I'm back!!!! (oldie but at same time newbie to RS4 B7)

[SR71]

Yeah saw a white saloon in Knightsbridge this afternoon but didn't see the plate...

[ABU10]

Yes i no they both are completely different cars.
Ones a biturbo and the other is a FSI.

BUT which one would you rather have. And which is is more fun.
I own a B5 RS4 but neil has had both so would be nice to see which one he prefer

[N11LS_J]

Thanks for all comments gents

Right, almost everyone i speak to has thrown that question at me, I owned the B5 for over 2 years, and have had the B7 for over few days!

Here are my initial thoughts on both... (Remember, i'm comparing a standard B5 to a tweeked B7)

Power :

My B5 was in standard form of 380 odd hp, whereas the B7 has been dyno'd showing 417, the power delivery is very different, with the B5 you sort of brace yourself for the kick in the back from the TTs however the power delivery of the B7 is much smoother and linear, still neck snapping torque and before you know it the speedo is well past what you thought it to be. The B7 is noticeably quicker than my B5, but then not really a fair comparison.

Handling :

I purchased the B5 unmodified, the car was unsettled at speeds and quite unnerving to drive to be honest, I found the suspension to be wollowy and bouncy, this needed to be rectified quick smart, PSS9s with a geometry setup and Hotchkiss ARBs totally transformed the car, really inspired confidence in corners and at high speeds. Despite this perfect setup and £££s spent to correct the handling, you still felt the 'size' of the car now that i compare with the B7.
Now the B7... It's sitting on DRC with 25mm H&R springs and Hotchkiss ARBs and all i can say is OH MY GOD, the car is so well planted and stable it's unreal, it actually feels like a 'go Kart' as described by Jim, you truly forget how heavy the B7 is, i can throw the car into and out of corners at silly speeds, unbelievable honestly, with the B7, the car seems to do most of the work as with the B5 you as the driver had to put alot of work in (if you know what i mean!)

Looks and build quality :

Again, not a fair comparison as visually the B7 has the upper hand with the exterior changes, however seeing a B5 closing in on you via your rear view mirror is always scary! IMO it is very agressive looking with its low and wide stance. In standard form i'm not really a fan of the B7s nose, it's quite subtle even with the wide stance and those steroid arches. However, My particular B7 is a different case, with an even lower stance, LED DRLs, spacers and White Wrap.
Build quality they are on par, considering the age seperation, never had a problem with the B5 (2000 model), now having sat in the B7 on a regular basis over the last few days, it really makes the B5 feel dated.

Summary :

I only really fell in love with the B5 once i threw a few of thousand at it, whereas the B7 with working DRC is more than sufficient in standard form. I drove a couple of standard B7s before this purchase and was amazed by the difference, immediately inspired confidence. Totally different drive.
I would say a B5 with uprated suspension, ARBs maybe and brakes is a drivers car, and to top that off an exhaust system with a remap will blow your mind (I didn't get that far with mine)
The B7 is so easy to drive, a pleasure to drive, at any speed, on any road, can be a refined subtle machine but then by your Right foot instantly transformed into an absolute crazed roaring/screaming animal!

Now that the B7s are hovering around the 30k mark, you really get alot of car for your money.

B5 Pro's : Huge tuning capabilities and exclusivity factor

B5 Con's : Needs £££s to really get the best out of it, even for basic upgrades i.e. poor OEM brakes and suspension.
Recaro's comfortable but not very supportive (IMO) for spirited and track driving (Hi-Tech better suited)


B7 Pro's : V8!!!!!! OMFG!!!! Handling/stability, interior, all gadgets internal and external i.e adaptive lights, auto dimming mirror, SD cards etc fantastic car out of the box, very responsive steering, my particular B7 has had a few £££s thrown at it, but thats only to better an already great car, this car is more than capable in standard form. There is no other better all round package IMO.

B7 Con's : erm... ok i know... erm... oh yeah there's the erm... can i get back to you???



Right, i've managed to think of a couple...
Limited tuning possiblities unless you're willing to spend 10k+ (not me, as i'm more than happy with the V8 muscle) and perhaps road tax... other than that fuel consumption, insurance very similar.

So to say i am happy with the B7 is an understatement, as already stated in a previous post, the B7 ticks all the boxes and more, this one's a keeper me thinks

[HYFR]

good summary ... I think a lot of B5 enthusiasts turn their nose up at the B7 because of lack of turbo's and less power vs. A mapped B5

But they are missing the point of the B7 ... Its the complete package ... FULL STOP

[SR71]

I've gone from a standard B7 to a 550hp B5 S4 and I'd agree with all the above.

I wanted a car more involving to drive.

The B7 chassis is super and the confidence it inspires and thus the speed it allows you to cover ground with is excellent.

I'd be surprised if I could cover ground in the S4 as quickly and even if I could it'd be a highly involving task because of the excess power versus mechanical grip, the instability during braking, the slower steering and therefore general confidence that the car is going to go where you want it to go.

Perhaps the situation is excerbated by the fact that I can spin the wheels in the dry in 3rd now with the torque available whereas the B7 really only had 2 throttle positions - on or off. It had so much mechanical grip available it was hard to get out of shape.

Both are great cars and get the dopamine flowing.

[RS4KILLA]

has to be the b5 had both the power from the b5 just does it for me
the b7 was mapped and had a milltek sounded awesome
going back to the b5!!

[P_G]

Each to their own by the sounds of it then.

[N11LS_J]

Each to their own by the sounds of it then.

The B5 Vs B7 topic can on on for ever, but the above comments about sums it up really, depends on what you as a driver want out of a car, so well said Graham

[rtd]

Each to their own by the sounds of it then.

i know a few owners who have owned the following B5, B7, C5 and C6, and each has said that they regretted selling the B5!

at the end of the day enjoy what you have - times are tough.

[lengster1]

I did warn you they were good N11LS J !! You havent had it long either,the more you explore with them the more impressive they are at just how capable they are out of the box,ive had a b5 and no regrets,its not something i would go back to.

[P_G]

Personally I didn't regret not buying the B5 RS4 after test driving both for some time, great in a straight line but OEM dynamically inferior to the B7. Like has been said, you have to spend a fair whack to get a B5 sorted and repair bills for a B5 I suspect are a lot more then B7's.

B5 interior is also dated as will B7 when B9/10 comes along.

Hence each to their own.

[sonny]

Great write up there N11LS J, Having never owned a B5 only having sat as a PAX in one, I cant comment, but it seems you have hit the nail on the head. I personally think there 2 fantastic looking cars, the B5 has more character.

Cant wait to get back into my RS4.

[ABU10]

Personally I didn't regret not buying the B5 RS4 after test driving both for some time, great in a straight line but OEM dynamically inferior to the B7. Like has been said, you have to spend a fair whack to get a B5 sorted and repair bills for a B5 I suspect are a lot more then B7's.

B5 interior is also dated as will B7 when B9/10 comes along.

Hence each to their own.

Yeah i get wat u mean.
The B5 is 10 yrs old wereas the b7 is about 3-4 yrs old. So yes Audi have improved which is the main reason why they made a new RS4 to show that all the probs the B5 had have been solved in a newer model.

Everyone has there own opinion.
But they both are awesome looking machines.

LOVE AUDI RS

[ABU10]

And sorry for going way off topic.

[Dom81]

Personally I prefer the looks of the B5 - I think it's got menace that the B7 never really pulls off. Sure it's starting to date, but gracefully. I think it's down to one part design, one part rarity, and one part (flame suit on) the fact that it's only available as an avant

I wasn't in a position to get the B5 when it was launched, but the Evo ring write-up alone made me promise myself the next generation. Having now driven a couple of B5s I've no regrets, but I can't help thinking that with the B5 I'd look back one more time when walking away...