The S4 twin turbo is Slow

[james accordino]

--- TM <t44tq at mindspring.com> wrote:
> Jim,
> I know the new C-class has excellent aero, but
> capable
> of 150 w/ a little 2.0L engine? That's amazing. Is
> it
> livable at those speeds? Not too noisy? I'd imagine
> a
> 4-cyl. pushing a car to those speeds has got to be
> pretty
> noisy, even if it's a Merc.
> 
> Funny you bring up the Autobahn- my 200q is
> definitely no
> stoplight racer, but on the highway, I can easily
> pass or
> dust most cars with ease, except for truly
> high-performance
> models.
> 
That was my point.  Most new mid size cars have more
HP.  Often significantly more.  Barring 0-30, they
aren't faster and at the high end of their speed are
much slower.  In the last 2 years I've driven rental
Taurus, Camry, Accord, Mitsu and Mazda sedans.  Fuel
mileage was very close, and NONE were significantly
better than the 200, which weighs 400-1000 lbs. more. 
Although all the cars were nice at moderate speeds,
above 85 they all started to show flaws and above 100
for extended periods they became downright
uncomfortable.  Vague steering, body roll, wind noise,
NVH from the drive train.  It's kind of fun to see
which parts you can make "buzz" at high speeds.  BTW
the Merc. uses a belt driven supercharger to increase
power levels.  I don't know the tech specs on this
engine, but it probably incorporates balance shafts to
smooth vibration.  Overall this car is very quiet,
even pushing 150 mph.  Engine noise IS the most
noticeable, but mainly because everything else is so
quiet.  As long as no one opens a window.  My niece
made that mistake-once.  The car was not perfect
though.  Water leaked into the trunk through the lock
cylinder or taillight gasket and the power steering
pump leaked slightly at it's front seal.

Jim Accordino