Whats a Must??

[W8PMC]

Just toying with the idea of a B7 RS4 Saloon & have seen a few around with very low miles at just under £50K.

I'm fairly up to speed on mst Audi's, having owned RS6, S8 & current A8 4.2, but i can't say i'm the font of knowledge on B7 RS4's so my questions are simple??

What are the must have options etc. on an RS4 Saloon? I defo want Sat-Nav & Bose & if possible BlueTooth, but what else for a failry high mileage driver (around 20K miles per annum)?

I guess comfort seats would be better than Sport Seats, as i spend alot of time on the motorway but for re-sale & overall comfort what should i be looking for as a must??

Also any other pointers would be good.

Cheers in advance.

[markwm]

Buckets seats, flat bottom wheel, 19"s, Sat Nav are musts IMO. I wouldn't buy an RS4 without any of those.

[Adam]

Tech pack is really the only must as the cars are high spec out the box - this is DVD satnav + adaptive (swivel) lights + CD autochanger ni glovebox (you cannot play CDs whilst using satnav DVD).

Bose is std. 19" wheels are std and a must but some weirdo might spec NCO 18" which look like the S line wheels and be stuck with his car forever!

Personally I regard the RS4 buckets as a must.

I regard the bluetooth as an absolute must-not-have!! This is because you can retrofit it at the same cost and if you order from factory you either get an ugly cradle stuck to your dash (dash mount) or lose the vital RS4 flat-bottom wheel (armrest mount).

I really prefer the look of the car with optics pack so that was a must have for me.

The armrest is a NCO and I like it.

The auto dim mirror / rain sensor / light sensor works very well so is a no-brainer for £200 IMHO.

My car also came with rear sideguard (nice as I have a youngster), RS4 exclusive mats (I got the dealer to throw in for free), TV (I find this useful although analogue not great so will upgrade), sunroof (I like this more for adding light to cabin than opening).

Had I specced the car I might have skipped TV and sunroof and added rear blinds (good for youngster again) and coolbox (cheap to retrofit so no sweat)

[Dom81]

Bucket discussion is a whole different can of worms - suggest you read one of the many, many posts (and even then, you'll be better informed but none the wiser!)

My vote is Recaros BTW...

[markwm]

They've stopped doing the techpack, so be aware you can buy a car with sat nav but without adaptive lights.

[tartan_rob]

If you have kids, get the rear blinds in door (manual) and electric for rear window. TV and Telephone are good retro fits IMO. I have found the buckets seats fine and I do about 00miles a week on M4/M25/M1.

Fridge in glovebox would have been nice + as many airbags as you can squeeze in.

[Dom81]

OK - my view (and skipping the seat bit)

Resale Essentials - SatNav, the right colour and interior trim (whatever that is)

Comfort Nice to Haves - AutoDimming + light & rain, Auto Air Recirc, Rear side bags

Considerations - Bluetooth (Adam's reasons above), iPod converter (it's as bad as Bluetooth - go for the CD changer & retrofit an iPod cradle), Armrest (it's free, but not ideal if you're reaching back to kids), Sports Suspension Plus

I'm left cold by TV, Fridge, Sunroof etc - it's a car, not a living room! I've gone for adaptive lights, but only to stay with the herd...

[simple1]

tech pack covers most of the should haves, I went for optics pack and sunroof cos I wanted them rather than for resale reasons as I fully intend to hold onto the car for a few years. The mosty important part of buying a car is that it has been looked after in its previous life.

[W8PMC]

Sorry, i perhaps forgot to mention i'll be buying a USED example (6-12mths old) so a case of the right spec to bid on rather than what option boxes to tick.

Are the bucket seats comfortable for a 230mile drive (without stops)? I'm 6ft tall but fairly slim build.

I have no desire to run an iPOD through the car as i much prefer CD's & the quality is far better. Good to know BOSE is standard. Are Xenons standard?

I do want the flat bottom wheel but as kids will only rarely be in the car, blinds etc. are not required (may get tints).

What does the Tech Pack include & the Optics Pack?

I guess i could get Craigyb to install a proper BlueTooth kit in an RS4 & upgrade the Sat-Nav etc as well? If i don't go for an RS4, he'll be doing this to my current steed in the next week or so anyhow.

[Adam]

I know you were talking used, that's why tech pack is relevant and the very recent £500 satnav thing is not.

I am 6'1" and slim and find buckets mega-comfortable

tech pack contents - read my post

xenons are std

optic pack replaces window surrounds, the front grille surround, the rear strip under boot opening and exhaust tips from chrome to black finish for £300

if you are after black car, let me know and I can link to some pics of my black car with optics

[JayBee]

Hi Paul,

I am doing a similar exercise at the moment, I have started a seats thread, have a look... Tech Pack is DVD Nav, Adaptive lights and CD Changer...

As mentioned already most other things are nice to have's I am in a real dilemma about seats, for me premature wear is a big worry...

Jason

[Jezzer]

Hi Paul,

I am doing a similar exercise at the moment, I have started a seats thread, have a look... Tech Pack is DVD Nav, Adaptive lights and CD Changer...

As mentioned already most other things are nice to have's I am in a real dilemma about seats, for me premature wear is a big worry...

Jason

I've had my car with buckets for 8 months and have no wear on them whatsoever. They look like new as I make sure I am careful when getting in and out so not to squash down the bolsters. I also clean and feed the leather to keep it nice and supple

[RS4-RAG]

I've found the solar sunroof great in this weather - but I wouldn't say its a must.

The TV never gets decent reception other than where I live!

Bluetooth is great but not at the expense of loosing the original steering.

[Adam]

is the solar sunroof clear, ie can it let light into the cabin just like a std sunroof?

[RS4-RAG]

It's not clear.