RE: All-weather fast saloons | Six of the Best
Discussion
"The current M3, equipped with BMW’s rear-biased xDrive system, is the perfect example - but who doesn’t love the way that depreciation is ceaselessly making the outgoing M5 so much more accessible? Especially when it’s a) better looking than the M3 ..."
Looking at the pics before reading the script I wondered why a midrange 5 series featured in this article as a 'fast saloon'. BMW have done an exemplary job of making that M5 totally congruous.
I'd have the Audi or Subaru.
Looking at the pics before reading the script I wondered why a midrange 5 series featured in this article as a 'fast saloon'. BMW have done an exemplary job of making that M5 totally congruous.
I'd have the Audi or Subaru.
Laggy below 7k, doesn’t feel like a 400bhp car, needs a walnut whip clean blah de blah I really wouldn’t mind as the b7 rs4 for me is one of the best looking cars ever full stop. I always find myself looking at them in the classifieds and they are at a price now I’d trade my fk8 in for a blue sorted avant BUT it needs to be a family car and a reliable daily, just know it will need constant money put into it, savage mpg, it’s nearly 20 years old etc. feck it off for another look…!
fantheman80 said:
Laggy below 7k, doesn’t feel like a 400bhp car, needs a walnut whip clean blah de blah I really wouldn’t mind as the b7 rs4 for me is one of the best looking cars ever full stop. I always find myself looking at them in the classifieds and they are at a price now I’d trade my fk8 in for a blue sorted avant BUT it needs to be a family car and a reliable daily, just know it will need constant money put into it, savage mpg, it’s nearly 20 years old etc. feck it off for another look…!
If you have child seats/children with legs I'd reconsider, the RS4 is really tight in the backPica-Pica said:
Reading all these eulogies, makes me appreciate my 335d all the more.
I remember my very first encounter with a 535d in the early 2000's when I had my tuned S14a 200SX, and I was properly impressed with its pace for a diesel for sure. After that experience...I always looked at diesels differently for definite. Dombilano said:
fantheman80 said:
Laggy below 7k, doesn’t feel like a 400bhp car, needs a walnut whip clean blah de blah I really wouldn’t mind as the b7 rs4 for me is one of the best looking cars ever full stop. I always find myself looking at them in the classifieds and they are at a price now I’d trade my fk8 in for a blue sorted avant BUT it needs to be a family car and a reliable daily, just know it will need constant money put into it, savage mpg, it’s nearly 20 years old etc. feck it off for another look…!
If you have child seats/children with legs I'd reconsider, the RS4 is really tight in the backleef44 said:
Yes it is a strange comparison. The 123d was in front and floored it. It probably took 2 seconds to wind up then that boost means it shoots off. So effectively the 123d can blast off against a larger NA engined car when it has a two second head start.
Had it been the other way round and the NA driver changed down, hit the revs then shot off, it would leave the 123d for dead because that car would have needed two seconds get to optimum boost to catch up.
I had a 123d and to be fair there was virtually no delay getting to optimum boost because it had two turbos, unlike the 320d I had previously with a single turbo. Had it been the other way round and the NA driver changed down, hit the revs then shot off, it would leave the 123d for dead because that car would have needed two seconds get to optimum boost to catch up.
But it soon ran out of puff after 4,000rpm. It was fun but not that exciting.
I'd probably pick the Audi from that list, but in estate form.
rallycross said:
Some nice choices above but the world has gone mad if an old Xr4x4 with no real service history is worth anything close to the suggested price ( it probably did 100,000 miles in its first 3 years use if there is no genuine history to prove otherwise).
Fords of that period were so cheaply made that at 100,000 miles it would be pretty tatty.Love this list. I decided recently to ditch my SUV (15 plate Cayenne) and go for a performance saloon with 4WD. I almost went for a £37k 2018 M5 but saved myself £15k (I needed funds for house repairs) and went for a £22k Mercedes E43 17 plate. It’s a lovely piece of engineering and I love the Q car ness. Clearly not M5 levels of performance (it’s ‘only’ 400 bhp compared to 600 bhp) but plenty quick enough and I can squeeze 30 mpg out of it when taking it easy. I knew I had to do front brake discs and pads soon but this won’t be as ruinous as an E63 which I hear cost in the thousands. It’s a lot of car for the money.
None of those six appeal much to me - from experience for all-weather ability my money would go on a Subaru but a Liberty/Legacy rather than Impreza.
I’ve had a Gen 4 and a Gen 5 GT, albeit both as a wagon rather than saloon, and weather conditions were largely unnoticed on quick A and B roads. Not a car for those that go by numbers but more for those that enjoy well-engineered capabilities in a comfortable, spacious and reliable car.
I’ve had a Gen 4 and a Gen 5 GT, albeit both as a wagon rather than saloon, and weather conditions were largely unnoticed on quick A and B roads. Not a car for those that go by numbers but more for those that enjoy well-engineered capabilities in a comfortable, spacious and reliable car.
JAMSXR said:
Baldchap said:
The V8 in the RS4 was (sadly) utterly outclassed by the twin turbo V6 that replaced it. Same headline output but they couldn't be more different to drive. The V6 delivers more of everything pretty much all the time, with the exception of noise.
Lovely sounding thing, the V8, but truthfully not a particularly good *engine*, when all is said and done.
My B9 certainly wouldn't have been left for dead by a 1 Series no matter how badly you drove it.
How does the B9 compare to the B5 touring? Lovely sounding thing, the V8, but truthfully not a particularly good *engine*, when all is said and done.
My B9 certainly wouldn't have been left for dead by a 1 Series no matter how badly you drove it.
The B5 is more naturally an RS6 competitor, so straight away you have 450bhp Vs 621bhp, so clearly the RS4 wasn't as quick, but once you're over 400bhp everything is fast enough and the pace graph obviously flattens out.
I liked the RS4 a lot, but my wife hated the ride quality. Not as bad as the AMG Mercs, but as a passenger it was pretty unpleasant TBH. Rear headroom wasn't amazing and our teenager at the time complained a lot. The boot was also smaller than the Golf Estate it replaced.
We test drove the Alpina and it was the ride quality that sold it. We drive to Spain regularly so over a ten hour day in the car that difference in ride and noise makes a huge difference. I'd say the Alpina has a better put together interior too. 20k now and still no rattles or similar.
They're arguably for different things. I think Audi sort of target laptimes, whereas the Alpina feels like a road car in its purpose. Don't get me wrong, it can hustle and it absolutely does handle, but it never feels scrappy over bumps, you never hear an 'Ouch' when you hit a pothole, as was experienced in the RS4.
Whereas the RS4 was rapid, the Alpina doesn't really feel like it's trying until about 80mph, at which point it's almost like it says 'Oh, we're doing this again, come on then' and all of a sudden chucks the horizon behind you. To put it in context, 800Nm of torque is more than the 5.0 V10 TDI that Top Gear towed a plane with.
Massive boot, really nicely put together, absolutely f
king massively rapid and all day comfortable. I have and do regularly do 1000km days back to back with zero complaints.Can you tell I like it?
trickywoo said:
Has anyone mentioned that the Sierra is neither fast or a saloon?
The article does mention that it is a hatchback in fairness. It isn't fast now granted, but it wasn't exactly slow in its day though I reckon. The coppers at the time always seem to struggle to catch them when they'd been nicked going from some of the TV programmes that I used to watch years back as well(police stop etc).
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