My car is due any day now....any driving impressions out there?
I bet it's got the same stupid gearing my 2004 S4 has--- in 6th it's turning 3000 rpm at 70mph. I've had the car over a year, and I still try to shift to 7th or 8th on the freeway. With a big V8, these cars should have a much taller 6th gear!
Shouldn't it have autobahn gearing or something? Like you're at 2000 rpm at 150mph? Wouldn't it help with EPA fuel mileage ratings?
I have to honestly say that I'm not as impressed as I thought I'd be. I've had mine for almost a month and it's taking a while for it to grow on me. This is my first Audi so I think that has something to do with it. It's a blast to drive, not as quick as I thought it would be, but overall It's just good, not great yet. The exhaust note, especially under wide open throttle is different from any other car i've ever heard. It sounds good in a weird way. Sorry if that doesn't help.
Yes, it should have taller gearing, and it would help the mileage, which sucks. It's impossible to get 20 on the highway, even driving 70. (And again, that's in my S4, not an RS4)
Wow. To have an RS4 as your first Audi and not be impressed, I suppose you've already been spoiled by cars of a higher profile. Being an Audi mechanic I'm obviously biased but I'll tell you all one thing: if Claudia Schiffer was a Transformer, she'd be an RS4.
I read the Car and Driver article on the RS4 (FWIW). They seemed fairaly impressed with it. Im amazed by the RS4, it has practically the weight of a Mazda Miata over the front wheels... I recently saw one driving away from Tofino British Columbia, black with Washington plates it looked like. Very nice car, had I not been behind it I could have probably mistaken it for a regular A4.
An acquaintance of mine works with the Swedish Touring Car Championship and gets to drive ALOT of Audi's through his work, for free and can use them pretty much however he wants. The car is fabulous! Looks awsome, sounds even better and is said to be even better to drive! Understeers slightly though. Here are some pics and vids I took earlier this summer of the car. He has promised me a ride, just waiting for it to happen http://gothamdreamboards.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=527&highlight=audi+rs4
I spoke extensively with a guy at the VW/Audi show "Waterfest" about his RS4. He was in the sportec booth along with a handful of others with the awesome sportec wheels. This was his 3rd "S"-lined Audi and he said there is no comparison between his past two and the RS4. I just wished we got all 3 options - Cabrio, Sedan, Avant. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I've never been a big fan of the S4. From a styling point of view I think Audi is way ahead of BMW. But from a mechanical approach, the M's have always been much stronger than the S's. I have an M3 SMGII now with an RS4 due next month. I never drove it but read as much as I could and everyone seems to love it. My only beef is that I wish it had the DSG option, I love the sequential box. It also looks awesome and the seats are great and it's good to have the two extra doors. I'm just praying the new M3 doesn't come out and blow it away, and then a 4 door version to boot. I was hoping to hear from someone on the forum that loves their RS4 - I need to get hyped. In Canada it retails for CDN$95K - about US$84K - sadly US$17K more than your US cars, so it has to be great.
I've had mine for a month or so. The performance is good, but depends what you're used to. I do think the engine is fantastic, a V8 that revs to 8,250. The car seems to be built very well. It is quite the "stealth" performer, only true "car people" know the difference between it and any other A4. The interior has more room that you would expect. The seats are quite comfortable. I purchased it because I have a "tricycle motor" on the way, and felt I should have four doors. As soon as Porsche comes out with the Turbo with PDK transmission, I have a feeling this one will be on the block.
I like the sleeper aspect of the RS4. Everyone knows what a BMW is and a lot of people think all BMW drivers are jerks. The nice thing about the Audi is non-car people don't know what it is.
i got my son an 06 tiptronic s4 last year and was very impressed with it. it has the exact same lap times at pocono long track that i had with my 348 spider. then it has satellite radio, cruise, climate, auto etc to fight the traffic to and from track. he just left for college so i get to drive it while he's away. ive never driven rs version but i dont think it would be worth extra $20k over s4. at that price the weight, fake f1 tranny, understeer, a4 looks etc would be big issue. would much rather spend extra $20 over rs to get m5 with smg trans. the audi manual does not have a great feel and the dsg isnt available yet.
True story.. was sitting next to a guy at the car show who proceeded to tell his wife that it was nothing but an A4 with a nice body kit and wheels, and that his STI would "walk all over it"
I've always been a BMW guy, but I've had a really bad situation with my E46 M3 these past couple of years, so I swore off BMW for awhile. I put a deposit down for an RS4 after reading about it and NEVER having driven an Audi at all! The RS4 is growing on me the more I drive it. I will say that it is easier to drive than any performance car I've ever had. The all wheel drive is amazing and I'm sold on the AWD aspect in performance cars. I guess I personally rate cars on what I paid for them: My viper truck is definitely worth the money I paid for it, that thing is fun as hell, about as practical as a football bat, but FUN. My E46 M3 WAS worth the money for the first two years I owned it, I think the E46 M3 will go down as one of the best sports cars ever built. My Porsche Cayenne....NOT at all worth the $70K I paid, but I'll keep it until the warranty runs out. Now, is my RS4 worth the $75K I paid......yet to be determined....but I'm leaning towards no, I think the car is overpriced by about $12-15K. Just my $.02
