Those rich kids weren't crashing their shiny new cars because of the Audi's handling, they were crashing because they were driving a 260hp car when they barely knew how to drive.
AnotherRandomCommenter you're kidding right? a 400 dollar refresh on these cars would destroy the supercharged v6 a4 lol waste of time. b5 s4 or nothing the other b5s are heaps
I forgot to mention that I paid $500 for my 2.8 A4. 240k miles and no heat would do that. Edit: And no, I'm not kidding. And if I spent the full value of an S4, the A4 would be in he neighborhood of mid 500 horsepower.
a4 shifter aint that bad a b5 with a v8 4.2 tfsi would be alot better. b5 alot lighter than the later models. Audi is a good car all around with the multi bar suspension instead of a wishbone strong and heavy as fuck. the estate just aint got suspension setup right or done as much work as the sedan. You can get an a4 0-60 in 2.7 seconds
@Yuriy Kovalov indeed slow down before the corner and floor it mid corner keeping the steering wheel pointed where you wanna go never back down from the throttle
What do you mean unreliable? My personal heavily modded (similar to the yellow car) B5 S4 is very reliable. It never lets me down.... sorry, gotta get back to my engine rebuild now.
I had an old RS4 B5 as well as a M3 E46 and did a lot of "Canyon Driving" with both of them here in Switzerland. If you think that a S4 is not the way to go because it handles not well: As an average driver I couldn't feel that much of a difference between the two cars although the M3 has a better weight distribution, is rear driven etc. To be honest, I felt a bit safer in the RS4. When pushed, it started to skid over all four wheels. The M3 had the tendency to loose its tail which scared me, especially on a public road. So if you want a lot of car with tuning potential and you like the timeless styling of the S4: Go for it ! Put on a simple chip-tune, install sport cats and an improved brake kit. That's it. It won't let you disappointed as this video might suggest.
You either understand these cars or you don’t. They have a lot of shortcomings but they are outstanding cars for road use, the M3 has the edge on a track or when pushed hard in terms of handling. But for day to day use the B5 is much more suitable in my opinion. I have spent a lot of time behind the wheel of many E46 M3s, they are amazing cars but they are pretty edgy, I own multiple b5 s4s because they have so much character and still to this very day put a huge grin on my face. I have driven almost all the current popular super cars and exotics as well-my occupation affords me this amazing opportunity, but I still get in my either of my S4s and they make me grin from ear to ear every time.
Scott Fugere I feel the same way. I’ve had a lot of sports cars including a Z4M. Still, my current B5 is one of my favorite cars to drive. When I wake up in the morning, it’s still a toss up between my 370z and it to drive. I don’t think this guy knows how to drive awd cars.
@@fastboatster same for us in Canada, we can only import them from Europe. I just got a 2000 b5 s4, and it’s a dream car man. Absolute perfection. If you ever get the opportunity, I recommend at least exploring the world of b5 Audis. And prior gens.
+Sam Buffington but why, in the world, would you press down on the shifter, while shifting? this is the first time i hear this is an issue for someone. i own a B4 Audi, my dad has a B5, i have no problem with both, or any other car i've ever driven.
Mitko Philips there's a lot if ways it can happen, and you don't notice your doing it in a Japanese car so it becomes habit. For me it was just while shifting fast until I drove it for a few days and got use to it.
+Sam Buffington i get that, it depends on the driver. but still, when i'm shifting casually i use literally 1 finger to change gears. that's how light and precise the shifters on audi are.
Watched Justin's timing belt video. Did my maintenance on my own with not much experience. Saved over $1000. Cheers to this man and his hard work and sharing his experiences.
Seriously, it takes some effort to push that shifter down. It's not gonna happen if you rest your hand on it or while shifting unless you actually TRY to do it.
Many S4 B5 videos reference the unreliability of these cars. Having owned an 1999 S4 Avant for the past 16 years and 276k miles my experience is the polar opposite. Total reliability. Possibly as mine is stock and as such the engine is never stressed. Build quality is fantastic and mine is still running the original exhaust.
LOL me 2.Im like wtf is he talking about.He must be trying to brute the shifter.He probably screws women that way too no finesse just pounsd,pound,pound.
I still love the b5, I had 2 of them, the later being stage 3+. The only extra work I had to do to it was 2 cv joints and a wheel bearing. It was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned, plus it saved my life when a drunk driver hit me. I love them, that is why I have a stage 2 B8 now and plan on getting a B9
First time I ever really laid my eyes on one of these up close, was I was a flatbed tow truck driver in 2001. I was 19. And a guy broke down with a brand new b5 s4 sedan in nogaro blue. I remember liking the car but what made it stick in my mind the most was the color. Such a beautiful color blue. My 3 favorite Audi colors of all time. Black magic pearl, nagaro blue, and nardo gray.
I have owned two b5 s4's I bought one at 130000 miles then added rs4 turbo's exhausts ect ect I did over 20000 hard miles with out skipping a beat !Don't blame the cars for bad builds !They are a very strong engine and drive train and an awesome car overall
The B5 S4 is like your highschool girlfriend. You are 100%, so desperately and madly in love with her, the sex is constant and mindblowing, She is your best friend and you couldnt imagine ever loving anyone else. BUT, you have frequent screaming matches that are LOUD and UGLY. You can make each other miserable at a moments notice, and you're going to break each others hearts, and then fall back madly in love with each other, fleetingly and constantly. Eventually, you will leave each other, which you both thought NEVER could happen, but all of your friends knew it from the word go. It wont be civil, you will leave each other broken and hurt. But time will pass, you will both come to realize, it wasnt entirely their fault. And you will go on with your life, fondly remembering your first true love, and you will compare everyone you date for the rest of your life, to your first love. #B5S4
I have a 2000 b5 a4 avant with 200k on the clock, ripped out the stock 2.8 and put the full s4 drivetrain in it (in a freaking tent in my driveway in January), stage 2+ Beadle tune at 21 psi and I still trust it more than my mom's brand new Subaru lol Edit: the motor has 295k on it and it came out of a tial car that made 750 to the ground, the trans came out a wrecked c5 a6 that was abandoned for 5 years and I got for 400 dollars
Owning a B5 S4 for about 3 years now, I love it. I would have to disagree with some of these points brought up in the video. Yes the B5 chassis can be unreliable, but preventative maintenance can keep these on the road with 200,000+ miles. Grip can be improved through better/wider wheels plus better tires. The wheels on these examples looked to be a narrower 18x8 or 8.5. Upgrading wider wheels and putting on stickier tires makes a worlds worth of difference. I run pilot sports on my S4 and have never had a problem. As far as shifters goes, it seems to that they must have had issues if the shifter was bouncing as mine never bounces when driving. As far as the power of the vehicles, this seemed unrealistic. RS4 k04s plus e85 intake and exhaust and a tune should make more than 400whp where as a rs6 k04 hybrid turbo with e85, bored engine, and water meth don't sound like enough to support 730 crank horsepower. The biggest issue with the B5 chassis is knowing what you're buying.
I bought one of these for my first car, in high school, drove it like a crazed rally maniac most of the time. Never crashed it! Still have it, it will see the road again some day hopefully :)
***** Interior falls apart, catalytic converter goes bad, fuse box caught fire, air/oil separator prematurely failed, vacuum lines turn to gum and either tear, close up or fall off and I'm sure I'm missing some other experiences, but Audis are great for business.
***** I'd actually like to know also, but it's not propaganda, it's just what happens. Usually the person who gets but hurt about someone talking about brand A has a reputation for being unreliable has the good car or actually takes extremely good care of it. Just for the past 10 years Audis that show up in the shop that is around 5~10 years old seem to be falling apart. Speaking of German cars from most to least reliable it's been MB, BMW and then Audi. That's just my experience, maybe Audis don't like the California sun/heat.
***** Which is great, most of the time reliability issues come from lack of maintenance, in some cars it's not as a big of a deal, but for some not taking care of one component can lead to a host of other problems. It's a similar talk about older Fiats and Alfa Romeos, people say "mine never had problems" and that's great, lots of others have. And usually it's not like oh you bought an Audi and you have now 100% chance of failure, it's just much higher than the average. Yea I agree about mitsubishi. They are a pretty good company, I just think it doesn't have mass market appeal for the range of their cars.
I knew there would be a "I've seen it done" reply. Yeah, and it's stupid. The dealers had a table specifically for changing 2.7 turbos in situ, but it's a completely preposterous route if you're a regular schmuck. You should be changing a whole bunch of other stuff if you're at a mileage where you've blown your street-driven K03s anyway.
When I was 3-4 years old in 2001, my dad bought and brought home a Pearl white 2000 Audi S4 B5. From then on I loved that car so much and developed a special connection with Audi and spent alot of time with it. I always thought one day my dad will give me that car. But in September 2008 my dad sold the car for a 2006 Acura MDX (it's a good car though) because there were too many of us in the family. I was sad to see it go.
"No matter how much suspension you throw at them, they don't handle very well"..... Yeah...... Tell that to the cars chasing the S4s tail lights in the 2001 and 2002 world challenge racing circuit. Seems to me it handled just fine. LOL..... Raced in the Motorola cup, Grand Am cup and the Rolex GT. One even was in 2nd place again true GT race cars...... So, bad handling huh? I think a lot of people would beg to differ.
I was thinking the same ! I did a bit of research and watched some SCCA races on youtube. Those Champion Racing S4s with Michael Galati / Derek Bell behind the wheel ran really great. And as far as I know, the basic layout of these S4s was the same as the road going versions. They weren't allowed the put the engine lower, farther behind or anything. And the opposition wasn't weak in any way: The mighty Corvette, the perfectly balanced NSX and 996 GT3 Cup cars. So in the end, it's pretty fair to say that this Autobahn-cruiser S4 has more than just a bit of potential to match with some of the best cars of its era.
+Peter Ziffle That racing series on speed was my absolute favorite! The BMW's, Acura RSX and NSX with the S4 amongst others was stellar. Stripped down stock cars racing...... How can it get any better. I remember watching the S4 just dominate and no matter how much restrictor and weight they threw on the S4, they always found a way to stay competitive. I owned a 99 A4 1.8t quattro and it was one of the best cars I have ever owned as far as enjoyment in driving. I could see the extra weight of the 2.7 being a little noticeable, but the aftermarket support the B5 chassis had, you have tons of options to dial it in. I feel like the bias in this video is a little too blatant.
I own a tuned B5 S4 and as the handling goes, I agree that originally it is not confidence inspiring. I upgraded to the adjustable control arms and dialed in more caster and that solved a lot of it for me. That said however, you still have to spend some time with the car to learn it. I had to end up trusting the car to pull me through the corners because I knew it well enough. With just a day of filming, Justin probably didn't have enough time to learn the characteristics off the cars and that would had lead to his conclusion about the handling.
I drive a 04 c5 2.7t and absolutely love it, currently in high school and haven't crashed it yet. I can confidently say it's a reliable car if you keep it maintained, 14,000 miles on it so far and I've only had to change the alternator and a light bulb 👍
I have a B5S4 that I have owned since new. At 167,000 miles I installed, bigger brakes K04s, bigger injectors, bigger exhaust, stronger clutch, and it's still going strong, it never failed me. Change the oil religiously, keep up on maintenance, and know how to drive and you have a solid car. This guys friends who all crashed their new S4's were obviously challenged in the driving skills dept. I would go on to theorize that his friends must have been drinking lead-tainted water from the same tap for years, before all going down to Audi dealership together to buy their new $40k 250hp fire breathing monsters, to have had such a collective abysmal experience. You just cant unsmell bullshit. Now I'll be smelling it in all his videos. P.S. I don't believe the S4 was designed for canyon carving the autobahn.
+pleb the music is so annoying! I was checking other tabs on my browser to see if the music is coming from there, because I didn't think they would make an annoying video like this..!
why all the hate you are not used to quattro driving and the fact that they are lowered so much isn't a very good thing with every bump the car starts to jump around
The B5 Avant (station wagon) was such a beautyful looking car. Well proportioned, well made, not too big but practical. Over here in Germany we've had such a reasonable 1,9 TDI, the socalled AFN , which had 110hp, but was good for additionally 30 ecu tweaking hp and it was economic and sturdy. Reachable 5,5 liters/100km is an announcement even today and with 285Nm at 2000rpm and 140hp at 4250 rpm it never felt weak. To be honest, it felt like a much bigger 6-cyl. It ate its 1,6 petrol opponent for breakfast soo bad, for half the consumption. Back at the time and over here in Europe engines weren't so big and the resulting 205 kph hadn't been bad either, for about 8,5 liter canola oil on such a full throttle journey/Autobahn hunt. Such a cruiser with lots of early torque. To be honest, these Audis B5 and following have never been good plattforms for performance saloons, like the BMW 3-series, which have always been fantastic sports cars. But these Audis have been way too heavy on the front axle. The sensation of driving, the steering and the delivery of feedback was always dignified and cozy, but simply not the last word for racers. From generation to generation the iconic quattro badge became more and more a marketing and safety icon, but had lost all of its 2.3 inline-5, 20V edgi- and aggressiveness. Forget all that bulky and heavy V6 and V8 engines afterwards, the cars just became heavier and heavier on the front axle and their understeering issue didn't get better. A weaker and lighter but corner-hungry car is at least in Europe more fun to drive, than those overpowered RS Autobahn monsters. But that is an arms racing issue the Mercs and Bimmers also suffer from.
I own a b5 s4. I would like to say it's a great car but i worry everyday that something new will break. I'm audi expert now from the 10,000hrs I've spent under my car.
+xXUnforgivingKarmaXx What breaks in your car? I've had mine for 12,000 km and the only problem was egt module which costed $40 I guess the problem is not that the car is not reliable, but the owners suck at maintenance. Greets from Europe, where we can maintain s4 b5s and they have a very good reputation here.
+DziadekMroz6666 I replaced the cam tensioner and all gaskets on both heads, the axel on passenger side, the timing belt and water pump, fixed the secondary air pump, both rear window motors, went ahead and upgraded all roters and brakes,and have a laundry list of just upkeep tasks to keep me busy for the foreseeable future. car was taken care of before I bought it but time conquers all.
I have a 2013 wrx as well as a 01 s4 and I can say without a doubt, the wrx has a horrible shift. The b5 is like butter to me after driving the clunking 5 speed.
I have a 400+ whp b5 s4 avant with custom rate coilovers, beefy rear sway bar and decent tires and I have to say the handling is really damn good. I have a lot of confidence through the corners and really can't say anything negative about the way it drives. Yes the 2.7tt is garbage for reliability but makes fun power for what it is. vr6 turbo or 07k swap in my avant will make it the ultimate sleeper
Had one....looked amazing...built it like the red one......and it broke over and over again. It's basically a fucking time bomb that you knew could blow at any given time.......but damn I loved that torque!!!!!!!!!!
+independentwith1 I hear yah man. The other main concern for the 2.7 V6 was that the turbos were located literally against the firewall. Horrible location! Did I mention that the exhaust sounded soooooo friggin good!!! I guess I miss that sound. I had people rolling sown windows at red lights telling me the exhaust sounded amazing.
I wish there was a more efficient way to capture the feeling of pull in a video. I know this car probably pulls like a freight train but you simply can't capture that power for the viewer. It's nobody's fault and it's obviously a tough thing to do but I really wish there was a way to really show the viewer just how much pull the car has. Cool car though. I love those B5 S4's.
Camera car should get behind and match the speed of the target car. Leave zoom off, hold the camera steady, and watch the target car accelerate. Theres an E60 M5 yt vid of an Asian chick driving and reviewing it and they capture the pull quite well.
+f2b.....f20bEG Of the imola? Who is everyone? Do some research, the car is very well documented and gets only the best treatment. Not to mention it's got over 300k mi on it
+f2b.....f20bEG Oh, ok, my apologies. I thought you were talking about these cars specifically. As a fellow b5 s4 owner, I'm active on the audi boards and both of these cars actually are well documented. The imola gets the best care of most all b5 s4
McSandkasten that's what I say.. my A4 B5 has it too. my car has 200,000 miles and the biggest repair it's ever seen it an axle back in 2007. really good cars.
Can you even drive bro!? I lost interest in your review when you over revved when changing gear. ..that is what kids do when they first learn to drive a stick. You don't drive a 4wd like a RWD car, if you do you will think it is understeering. get some decent tyres and get on the gas!! let the Quattro system take care of the corner. If all the weight is at the front and the drive is also 50:50 or up to 75:25 front to rear you either have bad tyres or are not driving properly! If a heavily modded car understeers that is the tuners fault..likewise for breaking down! Shifter upgrades are cheap and the first thing changed..and why are you pushing down when shifting!? Also 750 isn't that special...especially with KWV1's...did they run out of money!? Come to Europe and see what Audi tuning really is.
I agree with you however as someone who drives this car everyday, the understeer is pretty bad, but it doesn’t matter in any normal circumstance, only if you took it to a track
@@bearieroblox6451 do you brake mid corner or do you throttle through? I have a 1.8t 180hp with fwd and it's steering is precise and it doesn't really understeer, maybe because the engine is lighter than the v6, you just have to figure out the way for it to stick
@@38bmxboy you can break late in the corner what you should normally not do in any sort of car but you can. FWD and the AWD is not comparble you need to stay on the gas, at least a bit otherwise the torsen locks up and woops your ass in snow or understeers a tiny bit on dry roads and tortures the tires. we call it, auf zug fahren, means stay bit on the gas to not lock up the diffs.
I love that car. I wish I could get one, but here in Austria they cost around 13000€ if you want one that has not many KM on it, or one that was not completly killed by wrong tuning.
The shifter on this car was built for the average joe. Someone that drives like a mad man needs to upgrad to the solid throw shifter from 034 Motorsports and will never have a problem with it being springy.
These cars look and sound amazing but the maintenance cost are insane!! The only way to own this car is to work on it yourself. If you can't you better have huge bucks!
You'd have to build a 1.8 to support the bigger turbo which in the end would cost more for smaller power numbers. 1.8 may weigh less but it's difficult to make more than 400hp with them. Most European tuners do a 2.2 or 2.5 5cylinder swap which changes the vehicle dynamics while also being easy to build to 700hp reliably.
Ryan Patrick I kind of remember a forum saying that they could tune the 1.8T to about 600HP. Not sure if it was wheel or crank and I'm not sure if it was a built engine, but judging by the info you put, it probably was a built engine.
That is probably with about $30,000 of parts into the engine and drivetrain alone (I would know because I priced out the parts for building a 1.8). at that point you could build a B5 S4 with the same amount of power and more reliable. Integrated engineering and 034 motorsports have built some impressive 1.8s for that much power, but the stock bottom end is good to only 250-300 crank HP. Anything more requires forged rods. Anything over 450-500 crank HP usually requires a 2.0L crank and engine machine work. IMO VR6s are the easiest and cheapest to build while still putting out insane power. USP built a VR6 swapped drag S4 that beat a 1200hp turbo 911 on the streets..
Well i have A4 B5 with over 300 000 km and its really tuff car! With the V6 that knows no stress, i havent done any repairs since januar... Its one of the most relaible cars from that time. Especially with 2.4, 1.8t and 1.9 tdi.
Pro-tip, -don't push the knob down when you shift- JK, just never had a problem with the vw/audi MT design. They pretty much all 'push down' to go into reverse.
I owned many cars in the past like mercedes, bmw, audi and audi is my choice. Simply the best, bmw is shit, breaking down all the time and it can't match the materials quality. Mercedes is great also, just too expensive.
Old cars fall apart after time and new ones have too much electronics and plastic on them which fails quite often. It's just how it is cars are made to break in order to keep the wallets of the corporations full when U buy parts.
Having owned a B5 S4 I still think about mine quite a bit, it had a couple of small issues, spent a lot of time, effort and late nights putting some of them right but in the end we parted ways. It was a stonking car but I stuck with my sti wagon instead and sold the s4.
I had the means of buying one but went with the b5 a4 1.8ts. It doesnt suffer with understeer and its highly modifiable and very reliable. It has a lighter nose and revvy engine. I'm glad I went with a well maintained a4 than the s4 for those 2 issues
+Driven Hard Agreed, I love /Drive and have always loved their use and choice of music but this video sticks out as quiet poor in that department. New editors maybe?
Matt, One thing has really bothered me over the past 5 years or so since big horsepower has become the norm, the traditional 15-20% drivetrain loss just isn't true anymore. It used to be an easy go to when cars had 200 hp because it was/is probably the case, 30-40 hp loss to drive the axles/driveshaft, wheels etc. But to say that it takes 130hp to drive the yellow s4s drivetrain but it only takes 38 hp to drive a stock B5 s4s drivetrain just doesn't make any sense(check out stock b5 s4 dyne videos). When you start modding a car it doesn't take more power to move the same bits as it did when it was stock, especially when the yellow s4 has the stock gearbox and probably lighter wheels. Anyway, great videos, I look forward to watching them.
+CJ DASHCAM I would hope so. I could be wrong, but I thought gaffer's tape is like athletic tape being made of fabric, in the video looks like vinyl the way it shines. Also, I could be wrong, but isn't Matt's mic pinned to his shirt? Also pod looks like it's falling off.
Sigma Projects You can see the mic at the top of the a-pillar in some of the interior driving shots. Not saying that IS what its there for... could be a shoddy boost gauge pod.
CJ DASHCAM I wasn't sure if that's their mic or a setup for hands free talking since it looks like the generic mic. I'm not expert so it could be, but then why tape it so low at the boost gauge and have the mic all the way up at the roof?
Sigma Projects The wire might run down the a-pillar and out at the gauge pod to wherever... maybe Matt will chime in? Inquiring minds want to know, Farah!
Matt said there's nothing that can fix the "springy" shifter. Apparently he's never driven a B5 S4 with the JHM Short Shifter. Really helps the feel and the push down reverse spring can be tuned with stiffer springs to your liking.
So you're resting your hand on the knob... 600whp isn't "all out" btw. KW V1's are entry level coilovers. With simple chassis modifications you can get it to turn in just fine. The fact you mention you have to work to take a corner means you probably are more of a "I'm used to the car doing the work for me" "driver". I find it extremely over exaggerating when you state "every single one of your friends crashed their S4's". I daily my 2.7t stage 3 swapped B6 S4. End of story.
+Roads Untraveled The b6 4.2 and r8 4.2 are not basically the same unless basically the same means same displacement and both made by Audi. There is a good bit of variation in the audi engine families. The b6 s4 and rs4 motors are actually very different from each other. the closest motor to the r8 v8 is the rs4 v8 in the b7.IIRC
Matt, don't get me wrong I love your videos and I watch the smoking Tire all the time. I love Drive Channel but I've been an Audi guy since my first car. (1988 Audi 90. paid $700 for it btw) but the way you described handling in this car kills me... it was built on a rally car platform, ask Hurley Haywood and he will tell you how amazing it handles. you need to know how to drive these cars. come in hot snap off throttle kick the ass out then power it back straight. it's a mechanical system from the early 80's and very hard to master but very rewarding once done.
i have an A4 B5 1.8T QUATTRO avant which makes around 200 hp and in my country everyone calls it ''a poor man's S4'', because is the sportiest model before the S4
nah bro, 2.8 is verry hulking, feels verry heavy and clumsy.I've raced 2.8 and i make them 3 car lenghts.1.8T is just alot more agile and zippy.Also fuel consumption and maintenance are alot cheaper on 1.8T.
who needs handling in city? 2.8 is more than enough for torque and i think all of them are quattro, fun at winter ant reliable if you maintain them (change belt lel) btw i am e36 driver with 2.5 engine and shitload of suspension mods("who needs handling")
no brah, i had two 2.8 back in the days - one from 1995 the old motor 174 hp and from 1999 facelift 193 hp, i'm telling you it's not that fast as it looks like ;) Also none of them were quattro.So not all of 2.8's are quattro.
+Evan Finch I've had the Audi and daily a W8, which is EVEN heavier in the front.... it's VERY easy to tell the grip limit. Besides, in all B5's, the tires squeal for a year before you lose grip, so if you miss that warning, it's on you. Matt is always super biased, and it's obvious he doesn't like the B5 so of course he's going to bitch.
@@unluckynumbersleven He's totally full of shit. I used to throw mine sideways entering onramps so I could replace the rear wheel bearings and never crashed into a stationary object. The claim that all these people he knew bought B5S4s is preposterous anyway--it was 30k production, high price tag, black dot for motor in Consumer Reports.
I've had a 2000 6MT sedan since 2004 with 9K miles. Now 210K miles. I agree the maintenance and repairs can eat you alive. I have no idea how much I've poured into keeping this thing going and it certainly has some pending issues now. That said, I do not recall ever being stranded and needing a tow with this car. It's more the ongoing crap that leaks or breaks over time. I have only replaced the clutch once and the turbos are still original. I agree about the build quality, separate from long-term reliability of various parts, the car itself - body panels, paint, interior, seats - is extremely well engineered and built and mine looks extremely clean for its age/mileage. Also the bottom end of this engine is known to be bulletproof, again it's the ancillary parts that kill you. For sure Matt's canyon carver comments also are kind of true but also irrelevant as others noted. It was never intended to be a sports car or track car. It's an all-weather sleeper that gets you places quickly with reasonable comfort and minimal drama. Case in point on that, I drive pretty swiftly - zero speeding tickets ever in this car. As my daily driver for many years, it's been a really good car and I'll miss it when it's eventually gone.
You have to drive it like a FWD car which is slow in fast out, softer front springs, stiffer rear springs, and stiffer rear sway bar to negate understeer. I use my b5 s4 sedan as a canyon car and it RAILS corners.
It's all so true. I bought the B5 S4 first and tuned. Then promptly after it breaking constantly, all little stuff really tho. I switched it up to the B6 S4 / 4.2l V8 and I am on my 4th which is currently a giant paperweight in my driveway even(needs chain service). Three V8 S4's and an S8 later(over 9yrs)... I have crashed 3 times due to my amateur ability with understeer. But seriously at the end of the day, it's so worth all my driving experiences these cars have given me. Friends have owned M3's and seriously modded this or that but nothing IMO compares until you get to Porsches. These are borderline supercars available to the average joe with REAL AWD, not grip when slip BS. And I am totally not rich, I have sacrificed a lot in my life to barely afford owning these cars and it is true they are also a good deal of grief to 'deal' with... But I won't stop buying Audi's until I can barely afford a Porsche. Straight Up.
I have a JHM shifter and it's great. Also, mine has been reliable, and I rarely have problems. I have K04's, a GIAC tune, and it puts out about 480 crank horsepower. GIAC says 520 but I think thats optimistic. I love the S4 for everything that it is, just don't expect it to be something its not.
Авто/Мото
Those rich kids weren't crashing their shiny new cars because of the Audi's handling, they were crashing because they were driving a 260hp car when they barely knew how to drive.
Wait, 260hp? For that much? No, here's what you do: Buy a B5 A4 2.8 Quattro and install a PES G2 supercharger, then boom, 300hp.
Then boom, the engine and/or gearbox blows up, because VR6 engines with forced induction are never reliable.
AnotherRandomCommenter you're kidding right? a 400 dollar refresh on these cars would destroy the supercharged v6 a4 lol waste of time. b5 s4 or nothing the other b5s are heaps
I forgot to mention that I paid $500 for my 2.8 A4. 240k miles and no heat would do that.
Edit: And no, I'm not kidding. And if I spent the full value of an S4, the A4 would be in he neighborhood of mid 500 horsepower.
Because in the end, it's always built>bought.
This is not the first time that I have been given the impression that Matt holds an unusually strong bias against the B5.
Same as any rotary
"...still not perfect canyon car..." because it was design and build as perfect autobahn car...
+hpod3sx True. I can honestly say I've gotten out of some seriously sticky situations in mine thanks to the handling.
also helps if you know how to drive them and prep the vehicle for the upcoming situation.
a4 shifter aint that bad a b5 with a v8 4.2 tfsi would be alot better. b5 alot lighter than the later models. Audi is a good car all around with the multi bar suspension instead of a wishbone strong and heavy as fuck. the estate just aint got suspension setup right or done as much work as the sedan. You can get an a4 0-60 in 2.7 seconds
@Yuriy Kovalov
indeed
slow down before the corner
and floor it mid corner keeping the steering wheel pointed where you wanna go
never back down from the throttle
@Jorden audi quattro system is the best
lot's of brands try to make it as good as quattro but they fail miserable
he really sounds like he hates S4 B5
i daily a k04 avant and my butt dyno says its like 450. I love it and it consistently moistens my wifes pussy
@@14th4ddiction spoken like a true gentleman! I salute you sir.
My wife was born with the same syndrome,lol
@@14th4ddiction 🏆
What do you mean unreliable? My personal heavily modded (similar to the yellow car) B5 S4 is very reliable. It never lets me down.... sorry, gotta get back to my engine rebuild now.
+ElementL116 haha
+ElementL116 Your one of the lucky ones lol.
+ElementL116 after that don't forget to repair your suspension...
you too, eh?
+ElementL116 And thats you. Also you said it yourself. "Heavily modded."
I had an old RS4 B5 as well as a M3 E46 and did a lot of "Canyon Driving" with both of them here in Switzerland. If you think that a S4 is not the way to go because it handles not well: As an average driver I couldn't feel that much of a difference between the two cars although the M3 has a better weight distribution, is rear driven etc. To be honest, I felt a bit safer in the RS4. When pushed, it started to skid over all four wheels. The M3 had the tendency to loose its tail which scared me, especially on a public road. So if you want a lot of car with tuning potential and you like the timeless styling of the S4: Go for it ! Put on a simple chip-tune, install sport cats and an improved brake kit. That's it. It won't let you disappointed as this video might suggest.
I agree with you Peter! my B5 had the most insane grip ever !!! and the gear box was just AMAZING but build for true manual nations!
You either understand these cars or you don’t. They have a lot of shortcomings but they are outstanding cars for road use, the M3 has the edge on a track or when pushed hard in terms of handling. But for day to day use the B5 is much more suitable in my opinion. I have spent a lot of time behind the wheel of many E46 M3s, they are amazing cars but they are pretty edgy, I own multiple b5 s4s because they have so much character and still to this very day put a huge grin on my face. I have driven almost all the current popular super cars and exotics as well-my occupation affords me this amazing opportunity, but I still get in my either of my S4s and they make me grin from ear to ear every time.
Scott Fugere I feel the same way. I’ve had a lot of sports cars including a Z4M. Still, my current B5 is one of my favorite cars to drive. When I wake up in the morning, it’s still a toss up between my 370z and it to drive. I don’t think this guy knows how to drive awd cars.
God this is my kind of tuned car. So tasteful, and so well modified.
In Germany we have cars like that with over 1000hp. And do not Forget that the rs4 b5 stock was faster on the track than the m3 e46!!!!!
What track, drag strip or a racetrack?
@@fastboatster I’d say pretty much anywhere. Besides a track where you want to be sideways.
@@DaleEarndhardt very nice, I knew I had a soft spot for b5 S4s for a reason, no b5 rs4s here unfortunately
@@fastboatster same for us in Canada, we can only import them from Europe. I just got a 2000 b5 s4, and it’s a dream car man. Absolute perfection. If you ever get the opportunity, I recommend at least exploring the world of b5 Audis. And prior gens.
When you own a Volkswagen product, you get use to the springy shifter and you stop pressing down on the shifter.
+Sam Buffington but why, in the world, would you press down on the shifter, while shifting? this is the first time i hear this is an issue for someone. i own a B4 Audi, my dad has a B5, i have no problem with both, or any other car i've ever driven.
Mitko Philips there's a lot if ways it can happen, and you don't notice your doing it in a Japanese car so it becomes habit. For me it was just while shifting fast until I drove it for a few days and got use to it.
+Mitko Philips same here. Why would you press down a shifter?!
+Sam Buffington i get that, it depends on the driver. but still, when i'm shifting casually i use literally 1 finger to change gears. that's how light and precise the shifters on audi are.
+Mitko Philips I have an 04 r32. I've never really had a problem with the shifter? It's no gated Ferrari, but I have no problem.
i have an b5 s4... half the stuff he said was bull... come sit in my s4. stuck like glue
You're not named Justin?
Watched Justin's timing belt video. Did my maintenance on my own with not much experience. Saved over $1000. Cheers to this man and his hard work and sharing his experiences.
Who else tried to wipe the camera smudge off their screen?
i actually did...
I did. it worked xD
Guilty! I eat in front of my monitors too often obviously.
I tried to blow it off 😂
Oh no. It's springy. Well apparently you don't know how to shift
DGundelach I couldn't believe that, he must have some serious meat beaters because when I shift I'm not trying to jack off my car
Seriously, it takes some effort to push that shifter down. It's not gonna happen if you rest your hand on it or while shifting unless you actually TRY to do it.
I have it in a Polo and found it the best shifter ever. Very easy.
Many S4 B5 videos reference the unreliability of these cars. Having owned an 1999 S4 Avant for the past 16 years and 276k miles my experience is the polar opposite. Total reliability. Possibly as mine is stock and as such the engine is never stressed. Build quality is fantastic and mine is still running the original exhaust.
These are actually very reliable IMO. I just drove my 2002 Stage 3 to Mexico and back all the way from Detroit.
Moving Coke? What did you pay for gas!?
@@cocomaster3755 Just to go explore and camping around around Mexcio. I forgot what I paid for gas but it was getting around 22mpg on the freeway.
@@ChronoGNon stage 3???? Jesus that’s good
yo is this fool really complaining about the shift knob? i daily a b5 and have NEVER had that problem lol
LOL me 2.Im like wtf is he talking about.He must be trying to brute the shifter.He probably screws women that way too no finesse just pounsd,pound,pound.
THEWIDOWSON 😂😂😂
Same
Same
background music is too loud
+DieselDan09 what? can't hear you
+DieselDan09 what did you say?
+DieselDan09 you need to speak up sonny, we cant hear you
these were always my favorite looking audis
I still love the b5, I had 2 of them, the later being stage 3+. The only extra work I had to do to it was 2 cv joints and a wheel bearing. It was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned, plus it saved my life when a drunk driver hit me. I love them, that is why I have a stage 2 B8 now and plan on getting a B9
First time I ever really laid my eyes on one of these up close, was I was a flatbed tow truck driver in 2001. I was 19. And a guy broke down with a brand new b5 s4 sedan in nogaro blue. I remember liking the car but what made it stick in my mind the most was the color. Such a beautiful color blue. My 3 favorite Audi colors of all time. Black magic pearl, nagaro blue, and nardo gray.
I have owned two b5 s4's I bought one at 130000 miles then added rs4 turbo's exhausts ect ect I did over 20000 hard miles with out skipping a beat !Don't blame the cars for bad builds !They are a very strong engine and drive train and an awesome car overall
Are k04s reliable?
The B5 S4 is like your highschool girlfriend. You are 100%, so desperately and madly in love with her, the sex is constant and mindblowing, She is your best friend and you couldnt imagine ever loving anyone else. BUT, you have frequent screaming matches that are LOUD and UGLY. You can make each other miserable at a moments notice, and you're going to break each others hearts, and then fall back madly in love with each other, fleetingly and constantly. Eventually, you will leave each other, which you both thought NEVER could happen, but all of your friends knew it from the word go. It wont be civil, you will leave each other broken and hurt.
But time will pass, you will both come to realize, it wasnt entirely their fault. And you will go on with your life, fondly remembering your first true love, and you will compare everyone you date for the rest of your life, to your first love.
#B5S4
I have a 2000 b5 a4 avant with 200k on the clock, ripped out the stock 2.8 and put the full s4 drivetrain in it (in a freaking tent in my driveway in January), stage 2+ Beadle tune at 21 psi and I still trust it more than my mom's brand new Subaru lol
Edit: the motor has 295k on it and it came out of a tial car that made 750 to the ground, the trans came out a wrecked c5 a6 that was abandoned for 5 years and I got for 400 dollars
My buddy and I drove the fuck out of his B5 S4, He jumped it one day and surprisingly didn't break anything, I will always love Audi's.
everyone who owns a b5 is named Justin.
My name isn't Justin...
+Andy Adyy it is now
+Alex Layton damn.....I always wanted to be a john
+invinciblejets bieber?
+invinciblejets nono dude most S owners are call justin. get the fact right! hahahahaha
Owning a B5 S4 for about 3 years now, I love it. I would have to disagree with some of these points brought up in the video. Yes the B5 chassis can be unreliable, but preventative maintenance can keep these on the road with 200,000+ miles. Grip can be improved through better/wider wheels plus better tires. The wheels on these examples looked to be a narrower 18x8 or 8.5. Upgrading wider wheels and putting on stickier tires makes a worlds worth of difference. I run pilot sports on my S4 and have never had a problem. As far as shifters goes, it seems to that they must have had issues if the shifter was bouncing as mine never bounces when driving. As far as the power of the vehicles, this seemed unrealistic. RS4 k04s plus e85 intake and exhaust and a tune should make more than 400whp where as a rs6 k04 hybrid turbo with e85, bored engine, and water meth don't sound like enough to support 730 crank horsepower. The biggest issue with the B5 chassis is knowing what you're buying.
I bought one of these for my first car, in high school, drove it like a crazed rally maniac most of the time. Never crashed it! Still have it, it will see the road again some day hopefully :)
Love your mad honesty. You reveal so much that other reviewers fail to.
glad to see that neither of these has a shocker sticker or blacked out tail lights.
owned 3, definitely top 5 favorite car of all time
I
Music is unnecessarily loud
+Imad S Do you mean through the entire video or the intro?
Jagh Haringenamn Well it got better by the time the yellow S4 was showcased
I gotta ask, are you watching it on a phone or a cheap laptop?
It does sound a bit too loud on my computer speakers, but it's not too bad.
Jagh Haringenamn Haha no, on 2.1 speakers. Usually I'm not so particular about these things but noticed it this time.
Matt delivers a brutally honest review. Ouch!!!
+arumrunner He does try to find the goodness in each car and talk about it though.
+arumrunner and that is the best thing about it
***** Interior falls apart, catalytic converter goes bad, fuse box caught fire, air/oil separator prematurely failed, vacuum lines turn to gum and either tear, close up or fall off and I'm sure I'm missing some other experiences, but Audis are great for business.
***** I'd actually like to know also, but it's not propaganda, it's just what happens. Usually the person who gets but hurt about someone talking about brand A has a reputation for being unreliable has the good car or actually takes extremely good care of it.
Just for the past 10 years Audis that show up in the shop that is around 5~10 years old seem to be falling apart.
Speaking of German cars from most to least reliable it's been MB, BMW and then Audi. That's just my experience, maybe Audis don't like the California sun/heat.
***** Which is great, most of the time reliability issues come from lack of maintenance, in some cars it's not as a big of a deal, but for some not taking care of one component can lead to a host of other problems.
It's a similar talk about older Fiats and Alfa Romeos, people say "mine never had problems" and that's great, lots of others have. And usually it's not like oh you bought an Audi and you have now 100% chance of failure, it's just much higher than the average.
Yea I agree about mitsubishi. They are a pretty good company, I just think it doesn't have mass market appeal for the range of their cars.
I like these cars, I wish you wouldn't have to pull the engine to change the turbos though.
ive seen it done. you gotta un-mount the motor and move it to the side. but if the bolts on the dump pipe are seized good luck.
Pulling the motor’s like a 2-hour ordeal if you have tools and are mechanically-inclined
I knew there would be a "I've seen it done" reply. Yeah, and it's stupid. The dealers had a table specifically for changing 2.7 turbos in situ, but it's a completely preposterous route if you're a regular schmuck. You should be changing a whole bunch of other stuff if you're at a mileage where you've blown your street-driven K03s anyway.
Udi is a very nice car! The landscape is beautiful! Thank you for this job
When I was 3-4 years old in 2001, my dad bought and brought home a Pearl white 2000 Audi S4 B5. From then on I loved that car so much and developed a special connection with Audi and spent alot of time with it. I always thought one day my dad will give me that car. But in September 2008 my dad sold the car for a 2006 Acura MDX (it's a good car though) because there were too many of us in the family. I was sad to see it go.
"No matter how much suspension you throw at them, they don't handle very well"..... Yeah...... Tell that to the cars chasing the S4s tail lights in the 2001 and 2002 world challenge racing circuit. Seems to me it handled just fine. LOL..... Raced in the Motorola cup, Grand Am cup and the Rolex GT. One even was in 2nd place again true GT race cars...... So, bad handling huh? I think a lot of people would beg to differ.
I was thinking the same ! I did a bit of research and watched some SCCA races on youtube. Those Champion Racing S4s with Michael Galati / Derek Bell behind the wheel ran really great. And as far as I know, the basic layout of these S4s was the same as the road going versions. They weren't allowed the put the engine lower, farther behind or anything. And the opposition wasn't weak in any way: The mighty Corvette, the perfectly balanced NSX and 996 GT3 Cup cars. So in the end, it's pretty fair to say that this Autobahn-cruiser S4 has more than just a bit of potential to match with some of the best cars of its era.
+Peter Ziffle That racing series on speed was my absolute favorite! The BMW's, Acura RSX and NSX with the S4 amongst others was stellar. Stripped down stock cars racing...... How can it get any better. I remember watching the S4 just dominate and no matter how much restrictor and weight they threw on the S4, they always found a way to stay competitive.
I owned a 99 A4 1.8t quattro and it was one of the best cars I have ever owned as far as enjoyment in driving. I could see the extra weight of the 2.7 being a little noticeable, but the aftermarket support the B5 chassis had, you have tons of options to dial it in. I feel like the bias in this video is a little too blatant.
I would rather drive this anyday over his slow V8 mustang notchback he has hahaha
AHHAHAHAH!
I think i've watched this video atleast 5 times now, i always come back to it.
Best looking car of the early 2000s! Proud 1.8T owner.
Thx for the love Matt !
About right.... but still... B5 ftw !
Turn down the f@*&^ing music so that you can hear what he's saying at least
+dylan snow Yeeup. The music in this video didn't add anything. If anything, it kept distracting me from what was actually being said.
I own a tuned B5 S4 and as the handling goes, I agree that originally it is not confidence inspiring. I upgraded to the adjustable control arms and dialed in more caster and that solved a lot of it for me. That said however, you still have to spend some time with the car to learn it. I had to end up trusting the car to pull me through the corners because I knew it well enough. With just a day of filming, Justin probably didn't have enough time to learn the characteristics off the cars and that would had lead to his conclusion about the handling.
great review. I love the honesty
B5 S4 & RS4 eautiful classic sports cars
Is it just me or does the yellow one still not look very fast on video?
+Steven B
Videos rarely capture speed properly. The only way you can tell they're going fast is if they blow by some slower car at very high speeds.
if you want to get an idea of the power, watch matt's face when he gives the yellow car the beans.
Well it’s not his car I doubt he really stepped on it, especially in a car with 300000 miles on it
I drive a 04 c5 2.7t and absolutely love it, currently in high school and haven't crashed it yet. I can confidently say it's a reliable car if you keep it maintained, 14,000 miles on it so far and I've only had to change the alternator and a light bulb 👍
I have a B5S4 that I have owned since new. At 167,000 miles I installed, bigger brakes K04s, bigger injectors, bigger exhaust, stronger clutch, and it's still going strong, it never failed me. Change the oil religiously, keep up on maintenance, and know how to drive and you have a solid car. This guys friends who all crashed their new S4's were obviously challenged in the driving skills dept. I would go on to theorize that his friends must have been drinking lead-tainted water from the same tap for years, before all going down to Audi dealership together to buy their new $40k 250hp fire breathing monsters, to have had such a collective abysmal experience. You just cant unsmell bullshit. Now I'll be smelling it in all his videos. P.S. I don't believe the S4 was designed for canyon carving the autobahn.
good use of music, I really like it. I wish the music was turned down a little more when Matt was talking, hwoever.
+pleb the music is so annoying! I was checking other tabs on my browser to see if the music is coming from there, because I didn't think they would make an annoying video like this..!
why all the hate
you are not used to quattro driving
and the fact that they are lowered so much isn't a very good thing
with every bump the car starts to jump around
loved my 2001 S4 Avant with 400hp, but it just kept breaking down. still my favorite car to date.
The B5 Avant (station wagon) was such a beautyful looking car. Well proportioned, well made, not too big but practical. Over here in Germany we've had such a reasonable 1,9 TDI, the socalled AFN , which had 110hp, but was good for additionally 30 ecu tweaking hp and it was economic and sturdy. Reachable 5,5 liters/100km is an announcement even today and with 285Nm at 2000rpm and 140hp at 4250 rpm it never felt weak. To be honest, it felt like a much bigger 6-cyl. It ate its 1,6 petrol opponent for breakfast soo bad, for half the consumption. Back at the time and over here in Europe engines weren't so big and the resulting 205 kph hadn't been bad either, for about 8,5 liter canola oil on such a full throttle journey/Autobahn hunt. Such a cruiser with lots of early torque.
To be honest, these Audis B5 and following have never been good plattforms for performance saloons, like the BMW 3-series, which have always been fantastic sports cars. But these Audis have been way too heavy on the front axle. The sensation of driving, the steering and the delivery of feedback was always dignified and cozy, but simply not the last word for racers. From generation to generation the iconic quattro badge became more and more a marketing and safety icon, but had lost all of its 2.3 inline-5, 20V edgi- and aggressiveness. Forget all that bulky and heavy V6 and V8 engines afterwards, the cars just became heavier and heavier on the front axle and their understeering issue didn't get better. A weaker and lighter but corner-hungry car is at least in Europe more fun to drive, than those overpowered RS Autobahn monsters. But that is an arms racing issue the Mercs and Bimmers also suffer from.
I own a b5 s4. I would like to say it's a great car but i worry everyday that something new will break. I'm audi expert now from the 10,000hrs I've spent under my car.
That's how my mk4 was lol
I was going to buy an S4 but hearing these types of things made me end up not getting one lol
+xXUnforgivingKarmaXx What breaks in your car?
I've had mine for 12,000 km and the only problem was egt module which costed $40
I guess the problem is not that the car is not reliable, but the owners suck at maintenance.
Greets from Europe, where we can maintain s4 b5s and they have a very good reputation here.
DziadekMroz6666 12xxx km isn't that much..just give it time lol
+DziadekMroz6666 I replaced the cam tensioner and all gaskets on both heads, the axel on passenger side, the timing belt and water pump, fixed the secondary air pump, both rear window motors, went ahead and upgraded all roters and brakes,and have a laundry list of just upkeep tasks to keep me busy for the foreseeable future. car was taken care of before I bought it but time conquers all.
How heavy is your hand?
Normal built people have no problem with the shifting gears in a Audi S4.
And the worst gear box is this from a PT Cruiser!
Gosh I hate the Pt cruiser. One of the worst vehicles ever made.
I have a 2013 wrx as well as a 01 s4 and I can say without a doubt, the wrx has a horrible shift. The b5 is like butter to me after driving the clunking 5 speed.
Tuned is the best out of all the other features on this page... I'd love to see more tuned episodes
I have a 400+ whp b5 s4 avant with custom rate coilovers, beefy rear sway bar and decent tires and I have to say the handling is really damn good. I have a lot of confidence through the corners and really can't say anything negative about the way it drives. Yes the 2.7tt is garbage for reliability but makes fun power for what it is. vr6 turbo or 07k swap in my avant will make it the ultimate sleeper
Had one....looked amazing...built it like the red one......and it broke over and over again. It's basically a fucking time bomb that you knew could blow at any given time.......but damn I loved that torque!!!!!!!!!!
+Jonathan Arnold haha, I have one, a diesel, and it never broke, it's an iron car. But you need a 4-cyl, not V6.
+independentwith1 I hear yah man. The other main concern for the 2.7 V6 was that the turbos were located literally against the firewall. Horrible location! Did I mention that the exhaust sounded soooooo friggin good!!! I guess I miss that sound. I had people rolling sown windows at red lights telling me the exhaust sounded amazing.
+independentwith1 the 1.9TDI is freaking unbreakable.
I wish there was a more efficient way to capture the feeling of pull in a video. I know this car probably pulls like a freight train but you simply can't capture that power for the viewer. It's nobody's fault and it's obviously a tough thing to do but I really wish there was a way to really show the viewer just how much pull the car has. Cool car though. I love those B5 S4's.
Camera car should get behind and match the speed of the target car. Leave zoom off, hold the camera steady, and watch the target car accelerate.
Theres an E60 M5 yt vid of an Asian chick driving and reviewing it and they capture the pull quite well.
every one always doubts the hp claims by the owner.
+f2b.....f20bEG Of the imola? Who is everyone? Do some research, the car is very well documented and gets only the best treatment. Not to mention it's got over 300k mi on it
Andy Adyy on these one takes,like I said everyone always doubts the HP claims by the owners because the camera equipment doesn't do the cars justice.
+f2b.....f20bEG Oh, ok, my apologies. I thought you were talking about these cars specifically. As a fellow b5 s4 owner, I'm active on the audi boards and both of these cars actually are well documented. The imola gets the best care of most all b5 s4
Great feature, Matt.
Personal fav video. I love the B5 S4!!!!
What is wrong with the shifter? It shifts absolutely perfect and it surely won't happen that you put in reverse by accident.
McSandkasten that's what I say.. my A4 B5 has it too. my car has 200,000 miles and the biggest repair it's ever seen it an axle back in 2007. really good cars.
For the next video: LOUDER STUPID BACKGROUND MUSIC!!! I still can hear Matt talking...*ironyoff*
Makes me miss my B5 S4. Love how the car looks, drives, sounds, everything. But the price to HP gain is absurd with them lol.
Oh how gracefully the b5 has aged.
I guarantee both those cars handled like a dream on coil overs this guy don't know what he's talking about.
Can you even drive bro!? I lost interest in your review when you over revved when changing gear. ..that is what kids do when they first learn to drive a stick.
You don't drive a 4wd like a RWD car, if you do you will think it is understeering. get some decent tyres and get on the gas!! let the Quattro system take care of the corner.
If all the weight is at the front and the drive is also 50:50 or up to 75:25 front to rear you either have bad tyres or are not driving properly!
If a heavily modded car understeers that is the tuners fault..likewise for breaking down!
Shifter upgrades are cheap and the first thing changed..and why are you pushing down when shifting!?
Also 750 isn't that special...especially with KWV1's...did they run out of money!?
Come to Europe and see what Audi tuning really is.
that's for sure the European Tuned S4's are way faster than anything ive seen in the here in the US.
I agree with you however as someone who drives this car everyday, the understeer is pretty bad, but it doesn’t matter in any normal circumstance, only if you took it to a track
@@bearieroblox6451 do you brake mid corner or do you throttle through?
I have a 1.8t 180hp with fwd and it's steering is precise and it doesn't really understeer, maybe because the engine is lighter than the v6, you just have to figure out the way for it to stick
@@38bmxboy you can break late in the corner what you should normally not do in any sort of car but you can. FWD and the AWD is not comparble you need to stay on the gas, at least a bit otherwise the torsen locks up and woops your ass in snow or understeers a tiny bit on dry roads and tortures the tires. we call it, auf zug fahren, means stay bit on the gas to not lock up the diffs.
I love that car. I wish I could get one, but here in Austria they cost around 13000€ if you want one that has not many KM on it, or one that was not completly killed by wrong tuning.
looks awesome. wanted one in college, but didn't have the money.
The shifter on this car was built for the average joe. Someone that drives like a mad man needs to upgrad to the solid throw shifter from 034 Motorsports and will never have a problem with it being springy.
Funny enough, I had a B5 and crashed it into a stationary object...
you must be one of them mustang boys
i miss my s4. the sound was incredible.
"No real torque down low" - Matt. Only guys who have driven vipers and alpha gtr' can say that man
These cars look and sound amazing but the maintenance cost are insane!! The only way to own this car is to work on it yourself. If you can't you better have huge bucks!
Also, this is why you B5 A4 1.8T with a big GT28 or more, if you are going to canyon run a B5. Better balance.
+Burnflesh82 amen
+Burnflesh82 Yes, the smaller engines can probably make similar power and are much lighter.
You'd have to build a 1.8 to support the bigger turbo which in the end would cost more for smaller power numbers. 1.8 may weigh less but it's difficult to make more than 400hp with them. Most European tuners do a 2.2 or 2.5 5cylinder swap which changes the vehicle dynamics while also being easy to build to 700hp reliably.
Ryan Patrick
I kind of remember a forum saying that they could tune the 1.8T to about 600HP. Not sure if it was wheel or crank and I'm not sure if it was a built engine, but judging by the info you put, it probably was a built engine.
That is probably with about $30,000 of parts into the engine and drivetrain alone (I would know because I priced out the parts for building a 1.8). at that point you could build a B5 S4 with the same amount of power and more reliable. Integrated engineering and 034 motorsports have built some impressive 1.8s for that much power, but the stock bottom end is good to only 250-300 crank HP. Anything more requires forged rods. Anything over 450-500 crank HP usually requires a 2.0L crank and engine machine work. IMO VR6s are the easiest and cheapest to build while still putting out insane power. USP built a VR6 swapped drag S4 that beat a 1200hp turbo 911 on the streets..
Well i have A4 B5 with over 300 000 km and its really tuff car! With the V6 that knows no stress, i havent done any repairs since januar... Its one of the most relaible cars from that time. Especially with 2.4, 1.8t and 1.9 tdi.
Pro-tip, -don't push the knob down when you shift-
JK, just never had a problem with the vw/audi MT design. They pretty much all 'push down' to go into reverse.
I owned many cars in the past like mercedes, bmw, audi and audi is my choice. Simply the best, bmw is shit, breaking down all the time and it can't match the materials quality. Mercedes is great also, just too expensive.
Old cars fall apart after time and new ones have too much electronics and plastic on them which fails quite often. It's just how it is cars are made to break in order to keep the wallets of the corporations full when U buy parts.
Having owned a B5 S4 I still think about mine quite a bit, it had a couple of small issues, spent a lot of time, effort and late nights putting some of them right but in the end we parted ways. It was a stonking car but I stuck with my sti wagon instead and sold the s4.
I had the means of buying one but went with the b5 a4 1.8ts. It doesnt suffer with understeer and its highly modifiable and very reliable. It has a lighter nose and revvy engine. I'm glad I went with a well maintained a4 than the s4 for those 2 issues
music going while matt talks ruins what would have been a great video
+Driven Hard Agreed, I love /Drive and have always loved their use and choice of music but this video sticks out as quiet poor in that department. New editors maybe?
matt is so jealous of the audi owners lol!!!!!
exactly this, you can sense it in the video - hes just instantly looking to pull the cars to pieces!
Matt, One thing has really bothered me over the past 5 years or so since big horsepower has become the norm, the traditional 15-20% drivetrain loss just isn't true anymore. It used to be an easy go to when cars had 200 hp because it was/is probably the case, 30-40 hp loss to drive the axles/driveshaft, wheels etc. But to say that it takes 130hp to drive the yellow s4s drivetrain but it only takes 38 hp to drive a stock B5 s4s drivetrain just doesn't make any sense(check out stock b5 s4 dyne videos). When you start modding a car it doesn't take more power to move the same bits as it did when it was stock, especially when the yellow s4 has the stock gearbox and probably lighter wheels. Anyway, great videos, I look forward to watching them.
We have two beautifully modified B5 S4s in my town that I see driving around.
music was way to loud
Is the boost gauge pod held on by electrical tape? 2:50
+Sigma Projects Gaffer's tape... I think its for Matt's mic.
+CJ DASHCAM I would hope so. I could be wrong, but I thought gaffer's tape is like athletic tape being made of fabric, in the video looks like vinyl the way it shines. Also, I could be wrong, but isn't Matt's mic pinned to his shirt?
Also pod looks like it's falling off.
Sigma Projects You can see the mic at the top of the a-pillar in some of the interior driving shots. Not saying that IS what its there for... could be a shoddy boost gauge pod.
CJ DASHCAM I wasn't sure if that's their mic or a setup for hands free talking since it looks like the generic mic. I'm not expert so it could be, but then why tape it so low at the boost gauge and have the mic all the way up at the roof?
Sigma Projects The wire might run down the a-pillar and out at the gauge pod to wherever... maybe Matt will chime in? Inquiring minds want to know, Farah!
u absolutley right matt - great job
Matt said there's nothing that can fix the "springy" shifter. Apparently he's never driven a B5 S4 with the JHM Short Shifter. Really helps the feel and the push down reverse spring can be tuned with stiffer springs to your liking.
So you're resting your hand on the knob... 600whp isn't "all out" btw. KW V1's are entry level coilovers. With simple chassis modifications you can get it to turn in just fine. The fact you mention you have to work to take a corner means you probably are more of a "I'm used to the car doing the work for me" "driver". I find it extremely over exaggerating when you state "every single one of your friends crashed their S4's". I daily my 2.7t stage 3 swapped B6 S4. End of story.
I really do enjoy the B5, but let's be honest here. I'd much rather have the B6 with the 4.2L V8 that's basically straight out of an R8. Great video
+Roads Untraveled The b6 4.2 and r8 4.2 are not basically the same unless basically the same means same displacement and both made by Audi. There is a good bit of variation in the audi engine families. The b6 s4 and rs4 motors are actually very different from each other. the closest motor to the r8 v8 is the rs4 v8 in the b7.IIRC
Best channel for tuned cars... follow guys ^^^^^
+Roads Untraveled Keep up the good work.
+Osman Hallak Hey thanks! :D
+Roads Untraveled love your channel. You guys made me want a cheap Volvo.
Thank you for paying attention to the culture of Audi, their past.
Matt, don't get me wrong I love your videos and I watch the smoking Tire all the time. I love Drive Channel but I've been an Audi guy since my first car. (1988 Audi 90. paid $700 for it btw) but the way you described handling in this car kills me... it was built on a rally car platform, ask Hurley Haywood and he will tell you how amazing it handles. you need to know how to drive these cars. come in hot snap off throttle kick the ass out then power it back straight. it's a mechanical system from the early 80's and very hard to master but very rewarding once done.
i have an A4 B5 1.8T QUATTRO avant which makes around 200 hp and in my country everyone calls it ''a poor man's S4'', because is the sportiest model before the S4
+Viktor Kolev i still prefer 2.8 v6
+Leonard Nedosekov so true lol
nah bro, 2.8 is verry hulking, feels verry heavy and clumsy.I've raced 2.8 and i make them 3 car lenghts.1.8T is just alot more agile and zippy.Also fuel consumption and maintenance are alot cheaper on 1.8T.
who needs handling in city? 2.8 is more than enough for torque and i think all of them are quattro, fun at winter ant reliable if you maintain them (change belt lel) btw i am e36 driver with 2.5 engine and shitload of suspension mods("who needs handling")
no brah, i had two 2.8 back in the days - one from 1995 the old motor 174 hp and from 1999 facelift 193 hp, i'm telling you it's not that fast as it looks like ;) Also none of them were quattro.So not all of 2.8's are quattro.
I have no problems knowing where the grip limit is in mine.
+Evan Finch I've had the Audi and daily a W8, which is EVEN heavier in the front.... it's VERY easy to tell the grip limit. Besides, in all B5's, the tires squeal for a year before you lose grip, so if you miss that warning, it's on you. Matt is always super biased, and it's obvious he doesn't like the B5 so of course he's going to bitch.
@@unluckynumbersleven He's totally full of shit. I used to throw mine sideways entering onramps so I could replace the rear wheel bearings and never crashed into a stationary object. The claim that all these people he knew bought B5S4s is preposterous anyway--it was 30k production, high price tag, black dot for motor in Consumer Reports.
I've had a 2000 6MT sedan since 2004 with 9K miles. Now 210K miles. I agree the maintenance and repairs can eat you alive. I have no idea how much I've poured into keeping this thing going and it certainly has some pending issues now. That said, I do not recall ever being stranded and needing a tow with this car. It's more the ongoing crap that leaks or breaks over time. I have only replaced the clutch once and the turbos are still original.
I agree about the build quality, separate from long-term reliability of various parts, the car itself - body panels, paint, interior, seats - is extremely well engineered and built and mine looks extremely clean for its age/mileage. Also the bottom end of this engine is known to be bulletproof, again it's the ancillary parts that kill you.
For sure Matt's canyon carver comments also are kind of true but also irrelevant as others noted. It was never intended to be a sports car or track car. It's an all-weather sleeper that gets you places quickly with reasonable comfort and minimal drama. Case in point on that, I drive pretty swiftly - zero speeding tickets ever in this car.
As my daily driver for many years, it's been a really good car and I'll miss it when it's eventually gone.
You have to drive it like a FWD car which is slow in fast out, softer front springs, stiffer rear springs, and stiffer rear sway bar to negate understeer. I use my b5 s4 sedan as a canyon car and it RAILS corners.
They shud do a reveiw on my even more rare 1994 audi s4
+Jesus Medina Should*
I was just looking at a 1995 s6 in ny
Lol, "It doesn't handle well"
It's all so true. I bought the B5 S4 first and tuned. Then promptly after it breaking constantly, all little stuff really tho. I switched it up to the B6 S4 / 4.2l V8 and I am on my 4th which is currently a giant paperweight in my driveway even(needs chain service). Three V8 S4's and an S8 later(over 9yrs)... I have crashed 3 times due to my amateur ability with understeer. But seriously at the end of the day, it's so worth all my driving experiences these cars have given me. Friends have owned M3's and seriously modded this or that but nothing IMO compares until you get to Porsches. These are borderline supercars available to the average joe with REAL AWD, not grip when slip BS. And I am totally not rich, I have sacrificed a lot in my life to barely afford owning these cars and it is true they are also a good deal of grief to 'deal' with... But I won't stop buying Audi's until I can barely afford a Porsche. Straight Up.
I have a JHM shifter and it's great. Also, mine has been reliable, and I rarely have problems. I have K04's, a GIAC tune, and it puts out about 480 crank horsepower. GIAC says 520 but I think thats optimistic. I love the S4 for everything that it is, just don't expect it to be something its not.