will my girlfriend drive an RS4 ?

Post by **craigw** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 3:37 pm

Hi guys, currently she drives a Jeep & I have a Maserati 3200GT, i'm considering selling both and getting an RS4, kill 2 birds etc(so to speak!)

My question is.... will she be happy driving it day to day with our 2 year old in the back, she doesnt mind manual but is the clutch super heavy/is there anything else I should consider?

On a more personal note, are they good load luggers(baby stuff), are they reliable, do they come with parking sensors at all and were the arm rests optional ?

Thanks very much.

Post by **Iain** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:16 pm

The wife drives mine.....I have to fight to get the keys back! My daughter 3yr old loves it. If shes in a bad mood and crying, accelerating normally shuts her up as it does with most passengers!!!

Best decision you will make - it wont fall apart like a Mazzer either or cost 5k for a cambelt service!

Post by **Kaine** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:21 pm

Hi Craig,

Depends on your wife really - take a test drive. I had an S4 on Saturday for the day; wife liked it, however said she wouldn't want to drive it - too fast for her. I know you only drive as fast as your right foot is heavy, however once she felt the POWER, she was a little scared to drive it herself.

Kaine

Post by **Brooner** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:34 pm

My Girl frend (partner) likes driving mine very infrequently but she loves it btu she is a bit of a speed freak

thankfuly she has a company car so getting the keys back isn't a big drama. think the best thing is to get a test drive a let the wife try it on for size i don't think she'll be disapointed

Post by **craigw** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:45 pm

thanks guys, all very useful How are they over speedbumps (there are about 2000 immediately around my house!)

Post by **Kaine** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:53 pm

craigw wrote:...there are about 2000 immediately around my house!

You must live just near me then -

Post by **levron** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:18 pm

My girlfriend test drove a RS4 before I found mine. She loved the heavy clutch and even had the Audi sales guy bracing himself in the back as she went full throttle down the A4 - probably more worried about the speed cameras!!!!

She was so impressed that she even offered to make a contribution towards one!!!!!!

She hasn't driven mine yet!!!!!!!

Post by **JJRS4** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:46 pm

The width is the only problem, oh.......and supermarket carparks

Post by **viffer** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:49 pm

Clutch isn't heavy.

Mine has been impeccably reliable (touch wood). Not one single warranty claim - absolutely zero faults.

We have an 11-month old baby and the RS4 is proving an excellent baby mobile. Boot space is fine, everyone is comfy (ride not ridiculously hard, engine & wind noise pretty quiet, decent aircon and stereo etc)

The only word of caution is rear legroom. Rear- and front-facing child seats each fit in the back of ours, but neither I nor dear wife is especially tall (both around 5'8"). You'd have a job getting a baby seat behind a 6'+ driver I think.

Go for it - you know it makes sense...

Cheers, Richard.

Post by **donrs4** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 7:34 am

My wife loves mine! Trick was to let her be the first to drive it at the dealers, I sat in the back saying nothing... It eventually changed her driving style from "cautious" to "dynamic/fluid"...
She says clutch is a bit a strain when doing lots of "stop and go" in city or traffic jam, but else no problem.

PArking sensors: don't think ou could get them optional from factory. Had mine retrofitted by dealer at the back. Great investment (because yes, it is an investment...). Do a search here, there are some posts on this subject (different technologies...)

Arm rest: was optional IIRC. Comes in different shades too... i.e., with phone cradle, with cup holders, empty.

Just go for it!!! Will put a big smile on your face
d.

Post by **TimJMS** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 8:31 am

Hi Craig

You have seen them mate. You know how ballistic they are. Visibility out is superb. Seats are very adjustable. She wont have a problem seeing out so no need for parking sensors anyway.

Clutch is on the heavy side, but not excessively so.

The vehicle is very easy to drive in an unhurried manner if you wish. Armrests were optional.

Since speedbumps round you are a problem I would strongly recommend you go for one with the standard factory exhaust. This could be more of a problem to you than a lowered vehicle. Lowered vehicle (on Quattro GmbH suspension for example) with some aftermarket exhausts absolutely will give you ground clearance issues.

HTH

Post by **bjacks** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 8:52 am

Have to concur, my other half actually enjoys driving it. Where as before she just thought a car was a car, she nearly fights me for the keys. What she doesn't appreciate is the lectures on letting the oil temp warm up, not using the clutch as a footrest, avoiding pot holes etc etc

We live on a speed ramped road and have no probs on standard suspension/exhaust.

Oh and another thing, under normal conditions she averages less MPG than me, the cheeky cow

Go on, you know you want one.

Post by **Steve_Mc** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 9:28 am

My other half tolerated it at first ("it's too fast

), but now loves it. She still needs to learn to remove the brick from her right foot (hill starts tend to be a bit of a rev-fest when she's driving), but otherwise she's fine with it.

Spped bumps can be an issue, but it's only the odd oversized one that ocassionally catches the exhaust. I just have to avoid the couple of roads near me that have these humps, but as I say 99% of them are fine.

Re space / luggage, well I did a return trip London - Liverpool with me (6'3") and my brother (6'4") in the front, my missus and his missus (both around 5'9") and our little boy (74cm!) in the back, with 4 people's luggage, 3 wheeler buggy and plus all baby paraphenalia in the boot.

Post by **craigw** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 10:06 am

Boys you are doing a good job! Thanks for all info, really appreciated.

Tim, is that your old car at King St cars? 42000miles?

Post by **TimJMS** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:40 pm

Thats my baby

Must say though that I rarely took her near speed bumps because the Milltek would ground out on more severe ones.

She is Revoed up. Using my SPS3 dongle I set her back to standard before trading her in though. A click of the switch and the right fuel should very easily have her straight back up to 460 bhp though.

No expense spared on maintenance. Car was on top banana form when she left my hands. Mileage is correct. If you really are interested Craig, get them to chuck in the immaculate set of standard RS4 rims as well, and if you want a full list of things I had done to her, PM me and I will send you the list

Edited to say they dont have the SPS3 dongle - but I certainly DO

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will my girlfriend drive an RS4 ?

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