Audi RS4 or BMW M5

[anonymous-user]

Been doing some thinking lately and... Audi RS4 or BMW M5?

Which would you have?

E39 M5 vs B7 RS4?

Both manual

Both high strung V8

Both great

With £15-20k

What would you buy and why?

[TheAngryDog]

As an ex owner of two E39 M5's, I'd probably plump for an RS4, but only because I have never had one.

Hand on heart? E39. Such an epic car, just buy a good one.

Oh. The why. Sorry, slightly drunk. Well, the E39 is iconic, looks great and the engine is a gem. Hustling around b roads the size and weight just disappears. Sound great and they're very communicative. Basically sends you an email a week before it is going to do anything to let you know what it is going to do.

Get one, you won't be disappointed.

[StuTheGrouch]

E39 M5. Without hesitation. What. A. Car

[SWoll]

For that kind of money neither. No good as a daily due to running/maintenance costs and if you're looking for a weekend car there are better alternatives IMHO. E39 M5 may work as an investment I suppose but are you really going to get one good enough for that purpose in budget?

I've been looking for something as a weekend car with a similar budget and with metal like a 996 C4S, Maserati Granturismo and XKR 5.0 all available under £20k that's where my money would go personally.

ETA - For £8.5K this could well change my mind though https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

[Welshbeef]

SWoll said:

For that kind of money neither. No good as a daily due to running/maintenance costs and if you're looking for a weekend car there are better alternatives IMHO. E39 M5 may work as an investment I suppose but are you really going to get one good enough for that purpose in budget?

I've been looking for something as a weekend car with a similar budget and with metal like a 996 C4S, Maserati Granturismo and XKR 5.0 all available under £20k that's where my money would go personally.

ETA - For £8.5K this could well change my mind though https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

Love Ph

OP asks a binary choice question then gets suggestions of neither in addition no doubt some posters who have owned neither giving buying advice.

[SWoll]

Just adding to the discussion Beef.

Would be a pretty boring thread with every poster just saying E39 M5 "Because they're brilliant" don't you think?

I did even go to the effort of finding a good looking example for well under budget..

[TheAngryDog]

They M5 is cheap. Very cheap, consider my old one with 147k on it (it's a facelift, but still) is up for about £3k more and is unlikely to have had any of the rust sorted out that it had when I sold it.

That M5 also has folding rear seats. A rare option.

[popeyewhite]

SWoll said:

Just adding to the discussion Beef.

Would be a pretty boring thread with every poster just saying E39 M5 "Because they're brilliant" don't you think?

Actually that's a fair point. If it helps dilute some of the pervasive M5-cringe it has to be a decent thing?

Having said that I'd have the M5 as it's considerably quicker, handles better, and I'm not bothered if people think I'm a chav.

[Shiv_P]

popeyewhite said:

Actually that's a fair point. If it helps dilute some of the pervasive M5-cringe it has to be a decent thing?

Having said that I'd have the M5 as it's considerably quicker, handles better, and I'm not bothered if people think I'm a chav.

Considerably quicker?...

[popeyewhite]

Also the RS4 is often down on power (considerably) unless it's been de-coked, the ride is rock hard as are the seats, and there's less room inside. Looks terrific though.

[Welshbeef]

popeyewhite said:

Also the RS4 is often down on power (considerably) unless it's been de-coked, the ride is rock hard as are the seats, and there's less room inside. Looks terrific though.

The de coke isn’t that pricy c£350 once every 5 odd years.

Wonder if the E92 S15 engine has the same issue of coke

[anonymous-user]

Welshbeef said:

Love Ph

OP asks a binary choice question then gets suggestions of neither in addition no doubt some posters who have owned neither giving buying advice.

And in comparison according to your garage neither have you, so why even post?

I'm sure when OP wants advice on how to pretend to buy a car he will come straight tl you

OP my money is a e39 m5, although i have never owned one so feel free to ignore.

[Welshbeef]

CP12 said:

Welshbeef said:

Love Ph

OP asks a binary choice question then gets suggestions of neither in addition no doubt some posters who have owned neither giving buying advice.

And in comparison according to your garage neither have you, so why even post?

I'm sure when OP wants advice on how to pretend to buy a car he will come straight tl you

OP my money is a e39 m5, although i have never owned one so feel free to ignore.

Tis why I didn’t give a view one way or another.

[popeyewhite]

Welshbeef said:

The de coke isn’t that pricy c£350 once every 5 odd years.

Wonder if the E92 S15 engine has the same issue of coke

I've not heard it's an issue but.... .

[Novexx]

RS4.

Drove both a few times, the RS4 never dissapointed at all, instant smile & always wanting more, the only negative that comes to mind was very limited rear seat space (knees on backs of front seats). M5 just didn't do it for me, maybe it was because it wasn't that fresh a car (60k'ish), but it just felt a bit on the soft, ponderous & big side

Edited by Novexx on Sunday 21st April 11:42

Edited by Novexx on Sunday 21st April 17:19

[ZX10R NIN]

RS4 for me.

[Welshbeef]

Would Op select the saloon or aavant of the RS4 and if the Avant why? That may determine the choice M5 or RS4.


To me looks wise the RS4 looks superior as a wagon over a saloon + it’s great having more space to chuck stuff into it.

[Wills2]

Welshbeef said:

The de coke isn’t that pricy c£350 once every 5 odd years.

Wonder if the E92 S15 engine has the same issue of coke

S15? You mean S65

[Court_S]

I love both and would struggle to choose between them if I’m honest. They’re two quite different cars in my mind with the E39 being a bit bigger without the high red line.

The RS4 looks great, compact and muscular plus the noise is filth. The bucket seats in the RS4 are amazing and it feels a bit more modern than the E39. I’ve not driven the M5 but did drive my uncle’s RS4 a bit and really liked it; it felt pretty swift to me, made a lovely noise, it needed to be rev’d and handled well compared to other cars I’ve owned / driven.

Neither car is going to be cheap to run now so I’d want a war chest for when anything went pop.