Cabriolet - top down, let down

[Lorimer997]

Now I'm not sure how this post will go down but here we go...

I went to go and buy a cabriolet this week, cash in pocket, ready to go. Due to the lack of them in the country I hadn't driven one until now and although forewarned by a one owner I assumed they would be very much like the saloons I have driven.

Unfortunately I was hugely dissapointed. Whilst on smooth roads the car felt good as soon as you got on any rough surface (which, lets face it isn't challenging in the UK) the scuttle shake on the car was awful with judders passing through the car at the smallest pothole or bump. This was just amplified if "making progress" through a corner while hitting said bump with the whole car shaking and quite distracting.

The pace of the car seemed blunted as well with the urgency not quite as that in the saloon, especially at the bottom end.

On the positive side with the top down, the noise of that engine at full chat - wow

Anyway, upshot is I am now looking for a saloon with a sunroof!!

[UNI555]

Get an avant and leave the tailgate up - noise plus downforce! - sorted! er, don't be sitting at traffic lights though, or you'll fall asleep for good!

[Les]

For me cabrios are stupid in the UK, fine if in a country where the weather is good most of the time, otherwise a waste of cash, there all about posing I'm affraid and that's not what the RS4 is for Flame suit on
My better half has a little 1.8 Tigra which is actually quite a nice little motor and with the roof up it handles ok (metal roof of course) but with it down it's just for enjoying the weather (if the weather ever happens)
The saloon is the one to buy, I have one with no sunroof (nice to have perhaps but with climate and 4 electric windows not needed) and it does a great job for everything in my mind
Some will tell you to buy the estate, sorry avant , but the saloon is the best Second flame suit on

[approved]

did it have sports suspension plus?

i can feel all chagnes in road surgace through my saloon, so cabs must be miles worse......

[pippyrips]

I find my solar sunroof a really useful option, on the occasions when we actually do get sun it keeps the car nice and cool for when you get in plus it helps avoid burning skin on hot leather!

[ChrisCSL]

That's cabrio's for you! You could by a saloon or avant for daily use and a Lotus Elise for fun and sunburn. Works fir me

[Oli]

I just don't see the point of a sport 4 seat cabriolet - One big wobbly jelly!

[GBrownlow]

Can't say scuttle shake was a big problem on my cab and to notice the difference I think you would have to be racing in the touring car championship. Cabs are posing cars and therefore there is a compromise but the same applies to both avants ( vans ) or saloons ( A4 rep car ).

[approved]

true..cabs are for big pimping...

carl fogarty has a grey one...which suprised me, but i suppos he just wanted a cab for the family that was quite quick...

[Les]

Saloon............ a rep car....... no way
I guess we all have different thoughts on how our models are viewed but to be honest all of the RS4 range, for me, is unique

Whilst based on the A4, that's about it, as they are so different dynamically and they don't share many (important) parts.

Storming cars, one and all, still wouldn't have the cabrio though

[approved]

cabrio is a compromise....and not a bad one at that...

[Lorimer997]

I found a big difference between them, a real shimmer in the chassis over bumps with the roof down that definitely doesn't exist in the saloon (and I'm no BTCC driver).

I used to do the two car thing (Elise funnily enough!) but it is no longer an option with me with parking availability and "lifestyle", just a bit of a waste really as the second car would hardly get used.

I know the cab is a compromise, and I'm not berating it, but I was genuinely suprised at what I perceived the difference in feel compared the saloon.

[pad125]

I’ve not driven a cab but reading what has been posted here it’s not that hard to understand. If you chop the top half of a car off and stick a 414bhp (allegedly!) engine in it you’re going to have problems. I know other manufactures have done it but really we’re talking about 100k+ super cars not an exceptional everyday cars derived from a mainstream base model.

Saloon works for me although I have owned a couple of Avant’s in a previous life and found them very practical. My partner has a 3.2 TT roadster and on nice day she ferries me around for a change (nice to be able to have a drink!) with the top down so have the best of both worlds.

[approved]

how much heavier is the cab than the saloon? that would blunt your performance significantly?

[Lorimer997]

Just under 200kg so like having two and half people in your car before you start.