RS6 newbie questions

[gixermark]

Hi guys,

I've posted this previously in the wrong section.. And already been given the FON so we can skip that one again

Interested ini opinions.... Really struggling to pick out one single car make/type to search for my next steed..

***********

Hi Guys,

i've been trying to find the ideal estate for quite a few weeks now.... the S4 avants caught my eye and i so like them, although i know the rear seat space is fairly tight (have tow kids in car seats) I prefer the B7 shape, and have not been able to find one the right colour/spec/miles to tempt me as yet......

i'll looked/considered all sorts, SPec B Subaru, various BMW tourings (do quite rate the 535d even though its an oil burner) !! and flirted with a high milage M5 touring that was coming cheap in the trade this week (i missed out on it)

no one car has won my heart though - hence the search has been tough... originally i didn't include the C5 RS6 as i thought the front looked dated.... but the more i look at them, i am starting to think it might grow on me.. having owned an '06 3.0 tdi quattro.. i love the space the A6 gives

this particular car

viewtopic.php?f=63&t=107513

ticks pretty much every box, and although over my ideal budget... you get what you pay for (within reason) in these older cars i guess...

questions i have - apart from the DRC (that has been replaced on this one) and consumables like clutch/brakes/tyres etc... how do these motors fair ? gearboxes seem to be on every classified list as either being reconditioned/serviced/replaced....... can you buy replacements ? is it just generally certain cogs that wear out with torque and is a 1-2k fix ?? or what are we looking at ? is the box handy enough to drop out ?

this engine is belt driven - and fairly easily changed from the front ? rather than chain driven in the A4 and in at the back ? assuming that... belt changes are handy enough ?

anything else to be aware of ?? major diff or drive shaft issues ??

although a grey area and most likely shunned in pure RS circles... i'd be looking to add a discrete removable tow bar to whatever i buy........ i know the RS6 C5 was not homoligated for towing... but can physically be added - 98% of its use would be for a bike carrier.. but i'd also like the flexibility to be able to move a small trailer i have around too...

do the cars generally drive smoothly/easily ? i.e. if the Mrs needed to drive it - at high level is it just like driving any torquey auto car ?? she drove the A6 3.0 auto i had occasionally with no issues.

how is the drive with coilovers compared to DRC ? do the collective think cars with coilovers will be technically worse less (since they will not be std) in years to come when these things may start to appreciate a little ?

I know we don;t buy these for mpg.. but i assume late teens on average is the norm ? around town low teens.. and mid 20s max on a run ?

thanks in advance for any input..... sorry for long post

[Scaff657]

Check out Silas b7 for sale mate you won't get a better one

[imacool]

Read this

http://forum.rs246.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=82219

[R32tom]

at high level is it just like driving any torquey auto car ??

Like f*ck it is!!!! my missus is scared stupid by mine and she likes her cars fast You have to drive one to experience it but it can't really be compared to much else. though go easy on the load pedal and it can be just like a normal estate. Well mannered and comfy to cruise around in.

Gearboxes are prone to go and can be either reconned or replaced with new. Not cheap either way.

and for the record NOTHING is an easy job on the C5. everything is a bitch to get to.

Apart from their flaws, they are truely stunning cars to own.

[Ross_T_Boss]

Your expectations on fuel economy are about right there.

Gearbox is the main issue, repairs are in the region of 3.5k and pretty common - although there's been a couple of cars around 10k recently which include a recent, warrantied recon gearbox on the car. There's a recent thread of a guy that did a DIY job to repair his faulty box - can be done if you have facilities to get the behemoth off the car! Leaky seals, burnt out clutch packs and Torque Converters that don't lock are the common theme.

Every job is far more expensive as you'd expect due to parts, and massive labour bills to pull the thing apart. Access is a b!tch. DIY jobs can save a fortune if you are prepared to work on the car - it's a very busy engine bay but without any experience on the C5 platform I've managed a few £1k+ quoted jobs on my driveway for 2-300 in parts and a few hours of my weekend.

I can't say much for coil overs as mine had them at purchase but I have no complaints about mine, it can be a bit firm but I don't get any rattles or knocks in daily driving, just don't hit a pothole.

My wife started driving the RS6 just a few months after passing her test, aged 23. Shockingly it only bumped up the insurance premium by £100! She has no trouble handling it, drives it pretty sedately, loves the lazy auto box and it's her car of choice on the school or shopping run (which gives me anxiety issues).

[seaneb]

CONS:
My 6 is on its 3rd box now (in 77000 miles) but I think that was down to the previous owner being a bit of a traffic light racer. Flat out standing starts will obviously GREATLY reduce the gearbox's life due to the car being a bit on the portly side.
£3.5K will get you a refurbed replacement.
£1K for cam belt change.
I believe Zimmerman Front discs can be had for £500/pair now if you know where to look. Original Audi are nearly £1000.
Change the oil every 5000 miles and nip any potential problems in the bud.

Pros:
I love driving mine. In fact most of the times I take her out I dont even have a destination!!!! Its just for pure pleasure.
When its all working correctly its as if the loud pedal is connected to a "giggle-button" in my head and I wouldnt change it for the world. . .
Except maybe for a C6 (except they dont look anywhere near as good as the C5 IMO), so probably not even that.

[armyair]

although a grey area and most likely shunned in pure RS circles... i'd be looking to add a discrete removable tow bar to whatever i buy........ i know the RS6 C5 was not homoligated for towing... but can physically be added - 98% of its use would be for a bike carrier.. but i'd also like the flexibility to be able to move a small trailer i have around too...

My understanding is the reason it was never homologated for towing is due to the gearbox being at its maximum torque limits and the stress of using it for towing would seriously shorten its life.

Obviously this would depend on towing weights and driving style however as the search function on this site shows the gearboxes are hit and miss at best dependant on driving styles adopted during previous ownership and increases in torque due to mods.

An option would be to follow Panda's example and fit an upgraded yank box.

[Mr Footlong]

I would say more Daveperc's example as he bit the bullet long before Panda (amanda1).

[Shoppinit]

The RS6 is a pussy cat to drive. Any woman can easily drive one. The only real difficulty is getting the car into the kitchen in the first place.

[mavada]

The RS6 is a pussy cat to drive. Any woman can easily drive one. The only real difficulty is getting the car into the kitchen in the first place.

lol

[gixermark]

I'd probably tow max 200 miles in a year, but would want to carry bikes often... Maybe best putting a bike rack on roof, nada tow bar on wifeys car!!

I guess given the gearbox is a weak point, it's best going for a std car? The one in the link is running over 500hp and a dollop more torque.... So probably not good news for the gearbox.

Shocking to read someone on their 3rd gearbox in 77k miles!

Not sure I want a car that could be so expensive to run.... Have a race car to keep going too!

[Shoppinit]

It would still be cheaper than trying to keep an M5 V10 on the road.

[gixermark]

The gearbox is a ZF? I know there are some local specialists for these - as the big engine BMWs also run them..

I guess it will very much depend how you drive it.. I won't be tracking it, drag racing, or performing traffic light Gps in it.. I'm mechanically sympathetic, just want a decent estate car that's different with good power.. Ideally that can tow.

Looks like the rs6 does It all apart from tow, I'm prepared for yearly maintenance of 1-2k but reading some of the stories here seems like you need to be prepared for maybe 3-5k which is too much for a road car thati'd only be doing 8k miles a year.

I imagine if you drove one you'd be hooked!fortunately or unfortunately there are none for sale anywhere near me currently.,

[Shoppinit]

There aren't that many things that go wrong with these, it's just that the ones that do are expensive to sort. If you get one that's had the suspension and I/C done then you've only really got the gearbox to worry about in terms of expensive items.

I personally think that a lot of the problems we are now seeing from gearboxes failing are from incomplete refurbs when the box is fixed the first time. I bet that most cars that have had a replacement box from ZF or Audi (i.e. basically a new box) are still going strong - couple of exceptions that I know of from errors when fitting / filling. Mine is still on the original box and it's as smooth as silk (touch all wood in immediate vicinity).

There are very few cars with this kind of performance that aren't a ticking time bomb in one form or another. Goes with the territory. Turbos just make things more complicated, too. More things to go wrong. The B7 RS4 is pretty reliable I believe, but not without its own issues.

[Daveperc]

I'm prepared for yearly maintenance of 1-2k but reading some of the stories here seems like you need to be prepared for maybe 3-5k which is too much for a road car thati'd only be doing 8k miles a year.

Then don't buy an RS6 is my advice! Amongst other things you'll need:
- Annual service - £500-1K depending on who does it and any minor stuff they find
- Tyres every other year - £1K
- Brake pads every other year and discs every 4th - £2.0K? for the whole lot
- Cambelt every 4th year - £1K a time

And all that is before you suspension/gearbox/steering rack/alternator & battery etc start to go. There's a post somewhere on here with my first year's bill (on my second beast) which was around £14.5K IIRC - OK, it included some mods, but there isn't a cheap job on the 6.

Not trying to put you off, but there are endless numbers of beasts that appear on here for a few months before the owners face their second or third big bill and decide to bale out.

Dave

PS - my budget is £4,100 this year and that assumes nothing really major breaks - and mine is well sorted!