Drove a B7 today! Do I sell my B5 for one?

[stumpyrs4]

Woulkd love the B7, BUT I can't imagine selling the B5 for one though...

Unless someone offered me an obscene amount of course...

[sonny]

hmmm temptations ahh, that whine is the transmission whine, I love that sound.

[juice]

I wouldnt...... i drove a a friends m6 as he kept boasting how fast it was....truth is i didnt think so. its so lardy and agree that with the v8 and v10 power your already into illegal speeds to notice the difference. B5 has brilliant throttle response etc

now if i had a supercharged B7....that would be another story, but in oem form i would never.

[drjones1]

I respect your experienced opinion Lengster, maybe we just want different things from a car?

A B5 may well feel dated but have you ever been in a 993 911? That's how I see my B5, old yes but possessing so much presence and performance as well as being rare that it will always be a treat to get behind the wheel.

I have no doubt the B7 is a better car but as something to look forward to driving at the weekend I just think it's a bit too....sane.

An absolutely spot on post!!

I'm on my second B5 had one from very nearly new and another 8 years later.

But and its a very big but... i also drive a ur quattro and it is a better drive than any other car i have owned and will probably ever own..

For sure i would never want it for daily use but both my cars are for weekend pleasure, having driven many B7's they would just get old and dusty.. nice but not for me.

It really depends on what you want a car for..

[RS4KILLA]

i have both cars at the moment the b5 and the b7 rs4
i have to say the b5 is quicker
the b5 is a lot more fun in the snow than the b7

[N11LS_J]

Hmmm, I was in the same frame of mind about 2 months ago, drove a B7, loved the sound more than anything to be honest, yes the road handling was far more superior to the B5, but now that I have full geometry setup on the Bilsteins, my B5 is right back up there with the best of them.

A few factors helped me make up my mind...

I have a low mileage minter, and as it's my weekend car, those numbers will stay low and in turn keep its value for years to come.

B5 is the original RS4 and will be a future classic.

Shove in the back from the bi-turbos is just something else.

I have managed to create my perfect car with a few 'improvement' mods, which bring the car both back up to date and fix some of those flaws Audi missed when producing these B5s.

And finally, I tend to see more and more B7s on the road these days, as stated in previous posts/polls, the B5 has so much more road presence.

So my B5 is here to stay!!!!!

[Contigo]

Awesome it is too!

[dace]

Like N11LS has said with a few upgrades the B5 can be made to feel more "modern".

I have had mine for nearly four years now and have driven all the closest competition, M6, M5, B7RS4, 996TT. Nothing really floats my boat like my B5. I am however, very temted by the new C63 AMG. Test drive coming soon if I can get my head round 19mpg on a long run!!

I tend to think the secret is not driving the B5 everyday IMO. I have my "loser cruiser" Hyundai Accent 1.4 for my daily commute of 2 miles....

[RS4ever]

I have owned my 2001 B5 from new. 60K on the clock. I get a thrill everyday I drive it. I had two extended test drives in a B7 from two different dealers and both times I got back in my B5 and said WOW, this is the car for me. imho there is no comparison. B5 sounds better and performs better. The interior is still one of the best I have seen with no gimics like 'start' buttons or flat bottomed steering wheel. Its an RS in the true RS tradition. No saloon, no cabriolet.

[don]

I think if you are into fashion then certainly the B7s more modern looks may be something that is more desirable. You may then think the b5 is dated, although personally I've always thought the b7 nose was a bit ugly but overall a nice looking car. From most angles the B5 also still looks like a very modern car but certainly a car for the enthusiast rather than the fashion conscious.

Those who do not like driving avants are also obviously inclined towards the B7.

If you are considering technology, reliability and performance then arguably the b5 is just better. The cosworth designed cylinder heads, twin turbo, strengthened engine, the huge power and torque from 2.7 l, etc. As people have mentioned handling is not great but can be easily fixed with a supsension and brake upgrade. The b5 becomes a well sorted car and for most average drivers can perform on par with most modern equivalents including the b7, notwithstanding what a simple chip and exhaust upgrade can do which then simply makes the b5 quicker than most modern equivalents.

Sure the technology in the b7 could be argued as being better but we all know how unreliable the DRC is in the B7 can be and it seems Audi have not learnt their lesson from the C5 RS6 or from BMWs experience in the early to mid 90s, e.g., the 840/850.

Then there's the direct injection/FSI which seems to have bollocked up every performance car in the Audi line notwithstanding other manufacturers. So much for Copenhagen and the attempt to build greener cars.

I mean valves not seating properly and poor air flow due to carbon buildup within a few years of a vehicles life is rediculous. In some respects the technology in the B7 and other FSI cars has gone backwards and will now take some evolving to get right at the expense of owners and probably the environment when most people probably wont bother fixing it. Certainly, yearly manifold and cylinder port/valve cleaning is not an intelligent solution but a costly and time consuming exercise.

These issues certainly makes me think twice regarding the B7 and the B8 S4 for that matter. I think my b5 and many others will still be going strong when the B7 and the likes are wallowing around puffing plumes of smoke.

[RS4KILLA]

true!

[mikeyquattro]

I have owned my 2001 B5 from new. 60K on the clock. I get a thrill everyday I drive it. I had two extended test drives in a B7 from two different dealers and both times I got back in my B5 and said WOW, this is the car for me. imho there is no comparison. B5 sounds better and performs better. The interior is still one of the best I have seen with no gimics like 'start' buttons or flat bottomed steering wheel. Its an RS in the true RS tradition. No saloon, no cabriolet.

well said

[HYFR]

I think if you are into fashion then certainly the B7s more modern looks may be something that is more desirable. You may then think the b5 is dated, although personally I've always thought the b7 nose was a bit ugly but overall a nice looking car. From most angles the B5 also still looks like a very modern car but certainly a car for the enthusiast rather than the fashion conscious.

Those who do not like driving avants are also obviously inclined towards the B7.

If you are considering technology, reliability and performance then arguably the b5 is just better. The cosworth designed cylinder heads, twin turbo, strengthened engine, the huge power and torque from 2.7 l, etc. As people have mentioned handling is not great but can be easily fixed with a supsension and brake upgrade. The b5 becomes a well sorted car and for most average drivers can perform on par with most modern equivalents including the b7, notwithstanding what a simple chip and exhaust upgrade can do which then simply makes the b5 quicker than most modern equivalents.

Sure the technology in the b7 could be argued as being better but we all know how unreliable the DRC is in the B7 can be and it seems Audi have not learnt their lesson from the C5 RS6 or from BMWs experience in the early to mid 90s, e.g., the 840/850.

Then there's the direct injection/FSI which seems to have bollocked up every performance car in the Audi line notwithstanding other manufacturers. So much for Copenhagen and the attempt to build greener cars.

I mean valves not seating properly and poor air flow due to carbon buildup within a few years of a vehicles life is rediculous. In some respects the technology in the B7 and other FSI cars has gone backwards and will now take some evolving to get right at the expense of owners and probably the environment when most people probably wont bother fixing it. Certainly, yearly manifold and cylinder port/valve cleaning is not an intelligent solution but a costly and time consuming exercise.

These issues certainly makes me think twice regarding the B7 and the B8 S4 for that matter. I think my b5 and many others will still be going strong when the B7 and the likes are wallowing around puffing plumes of smoke.

very well said

I think the B5 RS 4 and the C5 RS 6 are going to be absolute legends in time. They just dont make em like they used to. Cosworth being the common denominator is no coincidence IMO

[pomy]

Absolutely agree with the above posts!

[rickoshea]

My post of the month goes to Don in Sydney