RE: Audi RS5: Review

Author
Discussion

W124

1,564 posts

139 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Gandahar said:
W124 said:
The VAG group, Audi especially, are playing a dangerous game. I deliver cars, every other week, for BCA and affiliates mostly and I drive everything. Thousands of miles a week. The cars are just not good enough anymore. Audi are way off the pace. They look great, and the flashy dashboards are diverting but they really do drive poorly compared to the competition. It's all perceived quality.
This really nails it. I feel good when it is on the drive and I feel good pushing buttons inside whilst I go from A to B.

Most people just want that though. Bit like the latest high brand value phone.
You are right. But Audi, like Apple, can only play that game for so long before people cotton on and switch brands. I always think the mark of a good car is whether it is a pleasure to drive slowly. Only the very basic VAG cars are. They are still good. But everything from the Passat/A4 up is pretty poor really. I got out of an A6 into and XF the other day and, whilst the Jag was miles behind on the bells and whistles front, it was a pleasure to potter round the M25 in it. I have no axe to grind - but I do huge miles in many, many different types of car - often back to back in competing models. Audi is, and has been for a while, a massive confidence trick.

TomScrut

2,546 posts

89 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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GTEYE said:
The trouble is having "minimised" the options spend....you'd then be irritated every day you owned the damned thing that you didn't have auto lights, wipers, interior lights, storage compartments etc etc all of which SHOULD be standard on a £60k car and ARE standard on a £15k Ford Fiesta.....

I can understand them charging for carbon brakes, sports exhaust, even the fancy seats but in some areas Audi really do take the piss!
The storage is the only thing on your list that's not standard, unless its standard on S5 and not RS5. Don't get me wrong they do take the piss a bit with some things but a lot of them are things I don't care about, such as folding wing mirrors. The storage is a joke though, without it an A5 sportback doesnt have rear cup holders! I specced on my S5 was VC and flat bottomed wheel (I like it I know it has no purpose), I considered the matrix lights and misano red, and if I had been buying the car it would have had the sports diff. If I think the option price is unreasonable I won't spec it (which I presume a lot of people do). ACC for £1300 when its standard on a diesel Golf is ridiculous! But I have the car without it rather than pay it even though I do miss it from my Golf R.

Gio G

2,946 posts

210 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Andy20vt said:
Such a shame Audi have dropped any hint of motorsport pedigree with their RS cars. RS2 and it's Porsche links, B5 RS4 and C5 RS6 with their extensive Cosworth tweaking - made these cars really special and you got the hint that they were bought by proper enthusiasts, people in the know, rather than just some sort of 'look at me' status symbol as current RS cars seem to have become. Audi seem do an 'RS' everything now, none of which is particularly inspiring or special.
I think you have hit the nail on the head... Is it just the German's that are reigning that look in? M-cars and AMG, are they guilty too?

Also thinking about it, there is essentially only 100hp separating the latest B9 S5, which has a V6 turbo (not the same engine).. that gap should be much bigger for something worth nearly 25k more!

Apart from the latest tech, I wonder how many current RS5 owners will chop theirs in?

G

MrGeoff

655 posts

173 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Just on looks this is just too conservative, maybe it's the colour, maybe it's the fact that we're all becoming immune to fast versions of sales rep cars? I have to agree with previous comments that the RS badge used to stand for something more. I'm sorry this wouldn't get a second look, but what do Audi care, I'm never going to buy one, even if I had the spare cash, I don't think I'm their target audience.

Dafuq

371 posts

171 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Arsecati said:
81 GRAND????????

I love Audi's, but stone me - there are about 100+ more things I could think of to get for £81,000 than this!

81 Grand??? @£%$ me!!!!!
Lol, I am not sure of the point you wish to make.

Is it not good value for money? But...., green? 😉

Simon Owen

806 posts

135 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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It beggars belief that engineers within these organisations cannot offer an adjustable suspension set up that is road biased, how good would it be to have three settings that all worked on the road ... Brilliant IMHO & a really useful feature.

Perhaps even keeping the bone shaking set up for billiard table race tracks an option for those that think they need it, not exactly sure who this is ??

I know those outside here probably don't care and it is led by marketing boll** but why oh why can't more manufactures get this right more of the time.

I'm currently running Ohlins DFV's on my daily and in 'bumpy road setting' (which I use all the time) they offer superb compliance and control, surely the technology is there to mimic this with a good electronically adjustable set up at this price point.

TBH for most users they would probably be better just running a set of Ohlins (or equivalent) in the first place ?


amgmcqueen

3,353 posts

151 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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How small must it have to be to buy one of these...?


Murphy16

254 posts

83 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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As I've said in other new car threads, it doesn't even have to be a good car to sell, the badge will do the job. These will sell well despite being a numb feeling, expensive, hard riding, not particularly pretty offering from one of the lease deal companies favourite marque. People don't buy them to drive them hard, for driver feedback or track days. They buy them for the badge, to pose and make the neighbours enviable of their brand spanking new Audi's percieved superiority.

Edited by Murphy16 on Wednesday 5th July 13:31

jon-

16,511 posts

217 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Solid review. Drove another green press car last week for Car Throttle and it summed up my thoughts really well.

Especially this bit

" The ride really is brutal, punishing at points and with little need to use the Dynamic mode beyond confirming just how uncomfortable it is. Weirdly there's an element of float to the ride too, the body not regaining control as quickly as you would hope given the resolute stiffness. "

The body control is inexcusable.

Oilchange

8,474 posts

261 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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The Alfa Guillia Quadrifoglio I just configured came in at a tad under £75k, included carbon brakes, carbon seats, tripac paint and sporty steering wheel.
I know which I'd rather have...

Elysrum

5 posts

86 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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At last!
Someone else who agrees with me that VAG 's manual mode on the gearshift selector is the wrong way round.

nickfrog

21,219 posts

218 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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GTEYE said:
The trouble is having "minimised" the options spend....you'd then be irritated every day you owned the damned thing that you didn't have auto lights, wipers, interior lights, storage compartments etc etc all of which SHOULD be standard on a £60k car and ARE standard on a £15k Ford Fiesta.....
Are those things optional on the Audi?

Not a big fan of this type of cars but I am really pleased they exist, it's about choice.

OddCat

2,543 posts

172 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Elysrum said:
At last!
Someone else who agrees with me that VAG 's manual mode on the gearshift selector is the wrong way round.
How can they possibly think that pulling back the lever should do anything other than change up the box and push away to change down ? Isn't that on page 1 of the sequential shifting rule book ? Have they never watched WRC ?

ETA the above alone is reason enough not to buy one......

TomScrut

2,546 posts

89 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Gio G said:
I think you have hit the nail on the head... Is it just the German's that are reigning that look in? M-cars and AMG, are they guilty too?

Also thinking about it, there is essentially only 100hp separating the latest B9 S5, which has a V6 turbo (not the same engine).. that gap should be much bigger for something worth nearly 25k more!

Apart from the latest tech, I wonder how many current RS5 owners will chop theirs in?

G
You mean £15k don't you? £62900 minus £47875 is £15025. Nothing is standard on the S5 that isn't on the RS5 so there aren't any options you need to level it up.

Simon Owen

806 posts

135 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Murphy16 said:
As I've said in other new car threads, it doesn't even have to be a good car to sell, the badge will do the job. These will sell well despite being a numb feeling, expensive, hard riding, not particularly pretty offering from one of the lease deal companies favourite marque. People don't buy them to drive them hard, for driver feedback or track days. They buy them for the badge, to pose and make the neighbours enviable of their brand spanking new Audi's percieved superiority.

Edited by Murphy16 on Wednesday 5th July 13:31
Ha yes, doesn't help us lot though does it, I know it's automatic but there is some hope in the new Alpine bucking the trend !!

TomScrut

2,546 posts

89 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
quotequote all
Murphy16 said:
As I've said in other new car threads, it doesn't even have to be a good car to sell, the badge will do the job. These will sell well despite being a numb feeling, expensive, hard riding, not particularly pretty offering from one of the lease deal companies favourite marque. People don't buy them to drive them hard, for driver feedback or track days. They buy them for the badge, to pose and make the neighbours enviable of their brand spanking new Audi's percieved superiority.

Edited by Murphy16 on Wednesday 5th July 13:31
Yeah, I have my Audi so all the neighbours can look at it, nothing to do with me actually liking the car.....rolleyes

big_rob_sydney

3,406 posts

195 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Wow. 80k = disappointment.

Expensive pill to swallow, that.

Ares

11,000 posts

121 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Optioned price is a misnomer. All press cars are specced to the hilt.

But even at £60-70k it's got stiff competition from Germany and now Italy, very stiff.

The RS5 was always the runt dynamically, but punched above it's weight thanks to the V8, not unlike the C63 used to do a generation earlier.

But now it's lost that, at a time when the C63 has found it's dynamism. Makes the RS5 a little redundant. A GT? They'd be better sticking the SQ7's mysterious oil burner under the hood if it really is intended to be a GT.

Gio G

2,946 posts

210 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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TomScrut said:
You mean £15k don't you? £62900 minus £47875 is £15025. Nothing is standard on the S5 that isn't on the RS5 so there aren't any options you need to level it up.
Apologies, I thought the S5 was cheaper.. Looking at performance stats of past and present, quite clear the RS5 moves the torque on by quite allot, however the difference in everyday driving may not be that different..

B8 S5 - 333bhp and 440 NM torque vs B8 RS5 - 444 BHP and 430 NM torque

B9 S5 - 349bhp and 500 NM torque vs B9 RS5 - 444 BHP and 600 NM torque

G

RSbandit

2,620 posts

133 months

Wednesday 5th July 2017
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Currently own a C7 RS6 which is a belter, best RS car since the B7 RS4...had the old RS5 previous to that which had a wonderful engine and gearbox but was prob a bit too heavy...seems they've lost the best two aspects of the previous car and lord knows why they want to re-position it as a grand tourer, RS cars should be aggressive and have a real edge to them Audi just cant seem to string two decent RS products back to back but they've really been diluting the brand in the last few yrs, guess you could argue same with AMG too. I'm sure it'll look nice in the flesh of course.