B5 S4 Buying Guide
The B5 S4 is a very unique piece of German engineering. The B5 S4 has a twin turbo six cylinder engine and is a pure blast to drive especially when modded :) B5 S4's are fast and when considering buying a used car you should ALWAYS have a mechanic look at it. If the B5 S4 is mistreated it can be VERY problematic. Make sure you have a very complete maintenance record of the car. Another thing to consider is to make sure the B5 S4 has never been in an accident, or if it has been repainted as those B5 S4's resale value is about half of a regular s4's resale value. Always buy a 2001.5 to 2002 B5 S4 if you can afford them. The early 2000 to 2001 B5 S4's seems to be more problematic and lack several revisions that the later Audi B5 S4's received. Here is a list that I found off of fourtitude, an Audi forum to show some changes through out the model year.
09/99 (Y2000 initial production, A-box ECU for manual, f-hose, possibly aluminium uprights on suspension, original badge)
06/00 (Y2001, H-box ECU for manual, ESP controller, possibly steel uprights)
10/00
(Y2001.5, M-box ECU for manual, revised turbos, no f-hose, revised TBB,
different oil inlet lines, possibly changed shifter stalk, polished
aluminum mirrors w/ sport package, new badge, Avant model)
06/01 (Y2002, T-box ECU for manual)
Ok, as you can see the 2001.5 to 2002 models have many improvements over the previous generations of B5 S4s. Now as far as colors go, nagaro blue B5 S4 is the most exspensive, so expect to pay a premium for it. I also think there is a premium for the avant S4 as they are more rare than sedans. You can research prices and look for used S4s at Edmunds.com
I would like to say a word about relibality and maintence costs. These cars cost ALOT to maintain. I would recomend everyone who buys an B5 S4 to seriously consider buying a warranty for the car. Trust me you will get your moneys worth. I recomend getting a free quote from SmartAutowarranty.com.