B5 or B7 Again

[MEPS]

Hopefully some owners will come and give some opinions I drove a B7 saloon a while back and it never lived up to expectations of the B5 that I expected I have been looking at getting a Noble as a toy and keeping the B5 but it now looks like parts for a Noble are now going to become awkward to source. I am just after opinions of people that went from a B5 to a B7 of your thoughts or was the one I drove just a bad one as much as the B5 I have is one of the best drives I have ever had and the condition it is in is mint does anyone regret going to a B7. Give us some responses guys on what you think.

Mark

[njw123]

This has been covered quite a bit on here....

The short answer is that pretty much everyone who comes from a B5 (particularly a remapped one) finds the B7 slow on a first drive. But spend time with it, and the B7s performance is there.

I think everyone agrees that dynamically the B7 is an improvement. Obviously the interior is much more up to date, although the B5s seats are probably the most comfy and supportive I've ever had.

Exterior looks are a matter of taste. I think they both look stunning.

For me - if the B7 had a turbo or two, I'd have bought one. But right now I'm happy with my B5

[S4INT]

Completely agree with the above. The B7 RS4's performance seems initially disappointing, especially if you jump straight in for a short test drive from a B5 RS4. However, once you spend some time with the car, you learn that it just takes a different approach to get the performance out of it, and it definitely is there once you get the revs up! That said, I'll always miss the mid-range punch of the B5, it was just so effortless to access the performance.

The B7 is definitely a generation ahead in terms of dynamics, although the B5 can be made to stop and handle just as well. Difficult choice, wish I could have kept both......

[blackb1ade]

Just to muddy the issue - MTM are due to release to market a supercharger for the B7 which will see (allegedly) around the 550 mark and plenty more mid-range oomph. (apples for apples after all > modded B5 against 'modded' B7 - soon there WILL be a fairer comparison)

As things stand I love my B5 [prefer the looks also over the B7] - not only that but it's a runaway winner in terms of straight up 'value for money' - for 30k I have a car with 470bhp that handles & stops to match it's performance - whereas I'm staring down the barrels of nearer 60k for the same in a B7 (car PLUS supercharger if costs are around 7-8k). No brainer given I'm a Scotsman

Although.......

[>RS4<]

The most dissapointing thing about the B7 for me is that the power only comes out when revving the engine past 5k.

Handling is slightly better in the B7 but looks of the B5 are unbeatable.

All in all the B5 is the better car for me,at least the B7 isn't worth spending an extra 50k euro for me.....

So if you have a B5,you could do mods like: Turbo's,drivers seat refurbish,Quattro GmBh fahrwerk.

And you have the better car!

[MEPS]

Loads to think of there I took my b5 out yesterday and whenever I drive it the smoothness of the power always gives a grin especially with the MRC map. I dont know whether I could live with the B7 and also there are quite a few cars out there that I would rather spend 50k on but would I get the perfomance I have now. This is swaying back to getting a toy and keeping the B5. I f I do get rid of the B5 it will have to go private as I would rather a dealer not get it with the amount I have done to it recently.


Mark