Swap for RS5 or wait for B8 RS4 Avant?

[MSB]

Would be interested in peoples thoughts ??
heard loads of rumours that we are only getting the B8 RS4 in avant only, which is great, but not sure when. Any firmer ideas?
My B7 is getting to three years old now and would like to change.
I would prefer to have the RS4 but not if its years away.
Also anybody seen the UK full brouchure and price list for the RS5?

First post....be kind!

[drcarrera]

I'm in the same position as you (as I guess are loads of B7 RS4 owners). My avant's rapidly approaching 4 years old now, and I never keep cars that long, but there's just no alternative to it at the moment!
I'd love it if they brought out a B8 RS4 Avant, but I'm not holding my breath.
Because of practical needs the RS5 would only work for me in Sportback form, but I'm not holding my breath on that one either!
On the thread below someone's detailed their RS5 order so I guess the price list must be out there somewhere ...

[MSB]

Yeah, I seen the tread.
I havent asked my local Audi dealer recently, just wondering if anybody got a copy.
Looks like we are lining up for the B8 then.....

[MSB]

Just checked Audi UK,after checking everyday, and they have posted the brochure
http://www.audi.co.uk/content/dam/audi/ ... -coupe.pdf

Martin


RS4 (B7) Avant Sprint Blue

[stumpyrs4]

Doubt they'll be a B8 RS4...
What's happening with the 'RS3' then ?

Audi historically only work on 1x RS model at a time.

C6 RS6 and RS5 currently. Unless they're massively increasing production can't see they'll bring in another RS4 for a while.

[MSB]

C6 RS6 gone, no longer orderable!
RS 5 and TTRS current.
It seems that this used to be the case, but I think Audi sees the RS line as a cash cow and wants to exploit the brand.

Or am I just wishing.

Anyhow just got to over £ 64 grand on RS5, £ 10k more than my RS4.....
Not sure I can afford one now!

[Sims]

Anyhow just got to over £ 64 grand on RS5, £ 10k more than my RS4.....
Not sure I can afford one now!

A review I read elsewhere.


Gents, finally had the pleasure to drive the new RS5 for an hour - small twisty roads, fast roads with bad pavement and motorway. Bottom-line: the car is good, in fact very good. The demo car was fully loaded including sports diff, dynamic steering, sports exhaust, bucket seats, ceramics and 20" wheels.

I) Interior: very nice and miles ahead of my old RS4 and current M3 Coupe. Buckets, leather package for doors and carbon look and feel very nice. The satnav is graphically way better than in the M3, but surprisingly the functionality is worse with unclear road instructions. Valcona leather is just as nice as I remembered and ahead of M3's Novillo. B&O is nice, but nowhere near as good (or expensive) than in an A8. Looks cool and worth the money though. The rear is more cramped than in an M3 oddly enough. The buckets are more comfortable than I remembered from the RS4 and are an a absolute must have option. RS5 vs M3: 1-0.

2) Exterior: looks classy and subtle as always but yet more bulky than the S5 that was parked close by. However, it lacks some of the drama in RS4 and even latest RS6 despite the front dam - again, maybe due to the wheel arches. The titanium 20" wheels are not as nice as the RS4's 19". Personally, I think the M3 tops it as it looks slimmer and more muscular. RS5 vs. M3: 1-1.

3) Engine, gearbox and sound: engine sound in dynamic kills the M3 hands down. The engine revs well and does not appear to vibrate too much. The S-tronic is, however, set up wrongly. In auto comfort it puts you in 7th already in 60kmh with instant kickdown to 4th or 5th and in auto dynamic it keeps you in 3rd with too high revs. The shifts are very fast, but the paddles do not feel as good to use as in the M3. Overall, a draw with slight edge to RS5. RS5 vs. M3: 1-1.

4) Ride and handling: overall the best RS Audi ever. The standard SS ride is marginally worse than in the M3 despite front ceramics (also without EDC but with 19"). The 19" wheels are probably better in this respect. The car is more neutral and feels more agile than any RS Audi I have driven before (by definition, of course excluding the R8). Feels marginally better than a TTRS, better than the RS4 and no comparison with RS6. The direction changes are very close to the M3 and traction is naturally better. It feels both safe and exciting at the same time - it was not able to get it to plow to any significant extent in dynamic. The initial corner turn in is good, but when you really push it it does not come alive quite like the M3. The steering is better than the mags claim and at least on par with M3 if not better. The dynamic steering takes some time to get it to feel intuitive, but it is very effective. The ceramics are a bit grabby at low speeds, but feel really great overall: must have option I reckon. Overall, again a draw with a slight edge for the RS5. RS5 vs. M3: 1-1.

5) Overall feel good factor: the RS5 wins. Period. It feels and looks fresher, the bucket interior and engine sound in dynamic really make you smile. RS5 vs. M3: 2-1.

So will I switch to the RS5? Depends on the money - all I know is that the RS5 is annoyingly expensive and I can assure you that you MUST order it fully optioned to get the best of it. If I do order it, I know I will blow the spec sheet.




Hmm, re performance, engine characteristics and elasticity - there is both good and bad news. Still, I drove the car for only one hour so all impressions may not bear out fully when you live with the car.

1) Vs. M3 DKG, RS5 engine seems to pull slightly better at low revs if you are in manual mode, which usually means gears 2-5 although I would agree that the gearing is too economy minded. Tests say that 7th gear elasticity is poor, but I did not even try this outside the motorway because it is irrelevant in the real world if you use the manual mode. But truth told, 7th does not feel brisk on the motorway. In D mode, things are more complicated and in fact more cheerful: I would say that the RS5 kickdown is generally even more fierce than in the M3, which also kicks down pretty briskly. This is of course good for real world progress, which feels broadly on par with the M3 which means pretty fast. But I cannot honestly say that the RS5 feels any faster than the M3 - perhaps on the contrary since RS5 is mega stable and heavier. As Arthur pointed out, test numbers are very close. Bottom-line: neither the RS5 nor M3 is a C63.

2) The top-end of the RS5 feels slightly more flat/linear than in the M3. This is perhaps not so positive and is maybe also why the RS5 does not feel faster than the M3 even once you get some revs in the machine.

3) Vs. our old RS4 manual - well, the RS5 actually feels slower if you are in manual mode in the higher gears to the extent that my memory serves me correct. We had tightly packed six gears in the RS4 whereas the RS5's gearing as Qisha said is rather tall. However, S Tronic changes everything and if you are in D dynamic, the RS5 is faster with kickdown in any reasonable circumstances than any of us would drive a manual RS4.

Overall, I do not think the RS5 will disappoint in this respect either but the fact is that we have to learn to drive it in a different manner than the RS4 (if in manual mode, 1-2 gears lower like for like) and naturally none of us should expect a C63. I did not originally write about this topic as I am now used to the M3's features, which means pretty poor elasticity and focus on revs/kickdown.

[HYFR]

I think the tipping point of the RS brand will come if they do make a B8 RS 4....theory is the A4 and A5 are the same underneath, so there would be limited R&D to do it, BUT it would blow the RS ethos out of the water...as every RS has had a unique engine to that model (albeit this new 4.2 is similar to the B7)

hence why I dont think the RS 3 will materialise with the 2.5T from the TTRS, as much as I would love it

[Sims]

I think the tipping point of the RS brand will come if they do make a B8 RS 4....theory is the A4 and A5 are the same underneath, so there would be limited R&D to do it, BUT it would blow the RS ethos out of the water...as every RS has had a unique engine to that model (albeit this new 4.2 is similar to the B7)

hence why I dont think the RS 3 will materialise with the 2.5T from the TTRS, as much as I would love it

It makes sense for them to make an RS5 sportback.

[HYFR]

sportback only 4 seats thou....

[MSB]

A RS sportback would be interesting....
Still feel that if the three where lined up RS5, Sportback or B8 RS4.
I would take the RS4, its just that I cant at the moment. Dont mind waiting but not two or three years.
If it was twelve months then maybe..

[Sims]

sportback only 4 seats thou....

I am sure they would reconfigure to make it a 4 + an occasional 5th.

[willr]

I've just bought the B8 S4 as a stop gap - dealer says the B8 RS4 won't be with us until 2012.... we'll wait and see!

[Sims]

I've just bought the B8 S4 as a stop gap - dealer says the B8 RS4 won't be with us until 2012.... we'll wait and see!

One concern I have is that B8 RS4 may look and feel "big". I drove an A4 B8 2.0 Tdi recently and it felt so much like an A6 whereas the b7 A4 feels a more compact size.

But it would be a great, great car.

[RS4_Nick]

I hear from a source at Audi that the RS3 will be next and have the 5 cylinder turbo engine from the TT-RS.

Lets wait and see!