2004 Audi S4 Avant

I always thought of the B6 as the compact executive sedan for people a little too quirky to buy a 3-series or a C-class (a bit like a Saab). The handsome, turn-of-the-millennium design has aged well and continues to exude a note of well-heeled class even today. While humdrum four and six cylinder examples can be picked up very cheaply for everyday commuting duties, it’s the high-performance S4 version that really gets the pulse racing. Wearing some sporting exterior upgrades – door blades, redesigned bumpers, chromed wing mirror covers and, usually, 18″ Avus wheels – it remains a rather understated car in outward appearance. But squeezed under the hood is a thumping 4.2 liter V8, good for nearly 340 hp and 155 MPH on the Autobahn. Rev it hard and this thing pulls like a freight train. While the drawback of the B6 was always its questionable reliability and build quality, that motor, combined here with a six speed manual gearbox in a wagon bodystyle, might just be enough to make up for it.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2004 Audi S4 Avant on eBay

Year:
Model: S4 Avant
Engine: 4.2 liter V8
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 119,400 mi
Price: $13,999 Buy It Now

For sale is this beautiful and rare 2004 Audi S4 Avant Quattro with a 6 speed manual transmission. This car has been enthusiast owned and responsibly driven from day one, the overall cosmetic and mechanical condition of the car is a reflection of its ownership history. This S4 is loaded with every factory option including navigation. Clean Carfax, both sets of keys, and the maintenance records will be included with the sale. Car currently has 119,xxx miles on it which will continue to increase as I drive it daily.

Exterior condition:

The overall exterior of this car is a 9.5 out of 10. The car has never been in any sort of accident and has never had any paint or body work done. The clean carfax backs that up. The front bumper does show very minor rock chips from highway driving. The front lower grill insert has a small crack. There is a small scratch above the handle on the passenger side rear door. There is a small dent (dime sized) on the rear bumper cover. The paint shines beautifully! Tires are brand new and have maybe 1000 miles on them.

Interior condition:

The interior of this car is immaculate. All the electronics work perfectly as they should including the navigation system. The biggest flaw on the interior of the car is the driver’s side suede seat bottom. The suede is wearing through which is common on these cars. An upholstery shop could easily replace this section of suede if it ever gets bad enough to need it. The leather side bolster has almost zero wear. The driver’s door pull has some scratches on it and the driver’s side visor clip is broken. Everything else is in beautiful condition. Stereo, navigation, seat heaters, AC, windows, door locks, sunroof, all work perfectly as they should.

Mechanical:

The car runs and drives beautifully and is a pleasure to drive every day. I am in the process of buying a new house and unfortunately cant keep this car and my S5. This car has been dealership maintained for nearly its entire life, these service visits have been extensively documented in the cars owner’s manual. In addition to the dealership service intervals, the car has had two other very large services taken care of. Anyone familiar with these S4s knows they have a common issue with the timing chain tensioners/guides needing to be replaced which is an extremely expensive and time consuming repair. This car has had that service performed a few years back. The motor and transmission were pulled from the car, the timing chains were serviced, and the rest of the drivetrain went through a thorough inspection. While this work was being performed the valve covers, intake manifold, and oil pan gaskets were replaced along with many other seals and o-rings. While the motor and trans were out of the car the clutch and flywheel were replace as well. I have receipts for all of these parts with the exception of the receipt for the clutch and flywheel which I seem to have lost. I do have the original flywheel and clutch in a box which I saved for some reason, so at least you’ll have proof that it was done. The other receipts that I have was when the water-cooled alternator was replaced and the front drivers wheel bearing was replaced. This is easily 10K plus worth or repairs, this car will be good for many years to come! Currently the car has a few minor issues that the next owner can address if they choose. The secondary air pump is putting out insufficient flow causing an intermittent check engine light to come on and off. The pump is $130 and installation takes about an hour. This is an emissions related component and is unrelated to how the car runs and drives. Easy fix. The other issue is that the zenon headlamp module needs to be replaced which is common on older cars with zenon headlights. This module allows the zenon headlights to be “adaptive” which basically means the lights actually pivot inside the housing when you are going around turns. It’s a cool feature but certainly isn’t necessary. If you would like to fix this, the module run $50-$100 on eBay. The headlights still work just fine. Neither of these issues affect the drivability of the car, but I want to be as open and honest as possible. The car runs and drives perfectly. The motor pulls strong and does not leak or burn any oil. The transmission shifts smoothly and the clutch feels great.

This is a perfect example of the iconic S4 Avant with the hard to find 6 speed manual transmission. They have not made the S4 in wagon form for many years, don’t miss out on this well maintained example. Considering the rarity of the car, the overall condition, and the maintenance that has been performed, I have priced the car to what I think is the fair market value. I am not dead set on this number, so please feel free to make an offer.

Disclaimer: This is a used car with over 100K miles. I am NOT a mechanic, but I have tried to be as open and honest as possible about the condition of the vehicle to the best of my knowledge. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or text me with any question you have BEFORE purchasing the car. Buyer will be responsible for transporting the car once purchased. A $500 deposit is due within 48 hrs from the close of the auction, the remainder of the payment must be made in full before the car is picked up. I will also note that my bank currently has the title for the car.

These days you can pick up a B6 S4 for under five grand if you keep your eyes open (though maybe not in this specification). But most of those cheap cars haven’t had the infamous BBK V8 timing chain/tensioner guide job done – an up to $8k, labor-intensive repair that is absolutely necessary to keep the engine from unexpectedly destroying itself (for details, see here). This car has had it done, and a number of other maintenance items were attended to at the same time, leaving the car in apparently sound mechanical shape. (Though the seller does note an intermittent check engine light related to an ongoing issue with the emissions system.)

Condition looks excellent inside and out, with only a couple of minor cosmetic blemishes mentioned. While not as desirable as sought-after Nogaro Blue, I think the Light Silver Metallic paint rather suits this body shape. Sadly, the car appears to come with 5-spoke wheels instead of the nicer, 6-spoke Avus wheels that came as standard.

The asking price of $14k seems quite reasonable given the maintenance work already undertaken; this yellow one that Paul wrote up in July sold for about the same amount. That’s not a bad price for an under-the-radar rocket ship that you can haul your family around in.

– Craig