Considering buying a used RS5 - what do I need to know?

[Meadowdale]

I am considering buying a used RS5, 2013-2015.

What do I need to know about buying a used RS5?
What are common issues, reliability issues?
What are some real major service items?

[Optiondoc]

Buy CPO, buy Audi care, check brake pads, rotors and oil consumption.


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[NoMojo31]

And buy with the lowest miles and newest year possible.

[Reggie]

If you are buying from a private party have it Pre inspection before you buy it

[xuandatou]

Rotors seem to be the major complaint for RS5 owners...

[AbeViator]

Just got a CPO RS5. Carfax, warranty, Audi care, maintenance inspection, and brake inspection for sure!


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[zhclvn]

BUY CCB so you dont have to worry about Brake issues.

Just make sure it is maintained correctly

[AirmattRS5]

Buy mine. Keep an eye out when it shows up on Audi South Coast website.

[doug97gxe]

get road side assistance because it doesn't come with a spare

[Meadowdale]

Thanks!. What is the issue with the rotors?

What are some typical major maintenance items to plan for?

[JamesRS5]

The wavy rotors and pads don't seem to handle heat very well, give them some spirited driving and you can find the brakes begin to vibrate. Most guys replace the OE pads for Hawk and never see any problems, or find an RS with carbon ceramics fitted and never worry about braking until it's time to replace them.

There aren't any typical major maintenance items but it's an RS model so expect everything to cost more than a usual car, for example, 10ltrs of Mobil 1 oil is double the amount and therefor double the price of a usual car servicing. The RS5 has one gearbox and 3 differentials so the major service will be costlier than a car with only a single diff.
Ask the service desk at your local Audi to see the prices involved in running this type of car.

The rest is pretty standard when buying a car; make sure it's cold when you first start it, the engine does sound a little rough when it first fires up but this should settle down when the idle speed drops after 15 seconds or so. Listen out for knocking or rattling from the engine, there shouldn't be any.
The steering (depending on spec) should be light at low speed and firm up as you get moving. Go through the MMI settings and select each mode, make sure the car responds appropriately, "comfort" everything should be quiet and easy, "dynamic" is should be louder and heavier on the steering.

Interior should be rattle and squeak free, I get some wind noise from the Windows adjacent to the wing mirrors at speed.

There should be no knocks or rattles from the suspension.

My first reaction on the test drive was "this doesn't feel very fast". I'd come from turbo'd cars where there's a wall of torque at low revs, the RS engine is the opposite, you really have to work it to make it move. Put it in Dynamic mode and it should keep the revs above 3000rpm and sharpen up the throttle response. In comfort mode it just feels like a 2 tonne coupe and is pretty lazy.

See if your dealer will give you the car for half a day, do your commute to work route and make sure you're happy with it and it's thirst for high octane fuel, it may be a shock to watch the fuel gauge going down as fast as the revs climb if you drive enthusiastically, driven sensibly I can get a reasonable return out of a full tank.

Let us know how you get on.

[Meadowdale]

Does the RS5 have adjustable suspension?

[superswiss]

Everybody's experience is a little different. FWIW, my 2013 RS5 is about to come out of warranty. I had a few what I consider minor issues. Some sensors failing and some flawed parts from the factory that were all taken care of under warranty. Nothing major and I was never affected by the brake rotor/pad issues. Nothing really concerns me at this point about owning this car past the warranty, but I am considering getting an extended powertrain warranty as a piece of mind. The powertrain in this car is complicated and expensive to fix if some major parts start failing. So far, no signs of that happening, but you never know. As far as brakes are concerned, I'm on aftermarket rotors and pads now and looks like they gonna last at least twice as long as the OEM setup did. Just got the 45k miles service done and I still have half of the life left on my front pads and about 75% of the rear. At this stage, my OEM pads were about worn last time around. Really the major maintenance item are tires. I'm on my 4th set in 3 years. Pretty much have to get a new set once a year after about 12k miles, but that's partly due to my passion for ripping through deserted California canyons.

As for what to look for, I would say the older the car, make sure it has had all the software updates performed or get them done before you are out of warranty, There were EPS, ECU, TCU and MMI updates that made the car much better over time. If you get a 2013 and the cellular modem hasn't been replaced yet, you may be stuck with 2G service from T-Mobile in your area if you want to use Audi Connect.

- - - Updated - - -

Does the RS5 have adjustable suspension?

Not in the US. The rear crash zone had to be redesigned, which didn't leave any room for the central valves of the DRC suspension. However, the DRC suspension is not about comfort. It's about actively controlling squat, dive and roll. Comfort mode is only a smidgen more comfortable than the fixed suspension, but Dynamic mode is harsh and heavily skewed towards track use and pretty much unusable on public roads.

[Meadowdale]

Not in the US. The rear crash zone had to be redesigned, which didn't leave any room for the central valves of the DRC suspension. However, the DRC suspension is not about comfort. It's about actively controlling squat, dive and roll. Comfort mode is only a smidgen more comfortable than the fixed suspension, but Dynamic mode is harsh and heavily skewed towards track use and pretty much unusable on public roads.

That is still somewhat a concern. I did a testdrive on Illinois streets and was wondering if I could use a RS5 as a daily driver or not.

[superswiss]

That is still somewhat a concern. I did a testdrive on Illinois streets and was wondering if I could use a RS5 as a daily driver or not.

You have to decide that for yourself. FWIW, I daily drive mine, 15k/year and I have the 20" wheels. I've never driven a car this much and I telecommute :-). I also lived in Chicago during my grad school years. Went to Northwestern, so I'm pretty familiar with Illinois roads. We have some horrible roads here in NorCal. We don't have the issue of the roads getting ripped open by the snow plows every winter, but I'm still dodging potholes left and right and the pavement smoothness is pretty much in the same ballpark. On the highway, the car is very smooth. On rough surface streets, yes, you gonna get tossed around a bit, but not even my wife complains. I've had a 2007 S4 before the RS5 and the RS5 suspension is stiffer, yet more compliant and more comfortable. They did a pretty good job IMO, tuning this all aluminum suspension. I also did European Delivery, so my first experience driving my car was 4000 miles on smooth European roads. It was certainly a bit of a shock when the car got here, but as the suspension loosened up some more it really became very compliant. Also make sure the tire pressure is adjusted properly. If you are just driving by yourself or one more passenger and no luggage, the recommended pressure is 39f/35r. The dealers usually adjust it to max load pressure on the door sticker, which is 44f/41r. You'll definitely feel the difference in the comfort department. You do get sharper handling with the higher tire pressure and for the first two years I kept it at the higher pressure, but with my current set of tires I lowered it and it's a better balance between DD and canyon runs that way.

[mikron2]

That is still somewhat a concern. I did a testdrive on Illinois streets and was wondering if I could use a RS5 as a daily driver or not.

You shouldn't have any issues with it being a daily driver. I use mine as a semi-daily and love it. It's not that harsh in dynamic to me but I split my time between dynamic and comfort depending on how long the ride is and whether or not my girlfriend is in the car (she hates dynamic). Dynamic is fun but will ruin your gas mileage in a hurry and it's worth it. Once I'm on the freeway/highway where I won't be accelerating hard or shifting manually with the paddles I switch it to comfort to save gas and it's pretty pleasant to cruise on the freeway. It's even girlfriend approved. Like James said, in comfort it feels lazy even though it's not slow relative to other cars on the road, compared to the car in dynamic or other cars in this class it does not feel at all fast in comfort. I think the US ride isn't as harsh as the rest of the world since we don't have DRC which was referenced in your quote.

[Vanimal]

Man I couldn't imagine if I had a RS5 with my fiancé in the car lol. I'm not a aggressive driver so to speak. I'm more of a cruiser who gets on it when needed like highway merging etc. Or gets up to the speed limit swiftly in my S5.

I drive my S5 mostly with the paddles unless I get up to highway speed. When I have the fiancé in the car and we are going out to dinner going from light to light I can see her jerking in the seat usually. Along with her phone on the brink of flying from her hand while she's trying to read her gossip nonsense lol.




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[TTRStud]

The RS5 has a tendency to drink oil and toast the brakes. Make sure it's a car with good history.

[zhclvn]

buy mine. Keep an eye out when it shows up on audi south coast website.

oh no you sold it to south coast audi ewwwww!!!!!!

[chrissurfr]

what you need to know is that the car is awesome

[DominoEdge]

That is still somewhat a concern. I did a testdrive on Illinois streets and was wondering if I could use a RS5 as a daily driver or not.

I live in Chicago and drive around downtown & Lincoln park areas with no problems, but I usually take the same roads and know where all the potholes are. The potholes this year are not nearly as bad as last year (or the year before). If you're in the NW burbs, you'll have no problems at all. Also, get roadside of some kind -- no spare tire.

[sshah]

Live in streeterville. No problems at all. Car was more comfortable than my M and I was lowered on springs. Brakes were my issue - Make sure you get them fresh if your buying from an Audi dealer. I would look for a 14-15.


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[AirmattRS5]

oh no you sold it to south coast audi ewwwww!!!!!!

they've treated me very well for the past 3yrs ;)

[mufflerman]

I'm on my second 13 coupe and I love it as much as my last. My only complaint is the small fuel tank (lots of station stops)and the shift paddles being attached to the wheel and not the column, other than that one of the best performance street cars I've ever owned.

[essfour]

That is still somewhat a concern. I did a testdrive on Illinois streets and was wondering if I could use a RS5 as a daily driver or not.

The RS5 is no more or less drive-able on a daily basis than any other Audi. Why would you have reservations on using it for daily purposes? It's not an Alfa 4C or anything. It's big, comfortable, and all wheel drive - damn near perfect daily driver in my book. I use mine every day rain/snow/heat doesnt matter. There are nearly zero tangible differences between how the RS5 will feel on an open highway or back road and an A4/5 would feel. I mean the suspension is stiffer, but again, it's not like you're driving a race car - the suspension is still more than compliant and comfortable.

[Meadowdale]

What sources would you be using to determine fair market value to buy?
e.g. for 1 2014 with 15k miles, somewhat neglected (dinged up wheels, marks on rear interior leather) from a good non-audi dealer non cpo?

[superswiss]

What sources would you be using to determine fair market value to buy?
e.g. for 1 2014 with 15k miles, somewhat neglected (dinged up wheels, marks on rear interior leather) from a good non-audi dealer non cpo?

I would say Blue Book and Edmunds is a good start to give you an expected ballpark and then look at comparable listings. If I were you, I would expand my search beyond the limited inventory in Chicago and look in other states for CPO listings at actual Audi dealers. These days you can pretty much do everything over the Internet/Phone. Request detailed pictures from the dealer. Run a Carfax report, and call up Audi of America with the VIN and request the service history and the option list of the car. That should give you a pretty good idea of the car and how it compares to other listings. Then negotiate a price and if all looks good, fly there, take a look at the car in person and if all is good, sign the papers and make a road trip back to Chicago. Worst case you walk away and fly back home, but if you do your due diligence upfront, you should be in good shape. I don't have any actual experience doing this myself as I usually buy new, but many folks around here seem to have done it this way.

[essfour]

If you dont care for CPO then just go through Carmax. They'll even sell you a max care warranty should anything go wrong, up to 100k miles. Prices are competitive because they are in the volume business and just want to move cars... There are a bunch in stock right now and they charge fair prices to transfer a vehicle anywhere in the country right to your closest carmax lot.

[The Punisher]

I've always used autotrader instant cash value to see what a car is worth TO THE DEALER. I've had friends sell cars to the dealer this way and they've always offered them the cash value they received online and something very close. If you can get the car for close to what the Autotrader instant cash value then you'd be getting a great price IMO.

I ended up purchasing a CPO '13 for $500 more than the cash value I received from Autotrader on a Non-Certified RS5.

[GotRS?]

...and the shift paddles being attached to the wheel and not the column,,,

That's an interesting comment and relevant, but I wondered who in their right mind would want them on the column after I drove a Mas Ghibli. How can you shift if the paddles keep moving from under your fingers?

[mufflerman]

That's an interesting comment and relevant, but I wondered who in their right mind would want them on the column after I drove a Mas Ghibli. How can you shift if the paddles keep moving from under your fingers?

Well the fixed paddles on the Italians are larger then the very small ones on our Audis, so they are easier to find with your fingers while turning. Most importantly shifting during a turn the up shift or downshift paddles are always in the same place, your brain doesn't have to process where either might be, not a big deal in slow speed responsible street driving, but an exercise if driving spirited. I end up using the gear selector on the center console which obviously never moves, however, takes your shifting hand from the most important instrument, the steering wheel.

I suppose it's what your used to, I learned manumatics on the very early stuff from Ferrari as we've always had a lot of Ferrari customers. Another topic, but you want to talk about really bad operation in a computer controlled clutch transmission, try out the first production car with one, the 96 Ferrari 355 F1.

[JamesRS5]

If you're driving at high speed then I'd hope your hands are in the correct position on the wheel, in which case the wheel paddles are in the perfect position.

[mcbuck]

I frequently drive mountain roads with tight switchbacks. I sometimes "lose" the paddles because my hands are not in their normal position. In this case I will use the gear selector because I know where it is, not any different from driving a manual.

For the OP, if you buy without a maintenance contract the periodic service will be expensive. Brake rotors are recommended to be changed with the pads and are not cheap. A full drivetrain service will run you $800 plus at the stealership, although an indy shop could save you a few hundred. That being said, it's worth it. I love the RS. It's not a pure sports car, but a great blend of performance and luxury. It always turns heads and have had people roll down their window at stoplights just to say they like it. And the rev matching on downshifts always puts a smile on my face.

[superswiss]

If you're driving at high speed then I'd hope your hands are in the correct position on the wheel, in which case the wheel paddles are in the perfect position.

I frequently drive mountain roads with tight switchbacks. I sometimes "lose" the paddles because my hands are not in their normal position. In this case I will use the gear selector because I know where it is, not any different from driving a manual.

This has come up a few times in the past. Folks seem to lean one way or the other. I'm not sure why mounted on the columns is preferred. I also frequently drive mountain and canyon roads and during spirited driving my hands are at 9 and 3 as they should be pretty much all the time. It's easier with the optional dynamic steering, because it has tighter/sportier ratios. With tight switchbacks, one normally downshifts into the turn and then upshifts when powering out, so I never find myself having to look for the paddles as before and after the switchback, my hands are in the 9 and 3 position. I found the following video a while back. Awesome to watch and a good display of where the hands should be at all times. Notice how he misses a shift at about 2:48 because the steering wheel is turned too far to the right and he ends up pulling the upshift paddle, so neither way is prefect I guess.

[rooneyy]

Buy mine. Keep an eye out when it shows up on Audi South Coast website.

Why are you selling your RS5?

[AirmattRS5]

Why are you selling your RS5?

Investment reasons. Car is tastefully modded with a few hidden gems thrown in there (unless the dealership remove them for CPO purposes).

[mufflerman]

If you're driving at high speed then I'd hope your hands are in the correct position on the wheel, in which case the wheel paddles are in the perfect position.

I figured this would come up, you're correct, ideally your hands would always be at 10 and 2 or at 9 and 3. This is not always the case on the street, one example would be a big left hander across a multiple lane intersection, it just isn't comfortable to bang forearms with 180 degrees of steering wheel rotation and I always find my self looking for the up shift paddle. Another issue for me personally is that my muscle memory looks for the upshift/downshift in the same place, it is always moving around being mounted to the wheel. I am not certain of this, but I think production race cars all have fixed paddles.

[JamesRS5]

The fixed paddles in the Zonda video cover almost 270' of the wheels movement and he still manages to miss a shift due to too much steering input.

I think you're right about the production race cars, they all do seem to have them fixed, I would imagine they have much less turns lock to lock than a road car though?

[mufflerman]

The fixed paddles in the Zonda video cover almost 270' of the wheels movement and he still manages to miss a shift due to too much steering input.

I think you're right about the production race cars, they all do seem to have them fixed, I would imagine they have much less turns lock to lock than a road car though?

Yes, that is definitely a fact, but that would support less of a reason to have them fixed. My point of using the race car reference is that under a high stress environment the human brain needs to rely on consistent memory, the paddles moving around would be like moving the safety around on a pistol or the canopy release on a parachute. The driver on the Zonda didn't miss the shift because he didn't know where the paddle was, he just didn't get to it.

[Meadowdale]

Looking at Edmunds a 2014 average RS5 with 24k miles would come out to be $43K trade-in and dealer $48k.
Does this seem about right? Dealers advertise them at $60k. There seems to be a wide spread....