My friend got a rental 2004 audi S4 tiptronic since his C350 was in the shop getting detailed. He was showing me the car and took it for a spin. We went up my street and he floored it and the acceleration was quick as expected but I was surprised that I hardly felt any torque but i don't know why. It's rated at 302 lb/ft but actually felt like 210 lb/ft at the most. He had the tranny in S mode and everything. Just kinda odd because another friend of mine has an 07 A4 2.0t and I swear I felt more torque in that car. Could it just be because we were going uphill?

 

Wrong forum?

Perhaps posting here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car-chat-139/

 

haha wow. im such a noob.

 

I believed torque should be measured from the dyno, not with your back

 

You're unfamiliar with the much acclaimed "butt dyno"?

 

Well if it has a lot of torque i should be able to feel it, which is why i asked this question in the first place...any explanations guys?

 

Part of the torque-response problem in the S4, compared to the C350 is due to the Quattro's AWD, which adds weight and drag....and, of course, as you note, going uphill doesnt help either. Did you have 93-octane premium gas in the S4? If somebody accidentally filled it up with 87 or 89-octane fuel (and it sometimes happens), the computer will retard the spark timing and take HP/Torque out of the motor....even more so with a turbo, because of the large amount of compression to start with.

I'm also assuming that his C350 was not an AWD 4Motion model.

 

Well I am sure Rolls Royce and Maybachs have a lot of torque as well... but I doubt they are designed to give their VIP clients a kick in the butt feel.

 

Yes sir, premium fuel. and yes the C350 was not AWD

 

A rental that was a 2004? That is well.... shocking. I wouldn't judge a six year old car too much.

 

why are you guys measuring it with your butt and back???


I thought it was measured by the neck-snapping or neck whipping backward???

 

Well not exactly a rental lol. The place where my friend was getting his car detailed was kind enough to loan the manager's car for the day

 

Exactly! i have never felt torque in my butt lmao...i usually should get my neck snapped. like i remember one motortrend article saying that IS350 has "neck snapping acceleration and torque"