I thought I wanted an RS4 until I read the posts here...

[ScoobyAndy]

Hi all,

After 10 years of happy trouble free Impreza ownership I've been looking something a bit more refined and the RS4 seemed to tick all the boxes. However reading some of the posts on this forum over the past week I now have some serious reservations !

1. DRC - Sounds like a ticking time bomb. A massive list of people experiencing the problem and no recall ?

2. Optimistic power figures. I'm sure how Audi got away with quoting 414bhp when many people are seeing dyno figures closer to 360 ?

3. Scary costs of ownership. Steep Audi servicing fees and expensive consumables like tyres, pads & clutches.

I'm not setting out to knock the car at all but it's certainly been something of an eye opener to read some of the experiences and opinions here after the overwhelmingly positive reviews in the press. Perhaps for every bad experience there are in fact many more good ones. I hope so !

[euga6]

Hi i was also planning to buy a RS4 after owning a S4 but have now opted for a E60 M5 the poor BHP and faults but me right off plus the we only have one Audi dealer here and they are Twats.

As for Audi UK customer services there even worse.

euga6

[Outtlaw]

Forums always brings out the worst. Just out of curiosity did you not have to spend out on the impreza and how much was a service? Ive owned an RS4 for about 1 and a half years now, 15,000miles with just one service and no tyres(needed soon). As for DRC ill get it changed before the 5yrs is up and then decide what to do, and performance its an animal round the bends you will just have to drive one Peter

[ScoobyAndy]

I've always had my servicing independently and it's ranged from £150 to £500 per year. I'm a very low mileage driver as it's purely a weekend toy

Maybe I've been spoiled but even with mods I've not had a *single* running cost besides servicing and a set of tyres in 25,000 miles !

I'm thinking a new S4 might be a better option for similar money but the ownership cost worries still apply...

[P_G]

I can honestly say that it is the best car I have ever owned. My car is now 3+ years old and has nigh on 58,000 miles on the clock. Just on to it's 3rd set of tyres, servicing anything between £300 and £500 (latter including plugs) and apart from some brake issues which I have narrowed down to a sticky caliper the car has been bombproof.

Build quality is excellent, DRC on mine was replaced under warranty on the front and has been fine since, power figures I have had between 350 and 400bhp even on various rolling roads with a fault so I would seriously suggest it is more to do with the apparatus rather than the car as even a ham fisted driver like me can get 4.8 0-62 out of an Avant using a Racelogic box with no mods. Consumables can be expensive from Audi but then don't buy from them, plenty of retailers that sell parts for this car.

Better to drive one than rely on opinion and I think you'll find that as many complaints as there is the majority of RS4 owners struggle to find what to replace this car with on a like for like basis and if like me, will probably be keeping this for a while.

Like said before people tend to promote the negative more than the positive.

[approved]

no problems with mine.

good car.

lot of whinging gets done on forums, and this one is no exception.

i like subaru's.

bit of a chavvy mobile now though, so i understand your wanting to upgrade

your money, you decide!

try an e90 M3 as well.

rs4 will tick all the right boxes given your background.

[aidanjaye]

If you treat the car well it shouldn't cost you too much.

Note S4?? What will one be worth in 3 years - RS4s won't depreciate much more.

I've had mine for 6 months and its great (had subarus, skyline gtr, Audi S4 before), best car I've owned. Don't let the small troubles worry you - all forums highlight the doom and gloom...

[HYFR]

RS4s won't depreciate much more.

dont want the thread to go off piste, but I think they will

fact of life

[NOMISEGDELP]

I went from an 03 STi (265 horses, more torque but for less time) to a 06 RS, and the latter is much more grown up. The STi was great, but runs out of grunt much earlier. On a 7/10th of a mile private road I know, with a rolling start off the perimeter track I got to 130 recorded in the STi, and 142 in the RS before dropping anchor. We also had/have an outback, forrester, 3.6 tribeca and based on GPS the audi speedo is very accurate, whilst scoob ones seem to be c.10% optimistic. I always cringed at the spoiler (but forgot about it behind the wheel) Sure the audi costs more, but you get more for it! Depreciation is a % of the cost, so a 50k car will always lose more than a 25k one in £££s. If that bothers anyone enough, they need a fiat500 or a pushbike! "The (wo)man who dies in debt has made a profit."

[HYFR]

"The (wo)man who dies in debt has made a profit."

[scub]

1. DRC - Sounds like a ticking time bomb. A massive list of people experiencing the problem and no recall ?

i have 30k miles on my RS with no problems.. its a hit or miss which cars
develop the problem. audi will warranty if you develop problems.

2. Optimistic power figures. I'm sure how Audi got away with quoting 414bhp when many people are seeing dyno figures closer to 360 ?

it's called drivetrain loss and AWD. considering the drive train loss this car does 0-60mph in under 4.7 seconds.. not many N/A cars can achieve this performance from a small displacement 4.2L V8 engine.

3. Scary costs of ownership. Steep Audi servicing fees and expensive consumables like tyres, pads & clutches.

if you are worried about maintenance fees i would recommend you not buy the car. most people who buy $70,000+ cars aren't worried about maintenance cost.

front and rear brake jobs are $2,000+
clutch/flywheel jobs $3,000+
tires are $300+ each
oil changes $100+

again don't buy it if you're worried about maintenance. as with any other high-end cars, it's the price you pay to drive one.

[reevesroadster]

I dont need to sell the benefits of RS ownership on here, or defend it against the OP comments - the car speaks volumes for itself.

Anyone thats driven one can vouch for that!!

[SR71]

Comparing a weekend warrior and a daily driver is always going to be fraught with difficulty. P_G probably does more miles per month than you did per year in your car so the daily driver is always going to take a beating with attendant consequences.

I'd agree it is the best car I've ever had.

DRC is a lottery. I've had my car from new and no problems. The additional warranty means I'm safe to 5 years out.

The power the car produces is a debate that will rage forever. Suffice to say, many owners with VAGCOM have recorded sub 4.5 0-60 times which is quicker than quoted inspite of what they produce on the rollers. 1/4 mile times suggest the car is making good power so I wouldn't get to worried about the dyno figures myself....

There are, however, issues with FSI engines in general. Those lucky enough to have a E60 M5 or E90/E92 M3 will avoid these issues as they aren't FSI, but, inevitably, like a diesel, they start to clog themselves up. The difference in the RS4 is quantifiable but small if you do the relevant testing.

Costs? I'd say they're probably about par for the course. I drive 150 miles each way to get my car serviced by "the RS experts" in the Audi world rather than let the local dealers work on my car but thats just me. A set of boots will cost you £700 fitted but aside from that the car costs me very little. Just under 30K on mine.

The benefits are a car which ticks a huge number of boxes which other cars with comparable performance otherwise wouldn't...

[toomuch]

Ive had my car for six months now. Its really replaced my M6.

It is currently worth more money to me than i paid for it, its used 2litres of oil, one trye replaced due to bad luck, apart from that its cost me nothing. its the cheapest car ive ever run.

Its an 07 plate under warratny and AUDI have changed my DRC ( DRC has a 5 year AUDI warranty so all cars are still covered) and also my juddering brakes so AUDI get a big thumbs up from me.

If you dont buy one you will regret it.

[mark758]

Have noticed on a few forums a recent trend to denegrate the RS4.
Also noticed the sources are rarely drivers who actually own one, but experts who have a friend or read or heard ...