to much then.

People talk alot about spec and sat nav, but remember if you buy a B6, and keep it for 2 or 3 years, then I dont think someone buying a 3 to 5 year old car will be to bothered about factory fit sat nav.

[Woppum]

You would be lucky, I spend more than that on my Golf!!

[UBM]

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I know mate. I know

I reckon petrol would be around £280 per month, easily.

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I got about the same figure when I did some similar sums!

[J_C]

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Can those who have said they don't use it as their daily car explain why?

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As CabMac rightly points out, depreciation, and mileage = depreciation. My daily round commute is 42 miles and I don't fancy putting 250+ miles a week on the S4 just getting to work, and that's before even considering fuel consumption.

Running a 55mpg soot chucker the rest of the time allows me to enjoy the S4's performance without worrying too much about its 20mpg(ish) fuel consumption!

[P_G]

Use mine everday for the 15 mile commute to work and it is fabulous. If you've had a crap day, it makes the commute home worthwhile and puts a smile back on your face.

I don't mind about the fuel costs as the S4 is my only vice. Depreciation well I probably owe Audi Finance more than it's worth at present but I wouldn't have been able to afford one any other way so it was worth it and I'm keeping it for a while, at least until B8 S4 comes along or RS6 Plus' become sub £40K

Well worth the money, bombproof reliability thus far (touching wood whilst I write) bar the occasional litre of oil consumption and fast as .......

[jimdiesel]

Sparky the other thing to remember is that the tiptronic cars are a fair bit more economical than the manuals. Mine was a manual, but I would have a tip if I had another one. I was spending £600 a month on gogo juice.

Having said all that, I would have a 3.0TDi over an S4.

[Woppum]

However I do more than 1200 miles a month. It costs me £60 to fill, I can do around 220 miles per tank (on average)so for 1200 miles that equates to a cost of £328 p/m. However you have an extra litre to consider... I recon £350+ p/m.

[UBM]

Sparky - I've been suffering from the eternal "to S4 or not to S4" conundrum for a while.

The 3.0L cab was costing me a fair bit in running costs alone. I calculated on my mileage (which is 225 miles per week on commuting alone) I would be filling the tank at least once a week (as we often travel a long way at weekends).

That equates to, as you rightly day, about £280 per month on fuel alone. I'm currently spending about half of that.

The the nipper came along...I could not actually bring myself to be tipping £140 per month away just to satisfy my own vices when I could be buying stuff for the nipper....

But, as you're loaded anyway, none of this matters....

[Drewcam]

I only use mine at weekends and days off. Thats not because it's an S4 but because that is what i use a car for. I drive a lot of miles for work and have a van for that very reason.

I had a 1.9 sootchucker before this and i get half the mpg from the S4.

[UBM]

That's it then - S4 for weekends Sparky and a Peugeot diesel for you commute....

[J_C]

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It costs me £60 to fill, I can do around 220 miles per tank (on average)so for 1200 miles that equates to a cost of £328 p/m.

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Blimey!! And I thought the S4 was thirsty!

[sayerbloke]

Makes me glad I'm only spending about £45 a month...

Though that doesn't look quite so impressive when you realise I'll usually cover less than 200 miles in that time

[Sparky]

The problem is, I'm also funding the fuel for a new 2.0T FSI doing approx 345 miles per tank, but it seems to be drinking it at an alarming rate when I get behind the wheel.

[P_G]

Fuel consumtion apprears to be getting better on mine as timre goes by and has been helped by the exhaust mod.

B6 would be a better bet I would imagine Sparky as there are some good examples out there at reasonable prices. However if you are running two cars I could imagine your concerns, the wife's second car is a Seat Ibiza and working for the NHS she gets phenominal fuel allowance so it's not a problem. Just have to get her to run on Optimax now and I can then syphon the tank every now and again....