Help deciding on keeping RS4 B7 or ordering RS6 PE

[MikeFish]

Well, no, if you are going to get your key fob out anyway, there is no point to the keyless entry option at all. Personally, I love the keyless entry - and the hands-free boot opening is great when your arms are full. A

Yes, of course it makes more sense with keyless entry (which is part of the same package), I forgot about that bit.

[MikeFish]

It shouldn't be understated how schizophrenic the rs6 is. Yes it's brutal if you want it to be, hopefully the PE more so ! (waiting for mine) and yes you can go a lot further if you want to. I don't, and don't really understand why some do, maybe that grows on you with time!

It's an unbelievably compliant, comfortable, but slightly focused estate if you want it to be. The gearbox is genius. It's so easy to drive if you aren't tearing around, and it doesn't really inisist that you drive it like you stole it unless you want it to.

For the car I drive every day, that's invaluable to me.

Definitely recommend DRC though. Air takes the edge off a little, there quite a lot more roll in corners and it just feels softer. I had a car on air for 2 weeks before mine arrived which I have been in for 6 months now and I really can't see any disadvantage of DRC at all, and I am not aware of anyone reporting RS4 type problems with it.

I completely agree, I had meant to make these 2 very points. I find the gearbox might not be as fast as these DSG boxes (not that I can tell the difference in speed) but I much prefer the 6 tiptronic (auto) to the RS3 S-tronic dual clutch for the very reason stated above. Even in dynamic & sport mode it will change up before the red line most of the time if you are not full throttle unlike the RS3 which just wants to red line all the time in Dynamic / sport setting. Very comfortable drive (not in terms of ride, but relaxation wise). But floor it and hell breaks loose.

And I found the air ride on my demo car to be too floaty and boat like with too much roll even in dynamic mode and at relatively low speeds i.e. tight roundabouts. I'm not saying it was going to break grip or spin or anything like that, it just didn't feel as sporty as a DRC car in the same situation.

[MartayMcFly]

I went from 99% of the time being the only person in my supercharged RS4, to the same in a 'standard' C7 RS6 and didn't think twice about justifying the extra space (though people do joke that now I need a wife, kids and dog to go with the big bus). The car is enormous and no amount of power will hide the difference in getting the two cars round a corner; acceleration performance is neck and neck until the 6 would walk away above maybe 130mph, but when not flat out the 6 is a much nicer place to be. Auto everything and all manner of driver aids means that 95% of the time it's the better car. The 5% when the 4 really makes the most of it's smaller footprint and significant weight advantage are more pronounced in my memory of that car now that I have the 6 to compare it to, but short answer is obvious -

if you can get a PE, go buy one.

[S4WON]

Anth. I am starting to salivate at the 'brutal power' comment. Years ago I had a blue Griffith 500-but these days old age and the desire for comfort and stability in a rainy bumpy Scotland WITH brutal power appeals.

I also owned a griff 500 for a few years, have driven a C7 and id its night and day different at full power. Like others have said, the C7 is the first car ive driven for a long time where you actually need to consider the conditions before nailing it. Brutal indeed. Loads will be written off i bet

The griff is more like B7 performance

[MrBadger]

All Sorry annoyingly a bit of work kept getting in the way of replying


Thanks Mr Fish I have read many of your topics and PE debate will dig out the thread you mention after work!I would love to get and keep both but can't really accommodate it. Though the crppy trade in offer makes me want to mothball it and give it to the kids in 16 years time. I was more worried about length (it can matter). I think the width is about the same as the SQ5 which I managed to rip both near side tyres on a roadside rock on Islay and am now a bit more careful.

The foot key thingy just appeals as have 2year old twins (probably never let them sit in the car ) and it seemed a fun idea.


Mat I think I am sold on DRC option.


Marty great insights given your supercharged experience thanks.

S4WON I like a bit of fear but a bit surprised to hear that you think a load will get wiped out. Tempting. Will do some more man maths tonight.

[koruki]

The boot kick open works for me all the time, you actually have to pretend to kick it but not touch it. My wife can never get it open, she does the floating leg wiggle.

The power is definitely on another level, its one of the few cars that even as the driver controlling the throttle, if you put your foot down, it pulls so hard you tend to just lift off. When you do lift off, its a pleasant comfy family car again lol. My two year old knows its something special and loves getting pulled into her seat when I speed up onto the motorways. One day she even started mimicking the engine pop noise during the up shifts <3

[Heden]

The hands free opening of the boot is a great thing to have. I had it on my old C7 and specced it on the RS6. It is a shame it doesn't work with the Carbon diffuser, one would think Audi could have found a solution for that. It is the same thing with the A6 Allroad, no hands free boot opening.

The car is plenty fast, and I would be very interested to see or participate in a drag race comparison between a standard one, a PE and a tune RS6. The numbers that e.g. Leo-RS got from his car before the tune is better than what Audi claims the PE will do. If the PE is true to the claims, it should be closer to a tuned car than the standard RS6.

Here is quick photo from my standard RS6 that still has the standard 155 mph limiter from factory (taken on German Autobahn)

[MikeFish]

I'd be interested to stick mine on the MRC dyno to see what it is actually producing. If I have some spare time and Doug can squeeze me in I'll take it down there.

[MrBadger]

koruki -when when I drive the family car my two year old votes with her stomach so I need to learn smooth yet fast.

Heden I agree it is weird the carbon can't house the same sensors.

Overall what has surprised me most is (made up stats)- votes for RS6 8 =100% votes for keeping RS4 Nil 0%

[koruki]

koruki -when when I drive the family car my two year old votes with her stomach so I need to learn smooth yet fast.

Heden I agree it is weird the carbon can't house the same sensors.

Overall what has surprised me most is (made up stats)- votes for RS6 8 =100% votes for keeping RS4 Nil 0%

haha I was that child growing up even on a smooth drive. It was what I dreaded when she was born, thankfully shes a soldier and the other day I took a well known windy road taking her to be the beach. She handled it fine, though she did throw up once as an infant in the E46 M3 lol

[anth8910]

Started kicking the boot, opener works fine and I'm just useless

[esp_mm-270]

B7 RS4 is Audi's Porsche 993. Has the historical imperfections somehow made to work. I doubt either will be duplicated

[robf]

I actually thought the RS4 was overrated. It had the advantage of coming out at the end of the E46 M3s lifecycle so never had to be a direct competitor. The RS4 has rarity on its side, but from a driving perspective i always preferred the M3. Sorry, i know i souldn't be saying that on an Audi forum!

I struggle to see how the RS6 seems brutal in any way. In my test drive i just thought it was a typical VAG product turned up to 15! No bad thing, as that's exactly what i want, but seriously - how can it be anything like a TVR? On a dry road, i can't see an RS6 breaking into oversteer in any scenario, but will see if i can prove myself wrong of course

[MikeFish]

In comaparison to the RS4 the acceleration is brutal, not the handling.

[wildbore]

...I struggle to see how the RS6 seems brutal in any way. In my test drive i just thought it was a typical VAG product turned up to 15! No bad thing, as that's exactly what i want, but seriously - how can it be anything like a TVR? On a dry road, i can't see an RS6 breaking into oversteer in any scenario, but will see if i can prove myself wrong of course

I have driven a fair few fast cars. The RS6 is the first car in which I struggle to find a road long enough to give the car its head, I keep running out of tarmac or nerve. I currently have the Speed Warning chime set to 100 - the thing goes off all the time, even on country roads. On fast A roads I have barely got going before the chime is going off as the horizon is sucked into my front grille.

I think the current accepted figure is around 3.3-3.4 seconds to 60mph and there is no let up in the pace from there to 100. I call that pretty brutal acceleration.