Not finding love with my RS6

[QuattroDave]

Evening all, bit of a weird one this. A month ago I bought a V10 RS6 avant. Always loved them and always wanted one. Since selling my URquattro and moving to a 530d as a daily I wanted to give an every car for every occasion a go, so thus the planets aligned and I bought a mugello blue RS6 avant with a heady 700bhp under the bonnet.

1,100 miles later and I'm all just a bit 'meh' about it. Sure it's pretty much the fastest thing on the roads and should I choose to mash the loud pedal I've got around 4 seconds of joy before numbers start resembling jail time. On paper it ticks all the boxes:

Practical (space/luggage wise)
The sound (at least on start up and gearchange under load)
Disgustingly fast
Well screwed together & reliable
Toys a-plenty

Yet I've not really built an affinity with it. I always knew fuel consumption was going to be 'strong' but I wasn't expecting 11.1mpg as an average for a week (I brim it each sunday) even considering my commute is only 3.5 miles of heavy traffic I think below 15 is a tad harsh so that's clearly not helping, although on a run I seem to get between 21-26mpg so my 1,100 mile average is 19. Not helped by also buying an Alfa 147 ducati corse last week too and chucking that round is proper fun and regardless of how I drove, it refused to show LESS than 40mpg :S

I know a large part of the not clicking is my accountant brain whirring around in the background!

Economy aside there's just something else that's not quite clicked. Quite probably it's that it's TOO fast to properly enjoy on our congested and camera strewn roads, or perhaps it's that the sound insulation and exhaust are a little too refined to enjoy the engine note. I'm fairly sure it's a little too understated for what I'm used to, having come from a urquattro where I'd get nods/waves/honks acknowledging the car to a car that unless you knew what the silver wing mirrors and little red badge meant you would just think it's a 2.0tdi repmobile (sounds very vain of me but really I'm not vain!) Whatever the reasons I find myself after a month whether it's the all things car I really want or not.

Which brings me onto alternatives.

I think the following will help:
More road presence;
similar practicality/size
more economical (even mid 20's as an average would be 50% better!)
Sounds good

So far I've only really thought of a couple of cars, namely the newest shape XJ (3.0tdi with some tuning would be good but loses out on sound), erm, actually no I'm not overly sure of any other cars, even the XJ!

If I dump out of RS6 ownership now I'll likely not lose many pennies but if I keep it a little longer I may bond more (unlikely but still possible!).

Thoughts welcome!

Dave

[QuattroDave]

Lefty said:

I did pretty much a straight swap with an e92 m3 looking for something with a semblance of practicality but still fun...but it's turned out to be pretty dull too! Better than the e46 though.

I just bought a £7500 s1 Elise and am going to flog the m3 and put some of the cash towards a 4x4 of some sort for all the practical duties.

Funny I tried an e92 m3 with remus exhaust before I plumped for the RS6 (also MRC tuned) as I realise I'm more of a turbo fan than high revving NA (although the m3 with remus sounded much nicer than the rs6). Thought it was a nice car but again not 'great' In my quest for a one for all car I may have cemented the need for two! I've kept my wifes other (120bhp lusso) 147 in case I need another car whilst I transition. Thing is the now 'spare' 147 we have is such a hoot to drive and is worth £1,500 tops and has been well maintained during the three years we've had it but I want more luxury (and fewer squeaks!) from the interior!

[QuattroDave]

279 said:

QuattroDave said:

Yet I've not really built an affinity with it. I always knew fuel consumption was going to be 'strong' but I wasn't expecting 11.1mpg as an average for a week (I brim it each sunday) even considering my commute is only 3.5 miles of heavy traffic I think below 15 is a tad harsh so that's clearly not helping, although on a run I seem to get between 21-26mpg so my 1,100 mile average is 19.

...

I think the following will help:

more economical (even mid 20's as an average would be 50% better!)
...

If your commute is 3.5 miles frankly why do you care about fuel economy? Your commuting miles aren't going to rack up to anything very meaningful, and quite frankly any car is going to get rubbish economy sitting in traffic on a short journey.

Mid 20s on a 3.5 mile commute is a pipedream unless you're eyeing up a Focus or similar.

I think you misunderstand, I'm not looking for my daily commute to be mid 20's, but the overall average (as opposed to 19 that the RS6 is sitting at now). Anywho Plus commute is 2.5 miles of motorway (all slip road) so actually I averaged about 29 in the 530d and yesterday a frankly stupid 44 from cold in the alfa!

Can't state strongly enough that despite it only being a short commute I have a very strong accountant brain that whirrs around tutting at this and that. I try to keep it under control but it's always there!!

Edited by QuattroDave on Sunday 13th September 17:57

[QuattroDave]

treetops said:

3.5 mile commute. Will kill that engine. You don't need that car for that job.

280E said:

Have you ever considered a push bike for that 3.5 mile commute?

Spent four years commuting on a bike 5 miles each way and more often than not preferred it as Southampton traffic is frankly abhorrent at the best of times. Would gladly cycle to new work (only been there 5 months) save for two problems, 1. no shower & 2. nowhere at all to lock a bike up. I've got the landlord to sort the first and am meeting him again tomorrow as it happens to sort the second, then, barring really horrible weather I'll cycle most days which will sort the local fuel economy problem but still leaves me with the other issues I'm feeling with the car!

[QuattroDave]

wormus said:

try one of these:



Proper V8 with bags of supercharged tuning potential.

Forgot they did an estate of these!

Ironic isn't it that I'd discounted the VXR8 on the basis that it'll just about do 17mpg and here I am with a car doing just a whisper north of that figure!

I drove an auto VXR8 around thruxton, was horrible to drive on track compared with the astra and even corsa!!

Edited by QuattroDave on Sunday 13th September 18:11

[QuattroDave]

Magic919 said:

I thought the VXR8 was not great on the track and the Corsa VXR was about the best (Rockingham). But the VXR8 was great fun on the road. Used to get about 16mpg on my 12 mile commute.

I've done the VXR days five times now, all at Thruxton. First two times I much preferred the Corsa, but now I know the track that much more I could take the Astra to the limit which took over as my favorite of the bunch. Missed it this year though

[QuattroDave]

Should state I don't want to spend any more than I'd get for the RS6 as I'm looking to save for a house move (or a holiday home purchase!)

Did the land rover experience at Goodwood this year and went into the car thinking I didn't really see the point in big 4x4's on the road I came out with huge respect for it and what a lovely place to sit it was too! Sadly even the TDV6 is out of my price range!

[QuattroDave]

theboss said:

OP my advice would be to use the lowly "spare" 147 for your commute, revelling in all its 44mpg glory, whilst reserving the RS6 for journeys in which its engine oil will actually warm up. Also disengage accountant's brain whilst using it - you can't possibly rationalise RS6 ownership on any sort of economic grounds.

Yup, that man has wise words.

Have seriously considered the 147 for this week, see how I get on and I really DO try to turn accountant brain off. It's a great thing that has afforded me nice cars but it's also the destroyer of enjoyment in said cars!

Think a couple of PH stickers over the trip computer and fuel gauge will cure the problem

[QuattroDave]

Evo estate certainly is an unusual looking thing, I like it but prob not enough to buy one as a one and all car.

As other posters have said, getting 'sporty' out of a chugging great estate (2.1 tonnes!) is never going to happen so I may end up getting a car that's a 'nice' place to be and going back to a weekend toy - which is a shame as I've just converted the garage to a gym....

[QuattroDave]

jonah35 said:

It's just too fast and refined and is like throwing money out the window.

They are just not fun at legal speeds.

An e60 m5 may help as still quick, could put a sports exhaust on it and only spend pocket change and may even see it appreciate. Still too quick for the roads though.

Considered an e61 m5 as I was already in an e61 530d but the reliability of the m5 seems quite a bit lower than the RS6. I prefer the interior of the audi too.

I think both are too fast for our roads to have fun in.

[QuattroDave]

R6VED said:

I understand this, on paper it should be an awesome ownership experience - but however good a car is on paper; how it makes you feel as a petrolhead is much more important.

I have run some more expensive and much faster cars than I do at present, but my current combination of a £131 a month (no deposit) Fiesta and a 1981 Mercedes SEL 500 give me the most satisfaction of any.

The Fiesta fulfils a need and fits all 4 of us when needed (best of shorter journeys) my wife has a V8 X5 too and then the Merc is my toy, it isn't particularly fast - although it can hustle along at a fair pace when required - it is a cruiser with massive road presence - it gets so much positive attention and I have had more comments about it than any previous car.

I have some bonnet flags on it too which probably help with the road presence :-) the total cost of this motoring enjoyment was about 2 weeks salary to buy.

Cost does not equal enjoyment - well not always anyway.

If you don't love it then it isn't for you, move it on and get something that you do love.

Bang on the money.

Trouble is I'm 35 and this is car number 40! I've been trying for a long time to find a car that'll stick with me for a while. URquattro came close but for the 6 years I owned it I covered only 5,000 miles, most of those in the first two years as it spent the rest of the time in the garage absorbing my money!

Happy to keep looking and trying other cars but buying and selling cars has become a bit of a drag (albeit fairly efficient given my practice!)

[QuattroDave]

JakeT said:

Golf GTi? Would do that sort of distance and do about 22MPG. Practical, imageless and there are many around so you can afford to be choosy. Having lived in So'ton I would walk or bike it really. Much better fuel economy!

Can't stand Golfs. Never have and never will! Some people have an affinity with Golfs and that's fine, they're in no way a bad car but they're just not for me!

The factors that limit me cycling are days when I need to be in the office for 8am and then head off to site (ours range from Bognor to Salisbury) and other days when I need to drop daughter off at breakfast club @7.45 then be in office for as close to 8 as possible! On all other days I'm looking to bike it.

All these things address my commute fuel cons concerns but I've still got the issue of not 'loving' the car like I thought I would.

[QuattroDave]

gizlaroc said:

I sold my M3 CSL and 5 series diesel touring for an V8 S4 avant.
Terrible decision, terrible car, just failed on every level.

For me Audis work when there is not too much expected from them.

I loved my 3.2 Quattro A6 Avant, SE spec and it was lovely, different expectations.

My one and only new car purchase was an A6 avant, the lowly tdi-e variant but with £10k of options added. I knew it'd be an unengaging drive but it did everything else so well, averaged 53mpg over 23k miles, could carry a single divan and mattress in the back (tip run special!) had all the toys you could ever want (digital freeview tv, 30gb hard drive player, dvd player, cd changer, bose, heated leathered everything. For the engagement I had the UR quattro. Only real issue I had with it aside from falling asleep behind the wheel was the most god awful offset pedals, you could only really get comfortable by sitting pretty much on the bolster and aiming your whole body towards the pedals!

I had considered an Audi with the 3.0 tfsi, either the S4 or A6 but I knew I would ruck up to an RS one day at the lights and regret it!

Sounds like the concensus is to head back to a two car setup. i.e. use my 'spare' 147 for daily grind and the RS6 for weekend and journey fun (or a.n.other fun toy).

But, if I end up not using the RS6 as a daily then I may as well have a boggo family duty estate and a gtr/911 or something for the weekend. To me it seems a little perverse to have a 'family' car as a weekend toy!

[QuattroDave]

S10GTA said:

He lives near Southampton it seems. We don't have hills.

3.5 miles, you don't need a shower for that. I do 10.5 each way and only need a shower when its mid summer.

Smelly git :P

I'm a DH mtb by trade so find it difficult not to give it 100% when I'm on a bike. Even though I used an XC bike with knobbly tyres I used to crack my 5 mile commute in about 15 mins so a shower was always needed, especially as I layer up rather than lycra'ing up!!!

Besides my work has a shower, but no bike store.

[QuattroDave]

C7 JFW said:

I have been after an RS6 for some time quietly, but looking at that video, it really seems to appeal as a tremendous drivers' car.

I think that's now on the list - thanks for sharing.

Get in touch, one might be up for sale soon

If you're in or around Southampton I'll happily take you out in one to show you its best bits

[QuattroDave]

S10GTA said:

Fair enough. Without being to stalkerish, where are you going from/to?

I was doing Bursledon to City Centre, now it's Bursledon to Hedge end!

[QuattroDave]

jontysafe said:

You`re compromised for both roles, as a bus it`s redonkulous and as a fun car it`s redonkulous as well albeit for different reasons.

Buy two cars better suited to their individual roles.

How much will you get if you sell the RS6?

With any luck about £25k.

[QuattroDave]

wack said:

I know a guy who loves performance cars , he recently bought a JAG XF diesel

When I asked why he said it was for the economy , he's had it a year and done 4500 miles in it

Depreciation is the biggest cost in car ownership by a country mile but people are obsessed with cheap tax and mpg

I've owned a 09 WRX hatch for the last 2.5 years and I love it to bits , fast enough to be fun, averages 23mpg mostly round town but the best bit is ownership has almost been free, I may lose 10-15% on it when I sell it

Next year I'm hoping to fulfil a lifetimes dream by buying a Maserati , I've always wanted one so the hunt begins in February/March , probably a quattroporte unless I can find a granturismo in budget (unlikely)

Depreciation for me for the next year or so will be pretty much nil. When discs and pads need changing it'll be £2k dealers or £900 if I do it myself (with oem quality parts). That's about it for costs other than fuel. Thanks for all the comments so far. I'm having a good day today and beating down the inner accountant so the mpg thing isn't the biggest issue for me. It's whether the £25k would be better used on other things for my smiles!

I may even take the longer route home tonight to have some bonding time as all my driving so far has been to get to a set place!

[QuattroDave]

S10GTA said:

Do you complain about the traffic?

ALLLLLLLLL the time!

I live in a quiet cul-de-sac off of Portsmouth Road and it can take 10 mins to get off of my road and onto providence hill in the morning, all of 200 yards (so plenty of time for the V10 to warm up!)

[QuattroDave]

jimmybobby said:

If you like your little 147 why not go down the route of getting a 147 GTA or 156 GTA SW? In particular the SW should be the best bet as they are rare and getting rarer in RHD. IIRC there were only ever something like 125 RHD 156 GTA SW.

You could even take it and get the 3.7 conversion done. It should hold its value quite well if not go up in value. Differing variants go up to around 10-11k for really good condition ones.

I like your thinking there Jimmybob

I do like the look of the 147 GTA just wish it had the later front end like our other two have, makes the car look miles better