RE: Audi RS4 (B5) Avant: PH Heroes
Discussion
This was mine, stickered up en route to Le Mans a few years ago :-) I traded it in this time last year after having spent about £9k on maintenance (specialist) (and a little bit of improvement) in 3 years and 15k miles. One previous owner, well looked after - it had a binder full of service history etc, but just got to an age where things needed changing. It was nearing needing rust treatment and probably a respray, which was the final straw.
Turbos and cams were fine. It seemed to eat through boost valves, warped brake discs, exhaust sensors, traction control sensors, wheel bearings, cam cover gaskets, rear coil springs, split oil cooler pipes, cracked brake reservoir and even random stuff like the xenon levelling sensor. Parts are expensive and the car is susceptible to rust under the arches and around the rear flared arches where I assume the stone chips get through the galvanising.
Loved it to bits though and constantly had people asking about it - and you really do feel part of a club, but I couldn't keep justifying the bills for a car that I bought as a fun daily driver.
I wouldn't put anyone off getting one - the boost from those parallel K04 turbos is addictive, but just go in with your eyes, and wallet open!
Edited by Turbolader on Friday 23 October 00:14
Edited by Turbolader on Friday 23 October 00:39
RicM5 said:
Just back from Glasgow ( to Suffolk ) today!!! Having collected my 6th yes 6th B5 RS4.... Just turned 102k on arrival home and feels pretty damn good..... If you like the feeling of driving the car as opposed to the car driving you these old girls are about as much bang for your buck as you'll get!!!! Can be pricey to run but I've made money overall on my last 3......yes most of them out there need a bit of work but to me that's part of the enjoyment....
Searider still got my old nogaro S4 avant?? (RicR1)
Hi Ric,Searider still got my old nogaro S4 avant?? (RicR1)
Yep, still got it and going strong on 148k.
30v said:
Haha, looks like a coach trip from audisrs.com has turned up!
It's great for UK driving where you're invariably at the back end of 5-6 cars nose-to-tail doing 45mph on an NSL A-road and need a massive dollop of mid-range torque to squirt past them all in one go. The B5 will dispatch them with ease and you'll still be within the speed limit pulling back in - the torque is that brutal. For me, its natural habitat is the autobahn - up to 60mph and it's a tad unforgiving. Once over 60 it's a different car and once into triple-figures it just makes ALL kinds of sense.
If you get one, upgrade the suspension to a Bilstein B12/ Pro kit and uprated ARB - it will transform it's only (albeit, minor) weak point.
Hahaha you're probably right! SRS has probably turned up! But we live with them. It's great for UK driving where you're invariably at the back end of 5-6 cars nose-to-tail doing 45mph on an NSL A-road and need a massive dollop of mid-range torque to squirt past them all in one go. The B5 will dispatch them with ease and you'll still be within the speed limit pulling back in - the torque is that brutal. For me, its natural habitat is the autobahn - up to 60mph and it's a tad unforgiving. Once over 60 it's a different car and once into triple-figures it just makes ALL kinds of sense.
If you get one, upgrade the suspension to a Bilstein B12/ Pro kit and uprated ARB - it will transform it's only (albeit, minor) weak point.
Great sum up there!
No it's not the last word in dynamics, but they are easily improved for very little, whilst still not the last word in 'drivability'! We all have to remember it's time. It was never intended to be a track car, it was an estate for god's sake!!! Don't forget that!
It also did a lot of things for some at least that ticked a lot of boxes. Practical to an extent, discreet to most, but still very quick. When we look at how manufacturers try to do aggressive today, it's all scoops and angles. The B5 does it all subtly and smooth without all that.
I'm no different to anyone else here that loves their car, so yes, I'm a fanboy. Not to the extent that I don't appreciate other cars and their abilities, I do. Love this car for loads of reasons which like most that do like them, I bought one.
Love them or loathe them, I'd challenge anyone to say they don't have character, which is the essence of all interesting cars.
Sorry for the bias rant!!
Edited by Nors on Friday 23 October 00:24
Edited by Nors on Friday 23 October 00:25
Nors said:
Hahaha you're probably right! SRS has probably turned up! But we live with them.
Great sum up there!
No it's not the last word in dynamics, but they are easily improved for very little, whilst still not the last word in 'drivability'! We all have to remember it's time. It was never intended to be a track car, it was an estate for god's sake!!! Don't forget that!
It also did a lot of things for some at least that ticked a lot of boxes. Practical to an extent, discreet to most, but still very quick. When we look at how manufacturers try to do aggressive today, it's all scoops and angles. The B5 does it all subtly and smooth without all that.
I'm no different to anyone else here that loves their car, so yes, I'm a fanboy. Not to the extent that I don't appreciate other cars and their abilities, I do. Love this car for loads of reasons which like most that do like them, I bought one.
Love them or loathe them, I'd challenge anyone to say they don't have character, which is the essence of all interesting cars.
Sorry for the bias rant!!
Excellent summing up right here.Agree with all of it, The reason i am on my third is the character and looks of it. I have left before and gone over to Porsche,TVR etc but the B5 RS4 just seems to tick more boxes overall than others. This one is a keeper (but then i 'may' have said that before !!! )Great sum up there!
No it's not the last word in dynamics, but they are easily improved for very little, whilst still not the last word in 'drivability'! We all have to remember it's time. It was never intended to be a track car, it was an estate for god's sake!!! Don't forget that!
It also did a lot of things for some at least that ticked a lot of boxes. Practical to an extent, discreet to most, but still very quick. When we look at how manufacturers try to do aggressive today, it's all scoops and angles. The B5 does it all subtly and smooth without all that.
I'm no different to anyone else here that loves their car, so yes, I'm a fanboy. Not to the extent that I don't appreciate other cars and their abilities, I do. Love this car for loads of reasons which like most that do like them, I bought one.
Love them or loathe them, I'd challenge anyone to say they don't have character, which is the essence of all interesting cars.
Sorry for the bias rant!!
Edited by Nors on Friday 23 October 00:24
Edited by Nors on Friday 23 October 00:25
Nors said:
No it's not the last word in dynamics, but they are easily improved for very little, whilst still not the last word in 'drivability'! We all have to remember it's time. It was never intended to be a track car, it was an estate for god's sake!!! Don't forget that!
LOL - you love it mate and it makes you smile and that is all that counts!I'll never ever forget steaming past an absolutely flat out accelerating Boxter - and I had a sideboard and an Old English Sheepdog in the back. The look on his face as the dog went past. LOL
This was mine:
De-badged black with black leather, piano black inserts, satnav and sunroof (and ally mirrors).
Absolutely loved it but with only 60k miles I got to the stage of worrying about values with higher mileage and sold it on about 6 years ago. I kept it for weekend use toward the end but it didn't work, it was something that should have been used daily as I'd originally intended with relatively short journeys to/from work.
De-badged black with black leather, piano black inserts, satnav and sunroof (and ally mirrors).
Absolutely loved it but with only 60k miles I got to the stage of worrying about values with higher mileage and sold it on about 6 years ago. I kept it for weekend use toward the end but it didn't work, it was something that should have been used daily as I'd originally intended with relatively short journeys to/from work.
Ken Figenus said:
Did they ever sort those soft bendy wheels out - was a constant hassle fighting the dealer I seem to remember? Are they still replacing them when they 'go'?
They produced a more robust wheel with a different part number. I don't believe they still replace them and the rumours were when they were replacing them you could continue to receive soft wheels or a single set of the harder wheels, which if broken would not be replaced.
SuperVM said:
Ken Figenus said:
Did they ever sort those soft bendy wheels out - was a constant hassle fighting the dealer I seem to remember? Are they still replacing them when they 'go'?
They produced a more robust wheel with a different part number. I don't believe they still replace them and the rumours were when they were replacing them you could continue to receive soft wheels or a single set of the harder wheels, which if broken would not be replaced.Ken Figenus said:
I'll never ever forget steaming past an absolutely flat out accelerating Boxter - and I had a sideboard and an Old English Sheepdog in the back. The look on his face as the dog went past. LOL
I think everyone who has owned one of these has similar stories..Mine was when I had slowed below 30mph as there had been kids on the pavement on the way through a village, kept to the 30 limit until the NSL 100yds on and had new Mini up my rear end all that time.
Without thinking I opened up the car at the NSL for the half mile straight that followed, checked my mirrors and saw the Mini on the other side of the road 200yds or so behind. I hadn't even realised he was going to try an overtake, but got accused of doing it deliberately
Was driving to Birmingham a while back and remembe seeing a mint one of these in red and just tailed it for a while trundling along in the slow lane. Lovely looking car. It's a car I'd buy and keep in mint condition if I didn't do so many miles but one day I'll probably do something about that itch.
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