What Don't You Like About The S4?
07-24-2010, 12:36 AM
#11
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I just don't understand why the smaller of the two cup holders has those three springy things to hold a cup in place. It seems like it was designed to hold a standard 12oz. can in place, with about 2 or 3 millimeters to spare! 
I think that one would have been fine withOUT the springy things.
I think that one would have been fine withOUT the springy things.
07-24-2010, 04:19 AM
#13
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don't like:
* left side driver seat bolster
* electronic parking brake
* some rattles here & there
* exhaust note too remote from inside
likes:
* everything else, best car i ever owned
* left side driver seat bolster
* electronic parking brake
* some rattles here & there
* exhaust note too remote from inside
likes:
* everything else, best car i ever owned
07-24-2010, 05:51 AM
#14
Banned
1)I hate the silver plastic trim around the Instrument panel that looks cheap and out of place UNLESS you have the alum trim, which I don't. Fixed that by painting it black but would have preferred a CF trim piece.
2) I don't like the large mouth bass grille. Had the filler plate painted as well
3)Although the 18" And 19" wheels are not bad looking, I don't really love either style. Rs4 and S5 type,IMHO, look much better.
4) I think the exhaust sound is pathetic for a performance car.
Having said this, I also think that this is the best car I have ever had. All my issues are fixable . BTW, I like the electric e brake.
2) I don't like the large mouth bass grille. Had the filler plate painted as well
3)Although the 18" And 19" wheels are not bad looking, I don't really love either style. Rs4 and S5 type,IMHO, look much better.
4) I think the exhaust sound is pathetic for a performance car.
Having said this, I also think that this is the best car I have ever had. All my issues are fixable . BTW, I like the electric e brake.
07-24-2010, 06:10 AM
#15
I love the S4 and my complaints are only minor:
1. Second cupholder is too small and crowds the first cupholder.
2. The armrests on the doors in the US are rubber. I'd prefer stitched leather like the S4 in Europe.
3. The plastic dash surround could be better. Matched to your inlays (e.g. CF) would be awesome.
4. Nav should default to the map.
5. Premium+ should have come with memory seats.
1. Second cupholder is too small and crowds the first cupholder.
2. The armrests on the doors in the US are rubber. I'd prefer stitched leather like the S4 in Europe.
3. The plastic dash surround could be better. Matched to your inlays (e.g. CF) would be awesome.
4. Nav should default to the map.
5. Premium+ should have come with memory seats.
07-24-2010, 06:50 AM
#16
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Only use the console lever for gearchange, find the paddles pretty useless
I am finding that I only use the console lever, and never the paddles. Probably a few reasons:
-Paddles move with the wheel, and are thus hard to use in hard turns without doing awkward/unsafe things with my hands.
-Console is still the force-of-habit go-to location for 'gearchange' since this is the first non-manual car I've driven extensively.
-Console lever lets you transition from D/S to M modes explicitly, and then make a gear change, all in pretty much one motion, which I prefer to the temporary override from the paddles.
-Paddles move with the wheel, and are thus hard to use in hard turns without doing awkward/unsafe things with my hands.
-Console is still the force-of-habit go-to location for 'gearchange' since this is the first non-manual car I've driven extensively.
-Console lever lets you transition from D/S to M modes explicitly, and then make a gear change, all in pretty much one motion, which I prefer to the temporary override from the paddles.
Except for shifting the car from park into neutral/reverse and back again, why would you use the gear shift lever on the center console at all? With quick acceleration, the S-Tronic will shift before you can get your hand from the steering wheel to the console anyway. So keep your hands on the steering wheel and use those paddles! :-)
07-24-2010, 07:23 AM
#17
Most of my beefs are with MMI usability and funky things with the car's electronics...
Agree, first Nav screen should be the map screen.
In general, far too many steps required to perform basic MMI tasks. ~5 buttons/steps to redial a dropped call, really? (I know you can voice dial, but...)
That annoying "lights still on" alarm you get when you open the door with the car running, and it doesn't always happen (can't yet figure out why/why not).
With the Advanced Key in your pocket (Prestige), if you get out of the car with the car running to open the door for someone, and haven't remembered to press the door unlock button before getting out of the car, the other door(s) won't open. Guess there could be some safety/security reason for this, but since it wasn't an issue in my previous car, I've done this several times, each time having to go back to the driver's door to unlock. (Guess this is not a true gentleman's car? LOL.)
ADS/ADS lite defaulting to Auto.
iPod integration OK, but sometimes resets/defaults to the alphabetical listing of tracks, playing the first track (thank goodness it's a decent song).
Wish you could skip music tracks from the steering wheel with a single press of a button, rather than having to press mode, use the scroll wheel, etc. (small thing). Hunting for the tiny >> button on the center console, not fun.
Also not too thrilled with some of the interior rattles (which I had from day one), which belie the real solidity of this car's build.
No S4-branded all weather mats from Audi.
Only one driving complaint as others have mentioned: paddles moving with the wheel.
I'm sure I can and will think of/find other things, but I'm also looking much more closely at the S4 because in every other way, it's completely and totally raised my expectations of what a car should be.
Agree, first Nav screen should be the map screen.
In general, far too many steps required to perform basic MMI tasks. ~5 buttons/steps to redial a dropped call, really? (I know you can voice dial, but...)
That annoying "lights still on" alarm you get when you open the door with the car running, and it doesn't always happen (can't yet figure out why/why not).
With the Advanced Key in your pocket (Prestige), if you get out of the car with the car running to open the door for someone, and haven't remembered to press the door unlock button before getting out of the car, the other door(s) won't open. Guess there could be some safety/security reason for this, but since it wasn't an issue in my previous car, I've done this several times, each time having to go back to the driver's door to unlock. (Guess this is not a true gentleman's car? LOL.)
ADS/ADS lite defaulting to Auto.
iPod integration OK, but sometimes resets/defaults to the alphabetical listing of tracks, playing the first track (thank goodness it's a decent song).
Wish you could skip music tracks from the steering wheel with a single press of a button, rather than having to press mode, use the scroll wheel, etc. (small thing). Hunting for the tiny >> button on the center console, not fun.
Also not too thrilled with some of the interior rattles (which I had from day one), which belie the real solidity of this car's build.
No S4-branded all weather mats from Audi.
Only one driving complaint as others have mentioned: paddles moving with the wheel.
I'm sure I can and will think of/find other things, but I'm also looking much more closely at the S4 because in every other way, it's completely and totally raised my expectations of what a car should be.
Last edited by Smith837; 07-24-2010 at 12:42 PM.
07-24-2010, 08:35 AM
#18
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1. If I leave my radio to "Presets", it only remember the last station you were on, but it doesn't remember that you were in preset mode. My presets contain a combination of regular and Sirius stations and it's annoying that it puts you in the last known type and you have to cycle through your options again. (Hopefully fixable through a software update)
2. Similar to above, it defaults your driving preference to Automatic. Why can't it remember that I had it on individual. (I know you can fix this somehow through VAGCOM)
3. The door armrest is rubber and not like the eu pics where it is stiched leather. BMW 3 series' door trim looks much nicer and more luxurious. I'm going to find that euro part for the leather stiched arm rest and install it on my car.
4. Faux aluminum dash / instrument cluster trim that's made out of plastic. I like the contrast, but it would have been nicer if they used real brushed aluminum.
5. Don't like how the speedometer has the legal limits all at the bottom quarter. I just enable the digital speedometer to keep me from driving too fast.
6. Ability to automatically fold my side view mirrors.
7. Lack of adaptive headlights in U.S. models.
Despite all this, it is still the best car I have every owned and I came from 2 fully loaded e92 335's.
2. Similar to above, it defaults your driving preference to Automatic. Why can't it remember that I had it on individual. (I know you can fix this somehow through VAGCOM)
3. The door armrest is rubber and not like the eu pics where it is stiched leather. BMW 3 series' door trim looks much nicer and more luxurious. I'm going to find that euro part for the leather stiched arm rest and install it on my car.
4. Faux aluminum dash / instrument cluster trim that's made out of plastic. I like the contrast, but it would have been nicer if they used real brushed aluminum.
5. Don't like how the speedometer has the legal limits all at the bottom quarter. I just enable the digital speedometer to keep me from driving too fast.
6. Ability to automatically fold my side view mirrors.
7. Lack of adaptive headlights in U.S. models.
Despite all this, it is still the best car I have every owned and I came from 2 fully loaded e92 335's.
07-24-2010, 11:57 AM
#19
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Love the car - only thing I would complain about is that the software for the DSG, at least in "automatic" setting, tends to try to keep the car revving at between 1 and 2k RPMs, probably to save gas. As a result, it shifts WAY too soon. I'm almost always using paddles instead.
