anyone have experience with the RS4 that can share their perspective? a good friend is leaving the country and has offered to sell me his black/black RS4. 1 year old with <5k miles.

much appreciate any input.

 

Look for C.J. Ichiban on here or the 993TT board. Good guy, owns a red one I believe. He has a post in the OT - D'oh Selling my M5 thread.

 

I know them well however have not owned one.

Just sold the "big brother" to this car, an RS6.

Only known issues were some piston cracking (very early models) and a rare few DRC (fluid filled shock system) issues. Both covered under warranty.

Fun cars to drive if you need the AWD.

 

I'd recommend you watch this and enjoy

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/24/v...3-c63-and-rs4/

 

I have an opinion about them for use on the track (not suitable) but no opinion about them as daily drivers other than that they are HOT. Very nice ride.

 

"mrsullivan" has one.

 

I think Viken has one....

 

And I drove it on New Years Day. Awesome car. Fast and very stable. Liked it better than my former '06 M5.

 

Great Video(s).. I love that show.

RS4
I have a customer w/ and RS4 and a C63 on order. I've driven his RS4 and it is great. The engine sounds wild almost supercharged. You can also adjust the exhaust note on the car.

IMO Downfalls:
Small
Understeer
Very Expensive Insurance

 

If you have a chance to get one, do it.

I purchase mine 2007 RS4 in Feb. I was not allowed to test drive it, but I was allowed to start it, and that's all it took to convince me to buy it.

I just passed 7k miles, and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Though I am not a daily driver, it's awesome in the snow and rain, and I can't see anyone having an issue with driving it daily other than terrible gas mileage if it's driven as it was meant to be driven.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Good luck,

Phil

 

Might want to ask these guys ====> http://forums.audiworld.com/rs4b7/

 

Well, I will assume that you are ok with a long post...stop reading whenever you want.

I have owned BMW M3s, Porsches, other fast cars - both sports cars and sedan type cars. Have driven AMGs, Lexus, Saab, etc. If you are looking for a fast sedan car and dont need automatic, no car touches the RS4 in my opinion. I drove others in the same category, some a little faster, or softer/easier, but none combine all the attributes of an RS4. Its looks sweet with its subtle German styling, the interior is killer, the engine is an absolute masterpiece (really, probably one of the best engines ever made), performance numbers are very respectable, huge trunk, good safety ratings, and Quattro is even stickier than I expected in the wet/ice. Its more expensive than the new M3 or C63 AMG, and a tad slower, but I think that it does a better job with the "whole" package than those others do. The thing about those 3 and the comparison tests on Top Gear and elsewhere, is that they are BRAND NEW. The RS4 is 2 yrs old and no more production. The M3 and C63 AMG havent really upped the game, and they have left themselves wide open for the next Audi RS series. I also drove the new M5 extensively as I was down to deciding between it and the RS4, and I chose the RS4. Its *somewhat* rare to see one on the road, and I feel like it is a *cool* substitute for a Porsche if you need 4 doors.

Having said all that, I really bought it out of necessity. Without going through a long story, I turned down an allocation for a 7-GT3 and sold my 993, all in the interest of hunkering down as a family man for awhile. I have a 2 yrold boy and another boy due in about 3 weeks. The first has some health issues that have presented more recently and focus needed to come off Porsches a little. I already miss my 993. The RS4 is a great car, but at $77k it is expensive and nowhere near the tactile in-touch experience of driving a Porsche...really any one. I mention this just in case you are viewing it as a suitable substitue for say a 997 S ( a car that it is frequently compared to) or 996tt, 993, etc. From my perspective, it fails compared to those cars because it is by definition a bit of a "compromise". It is too small to be a luxurious easy driver (think Merc) and it is too heavy/removed to be a Porsche-like driving experience. If you are getting it as a daily driver/meant to be sedan experience, you will love it.

More specifically:

- exterior styling...love it, very muscular, but pretty unknown on the road except to enthusiasts, which I like

- interior styling... Audi is always the best, for some time, in my opinion, much better than BMW or even Porsche, maybe better than Merc

- engine... an absolute masterpiece with 8k+ redline and the sounds are fantastic, it just pulls and pulls, the torque grabs way low... but be prepared to buy LOTS of gas... I get about 11-12 miles to the gallon

- transmission... cable actuated, very snickity, great shifting action...clutch is a little light for my liking... gear ratios are just about right IMHO

- suspension... a little disappointing... a lot of roll, nothing that cant be fixed with aftermarket suff, but not as tight as i had hoped for...granted the car is almost 4000 lbs due to the quattro, so the suspension is dealing with a lot of weight, but i still hoped for better

- steering...surprising direct and tight, connected, obviously softer than a Porsche, but still respectable

- exhaust... without sport button, very muted. with sport button engaged, sounds great, but the remapping of throttle is too sensitive, many people just disconnect the vaccum and leave the butterfly valve for exhaust open all the time

- brakes... they are from the Lambo Gallardo, need I say more?

-Quattro? the latest evolution is absolutely #&%!` AMAZING. I have driven the car in the wet and in a parking lot, really couldnt get it to break free. With 420hp and 317lbs torque, thats pretty amazing. I am talking wet, slimy, oily ashphalt and it just wouldnt let go... it is so grippy that it is quite confidence inspiring...pretty cool to have that much traction in such a fast car

overall, fun, torquey, great sounding, great shifing, great driving experience...just cant match an aircooled or really even water cooled Porsche driving experience. Must have 4 doors? Must have real room for little ones? Must have a trunk? Want to enjoy driving your daily driver vs. driving a POS second car?...then the RS4 is the best of what is out there right now, IMHO

 

FWIW, Audi has chosen to bring an RS4 Cabriolet (man, that just doesn't sound right) to the US insted of the RS4 Avant

IMHO, the Avant is a better balanced/handling car....drove one once in Germany and LOVED it. If they brought an RS4 Avant to the US, I'd buy one in a flash.

 

Also, word is that the next gen S4/RS4 will NOT have a V8 any longer, as they will go back to 6-cylinder for the next go 'round.

 

hmmm...not what I have read.... turbocharged I assume?