B7 RS4 - buyers guide?

[Nano2nd]

i'm being offered a 2007 RS4 against my Z4MC in a p/x deal, can anyone point me towards a buyers guide? done a search but to no avail

the cars still under warranty so i guess theres not much to worry about

what MPG are people getting day to day? i do a 70ish mile round commute, about 60% m'way and 40% crappy traffic... in the Z4 i get about 26-27MPG

i found some info on service costs, which TBH doesn't look much different to the Z4...

DRC seems the major headache and i guess the boots are expensive being 19's ?

[Dr G]

Fair few threads on here recently you could do worse than to take a browse through, some areas you'll want to look at:

Suspension - which Audi are covering to 5 years
Brakes - expensive, budget £1,000 for front discs and pads
Tyres - £250 a corner depending on brand
Worn bolsters if fitted with buckets

Standard stuff other than that really, tyres should be relatively even on wear, panel gaps should be straight and even, the more regular the servicing the better, don't like being used on short journies frequently...

[Daggerpie]

check out last months EVO mag if you want a hard copy fella, RS4 buyers guide in that one. Most of the questions can be answered on here or rs246 tho.

Good luck!

[Adam B]

Nano2nd said:

the cars still under warranty so i guess theres not much to worry about

what MPG are people getting day to day? i do a 70ish mile round commute, about 60% m'way and 40% crappy traffic... in the Z4 i get about 26-27MPG

i found some info on service costs, which TBH doesn't look much different to the Z4...

DRC seems the major headache and i guess the boots are expensive being 19's ?

I have an 07 car, been very reliable apart from DRC (mine has been replaced and have the letter from UK Audi confirming 5 year warranty, not sure if this is applicable to all cars or only those who have complained and had a letter) - DRC seems more of a problem in London where roads are crap

I can get up to high 20s to 30mpg on mway with a light foot

Servicing is cheap, I would recommend an annual schedule not the variable AVS scheme on such a high performance car

They like a sip of oil, I add 2 litres pa on top of service but think this calms down

Anything specific please ask

PS black ones tend to be quickest esp. with optics pack

[PPPPPP]

Adam B said:

I have an 07 car, been very reliable apart from DRC (mine has been replaced and have the letter from UK Audi confirming 5 year warranty, not sure if this is applicable to all cars or only those who have complained and had a letter) - DRC seems more of a problem in London where roads are crap

Most cars are 3 years old now, so what happens after 2 more years? How expensive is it to fix the suspension? Any alternatives to the Audi suspension, and how does that affect the handling?

& right now roads are crap all over the country

Edited by PPPPPP on Monday 18th January 18:00

[iluvmercs]

Daggerpie said:

check out last months EVO mag if you want a hard copy fella, RS4 buyers guide in that one.

IMO, the car featured is the best bit of the article


Back on topic, I've been running my RS4 for almost a year now with no major problems.
There was a manufacturer recall on the battery mounting bracket in the boot, but that's a freebie.
Mine has required a front curved suspension arm, which I discovered by noticing a knocking noise when the steering was on full lock. The other side has recently developed the same symptoms, so I guess that will need replacing. All under warranty, of course.

Apart from this, and the information previously mentioned, I can't think of much more.

Hope this helps!

Darren

[Guffy]

Both my Auxilliary rads are leaking, which is not uncommon.

Some people have had numerous DRC change-outs. It may be warrantied, but a right pain if your motor is constantly at the stealers.

They never make the advertised power output.

Consumables are expensive, but then it is what it is.

Colleague has an Avant and it's had more things go wrong than i can shake a stick at.

So it's not exactly Vorsprung durch Technik anymore!

Having said that, quite an accomplished car in an understated way.

[PPPPPP]

Guffy said:

Both my Auxilliary rads are leaking, which is not uncommon.

Some people have had numerous DRC change-outs. It may be warrantied, but a right pain if your motor is constantly at the stealers.

They never make the advertised power output.

Consumables are expensive, but then it is what it is.

Colleague has an Avant and it's had more things go wrong than i can shake a stick at.

So it's not exactly Vorsprung durch Technik anymore!

Having said that, quite an accomplished car in an understated way.

That's quite a list. Is the B8 S4 a better long term proposition?

[DMS1979]

Hello Nando2nd

I myself went from A Z4MC to a RS4 last July and have never looked back.

Loving it - as im sure you will know all cars have their faults that seem to appear with a number of owners (Z4MC springs being one) the DRC it the thorn with the RS4. Saying that you are well covered and have the option of buying the extended warranty if you wish at £1250 mileage limited.

As much as i loved the Z4 MC the RS4 makes it very easy to forget what you once had.

[Nano2nd]

thanks for all the info guys

its good to hear that 20+mpg is achievable

did all cars have the flat bottom steering wheel? or was that an option? i'm still waiting for pics, i forgot to ask about that one

[Adam B]

PPPPPP said:

Most cars are 3 years old now, so what happens after 2 more years? How expensive is it to fix the suspension? Any alternatives to the Audi suspension, and how does that affect the handling?

The DRC was about £700 for one diagonal set incl fitting (main dealer prices), I suspect people may well switch to KWs and the like (and some on rs246 have) which would work well.
At least Audi have admitted (of sorts) the problem and extended the warranty unlike Porsche with RMS/IMS!

[Adam B]

Nano2nd said:

did all cars have the flat bottom steering wheel? or was that an option? i'm still waiting for pics, i forgot to ask about that one

Be careful, its standard spec but is deleted and replaced with an ugly multi-function wheel if the bluetooth with phone in glovebox option has been chosen. The other BT option is dash mount which leaves the must-have RS4 wheel alone but adds a plastic plank to the dash.

I actually chose a car without BT option as I think it is better to retro-fit BT for similar option cost and avoid these 2 pitfalls

[gmk666]

I've had an RS4 Avant for over two years and loved every minute of it.
And while I'll admit it hasn't been trouble free, with one dose of DRC and lots of oil top-ups, these are just minor inconveniences compared with the smile it puts on my face every time I've driven it. (And considering that is mainly commutes into central London, that's no mean feat.)
As people have mentioned, get yourself over to rs246.com.
They're a friendly, but just as importantly very knowledgeable bunch. The evo guide is posted on there if you still want it:

evo guide on rs246

Good luck finding the right car. There are still a lot out there.

[Nano2nd]

thanks for the link to the guide very interesting.

i'm not gonna be actually looking for a car, its just this guys has approached me with one against my Z4.

i'm still waiting for the full details, its a 2007 done 24k, grey, satnav, carbon dash? (whatever that is) and still under warranty till may is all the info i got at the mo

[gmk666]

'Carbon dash' just means the inlay across the er, dash as well as the doors and centre console.
Other options included brushed aluminium and piano black.
Carbon is best, IMH (and unbiased) O.
Is is a saloon, avant or cab?

[Nano2nd]

gmk666 said:

'Carbon dash' just means the inlay across the er, dash as well as the doors and centre console.
Other options included brushed aluminium and piano black.
Carbon is best, IMH (and unbiased) O.
Is is a saloon, avant or cab?

ah right,its a saloon

[Adam B]

gmk666 said:

'Carbon dash' just means the inlay across the er, dash as well as the doors and centre console.
Other options included brushed aluminium and piano black.
Carbon is best, IMH (and unbiased) O.

and all are no-cost, mine is brushed ali which I preferred as it matches gear knob, steering wheel finish etc, and adds a few light touches to my otherwise dark/black interior

carbon nice too though

[qureshia]

nano2nd you have PM

[Simon Bags]

Right, bottom line. DRC is very prone to failure, but if you get a letter from the head guy at Audi, he will confirm this is all covered by Audi for work and that's on a car 5 years old or 75K miles, whichever is first. Go to rs246.com and search on that.

To replace the system, most of the Guys on there replace it with KW V3's, about £1300 I believe.

Hope that helps.

Bags.