What do I change my RS4 for?

[PetrolDave]

I'm willing to sacrifice the V8 for a hot hatch.

I wager you'll regret doing that.

I've driven many hot hatches in my younger years and NONE of them made me smile for more than a few months. The RS4 still makes me smile after nearly 5 YEARS.

Hot hatches are fine at what they do, but when push comes to shove they are just a hatch designed down to a price.

[psg001]

psg001 - thank you for your courteous and succint reply. Buddy - I've got a 20 mpg car on the drive and my wife wants better fuel, she doesn't like the handling and just hasn't warmed to 'Audi' - to be honest I'm inclined to agree with her (apart from the handling and Audi bit) - I'm willing to sacrifice the V8 for a hot hatch, failing that move completely away from performance for a while and suck a diesel lifestyle for a bit. I've never had a diesel and now with the modern common-rail engines etc the performance can be pretty good but still return some awesome mpg. Truth is I very much enjoy fast cars, this is something we all have in common, but if I am one day going to roll around town in a R8, Maserati, Gallardo or 458 Italia then maybe I have to make the savings now. My wife wants to move house and this all costs money - sometimes downsizing is the right thing to do. The RS4 is the only car I want right now but we all gotta live - and you're absolutely right - to step up to something even coming close to this much awesomeness is going to be a 997 or GT-R both of which are out of my league. The question I raised was:

'what else is out there that you would consider - nothing really appeals to me apart from the RS4, what am i missing that should be on this list?'

Now the forum guys have thrown a few ideas about I actually can see my wife's point of view (kinda if I look through warped spectacles) and look forward to a change - we all need to move on. I have an awesome car - it's had 3 owners (I am that 3rd) and someone out there will appreciate it a lot more than I do at the moment. I run to work everyday, so it sits at home during the week and sometimes at the weekend, it is truly a weekend car but when I drive North Wales to Portsmouth to see my dad - dammmmmn, that fuel costs BIG money!

So, I see your concerns psg001, but my wife doesn't enjoy the Audi and I'm warming to the idea that making a change makes for a better home life. If I change to something cheaper/slower now then maybe i'll be able to meet everybody on the 458 Italia forum in a few years time (trying to work out how to stop our cars catching fire). We'll be old by then and be all sat round talking about the old days when we all drove RS4's and questioning why no one has since made a car that combines such practicality, form, poise, and such a spirited drive; until then I will get a 4x4 Fiat Panda and stick a photo of a GranTurismo MC Stradale on the dash with a note saying - 'Buy me in 2015'.

fair play Tim,

you are right, sometimes its the right decision to downsize. and actually, downsizing doesnt mean it has to be less fun, which is why I mention the two renaults. the 200 cup would be a total scream of a car that you could banzai around the roads of north wales and still see 28-30 mpg, 30+ with sensible driving, and you can pick them up for about £10-12,000. the megane 250 cup is more expensive obviously, but keeps the ford focus RS honest. I love the look of the focus RS and it seems you have had some quick fords so would probably get the nod from your wife too, and it can be tuned also, but i suspect it wont be much more economical than the RS4 if you do the tuning route, but it will be fun! I drove a new mini cooper S works recently and that was brilliant, had a Mk1 cooper S in the past, great handling, small, light , and now with the turbo charged engine much more economical than my old supercharged cooper S. women love minis too, but they are not cheap (women or minis!).

I quite like the scirroco's looks, but its expensive for what it is, the R version looks brilliant, but even more expensive. Audi TT? they do a diesel now, but TTs prob expensive. BMW 1 series 135 coupe is a quick car, and can be remapped to 360 bhp, seriously quick, think its the same engine as the 1 series M. probably stay away from Subaru's, quick but not a great image, same for mitsubishi evos.

so hot hatches I would look at clio 200 cup, megane 250 cup, R56 cooper S works, Focus RS (mk2), maybe a scirroco.

I'll leave out the audi S3 as after the RS4 it will no doubt be disappointing, and you dont sound like audis are right for your wife, but its a good car and you could tune it and get it for a decent price 2nd hand.

beemers - 335d would be fun, looks very smart too, quite economical, quick. 135i could be a lot of fun, definitely quick. second hand E92 M3 (now thats moving to the dark side)

i probably wouldnt consider much else TBH.

[ranksie]

psg001 I can vouch for the 135i coupe with a map, cause I had one a couple of cars back, what a car! The only thing that i have driven within the price range that is anywhere near the 4.
Timdogg I looked at changing it for the Focus RS when it first came out, but once I had driven the Focus I soon realised is what not even closer to the beemer at the time. Had a 123d Hatch version before that, that was also a good car with good fuel return, had a 197 clio before that and that car was great fun (cant remember the mpg though). The nicest diesel I have had were a couple of Q5's, great mpg, nice image, nice drive so maybe this is another option?
Good luck with finding a replacement, I can understand your situation as I normally like to change cars every three month or so, but honestly dont know what else I would buy, in and around the price range. Prob best t forget youve owned and RS4 for the time being this way you might not be quite as dissapointed when comparing the next car!!!!
G

[TimDogg]

psg01 & ranksie - thanks guys.... I'm thinking VW T5 Van, kitted out in the back for windsurfing maybe - then maybe I won't miss the RS too much as it would be completely different. The Q5 hadn't thought of - again completely different and I'm not saying that I have a problem with French cars (Renaults) but, you know, they're French aren't they....! Ranksie - interesting that you didn't rate the Focus RS alongside the 135i with map - I thought they were closely matched - maybe it was the Beemers RWD that made the difference. My mate just got a 6 month ban and has got a BMW 330d, maybe I can run that for a while to ween myself off the RS4, either way - I'll let everybody know what I do - maybe the missus won't want a house anymore and we can go back to our happy family with the Audi tucked up in the garage all snug.

[wrekka]

I drove a 2009 gtr tonight with y pipe and map etc and I didn't like it so now I'm stumped also!!! What to buy now? My mate has a jamsport focus rs it's nice but I need four wheel drive and some luxury decisions decisions

Why didn't you like the GTR danny?

[S4Player]

Nowhere near as responsive as my b7 or as fun and involving to drive! It felt safer than the rs4 and that's what I want away from plus I prefer manual.could have stuck the ps3 on jumped on the lazyboy and played gt5 that's what the gtr felt like a computer game.be interesting to hear the views of some of the guys from here who have went for a gtr,maybe I didn't have enough time in it to enjoy it but deco not my next car! The search continues

[PJC]

Nowhere near as responsive as my b7 or as fun and involving to drive! It felt safer than the rs4 and that's what I want away from plus I prefer manual.could have stuck the ps3 on jumped on the lazyboy and played gt5 that's what the gtr felt like a computer game.be interesting to hear the views of some of the guys from here who have went for a gtr,maybe I didn't have enough time in it to enjoy it but deco not my next car! The search continues

911 GT2?

[wrekka]

Nowhere near as responsive as my b7 or as fun and involving to drive! It felt safer than the rs4 and that's what I want away from plus I prefer manual.could have stuck the ps3 on jumped on the lazyboy and played gt5 that's what the gtr felt like a computer game.be interesting to hear the views of some of the guys from here who have went for a gtr,maybe I didn't have enough time in it to enjoy it but deco not my next car! The search continues

It's gonna be tough for you coming from the highly modded b7. You may need to go old school? i.e Porsche 911 turbo s modded (as in the one from bad boys) or gemballa (although he is now dead or should i say murderd!). They may not feel very safe but are <beep> hot fast...just a thought?

[S4Player]

I've been speaking to Doug quick alot regarding the matter he mentioned the gt2 to me.I'm thinking I'll build a crazy track car and that should satisfy me that or i'm thinking r8 and throw a twin turbo into the mix there's v8 kits ready to go just now but I know there's going to be v10 kits available soon so if anything that may be the route I go.still not decided if I'll sell up if a good offer comes up I'll let it go.I'm researching like mad the now regarding custom internals etc for mine so we can go really mental with it! The joys of modding

[S4Player]

I've just read that post and I'm constantly contradicting myself can you tell I really want to keep the b7 haha?

[wrekka]

I've just read that post and I'm constantly contradicting myself can you tell I really want to keep the b7 haha?

The new S8 is gonna have a 520 bhp turbo V8, now that modded in the RS4 would be good.....

[S4Player]

Already looked at dropping the c5 rs6 lump into mine far too much work involved.Id love for stronger internals and a bigger supercharger spacing is the bloody problem wrekka inconsiderate bast**ds at Audi leaving me no room to fit to massive turbo's haha

[wrekka]

Already looked at dropping the c5 rs6 lump into mine far too much work involved.Id love for stronger internals and a bigger supercharger spacing is the bloody problem wrekka inconsiderate bast**ds at Audi leaving me no room to fit to massive turbo's haha

I understand. There actually isn't a car that's currently in production that I would want to buy next that ticks all the RS4 boxes. To be honest I would like the RS4 to have much more power, but can't really justify the expense to get it really fast.