visiting from the B7 RS4 section

[AvusPdx]

Hey guys, I've been reading through your section and there's a lot of good info to soak up in here!

Here is my RS4 currently:




So I'm not here just to brag about my car, but the reason why I am posting here, is that I am considering purchasing the B8.5 S4.
I wanted to ask this section on the forum about your thoughts on:
Has anyone come from the B7 RS4 platform to the B8 in here? Are you satisfied with your decision or want to go back?
Anyone have issues with the 7sp DCT with increased power from tunes?
Other known issues that I should be aware of before stepping in to the B8 platform?

The reason why I am considering the move is:
RS4 aging. My car is very low miles for a '07, but we've had motors pop left and right recently. That does scare me (many different circumstances).
I live in a condo, and not the ideal situation for having multiple cars with limited garage space shared with wife. So I need a reliable car that does everything but still somewhat fun.
Growing family, and the RS4 is still a bit tight.
I feel like the RS4 should be a weekend car, and its certainly DDable but putting on miles to a precious low mileage RS4 pains me (currently at 55k, purchased at 41k).

I apologize if this is a type of a noob thread that trolls are going to come attack, but I am hoping for some insightful information from this to make my decision.

Thank you for your time,

Avuspdx, from the other side of the forum.

[hamaker08]

can't answer any of your questions, but dang is that a beautiful car

[jimrobbington]

You should probably just do a 4.0TT swap in the B7. Haha. The b7 RS4 is probably the sexiest body style in history.

[vwblackb5]

Bro did you even digest the hilarity in this thread LOL http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ot-better-quot

IMHO, the B8.5 S4 is not as raw and visceral as the B7 RS4 or the M3 counterpart. However, the B8.5 S4 is a comfortable daily driver, that keeps a pretty good balance of luxury, sportiness, and performance in a nice little package. Ideally, you should keep your B7 RS4 in your stable and pick up another DD sedan like the new B9 A4 but you can't go wrong with going with a B8.5 MY14-16 S4 if you want a reliable but still fun car. Do some searching, but there are a lot threads on tunes (GIAC, APR, EPL, etc) and of Stage 2 DSG S4 owners around here with no issues running consistent 11s with minimal issues.

[Loe]

^^interesting thread...

Love that they believe their RS4 will be better in a turn....

didn't car and driver lap a b8 S4 quicker than the b7 RS4 around VIR on their lightening lap time? yeah, I think it did...

**Edit** lap times: B8 S4 3:10.8, B7 RS4 3:11.02

[Malv1]

Interested as well... Same thought as op so I am interested in reading the responses.


Tappin and Talkin on the iPad

[ENV²]

Keep the RS4 and get a b8.5 low mileage. They are great cars and easily modded. Your RS4 is beautiful, you will miss the manual, widebody flares and V8 if you get rid of it. RS is a more purist and engaging car. B8.5 will be faster with better tech and creature comforts.

[MRPANDA]

Gorgeous car - IMHO, nothing replaces an extended test drive in the vehicle being considered.

I would suggest reaching out to local folks and swap cars for a spirited test drive that includes some dd type of scenarios. I'd imagine there are stage1/2/2+/dual pulley folks in your area who would love to do this.

Keep in mind the b8/8.5 have a lot of tuning potential, including chassis. If budget allows, perhaps the S4 can become slightly more enthusiastic and satisfy your taste.

[Dr GP]

IMHO, Audi did big disservice to the RS4 owners. You guys paid big bucks for your B7 RS4s ($70k or more). . Then Audi releases the B8 S4 with near RS4 performance , a torque vectoring sport dif and a better chassis decently equipped for the the mid $50k. Plus the carbon build up problems with the Rs4. Granted, the fender flares are gorgeous and the interior has better quality in the RS4. Exhaust sounds much better. Some have had issues with the DSG trans with or without a tune, but the DSG is actually better than the 6MT in ability to handle a tune. The B8 S4 has been remarkably reliable with mileage , but make sure you have some type of warranty, ESPECIALLY if you get the DSG trans. I think you will not be disappointed with the B8 S4 with a tune. BUT, be aware that IF you get a tune and take it into an Audi dealer for any service, they will hook it up to their computer. It is designed to detect a tune. Audi will immediately void your warranty, and designate your car as "TD1". Dealer has no ability to prevent it from being reported to AoA.

[AKPS4]

Damn that car is amazing. I looked hard for an RS4 before I got my B8 but nothing good available. I'm sure you'll find a buyer quick for yours. Nothing wrong with a B8.5. Get a 6 speed while you can. Great DD that'll last you years to come with little to no problems.

[jimrobbington]

Don't forget also, the RS4 probably doesn't really depreciate in value, especially one as well maintaned and tastefully modded. At least nothing near the rate at which a typical S4 will.

Edit: I think you would be surprised in the performance of the S4. Living at sea level, you get the full potential of the 4.2, but give the 3.0t a pulley and a proper tune, and I bet it's faster than your RS.

[S4 00 2.7]

I would wait for the b9 S4.

from my HTC 10

[acsgp]

The sound, the sound. Friend had the RS4 with an Akrapovic exhaust.

But all said and done, the S4 has more space, is just as quick, and with the sports diff, handles better in my view. Had tested quite a few RS4s, but with my bad back, needed the s-tronic for my daily driver.

[fmxbrando]

I would wait for the b9 S4.

from my HTC 10

The one with a turbo and torque converter automatic? For a guy coming from an N/A V8 and 6MT... If he's "losing something" by going to a B8.5 I can't imagine how harsh the B9 reality would be.

[doug97gxe]

Bro did you even digest the hilarity in this thread LOL http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ot-better-quot

IMHO, the B8.5 S4 is not as raw and visceral as the B7 RS4 or the M3 counterpart. However, the B8.5 S4 is a comfortable daily driver, that keeps a pretty good balance of luxury, sportiness, and performance in a nice little package. Ideally, you should keep your B7 RS4 in your stable and pick up another DD sedan like the new B9 A4 but you can't go wrong with going with a B8.5 MY14-16 S4 if you want a reliable but still fun car. Do some searching, but there are a lot threads on tunes (GIAC, APR, EPL, etc) and of Stage 2 DSG S4 owners around here with no issues running consistent 11s with minimal issues.

man that Doug guy is a douche

[johnstah]

Only thing I didnt like about the B8.5 is the steering feel. Its way too light. I had a 13' S4

[The Fat Kid]

What is the exact family situation? You could comfortably do one front-facing and one rear-facing car seat in the B8.5 if your wife is less than 5'7" and riding shotgun. Two rear-facing car seats would be tough unless you are both on the short side. I would not try to squeeze three car seats in the back of my S4.

I have never driven an RS4, but you are probably going to need to test drive a B8.5 to find out if it is too "soft" for you.

[doug97gxe]

to that soft comment if you're used to a Turbo car or NA Big power car the S4 will always feel soft no matter what you do to it.. the power is linear it will never "come on" you will just look down and go oh shit when did i get to 120 .. its smooth .. too smooth for some .. my wife's A5 2.0T "feels" faster than a Stage 2 S4 ... that feeling with a turbo makes you feel like the sudden full boost "fast"

[vwblackb5]

man that Doug guy is a douche

my wife's A5 2.0T "feels" faster than a Stage 2 S4 ... that feeling with a turbo makes you feel like the sudden full boost "fast"

But did she put bus lengths on you..

[doug97gxe]

But did she put bus lengths on you..

this was me driving her car and the feeling but nah she won't drive fast.. even her driving my car and me driving her old accord she just hung back and chilled.. had my eyes pinned to the rear view looking at that sexy car she was driving

[The Fat Kid]

to that soft comment if you're used to a Turbo car or NA Big power car the S4 will always feel soft no matter what you do to it.. the power is linear it will never "come on" you will just look down and go oh shit when did i get to 120 .. its smooth .. too smooth for some .. my wife's A5 2.0T "feels" faster than a Stage 2 S4 ... that feeling with a turbo makes you feel like the sudden full boost "fast"

I was referring to the entire package, not just the engine.

[doug97gxe]

I was referring to the entire package, not just the engine.

i know i was just complimenting your post

[The Fat Kid]

i know i was just complimenting your post

Gee, you are not always a douche?!

[doug97gxe]

Gee, you are not always a douche?!

only when it doesn't pertain to things i like

[BlownOne]

With a full build (chassis, suspension, ecu, tcu, etc) the pre facelift s4 feels shifter cart-ish and has 10 second 1320' potential. Tastefully modding the exterior will give you a rs4-ish appearance. Properly maintaining the drivetrain will keep you on the road for the long haul.

[AvusPdx]

Wow, thank you for all the great responses! What kills me is the lack of having parking spaces due to living in a Condo (ML350 company car parked else where, sharing a parking space with me and my wife at the condo). Until I get out to the 'burbs, I'm kinda screwed with having a toy car + DD.

You guys brought up a good point on resale value, which I hate to think about since who buys a car thinking about selling it already!? Your gonna drive the car for ever and who cares!? but the reality is that most people end up selling their car, and rarely keeping it forever.

Current RS4 market is still strong, and in Portland OR, there are 0 RS4's on Craigslist. I see unicorn RS4's with sub 30k miles trying to sell for $40k, and average RS4 mileage is about ~80k miles I would say going for about 30 to 34k.

I can get a B8.5 S4 for about $35k on average locally (I can search longer all over the US but I hate shipping cars due to my previous experience with it) with about 25k ~ 40k miles on the odo. Seems like people really DD these cars and drive a lot, its definitely not a weekend car mileage.

Assuming I will lose about $3,000/year in value with the B8.5 S4 (I remember seeing them in the high $30's and low $40's last summer), but with cheaper maintenance than the RS4 (?) it may be worth it?

I already came to term with the driving dynamics and the V8 exhaust note that I will lose. I may peak over to the A6/S6 section as well, but they are a little too big and heavy for my taste.

It is a first world problem, but I am wanting essentially everything in one package which is impossible to find. I've done a couple test drives, but like one member said, I need to take it out on a longer drive with a local owner, especially with a tune to see if I like it or not. The stock felt pretty tame in my opinion.

Thank you again everyone! This pains me to even think about it, but lately with a new born, my brain chemistry is changing or something which is kinda creepy. We are a family of 3 (wife/2 month old new born).

[The Fat Kid]

This pains me to even think about it, but lately with a new born, my brain chemistry is changing or something which is kinda creepy. We are a family of 3 (wife/2 month old new born).

^The most important thing in your post.

I would not voluntarily make any major life decisions with an eight-week-old kid. Keep the RS4 since it will hold its value pretty well, and then take another look at the car situation next spring/summer. People in Europe have been squeezing families in much smaller cars for decades, so your RS4 will be fine while you adjust to your new life.

P.S. We have a 13-month-old son and this past year was the longest/shortest of my life.

Edit to Add: One reason why I mention waiting on the car situation is that your wants/needs might change in ways you can't even imagine right now; pretty soon you will be ogling minivans instead of sporty cars

[AvusPdx]

^The most important thing in your post.

I would not voluntarily make any major life decisions with an eight-week-old kid. Keep the RS4 since it will hold its value pretty well, and then take another look at the car situation next spring/summer. People in Europe have been squeezing families in much smaller cars for decades, so your RS4 will be fine while you adjust to your new life.

P.S. We have a 13-month-old son and this past year was the longest/shortest of my life.

Edit to Add: One reason why I mention waiting on the car situation is that your wants/needs might change in ways you can't even imagine right now; pretty soon you will be ogling minivans instead of sporty cars

Good advice. Seeing catastrophic failures on the forum creeped me out, and didn't want to be stuck having a RS4 waiting for a engine replacement at a shop while forced to buy a DD, and dealing with that mess, again with no garage space to park my car.

your edit reminds me of the commercial I've seen with a kid saying "how fast does this go?" to "is this safe?" lol. Well, I'm not there yet..

[doug97gxe]

I have an 17 month old.. reliability is a big deal.. you don't want to be stuck or your wife to be stuck with the kid anywhere

[RudyH]

Wow, thank you for all the great responses! What kills me is the lack of having parking spaces due to living in a Condo (ML350 company car parked else where, sharing a parking space with me and my wife at the condo). Until I get out to the 'burbs, I'm kinda screwed with having a toy car + DD.

Can you explain this part of the situation?
Is the company SUV what you drive daily? or your wife? If you, what does the wife drive, the RS4?

IMO, I almost would say keep the RS4 because it would be somewhat of a lateral move to go to a B8.5 S4 6MT /DCT after you are done modifying it (after the Stage II + TCU + suspension + braking). You are still missing out the wide body goodness and to be honest, we don't know anything about the B9 RS4 yet, you might be kicking yourself for not waiting for it. If I remember correctly next year we should be seeing it in North America.

Personally I am not holding my breath for a B9 R/S4 6MT option, and with the direction cars are going by way of automation, I have been waiting for a black interior B8.5 6MT with low mileage to end up owning for as long as I possibly can. 15 yrs driving manual and going to DCT was good, but it definitely takes any passion out of driving. Kicking myself after the last calls on '16 now to getting one EXACTLY how I wanted it.

[The Fat Kid]

I have an 17 month old.. reliability is a big deal.. you don't want to be stuck or your wife to be stuck with the kid anywhere

Can you explain this part of the situation?
Is the company SUV what you drive daily? or your wife? If you, what does the wife drive, the RS4?

I was under the impression that there were three cars: RS4 + ML + wife's car?

Doug has a valid point if you and your wife share the RS4.

Would it be possible to use the ML as your full-time vehicle, or pay for the personal miles?

[NastyNogaro]

Hey Avus,

I came from the B7 RS4 also. I miss it a lot, but mine was getting up in mileage (~100k) and there was some intermittent fuel pressure issue, the car was actually sputtering under load. It got to the point where I was afraid to drive the car any longer. Instead of replacing everything known to man in the fuel system, and due to the fact it had not the greatest carfax history, I unloaded it for a '15 nogaro S4. It's a way different car, as many have mentioned. Nowhere near as "engaging" or "raw" as the RS4 was. However, I like it as a comfortable and quick DD. The tech is obviously way better, I have the full Audi care warranty on it so peace of mind for a while, and there's a much better aftermarket for these cars versus the RS4.

My first impression switching from RS4 to the S4, I much prefer the RS4 from a purist's perspective, but I can definitely say this car is growing on me, especially as the modifications have begun to get installed.

Edit: Doug makes a good point too about it being "smooth." It's not a flat out monster, but I do find myself looking down at the speedo and saying "damn, am I really going that fast already?"

[doug97gxe]

if you're curious on the B9 RS4 you can lease a B8.5 S4 6MT for 2 years ... if the B9 RS4 is what you want you can drop off the lease car and buy the B9 RS4 .. if its not what you want and you want to keep the B8.5 S4 pay the residual and keep it

[The Fat Kid]

if you're curious on the B9 RS4 you can lease a B8.5 S4 6MT for 2 years ... if the B9 RS4 is what you want you can drop off the lease car and buy the B9 RS4 .. if its not what you want and you want to keep the B8.5 S4 pay the residual and keep it

Audi is doing two-year leases? Are there even any new B8.5 6MTs left?

It seems to be a giant PITA to transfer an Audi lease, if that is what you mean.

[doug97gxe]

Audi is doing two-year leases? Are there even any new B8.5 6MTs left?

It seems to be a giant PITA to transfer an Audi lease, if that is what you mean.

no transfer .. but i'm thinking some where some how there might be a 6MT on the lot some where

[AvusPdx]

The ML350 is a company leased car that I can use for daily or hauling stuff, but its not meant for a daily driving needs. Its kept for transferring clients. I don't want a baby seat in the trunk, to look like its been used for personal use, and it has my company logo all over it.

My wife has a 328i coupe paid off, and she enjoys driving it "payment free". She is getting sick of getting the kid in and out from the back seat though.

I've spoken with a few owners that went from an RS4 to the B8 S4, all with different reasons and most like the comfort aspect of it (technology, interior etc). A near by shop owner did the exact same thing with his supercharged RS4, and he enjoyed the S4 as a daily more.

An S6 will be an upgrade in class, but I do not want to drive a tank, and never was a fan of big cars, other than work trucks and SUV's to serve its purpose. I do haul my clients around from time to time, when I'm in a pinch or the ML is being utilized elsewhere, and the RS is a bit embarrassing sometimes. If the client was a car enthusiast, he'd choose to ride in my car over the ML lol. Unfortunately this hasn't happened yet.

The B9's exterior does absolutely nothing to me, and I've seen one on the road, car shows etc. Of course everyone is still driving 4x4 style since there are no aftermarket supports yet (maybe a tune?) and looking at the slush box only optioned B9 S4, I don't see many positive reviews about it, professional or forums.

My wife cannot drive stick so the RS4 is exclusive to me. If I get the DCT, then my wife can drive my car as well.

So far, everyone i've spoken to said, "keep the RS4".

[doug97gxe]

The ML350 is a company leased car that I can use for daily or hauling stuff, but its not meant for a daily driving needs. Its kept for transferring clients. I don't want a baby seat in the trunk, to look like its been used for personal use, and it has my company logo all over it.

My wife has a 328i coupe paid off, and she enjoys driving it "payment free". She is getting sick of getting the kid in and out from the back seat though.

I've spoken with a few owners that went from an RS4 to the B8 S4, all with different reasons and most like the comfort aspect of it (technology, interior etc). A near by shop owner did the exact same thing with his supercharged RS4, and he enjoyed the S4 as a daily more.

An S6 will be an upgrade in class, but I do not want to drive a tank, and never was a fan of big cars, other than work trucks and SUV's to serve its purpose. I do haul my clients around from time to time, when I'm in a pinch or the ML is being utilized elsewhere, and the RS is a bit embarrassing sometimes. If the client was a car enthusiast, he'd choose to ride in my car over the ML lol. Unfortunately this hasn't happened yet.

The B9's exterior does absolutely nothing to me, and I've seen one on the road, car shows etc. Of course everyone is still driving 4x4 style since there are no aftermarket supports yet (maybe a tune?) and looking at the slush box only optioned B9 S4, I don't see many positive reviews about it, professional or forums.

My wife cannot drive stick so the RS4 is exclusive to me. If I get the DCT, then my wife can drive my car as well.

So far, everyone i've spoken to said, "keep the RS4".

sounds like we are living the same life .. my wife has an A5 which she has been complaining about getting my son in and out of the back.. says her back is starting to hurt her.. we have been looking at getting an SUV lately .. i offered to buy her one but she thought it cost too much and wants something cheaper and what she wants i refuse to drive as i was going to use the SUV for trailering a track bike back and forth to the track.. she can drive stick but refuses to drive my car unless its a situation she MUST

[The Fat Kid]

The choice is clear - sell both cars and buy a CPO E63 wagon.

Why not have her trade the coupe in on a 3-series wagon or an A4 avant?

Have fun explaining to your wife that the "payment free" days ended when the kid popped out; we pay about $2.4k/mo for one kid in daycare

[14S4GWM]

^ Unreal on that daycare price. 800 a week is robbery.

[DOCEVG]

So far, everyone i've spoken to said, "keep the RS4 and get a 6MT B8.5 as a DD".

There; fixed it for you. Its what I did. Hated putting DD miles on the RS4s, so got a mildly modified '15 6MT S4. Happy I did and feel really fortunate to have a choice daily as to which really good car to drive.