andyu

Ok so help me out here. I test drove the S4, liked everything about it, except the clutch. Let's just get this discussion out of the way, i'm getting a manual. I currently drive an STI and the clutch on that is half the distance than the S4 and you can feel every inch of it, when it engages, etc. On the S4, it seems so soft and vague. Is this just something i need to get used to? Or is my Subaru the odd man out.

DrGP

Actually, the B6 and B7S had a clutch that took a little learning period to get the right feel . IMHO, there is no issue with clutch feel or engagement. If you do get an S4, you will find it much more refined than the Subie. Other thing is that there is very little sense of speed even when it is going like hell.

LeoR604

I think anytime you switch cars, it feels wrong until you have a few hours of seat time. When I moved to the S4 from my 3 series, Audi clutch felt weird for the first little while. Bimmer was parked for a couple days before I sold it and when I jumped back in to go and meet the buyer, I almost couldn't drive it.

Don't sweat it.

mkato13

I had the same problem when I went back and forth between my 335 Xdrive and 05 GTI as well as between 2005 GTI and 2010 A4.

andyu

Thanks guys, i wasn't sure why it felt so different, but it's hard to imagine driving hard/aggressive with such a soft clutch. I tried running through the gears quickly and i just couldn't get it quite right. Looks like i'll have to do a couple more test drives to get a better feel for it.

handruin

It has taken me a few hundred miles to get use to the clutch on my S4. I find the spring/weight of the pedal to be more than I'm familiar with in my last car (Acura TL-S). Now that my car has ~700 miles on it, I'm finding it easier to get through the gears and I'm adapting to the feeling of the clutch and gearbox. it may also be loosening up a bit as it breaks in, but I can't say for sure if that's really happening. I'm making the assumption that I'm just getting use to it more.

BaLLZDeePNYC

There is a curve of learning to this clutch. You will adapt. Get the Eurocode Short throw shift kit and you will be able to drive aggressively with much ease.

phanker

The vague feeling you're getting is mostly due to how light the clutch pedal is, plain and simple. The long pedal throw makes it even worse I've noticed compared to my old ride. It had a much shorter throw and heavier feel which makes the clutch just feel kinda more substantial.

But I don't mind the light clutch as I'm kinda used to it now and my old aching knees appreciate it a great deal too. I'm just looking to shorten the throw a bit by putting a stop block of some sort at the back. This should help a bit.

andyu

Yea the clutch travel probably the biggest hurdle for me, considering it fully engages within the first 5 inches, the last foot and a half of distance does nothing. Still trying to convince myself this is my next car. Either this or wait until the 2014 4dr M3 comes out (quite a ways away)

jlarke

I came to the S4 from a WRX (not the STI, though) and found the clutch pretty disturbing during my test drive. After a couple hours in the S4, I stopped noticing it. I do recommend a short shift kit, though. It's just better.