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Old 05-02-2009, 12:01 PM   #1
equ
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Has anyone here driven an rs4?

I'm very curious about them. Do they really feel that much better than s4's?
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Old 05-02-2009, 12:48 PM   #2
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No, but the engine is very awesome from reviews and from hearing it in person. Good enough for the R8, of course.

I'd love an RS4 Avant.
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Old 05-02-2009, 03:50 PM   #3
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Thanks, Stu, I appreciate it, but your comments don't really help me out.

We look for different things. I found that the s4 was powerful enough for me and where I live. I barely notice the difference of the e9x m3 (414hp) that I drive from time to time from my old 340hp s4. Hell, the 330i is powerful enough, though not really entertaining.

My complaints with the s4 were similar to JST's. Weird steering feel (though I never had summer tires on mine, just pirelli a/s) and the ill set-up suspension, that is soft and uncomfortable at the same time. Every rs4 review I read, they like the steering & suspension... From your POV, you find the s4 not fast enough, but don't comment on either car's ride/handling equation. I ultimately sold my s4 due to that (and a few other reasons that I came up with).

But I'm so tired/bored of my e90, I may actually go back to an s4. Crazy, huh? Then when I run out of gas mid-trip, I'll wanna sell that.
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Old 05-02-2009, 06:26 PM   #4
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Just drove one.

It is nearly as different from the s4 as the m3 (e9x) is from the 335i. I say nearly, because there is a bit more engine similarity. The steering and ride are much better than the s4, though I was wishing for more sidewall than the 19's allow (35 profile ). The clutch is stiff, short and catches right away. The shifter is crisp (for an audi) and very short. First time I felt like I needed a short shifter in my cayman was on the return home.

The car it is most like is the e9x m3. This is likely no coincidence as bmw must have that this car in their sights. It turns in and rides similarly around the street, and yes, at 5/10ths and below it doesn't feel unbalanced or understeery... The engine feels and sounds very similar. I'm not sure how the weight and front-heaviness would come through on limit (which is very hard to get to on a dry spring day test drive with traffic around and michelin ps2 255's). For me, given that I'm keeping a rwd sports car for the foreseeable future, it is a better match than the m3.

Pros:
- Feels special (sound/looks/engine etc.)
- Steering/ride (great for an audi)

Cons:
- $$$
- mpgs/range
- Too special (overkill/too fast/hard to park in NYC & area)
- a touch dated (based on 04 platform)
- still no spare , nor does there seem to be room for one
- now I'll have two cars with expensive tire sizes, this bothers me

I'll keep thinking about it. If I get a chance, I'll take one for a real drive.

Also, barring the lack of back seat/trunk, the cayman is still a very good car. Sounds better and feels more natural to drive.
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Old 05-02-2009, 06:36 PM   #5
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To sum it up, if there was an rs4 version with less power and more economy, while keeping the same chassis, I would buy one. Sadly, the s4 is not that. I can hope that the 06+ 40/60 power split on the s4 improves things, but I doubt it.
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Old 05-02-2009, 08:15 PM   #6
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do you need 4 doors? If not, the S5 probably fits the bill. Otherwise, wait for the new S4, which has a better chassis than the current car and also gets much better mileage.
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Old 05-02-2009, 10:43 PM   #7
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I kinda sorta do want 4 doors. I don't have kids, so I don't need them, but I feel silly owning two coupes.

That's rational, but I wasn't smitten by the 3.0T labeled supercharged engine in the a6 for all 2 seconds that I drove it.
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Old 05-02-2009, 11:46 PM   #8
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The S4 will have more power , will weigh less, and will probably have a louder exhaust and so forth. I wouldn't prejudge.

I'd also probably take the S5 for a drive, just for the hell of it.
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