New RS6, the best all year all round car?

[GaryNoGrip]

Just seen my first one on the road, bit of a beast to say the least, owned a C5 last year but sadly the new one is outta my budget, just out of interest is there anything that tops it as a car for pretty much all occasions?

[Dave Hedgehog]

its a monster of a car, and extremely comfortable with the air suspension, i also think its the best looking RS since the B5 RS4

With fuel prices down the 12mpg wont be so bad


I would struggle to keep my licence thou as a light jab on the throttle at 70ish to overtake someone will have it past 120 in the blink of an eye

[Chicane-UK]

Can't comprehend owning / running something like that. It must be awesome to hop in one of those every day and know there's very few situations where it won't be totally at home, and that you could demolish virtually anything in a straight line!

One day. One day.

[GaryNoGrip]

Dave Hedgehog said:

its a monster of a car, and extremely comfortable with the air suspension, i also think its the best looking RS since the B5 RS4

With fuel prices down the 12mpg wont be so bad


I would struggle to keep my licence thou as a light jab on the throttle at 70ish to overtake someone will have it past 120 in the blink of an eye

To be fair I think all the latest RS's are great looking cars compared to the previous range, can't call them understated anymore! No more sneaking up on people lol!

[jodypress]

Dave Hedgehog said:

its a monster of a car, and extremely comfortable with the air suspension, i also think its the best looking RS since the B5 RS4

With fuel prices down the 12mpg wont be so bad


I would struggle to keep my licence thou as a light jab on the throttle at 70ish to overtake someone will have it past 120 in the blink of an eye

You must hardly be trying, on an Audi sport day we managed to achieve 7mpg

[thatguy11]

Cost no object, can't really beat an RS4/RS6 Avant for a car that can do everything and for all occasions.

However, bringing cost into it I think the Golf R estate may sway a lot of potential RS buyers....

[ORD]

I don't get it. Never will.

Why not a 335i touring? Does anyone really put straight line speed that far ahead of handling? I cant see how going super fast, rather than just very fast, in a straight line could ever be more important than handling competently and riding nicely.

Fast Audis will always be a mystery to me.

[AndrewIC]

ORD said:

I don't get it. Never will.

Why not a 335i touring? Does anyone really put straight line speed that far ahead of handling? I cant see how going super fast, rather than just very fast, in a straight line could ever be more important than handling competently and riding nicely.

Fast Audis will always be a mystery to me.

I think the thing people like about the Audis is the Quattro system, which has them above the competition for year round usability in all weather. Granted they don't seem to handle as well, but I would always an Audi over BMW or Merc as you have the all weather confidence...of course this may change if Merc implement the 4wd system for AMG's in the UK.

[DaveEssex]

Having just finished 2 years with a Jaguar XFR, with ride and handling far better than any BMW equivalent on the open road, and with road holding, supported by amazing electronics that make it at least the equal of Audi Quatro and with massively better ride, there is no reason at all to pay the premium prices that the three German marks charge.
Wait!! What was that a stripped out standard XFR with taping over shut lines , and slightly modded aero pack did 225mph.
So, mine was limited to 187mph. Pity.

[ORD]

DaveEssex said:

Having just finished 2 years with a Jaguar XFR, with ride and handling far better than any BMW equivalent on the open road, and with road holding, supported by amazing electronics that make it at least the equal of Audi Quatro and with massively better ride, there is no reason at all to pay the premium prices that the three German marks charge.
Wait!! What was that a stripped out standard XFR with taping over shut lines , and slightly modded aero pack did 225mph.
So, mine was limited to 187mph. Pity.

I have a soft spot for the XFR! Mental.

[GetCarter]

AndrewIC said:

ORD said:

I don't get it. Never will.

Why not a 335i touring? Does anyone really put straight line speed that far ahead of handling? I cant see how going super fast, rather than just very fast, in a straight line could ever be more important than handling competently and riding nicely.

Fast Audis will always be a mystery to me.

I think the thing people like about the Audis is the Quattro system, which has them above the competition for year round usability in all weather..

This. I've owned 5 BMs including 2 M's from new and S and RS Audis, and it's the Quattro that seals the deal, otherwise I'd always plump for BMs. It's where I now live - the roads I drive on and the weather we get here... makes the Audi a no brainer and the BM a no go.

[gregf40]

I got one for my wife...I often nick the keys as it's a hoot to drive!

The perfect family car in my book. The only problem is depreciation...but you only live once!

[GaryNoGrip]

ORD said:

DaveEssex said:

Having just finished 2 years with a Jaguar XFR, with ride and handling far better than any BMW equivalent on the open road, and with road holding, supported by amazing electronics that make it at least the equal of Audi Quatro and with massively better ride, there is no reason at all to pay the premium prices that the three German marks charge.
Wait!! What was that a stripped out standard XFR with taping over shut lines , and slightly modded aero pack did 225mph.
So, mine was limited to 187mph. Pity.

I have a soft spot for the XFR! Mental.

Same here, and prices are dropping fast, seen 1 under 20k!
Is the traction that good though?

[jamieduff1981]

ORD said:

DaveEssex said:

Having just finished 2 years with a Jaguar XFR, with ride and handling far better than any BMW equivalent on the open road, and with road holding, supported by amazing electronics that make it at least the equal of Audi Quatro and with massively better ride, there is no reason at all to pay the premium prices that the three German marks charge.
Wait!! What was that a stripped out standard XFR with taping over shut lines , and slightly modded aero pack did 225mph.
So, mine was limited to 187mph. Pity.

I have a soft spot for the XFR! Mental.

I love mine. You're kinda splitting hairs with all these cars IMHO. They all have more capability than anyone needs but it's a giggle to have anyway.

Everyone is different but I think I'm particularly easily bored. After using the XFR-S several days in a row I was bored with it. After leaving it parked for a month I loved it again.

Coming back to the thread topic, Audis have never appealed to me personally and I don't enjoy AWD - it makes the performance even less of an event than it is in any of these well-sorted family saloons or estates with daft engines. It may just pip the XFR-S as a better car with excessive performance in deep snow, but it would still be a terrible car to use in snow. I can't think of a single occassion when I haven't overtaken a Skoda in the wet because I didn't think I could get enough power down.

The RS6 will be an awesome car for sure - but I'd want rid of anything out of total boredom if I had to drive the same car every day for 2 months - let alone year round.

I'm not really sure what my point is. These cars serve the same purpose as their diesel rattler versions. They add some highly amusing party tricks - and I love that. RWD or AWD though - these are not track day cars they are family cars and if the road is wet any real owner will complete their overtakes using 2/3 throttle rather than burying the loud pedal in the carpet. It doesn't actually make any difference whatsoever to how these sorts of cars cover the extreme majority of their annual milage in general.

[RobM77]

ORD said:

I don't get it. Never will.

Why not a 335i touring? Does anyone really put straight line speed that far ahead of handling? I cant see how going super fast, rather than just very fast, in a straight line could ever be more important than handling competently and riding nicely.

Fast Audis will always be a mystery to me.

I agree, but we must remember that everyone has different priorities. Most PHers don't seem interested in handling, or at least can forego boring handling for a daily driver and are happy with experiencing good handling occasionally from a second car, in fact most PHers had a Range Rover on their ideal 2/3 car list in a recent thread!!! With regard to the RS6, two of my friends have them, and I've always found them extremely impressive and it's definitely a car I respect, plus as a passenger the engine always puts a smile on my face with its power and sound. However, if I was driving I'd far rather be in something FE/RWD, even with vastly less power, but that's just my personal taste.

With regard to the 'all year round' thing, I must admit that does confuse me, but perhaps it's where I live in rural Berkshire? If I lived in Scotland it might be different. Down here we get a couple of weeks of snow a year at most, which winter tyres seem to deal with ok on my BMW, and cold rainy days like today is when I actually enjoy having FE/RWD the most. Then again, I have no real desire for A to B pace in a road car, so whilst 4WD would probably propel me down the road a bit faster than FE/RWD, I don't actually care because nobody's timing me and it's not a competition.

Edited by RobM77 on Thursday 8th January 21:18

[Hackney]

Just specced an RS6, only £110k.
Bargain.


Only problem was the audi configurator wouldn't let me spec carbon ceramic brakes, because they can't be specced with red calipers. Despite me not having red calipers. So another £10k there. And one or two other things I couldn't add. So basically it's a £125k car.

I'd love one.

[GaryNoGrip]

Good to have opinions on this, like I said way outta my budget without all those lovely extras, for reference I drive a rwd all year and only snow would put me off, but don't really get any dan saff anyway, maybe I just got a bit excited when I saw it, don't think anyone can say it's not a machine as we are all Petrolheads!

Maybe I should have asked what you think would be the ultimate all rounder? But that's for another thread maybe

[ORD]

Not sure there is an ultimate all-rounder. Too many compromises. In the South, an AWD system gets dragged around making the car dull 50 weeks of the year and then limps around or gets you into trouble in snow (on summer tyres) for the remaining 2 weeks. RWD leaves you stuck on the driveway for those 2 weeks.

If I absolutely had to have 1 car and use it all year for everything, including holidays and taking the baby around, a 335i touring with a set of winter tyres in the garage, maybe. A 3 series on decent suspension is a pretty amazing drive given it's practicality and weight. Not sure I would put the winters on until snow or freezing conditions, though, as I don't really buy into the idea that summers 'go off' dramatically under 7 degrees. Mine don't feel much different until about 3 degrees, and even then that's only very noticeable for the first few miles.

But I would rather spend less money and get two cars. Nobody is going to use the performance available in anything with 6 or more cylinders and a turbo in this country, especially not with family in the car. £100k for a car that will punt the family around and occasionally go fast but not excite (once the thrill of acceleration wears off)? I can't think of anything less likely to result in motoring enjoyment. Not much bang for that buck. Two £50k cars would be vastly better.

[RobM77]

ORD said:

Not sure there is an ultimate all-rounder. Too many compromises. In the South, an AWD system gets dragged around making the car dull 50 weeks of the year and then limps around or gets you into trouble in snow (on summer tyres) for the remaining 2 weeks. RWD leaves you stuck on the driveway for those 2 weeks.

If I absolutely had to have 1 car and use it all year for everything, including holidays and taking the baby around, a 335i touring with a set of winter tyres in the garage, maybe. A 3 series on decent suspension is a pretty amazing drive given it's practicality and weight. Not sure I would put the winters on until snow or freezing conditions, though, as I don't really buy into the idea that summers 'go off' dramatically under 7 degrees. Mine don't feel much different until about 3 degrees, and even then that's only very noticeable for the first few miles.

But I would rather spend less money and get two cars. Nobody is going to use the performance available in anything with 6 or more cylinders and a turbo in this country, especially not with family in the car. £100k for a car that will punt the family around and occasionally go fast but not excite (once the thrill of acceleration wears off)? I can't think of anything less likely to result in motoring enjoyment. Not much bang for that buck. Two £50k cars would be vastly better.

Some good points, but I'm far from stuck on my driveway in the snow with FE/RWD - on winters I'm normally fine (and we live out in the country with a reasonable length driveway leading to uncleared roads). Last year my Dad, also with a FE/RWD car and living in the sticks, towed an engine up to N Yorks in the height of the snow, across an old airfield to the engine builder and then back again with no real issues at all. He would have had more traction with 4WD and winter tyres (not with summers, I've tried that!), but he had enough to get by without a sweat. Volvos of course are Swedish and they were RWD for years, and don't forget what the B in BMW stands for

Winter tyres are indeed pretty shocking in terms of driver enjoyment, as I was sadly reminded on Monday when I re-started my commute on them (too much initial tread movement on turn-in - yuk), but I think they are noticeably safer under around 5-7 degrees, as the figures show.

I do agree completely though, FE/RWD has more than enough traction for road driving, even if like me you drive pretty fast, and then you just need a set of winter tyres for the snow. For the other 50 weeks of the year I've yet to drive a 4WD car that provides the poise and balance of a well set up FE/RWD such as a 3 series, MX5 or similar. My Celica Carlos Sainz was pretty good, and the Mitsi Evo (ridden in, but not driven) better still, but I do prefer my 3 series, no question. People seem to judge a car not by how it drives, but by the image it puts out or its power output, and the truth is that having four doors and four seats does not automatically make a car drive like an Audi A4 - it's the oily bits underneath that count. Likewise, having 300bhp or 400bhp does not make a car handle any better than one with 150bhp, in fact the smaller tyres and lower weight in the nose of less powerful cars often endear them with better handling than their bigger brothers. A car's basic mechanical layout is the number one determiner of how it'll handle. Suspension set up plays a big role too, as do tyres, but it's the basic layout that gives the core feel of a car.

My own personal ultimate all rounder would be the E90 M3. BMW finally managed to produce a performance petrol engine without a throttle lag, the chassis was very tidy indeed and the engine was one of the last high revving normally aspirated engines, and a 4 litre V8 at that. As it happens, for my money I've chosen a slower 3 series and a Lotus 2-Eleven and am definitely happier, but if forced to have one car, it would definitely be an M3. Everyone's different I suppose.

Edited by RobM77 on Friday 9th January 09:42

[BorkFactor]

I agree, the RS6 is the perfect all rounder. With any luck I will own one some day!

I have driven a few Quattro Audis, I think they drive very nicely and all this talk of "terminal understeer" etc is rubbish if you are driving it on a public road and not a racetrack.

Some may think the Quattro system is a compromise but remember this is a road car not a track car. It is hardly going to handle badly now is it?