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Only briefly though but enough to come up with some conclusions which are simply my opinions;

The best bit over a B5 is the throttle response - no lag just loads of instant muscular grunt - it didn't feel that short of torque and it just keeps going to that 8k red line. It doesn't feel as brutal as a B5 on boost (even my stock one) but its speed is deceptive and subtle due to its progressiveness.

Steering feels nice, initially feels too light but on the move it's sublime.

The noise with a standard exhaust even in Sport mode was quite disappointing, it is very refined and has a distinct whine to it to match the subtle rumble.

Interior is OK but in the dark doesn't feel that much more special than B5. START button would do my head in and is a gimmick I could live without, prob better for LHD cars where it's by your right hand.

Gearchange is just right too and you 2nd to 3rd at high revs is natural even to a newbie like me.

Bucket seats were supportive but I can't fault my B5 Recaros for comfort and support.

Would I buy one? Yes now 60k milers are sub £25k but not sure I'd want to part with my B5 for one. I feel like I can always remain interested in my B5 with a few tweaks here and there when I need to, more power is near always an option. The B7 seems to have been honed by the factory to perfection so there's not much you can do to make it better. As a day-to-day car though it would be awesome but I'd still want my B5 for weekends.

interesting comparison, the B7 is a funny sounding car imo, the ones I have heard do have that whine you describe.

My concerns would be the variation in the power output, ref to the oil build up pictures on here in pippyrips (?) car

if you want to sell the B5 let me know!

very interested in this thread. i'm very tempted by a B7 RS4 at the local stealers but the more i read and think about it i'm leaning towards finding (ho ho) another B5. would love to know if there are B7 owners who think the same or are pleased with the B7.

Check out RSPaul's comparisons also, he owned both for a while

After having slept on it the closest thing I can think of is 993 911 vs 996 911
The older is flawed and dated but it's a legend the 996 has little more long term enthusiast appeal than an Merc SL
I should qualify my comments by saying that I do only drive my RS4 at weekends for leisure, if I had to run it for the business miles I do then reliability would push me more to the newer car but then again I couldn't justify running a conspicuous 4.2 V8 on the journeys I do.
I actually would rather have the new S4 3.0T (supercharged), forced induction so mappable, better MPG, more politically correct engine size, sounds curiously like a B5!

frazered wrote: the ones I have heard do have that whine you describe.

thats the BMW driver test driving it going " 'snot as farst as my M3!"

I've owned both too and I agree, the B7 is so much better planted and sure footed. The V8 under full chat in Smode does sound good even in standard so there must have been something wrong with the one you drove.

The B5 is wallowy in comparison but the power delivery is so nice, especially in mapped form. The B7 is deceptive and you are up to illegal speeds before you even know it. I did it the wrong way round and went from the more modern refined car to the rawer B5 and that is where I went wrong as the B5 was not as much as novelty to me really.

The S4 with the supercharger is an awesome drive, look at my review in the S4 section when I drove one months ago.

Not a move I would make if I were you. For £25k I would rather have an M5.

The M5 is a killer in the fuel department, my M6 was returning 12MPG on average so believe me it's not as good an option as any RS4.

Contigo wrote:my M6 was returning 12MPG on average

LOL, that must make the RS feel like a diesel!
For £25K I'd rather have a good B5.

Having been in a mapped B5 and a mapped B7, my money would go a on a B5 with sorted suspension and brakes. B7 power seems so boring and linear. Keep your B5, map it and get ARB's and brakes....

B7 is better out of the box in most areas,as an everyday no hassle supercar i cant think of anything that comes close in all the departments,my first drive impressions were much the the same as nekarsulm but my 2nd and 3rd confirmed good enough to change out of the b5 and part with some wad,i had both cars for a few months but b5 felt so dated to be in i didnt really drive it again,miss the shove in the back but the b7 rocks for me

GAY!!!

i`ve been tempted to test drive a B7 just to see how it feels BUT i would never depart from my B5

I respect your experienced opinion Lengster, maybe we just want different things from a car?

A B5 may well feel dated but have you ever been in a 993 911? That's how I see my B5, old yes but possessing so much presence and performance as well as being rare that it will always be a treat to get behind the wheel.

I have no doubt the B7 is a better car but as something to look forward to driving at the weekend I just think it's a bit too....sane.