Used RS4 B8 Which Optional extras are a must have

[Johnsmith]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to buy a used B8 RS4 and wanted to understand from people who have them which optional extras are a much have e.g. Sports Pack,

I'm also new to the forum and wanted to say hi, so hola .

[carsarecool]

Hi,

It's a personal choice so here's mine:

20's
Hill Hold Assist
Keyless Entry
Sports Pack
Tech Pack - Active Cruise and Camera are great.
Full leather vs. Alcantara inserts - stay clear of light grey
B&O
It absolutly has to be Sepang Blue with Matte pack

Good luck with the search.

[Graeme4130]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to buy a used B8 RS4 and wanted to understand from people who have them which optional extras are a much have e.g. Sports Pack,

I'm also new to the forum and wanted to say hi, so hola .

Hi John, and welcome
Options are a bit user dependant. It's not like the B7 RS4 where the non bucket seats and round wheel (instead of flat bottom steering wheel) were considered a bit naff
Sports pack is popular, but then the dynamic steering in the sports pack is liked by some and not by others
If i was to say absolutely necessary options, the only one that springs to mind is the sports exhaust as the standard one is a bit flat and doesn't give the deep sound of the sports version - Sports is still fine for everyday driving though
The 20" wheels look nicer in my opinion, but the car does ride better on the standard 19's, although this is marginal
The rest is really down to personal preference and budget

[Johnsmith]

Thanks guys ,

[RossDagley]

My essentials were:

Sports pack - the dynamic steering (as said above) is personal preference but I like it in dynamic personally.
Sports exhaust is an absolute must (unless you plan on taking it straight to an aftermarket exhaust of course). Comes with Sports Pack above.
Driver Assistance Pack - reverse cam (once you've had one being without really feels poverty spec). Also adaptive cruise is awesome. Lane assist I'm still getting used to.
Hill Hold assist.
Privacy glass - after market tints look cheap and tacky.
Mobile Phone high. Obviously.
Pan roof. The sunroof is excellent and lovely to have open - especially in the good weather we've been having!
B&O - the step up from the Bose system in the B7 I had is staggering.

[kmpowell]

FON

No compromise must haves for me were:

- Sports Pack (for the exhaust and wheels)
- Privacy Glass (to protect my young 'un from the rays as he's sleeping etc)
- Hill Hold Assist (once you've had it in a car you'll never want to be without it again)

Everything else I specced was/is/are toys and nice to haves.

[Johnsmith]

Is the Hill Hold Assist really worth it, I ask as most auto's crawl forward anyway so unless its a really steeeeeep hill it shouldn't roll back?

[MikeFish]

I'm pretty sure the Hill Hold Assist is wha tmakes my wifes car a pain to drive. When you press to pull out quickly there is a slight delay before it will move off which is very annoying when you are pulling out on a roundabout with lorrys heading into the side of your car. I turned it down a bit with VCDS but it didn't make it any better. Keep meaning to plug it in again and turn it off completely. If this is down to HHA then I defo wouldn't want it on another car.

[kmpowell]

Is the Hill Hold Assist really worth it, I ask as most auto's crawl forward anyway so unless its a really steeeeeep hill it shouldn't roll back?

Yes, it's the crawl that's the problem for me, not the Hill Hold element. Sat at traffic lights or in stop/start traffic the HHA removes the need for you to keep your foot on the brake to stop the creep/crawl. With it activated you can pull up to traffic lights, it'll automatically come on, then you simply press the accelerator to pull away which automatically overrides the HHA.

[MikeFish]

Is the Hill Hold Assist really worth it, I ask as most auto's crawl forward anyway so unless its a really steeeeeep hill it shouldn't roll back?

Yes, it's the crawl that's the problem for me, not the Hill Hold element. Sat at traffic lights or in stop/start traffic the HHA removes the need for you to keep your foot on the brake to stop the creep/crawl. With it activated you can pull up to traffic lights, it'll automatically come on, then you simply press the accelerator to pull away which overrides that HHA.

Isn't there a slight hesitation though? And if you take your foot off the brake doesn't it release after a couple of seconds and start crawling?
Maybe it's not HHA that annoys me then.

[kmpowell]

Isn't there a slight hesitation though?

If there is a slight hesitation it's so minimal it's hardly noticeable. That might be a characteristic of it being mated to the S-Tronic and V8, but I've never noticed it with issue. In fact roundabout getaways (such as the one you mentioned) are particularly good with the HHA feature because you don't have to hold the brake with your right foot whilst you wait, you can simply have you foot on the accelerator pedal ready to go as soon as it's clear, so in effect it makes your getaway even quicker.

And if you take your foot off the brake doesn't it release after a couple of seconds and start crawling?

Nope, mine stays activated until I press the accelerator.

[Graeme4130]

I have the HHC on my car, but don't use it (it starts without it and you have to turn it on)
In 20k miles, I think I've used it twice on very steep hills, but then left foot on brake does the same thing with the confidence that it's not going to suddenly disengage and roll you backwards into the car behind
It was a £60 option, so I considered it better to try and not use than not have and feel I'm missing out

[Graeme4130]

The other option that divides opinion is Bucket seats
They're very nice in the B8 (I had them in my first B8 RS), but they take up a lot of already tight rear leg room, and the leather bolsters don't wear as well as the standard seats
Unlike the B7, the standard seats in the B8 are really very good already, just not quite as 'special' as the buckets

[MikeFish]

I wouldn't look at a B8 without them. Not that there is anything wrong with the standard seats, they just don't feel like an RS for me.
I noticed though, that the buckets are not even an option on the RS6 or RS3.

[RossDagley]

HHA should start in whatever mode it was last set to (on/off) - I pressed it once when I got the car and haven't pressed it since. Always works fine and comes on automatically. Only time it doesn't work is when you dont have your seatbelt on.

And yes - it stops creep completely at junctions meaning you can take your feet off the pedals if you want.

Regarding the standard vs buckets - having had both now, I'd not go back to buckets - I'm too big for them really, and the lack of electric adjustment on anything is a PITA, even more so if you allow anyone else to drive like the wife... the sports seats in the b8 are light years better than the crap that came in the b7.