Moved from //M*

[ArthurPE]

I went from an e46 M3 to an RS4.
Put 100k miles on the M and 80k on the RS

Brake costs are similar
On the RS the front pad retaining pins hit the rotor before the wear sensor so keep on eye on it. With oem pads the rotors should last 100k. I changed mine at 60 iifc but the old were only 50% worn (a lot of highway miles)

drc mine was ok at 60k when I had Audi's free recall done
I had H&R springs installed at the time
mpg is similar
Oil changes similar
Tire costs similar
The M needs 30k valve adjustments, the RS has hyd lifters, I dyi'ed mine

The RS is deceptively fast, not sure about 'Ring times but my guess similar.
I have owned many BMW's and imho Audi quality, fit & finish is better
Should not have sold my RS (did not want the hassle of 2 cars) it was one of, if not the best, cars I've owned (w205 c63s, w204 c63, e39 m5, e36 m3, e30 m3, etc)

Thinking about getting another to replace my wife's mini clubman.
We'll share it (but that means she'll drive the c63s )
Looking at this one https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sal ... pe=listing
Look at the carfax, 36 service records, dealer maintained

[coffey555]

I went from an e46 M3 to an RS4.
Put 100k miles on the M and 80k on the RS

Brake costs are similar
On the RS the front pad retaining pins hit the rotor before the wear sensor so keep on eye on it. With oem pads the rotors should last 100k. I changed mine at 60 iifc but the old were only 50% worn (a lot of highway miles)

drc mine was ok at 60k when I had Audi's free recall done
I had H&R springs installed at the time
mpg is similar
Oil changes similar
Tire costs similar
The M needs 30k valve adjustments, the RS has hyd lifters, I dyi'ed mine

The RS is deceptively fast, not sure about 'Ring times but my guess similar.
I have owned many BMW's and imho Audi quality, fit & finish is better
Should not have sold my RS (did not want the hassle of 2 cars) it was one of, if not the best, cars I've owned (w205 c63s, w204 c63, e39 m5, e36 m3, e30 m3, etc)

Thinking about getting another to replace my wife's mini clubman.
We'll share it (but that means she'll drive the c63s )
Looking at this one https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sal ... pe=listing
Look at the carfax, 36 service records, dealer maintained

What Clubman does the wife have? I had a JCW R55 and it was a really fun car to drive. I could not justify keeping two though so it went and the RS4 stayed.

That Mugello saloon looks really nice, probably my favourite colour. To my eyes they look better with silver optics and wheels.

Either way, it will be a bit of a change after Imola!

[ArthurPE]

What Clubman does the wife have? I had a JCW R55 and it was a really fun car to drive. I could not justify keeping two though so it went and the RS4 stayed.

That Mugello saloon looks really nice, probably my favourite colour. To my eyes they look better with silver optics and wheels.

Either way, it will be a bit of a change after Imola!

She has the base model, 10 yrs d and hasn't hit 50k miles yet!

Imola, lol, my friends were shocked when I got it, I'm the boring sort
Kind of agree on the silver vs Ti trim but I think it only came with Ti in the US.
The other one for sale has it too.
The service history and lack of mods does it for me. It had the complete drc replaced also. Slso new tranny/clutch/diff at 25k miles.

More pics
The front rotors look scored by the pins.
Cluster pic shows pad and brake warning.
Some room to haggle! Lol
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/WUADU78E88N902542

[coffey555]

What Clubman does the wife have? I had a JCW R55 and it was a really fun car to drive. I could not justify keeping two though so it went and the RS4 stayed.

That Mugello saloon looks really nice, probably my favourite colour. To my eyes they look better with silver optics and wheels.

Either way, it will be a bit of a change after Imola!

She has the base model, 10 yrs d and hasn't hit 50k miles yet!

Imola, lol, my friends were shocked when I got it, I'm the boring sort
Kind of agree on the silver vs Ti trim but I think it only came with Ti in the US.
The other one for sale has it too.
The service history and lack of mods does it for me. It had the complete drc replaced also. Slso new tranny/clutch/diff at 25k miles.

More pics
The front rotors look scored by the pins.
Cluster pic shows pad and brake warning.
Some room to haggle! Lol
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/WUADU78E88N902542

Base model Clubman to C63s is quite the upgrade for the wife, I don't think you will hear many complaints about that one but you never know!

My wife runs a Fiat 500 1.2 Pop which is as basic as you can get, does not even have ESP. That is 10 years old as well but no matter how much I tried to swap it for the Mini, she would not budge.

Quite the car history you have there, interesting that you rate the RS4 up there with greats like the E30, E36 and E39 M cars. They were all cars I would loved to have owned but miss the boat years ago.

Getting back on topic, a good standard car is quite a rare thing now as these cars are getting older. I guess the market in the States is even smaller as you only had 2000 to start with?

I still can't belive the pins score the disc surfaces before the warning lights come on!

Did US spec cars only come with SS DRC with no option of SS +?

[ArthurPE]

My wife loves the mini, she hauls our mutts in it. The AMG would have to be dog proofed, but leather is better than the mini's cloth. We would alternate.
My commute is 30 miles, hers about 1.

We only got the base suspension and comfort seats here.
The RS feels solid as granite and driving it empowers, makes you a better driver and masks small mistakes. It's build quality/design is in a class of it's own. The integrated deck lid spoiler (not stick on) the fender flares, easy ingress/egress, etc.
The engine (designed by a former M engineer) is imo Ferrari level for the era, and holds its own even now. Revs to 8000+, 90% torque ~2500-7000, 12.5:1 Cr, it is a gem.
If prudent 25 mpg HW. It feels special every time you climb in and start it.
Not flashy or trendy but REAL car people know and respect it.

[Gaijiniji]

Afternoon all,

Firstly thanks for all the input on this thread. Very much appreciated and really helped with the decision making.

Speaking of which... four months after thinking about it the //M Coupe is sold and I have an RS4!

I had been looking for a carbon trim car and intended on swapping out the alu. After 2 days the alu has grown on me a lot and I think it will stay. The car is super clean with no scratches or rust, interior is almost mint (slight nick in the drivers A pillar liner) and bolsters do not give away the age. Unlike the others I drove this doesn't feel down on power and the paperwork suggests some fairly hefty bills have already been taken care of.

2006 plate, black on black, flat bottom wheel, buckets and 57'000 miles. The first drive saw me add 425 miles to that as I drove it up from London to Edinburgh outrunning the yellow weather warning on Saturday. Its already got well under my skin and I understand why the seller had a massive lump in his throat as I pulled away from his driveway.

Near future plans involve keeping it as near standard as possible. While I like the sound of straight pipes they are not for me and I currently get on with my neighbours. The stock exhaust has a nicely refined sound profile and (for now at least) I'm happy as is. Flaps seem to be stuck open and I hope this is seized rather than vacuum issues (doesn't feel down on power). Ill get a friend (former Audi master Tech) to give it a health check and sort any issues I may have missed (I suspect it needs some new lower front suspension ball joints as these were the only unresolved advisories with the last two MOTs). Other than that its narrower than my old //M so should actually fit in the garage!

Ill see to writing a piece on impressions shortly but for now there is an ear to ear grin occupying my pie hole!

[DavidRS4]

Sounds nice!

[demon8991]

Awesome, looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

[Gaijiniji]

Thanks!

I think its best to revisit the context. I had a Z4m for over 4 years, putting 35000 miles on it. Id driven it up to John 'O' Groats and down to Goodwood and loved every minute of having it. Each and every drive was an event and it always felt special. It fizzed and was quite relentless in reminding you it could spit you into a hedge at every opportunity. However moving out of town (in Scotland) means i needed something more... capable of dealing with sub 4degrees temperatures, some damp, rain, ice or potentially snow (I need to get milk for my coffee!). My parents and in-laws occasionally visiting means 4 doors, isofix meant flexibility for future growth.

Looking on various websites I started to look for >300hp, 4 doors, 4wd and sub £20k. Options were surprisingly limited to BMW 335d's, the occasional scooby and the RS4 B7. Having had two BMWs i was impressed at the capabilities of the f30 but left me feeling a little lifeless. I'm neither farmer nor boy racer so the Scooby was out. Looking for something a little grown up and still keep my inner eight year old child happy meant lining up some test drives for the RS4.

I drove a black on black car that had been fully resprayed and lowed on KW v3s up in Kirkaldy. It handled brilliantly but i felt it was over priced considering it needed new discs and the exhaust flexijoints were knackered (too low and hitting everything no doubt). The respray also left me wary about it being smashed and future resale value.

I then went to drive a daytona grey car near Glasgow. It had sat with the dealer for a year before they reduced it to 18k. The car was super clean, original and drove really well. The dealer was a bit of a dick though and i didn't have any trust at all. Id also by this point not sold my Z but I did know what my next car would be!

Selling the Z some months later freed up some funds. Id done well out of it and only lost some 4k in depreciation for the time I'd had it. It was more than the average car to keep running but id worked out the long term total costs to be less than a 335d.. i was more convinced i should get something 'interesting' to replace it and replicate the formula. Actual logic with only a spattering of man logic.

A new car popped up matching my criteria. Just over 56'000 miles, 2006, black on black, leather buckets and bang on the market price where cars had been selling. I text the owner, asked every question i could think of before committing to buying train tickets down to Londongrad with my ever patient wife. A few days later and a few hours on a 07:00 train and i was somewhere in London being picked up in a V8.

This car was by far the cleanest of the three I had looked at. It was completely standard with no spots of rust and had clearly lived a pampered and manicured life, parked outside a £1.2million+ house. I went front to back with checks before admitting to the seller that it was every bit the car he had promised would not disappoint. A short test drive (as much as you can in London) and id agreed to be driving it home. Only stopping for fuel I attempted to get out of London and outrun the incoming yellow weather warning on the 425 mile first drive.

First impressions - the car sits surprisingly well in traffic. Clutch is manageable and gear box and steering are light (the Z was more... agricultural). No hill assist will take some getting used to though. The brakes lack a bit of feel and bite which I attribute to the added weight of the saloon and not being used to the car. The seats are mega comfortable, supporting and do make a material difference to the experience. I do find the car rather cold though... mainly because i feel obliged to drive it with the windows down to hear the noise... but the heated seats are ferocious when turned to 6. Cold ears, warm arse. Sat nav in a car is not something I'm used to but I'm pleasantly surprised that, although clunky, this works really well.

Getting out onto the motorway, engine suitably warm and a chance to boot it and see what its made of. It doesn't feel low on torque as some have told me, getting up the rev range and it feels every bit of a sub 5 second car (much to my surprise being a cosseted London car). Settling down for a long drive its smooth, refined and comfortable. Its quite stable, only requiring minor adjustments and easily eats up the next 300 miles with a few 5 minute breaks to stretch my legs. Getting dark and headlights on I realise it doesn't have auto dimming mirrors - flicking the rear view up and down with a little lever seems dated, even by mid naughties standards. Nevertheless a fantastic long distance mile muncher as I cross the border into Scotland and hit the twisties. If i thought it good as a motorway cruiser I was in for a real treat!

Its a big heavy car (again i remind you of what i was used to) but hides it remarkably well. The DRC is amazingly compliant but still handles superbly, cornering like a car with a more firm ride. Speaking of which I was a few hours into the drive by now and getting more confident. I flung it into a roundabout completely ignoring my wife's instructions to take the second turn... instead opting to play and see where its limits were. Turns out its limits are above my ability, good to know! Also my wifes limits are below where i thought they were... also useful information.

Its hard to believe this is almost a 14 year old car. Build quality is superb. It still feels tight and has aged elegantly. Doors 'thunk' with a thoughtful deadening. Built during the excesses pre financial crisis the world was full of optimism and car makers were willing to go a bit daft. I suspect this era will come to be known as one of the great times for drivers cars unbound by other concerns - its certainly my favorite. I bury the nagging feeling that should something go wrong its gonna cost... with a whisky at home and straight to bed. The time is 00:30.

Speaking of costs - yes it will manage 29mpg on a motorway. It will also manage 15mpg in heavy traffic. I know this aint gonna be cheap day to day and Im OK with that. Working out the maths i also suspect the premium to keep this over a vanilla car isnt going to be that much. I suspect it wont have a sting in its tail if i ever sell it though as depreciation is often the largest cost involved in car ownership. Also at £325 road tax is almost £250 cheaper than the z was!

I was up early. Yes you guessed it. Washing the car. I found myself going for fuel, not because i needed it.. but because i wanted to drive it. Haven't had that in a while. I think this one is a keeper. In a totally different way to the Z4M its special. The wife has forgiven and now insists on pressing the start button. All is good with the world.

[DavidRS4]

Awesome.

[GaryA]

Nice write up.
If like me, you won't get bored of it but i do only use mine weekends so suppose that makes it even more of a treat

[QuRace]

I think this one is a keeper. ... The wife has forgiven and now insists on pressing the start button.

Ouch! Bad tactical mistake!

Both of them are...

[Gaijiniji]

I think this one is a keeper. ... The wife has forgiven and now insists on pressing the start button.

Ouch! Bad tactical mistake!

Both of them are...

Touche. I told her I would have many cars and one wife. Seeing a world full of caveats she corrected me to "one woman". Being the eternal smart ass I corrected her to "one human".

[demon8991]

@Gaijiniji, brilliant write up mate you really have captured all of the feelings I have for the car.

The thunk of the door is something I LOVE and reminds me of my Z4.

The feeling inside the cabin really is incredible considering its age, there is just noway modern cars will feel like that in 14 years.