Discussion
Last summer I bought a new Audi S4 saloon spec’d to the gills with toys and bathed in a resplendent grey for that semi-successful assistant estate agent look. It also had red seats just for a bit of flair. It was the first new car I’d bought since a Ford Focus back in 2001 but sadly things didn’t go well and I had to reject the car a few weeks later as the steering didn’t work and the car tried to kill me. I had a fairly strong case based on those points and Audi graciously took the car back and subsequently put it straight up for sale again.
Without a car at a surprisingly short notice I found my old Golf R32 on Autotrader, now 6 years older and located in Cardiff with only 6000 more miles on it, off I went to be reunited with the old girl. As you probably haven’t read I bought a lovely GTV 3.0 at Christmas and began to restore it over winter with the intention of keeping that, the R32 and a 3.0 Outback as the only cars on the drive way but in April I had a real itch for a 911. After weeks of research I was all set to find a nice 997 Gen2 or a 991 when I spotted a lovely B8 RS4 at Fontain Motors in Iver and a few days later I’d signed all the paperwork and was in my first V8.
The RS4 as a product has always appealed to me going back to the original B5 - they still are the best looker in my eyes. They’ve always had great road presence and the ballistic practicality is something the 911 probably couldn’t achieve without some serious canine compromises so, for the moment at least, it felt like something I shouldn’t turn down.
Let’s cover off the bad parts now as we’re going to end this story like Rocky II rather than Rocky which is an apt metaphor for the car as it is quite a bruiser but we’ll cover the smiles once the frowns are described first.
As part of the essential dynamic pack (20” wheels, sports exhaust, Dynamic Ride Control) the RS4 comes with the dreaded and often sneered at Dynamic Steering. Here’s a lovely quote from Audi painting a very compelling picture of its benefits:
“Dynamic steering varies the steering ratio by nearly 100 percent as a function of driving speed and the setting in the Audi drive select system in which it is integrated. Transitions are continuous and practically imperceptible.
The central component of dynamic steering is a superposition gear integrated into the steering column and driven by an electric motor. The so-called harmonic drive was originally developed for robotics and space flight.”
This is b
ks on two levels: Firstly the varying ratios of lock by themselves are not the problem although they are frankly mostly random. The underlying problem is that the weight of the steering goes from too light to almost immovable. Worse still it’s impossible to predict. Turn into a corner with the same approach angle and speed and the steering will play a guessing game not even Derren Brown could win. Even with the steering set to comfort - which is the only setting that’ll stop you either dying or selling it - is still wholly unpredictable but you do just learn to get on with it and trust you’ll survive. However nothing can describe how bad it is in dynamic mode. I had the power steering fail on a MK2 MR2 once and had to use both arms and upper back to turn the wheel. This would merely be considered the warm up for the main gladiatorial event of directing the RS4 when it’s in the - ahem - sporty setting; dulled of all feel and weighted up to such a level that I can imagine only WWE wrestlers who also help with the extraction of bull semen could put up with.
Fuel economy can be described by every emoji in the phone because it’s a surprise, a delight, makes you sick, blush and cry all in the same week, but does hint at the duality to come in owning the car. On a long drive to Newcastle of some 500 miles it showed over 30mpg without even trying. Star-eyed happy smiles all around the cabin that morning I can tell you. However, when opened up to any real degree the average will be half that. Rarely will you ever see an even 24. It’s either on or off.
The multi-media interface (MMI) is how the car and entertainment is set up and it’s not very good. I know Audi want to keep everything simple and clean but a simple button to pause the audio would be so welcome rather than 2 button presses, a rotary dial and a final button press. It’s an overly complex faffathon to do anything other than start the car but I guess that’s modern motoring for you.
In true car dealer speak the car benefits from a rear camera however this “benefit” as they loosely describe it is firmly located in 2010, some five years older than the car. The resolution and general picture quality is rubbish and because the lens is understandably a fish-eye it’s frankly insane Audi chose to offset the camera to one side of the centre. This means lining up the car up just with the camera is a 5 point correction away from perfection using all the mirrors as well and with a car of this size that’s not acceptable. I park it as far away from the public as possible at all times.
But that’s the bad bits out the way so let’s talk about why this wonderful machine is a keeper. As I said, I’ve taken this on some very long trips and it’s a spectacular cruiser with incredible manner and comfort. For a big Audi estate you’d expect nothing else but it’s a real surprise to cross some awful roads and not feel every little blemish on the road. Keep the suspension in comfort and it’d cover a thousand miles without so much of a groan or warning from my lower back. On a long motorway trip the steering actually starts to make sense. It wants to keep you going forward which I think is its natural state anyway. By all accounts the passenger seat and rear are also comfortable although my dog hasn’t got used to the back yet but I’m sure he’ll be fine in time.
The obviously attraction of the car is its straight line performance but it’s actually quite a shock the first time you launch it because frankly there isn’t much grunt until very late on. It does reward by having the lovely DSG box (which is also fantastic) in Sport though as hanging on to the gears and creeping beyond 8500rpm is quite an experience. The sound is naturally magnificent but the way it gets there gives me little doubt that this will breeze past 155mph with the right amount of money given to Audi. When I had my R32 I knew how long I’d need to keep the throttle floored and in what gear to overtake safely - this was called ‘time exposed to danger’ as a I recall - and to generally stay within the speed limit. In the RS I’ve been caught out because my brain just isn’t used to the sheer pace of the thing. An overtake that needed 5 seconds in the R on the motorway now needs about 2 seconds and of course I’ve only realised this by seeing the speedo shortly after. How anyone keeps a licence in an RS6 is a mystery to me. Must try one, one day…
The perception of the car and the reception I’ve had while pottering around has also been a lovely surprise. I’m let out and junctions, I get hugely positive gestures from other cars and several performance bikes have given thumbs up and large exaggerated nods and double takes at the grill. It seems to be a really well loved car and compared to the 911 I would have got I think I feel a lot more comfortable with it. I’ve never bought cars to please others but this one genuinely seems to be enjoyed by others on the road which is a nice surprise. Maybe it’s the simple yet purposeful looks or those wide arches or maybe it’s just because it’s a very blue estate car that hides a secret only a few people know about? Either way it’s a nice company to be in.
As it goes well in a straight line it’s also pretty handy when not on a motorway. It always wants to correct the steering and get back to pulling objects from the horizon at dead centre but it can do nice things on flowing back roads and despite being a VAG product the brakes are neither snatchy or useless. The pedal is just nicely progressive and is probably the most natural part of the go-turn-stop threesome. It’s a huge and heavy car though so don’t discount the fact the brakes are always losing the battle to be crap like all other Audis can be.
I haven’t taken many photos yet and it’s pretty dirty so here’s one when it was cleaned:
it’s been trouble free so far apart from a leaking rubber sump seal on the differential which Fontain sorted in a few hours, and thanks to a warranty I can drive this with peace of mind for a year before I inevitably renew it.
I know everyone bangs on about the B7, which is a great car, but I can’t imagine a better do-it-all car for me at the moment so if you’re in the market for a fast and fairly discreet estate car I’d encourage you to try one - just have the deposit sorted out before you drive it
Without a car at a surprisingly short notice I found my old Golf R32 on Autotrader, now 6 years older and located in Cardiff with only 6000 more miles on it, off I went to be reunited with the old girl. As you probably haven’t read I bought a lovely GTV 3.0 at Christmas and began to restore it over winter with the intention of keeping that, the R32 and a 3.0 Outback as the only cars on the drive way but in April I had a real itch for a 911. After weeks of research I was all set to find a nice 997 Gen2 or a 991 when I spotted a lovely B8 RS4 at Fontain Motors in Iver and a few days later I’d signed all the paperwork and was in my first V8.
The RS4 as a product has always appealed to me going back to the original B5 - they still are the best looker in my eyes. They’ve always had great road presence and the ballistic practicality is something the 911 probably couldn’t achieve without some serious canine compromises so, for the moment at least, it felt like something I shouldn’t turn down.
Let’s cover off the bad parts now as we’re going to end this story like Rocky II rather than Rocky which is an apt metaphor for the car as it is quite a bruiser but we’ll cover the smiles once the frowns are described first.
As part of the essential dynamic pack (20” wheels, sports exhaust, Dynamic Ride Control) the RS4 comes with the dreaded and often sneered at Dynamic Steering. Here’s a lovely quote from Audi painting a very compelling picture of its benefits:
“Dynamic steering varies the steering ratio by nearly 100 percent as a function of driving speed and the setting in the Audi drive select system in which it is integrated. Transitions are continuous and practically imperceptible.
The central component of dynamic steering is a superposition gear integrated into the steering column and driven by an electric motor. The so-called harmonic drive was originally developed for robotics and space flight.”
This is b
ks on two levels: Firstly the varying ratios of lock by themselves are not the problem although they are frankly mostly random. The underlying problem is that the weight of the steering goes from too light to almost immovable. Worse still it’s impossible to predict. Turn into a corner with the same approach angle and speed and the steering will play a guessing game not even Derren Brown could win. Even with the steering set to comfort - which is the only setting that’ll stop you either dying or selling it - is still wholly unpredictable but you do just learn to get on with it and trust you’ll survive. However nothing can describe how bad it is in dynamic mode. I had the power steering fail on a MK2 MR2 once and had to use both arms and upper back to turn the wheel. This would merely be considered the warm up for the main gladiatorial event of directing the RS4 when it’s in the - ahem - sporty setting; dulled of all feel and weighted up to such a level that I can imagine only WWE wrestlers who also help with the extraction of bull semen could put up with.Fuel economy can be described by every emoji in the phone because it’s a surprise, a delight, makes you sick, blush and cry all in the same week, but does hint at the duality to come in owning the car. On a long drive to Newcastle of some 500 miles it showed over 30mpg without even trying. Star-eyed happy smiles all around the cabin that morning I can tell you. However, when opened up to any real degree the average will be half that. Rarely will you ever see an even 24. It’s either on or off.
The multi-media interface (MMI) is how the car and entertainment is set up and it’s not very good. I know Audi want to keep everything simple and clean but a simple button to pause the audio would be so welcome rather than 2 button presses, a rotary dial and a final button press. It’s an overly complex faffathon to do anything other than start the car but I guess that’s modern motoring for you.
In true car dealer speak the car benefits from a rear camera however this “benefit” as they loosely describe it is firmly located in 2010, some five years older than the car. The resolution and general picture quality is rubbish and because the lens is understandably a fish-eye it’s frankly insane Audi chose to offset the camera to one side of the centre. This means lining up the car up just with the camera is a 5 point correction away from perfection using all the mirrors as well and with a car of this size that’s not acceptable. I park it as far away from the public as possible at all times.
But that’s the bad bits out the way so let’s talk about why this wonderful machine is a keeper. As I said, I’ve taken this on some very long trips and it’s a spectacular cruiser with incredible manner and comfort. For a big Audi estate you’d expect nothing else but it’s a real surprise to cross some awful roads and not feel every little blemish on the road. Keep the suspension in comfort and it’d cover a thousand miles without so much of a groan or warning from my lower back. On a long motorway trip the steering actually starts to make sense. It wants to keep you going forward which I think is its natural state anyway. By all accounts the passenger seat and rear are also comfortable although my dog hasn’t got used to the back yet but I’m sure he’ll be fine in time.
The obviously attraction of the car is its straight line performance but it’s actually quite a shock the first time you launch it because frankly there isn’t much grunt until very late on. It does reward by having the lovely DSG box (which is also fantastic) in Sport though as hanging on to the gears and creeping beyond 8500rpm is quite an experience. The sound is naturally magnificent but the way it gets there gives me little doubt that this will breeze past 155mph with the right amount of money given to Audi. When I had my R32 I knew how long I’d need to keep the throttle floored and in what gear to overtake safely - this was called ‘time exposed to danger’ as a I recall - and to generally stay within the speed limit. In the RS I’ve been caught out because my brain just isn’t used to the sheer pace of the thing. An overtake that needed 5 seconds in the R on the motorway now needs about 2 seconds and of course I’ve only realised this by seeing the speedo shortly after. How anyone keeps a licence in an RS6 is a mystery to me. Must try one, one day…
The perception of the car and the reception I’ve had while pottering around has also been a lovely surprise. I’m let out and junctions, I get hugely positive gestures from other cars and several performance bikes have given thumbs up and large exaggerated nods and double takes at the grill. It seems to be a really well loved car and compared to the 911 I would have got I think I feel a lot more comfortable with it. I’ve never bought cars to please others but this one genuinely seems to be enjoyed by others on the road which is a nice surprise. Maybe it’s the simple yet purposeful looks or those wide arches or maybe it’s just because it’s a very blue estate car that hides a secret only a few people know about? Either way it’s a nice company to be in.
As it goes well in a straight line it’s also pretty handy when not on a motorway. It always wants to correct the steering and get back to pulling objects from the horizon at dead centre but it can do nice things on flowing back roads and despite being a VAG product the brakes are neither snatchy or useless. The pedal is just nicely progressive and is probably the most natural part of the go-turn-stop threesome. It’s a huge and heavy car though so don’t discount the fact the brakes are always losing the battle to be crap like all other Audis can be.
I haven’t taken many photos yet and it’s pretty dirty so here’s one when it was cleaned:
it’s been trouble free so far apart from a leaking rubber sump seal on the differential which Fontain sorted in a few hours, and thanks to a warranty I can drive this with peace of mind for a year before I inevitably renew it.
I know everyone bangs on about the B7, which is a great car, but I can’t imagine a better do-it-all car for me at the moment so if you’re in the market for a fast and fairly discreet estate car I’d encourage you to try one - just have the deposit sorted out before you drive it
Edited by Ved on Sunday 8th July 20:55
Edited by Ved on Sunday 8th July 20:58
Great write up, thanks.
I’ve mulled over chopping my B7 RS4 in against a B8 version and am v. tempted despite some less than enthusiastic reviews of the latter versus the former in some publications. The B7 feels a bit archaic now, though I suppose that’s part of its charm. Still sounds great though. What I particularly like about both models is their relatively unassuming presence on the road.
Enjoy your new toy
I’ve mulled over chopping my B7 RS4 in against a B8 version and am v. tempted despite some less than enthusiastic reviews of the latter versus the former in some publications. The B7 feels a bit archaic now, though I suppose that’s part of its charm. Still sounds great though. What I particularly like about both models is their relatively unassuming presence on the road.
Enjoy your new toy
Hello!
No issues to report at all and the car is doing everything incredibly well. I don't notice the steering foibles at all now and can guide it down a fast road with reasonable confidence although the girth of the thing is still front and centre. Power and noise is still wonderful and just the right amount although it is very very easy to get carried away.
Noticed that when it's cold it wont automatically disengage the handbrake by pressing the accelerator but I'm not sure if thats just be design as it works fine after setting off. The audio is great and MMI, while still a faff, works well enough. I only use Radio 5 on DAB and Bluetooth from my phone so it does everything I need.
I've done about 3500 miles in it so far and the oil level in at 50% according to the computer so I'm waiting on Fontain to reply to an email so I know what they put in it but I don't think that's too excessive as I know these do tend to burn oil, particularly as I've been happily taking it to 8500 rpm when I can.
No issues with the gearbox which is a lovely bit of kit too so fingers crossed it all continues.
I'm going to get all the cars cleaned on the weekend so I'll take some more detailed photos of it soon as I know it's lacking at the moment.
David
No issues to report at all and the car is doing everything incredibly well. I don't notice the steering foibles at all now and can guide it down a fast road with reasonable confidence although the girth of the thing is still front and centre. Power and noise is still wonderful and just the right amount although it is very very easy to get carried away.
Noticed that when it's cold it wont automatically disengage the handbrake by pressing the accelerator but I'm not sure if thats just be design as it works fine after setting off. The audio is great and MMI, while still a faff, works well enough. I only use Radio 5 on DAB and Bluetooth from my phone so it does everything I need.
I've done about 3500 miles in it so far and the oil level in at 50% according to the computer so I'm waiting on Fontain to reply to an email so I know what they put in it but I don't think that's too excessive as I know these do tend to burn oil, particularly as I've been happily taking it to 8500 rpm when I can.
No issues with the gearbox which is a lovely bit of kit too so fingers crossed it all continues.
I'm going to get all the cars cleaned on the weekend so I'll take some more detailed photos of it soon as I know it's lacking at the moment.
David
The car looks absolutely stunning in the best colour. Out of interest is your seatbelt on when the handbrake won’t release ? I ran an A6 with the same ‘problem’ until I finally realised it only happened if I was moving off in a car park with no seatbelt. The A6 has this as a safety feature - perhaps your car is the same. John
Barrie c 66 said:
I am seriously considering one of these, just don't know if it will be as much fun as the Mustang.
I can answer this. I traded my RS4 (identical to the OP’s from the outside reg was HJ14XNR OP) in for a Mustang.The RS4 is a car that can be driven pretty much everywhere at 10/10ths, the grip is almost unlimited even on the crappy Bridgestones it came with. The only indication you ever get that you’ve pushed your luck too far is a slight hint of understeer if on a tight turn or a flashing light on the dash to let you know you’ve run out of talent and a computer has taken over the power slide around the roundabout at J9 of the M27.... attempt the same in the mustang and you will not be driving the rest of the way home. The RS4 will launch even in the wet to 60 in no time screaming through 8000 revs, the mustang requires a softer touch otherwise it’ll just spin up. The Mustang is more fun to drive undoubtedly but that’s because it’s more difficult to drive, you can’t let your guard down as I’m sure you well know.
My god I love Sepang blue.
I loved my RS4, longest I’ve ever kept a car:
Ved said:
Hello!
No issues to report at all and the car is doing everything incredibly well. I don't notice the steering foibles at all now and can guide it down a fast road with reasonable confidence although the girth of the thing is still front and centre. Power and noise is still wonderful and just the right amount although it is very very easy to get carried away.
Noticed that when it's cold it wont automatically disengage the handbrake by pressing the accelerator but I'm not sure if thats just be design as it works fine after setting off. The audio is great and MMI, while still a faff, works well enough. I only use Radio 5 on DAB and Bluetooth from my phone so it does everything I need.
I've done about 3500 miles in it so far and the oil level in at 50% according to the computer so I'm waiting on Fontain to reply to an email so I know what they put in it but I don't think that's too excessive as I know these do tend to burn oil, particularly as I've been happily taking it to 8500 rpm when I can.
No issues with the gearbox which is a lovely bit of kit too so fingers crossed it all continues.
I'm going to get all the cars cleaned on the weekend so I'll take some more detailed photos of it soon as I know it's lacking at the moment.
David
Mine didn’t burn oil. I only covered about 8000 miles per year but I put maybe 1/2 litre in between oil changes. Be very careful with the oil level indicator, put 1/4 litre in, let it settle and then check again. The difference between low and high on that thing is very little despite it have an oil capacity approaching 10l.No issues to report at all and the car is doing everything incredibly well. I don't notice the steering foibles at all now and can guide it down a fast road with reasonable confidence although the girth of the thing is still front and centre. Power and noise is still wonderful and just the right amount although it is very very easy to get carried away.
Noticed that when it's cold it wont automatically disengage the handbrake by pressing the accelerator but I'm not sure if thats just be design as it works fine after setting off. The audio is great and MMI, while still a faff, works well enough. I only use Radio 5 on DAB and Bluetooth from my phone so it does everything I need.
I've done about 3500 miles in it so far and the oil level in at 50% according to the computer so I'm waiting on Fontain to reply to an email so I know what they put in it but I don't think that's too excessive as I know these do tend to burn oil, particularly as I've been happily taking it to 8500 rpm when I can.
No issues with the gearbox which is a lovely bit of kit too so fingers crossed it all continues.
I'm going to get all the cars cleaned on the weekend so I'll take some more detailed photos of it soon as I know it's lacking at the moment.
David
If you want to check your oil the old fashioned way Laser have a set that covers most of the VW range
https://www.lasertools.co.uk/product/4807
https://www.lasertools.co.uk/product/4807
djc206 said:
Barrie c 66 said:
I am seriously considering one of these, just don't know if it will be as much fun as the Mustang.
I can answer this. I traded my RS4 (identical to the OP’s from the outside reg was HJ14XNR OP) in for a Mustang.The RS4 is a car that can be driven pretty much everywhere at 10/10ths, the grip is almost unlimited even on the crappy Bridgestones it came with. The only indication you ever get that you’ve pushed your luck too far is a slight hint of understeer if on a tight turn or a flashing light on the dash to let you know you’ve run out of talent and a computer has taken over the power slide around the roundabout at J9 of the M27.... attempt the same in the mustang and you will not be driving the rest of the way home. The RS4 will launch even in the wet to 60 in no time screaming through 8000 revs, the mustang requires a softer touch otherwise it’ll just spin up. The Mustang is more fun to drive undoubtedly but that’s because it’s more difficult to drive, you can’t let your guard down as I’m sure you well know.
My god I love Sepang blue.
I loved my RS4, longest I’ve ever kept a car:
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