Audi RS5 | Spotted
Fast, handsome, cool - and now a good deal less than £15k
Time can be kind to cars - and sometimes it can be the least expected ones. Attitudes change, as does legislation. Factor in depreciation and stuff that perhaps wasn’t always top of anyone's hit list becomes more appealing than ever.
The first Audi RS5 (the V8 one) now looks like one of those cars. A decade and a half ago, it didn’t offer up anything like the thrills of rivals like the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG, back when an epic V8 could be offered by everyone. Audi also sold an RS4 Avant alongside (for the practical, cool folk) and an RS5 Cabriolet later on for the sunseekers. It seems crazy to imagine it now, but there must have been a time when the RS5 wasn’t really on many shopping lists.
And now look at it. That pitch-perfect Walter de Silva design, enhanced with RS muscle, a classic, classy Audi interior, a V8 that’ll wail to 8,500rpm and a dual-clutch transmission on top. As a modern classic experience that combines the kind of powertrain we’re never going to see again with eminent everyday usability, it registers as very persuasive in 2025.
Furthermore, without quite the enthusiast following of the M car or the AMG (or even the Avant), the RS5 is more affordable than its contemporaries. These days, the M3 and C63 coupes and RS4s aren’t really around for much less than £20,000. This RS5 is for sale at £13,499. That’s discounted Chinese EV supermini money.
At that price, it means a car with a six-figure mileage, but this example is said to come with a full service history on top of a couple of flawless recent MOTs. The spec is smart, with blue over light-coloured leather, and there are at least a pair of Michelin tyres fitted. Some of the chunkiest bolsters you’ve ever seen remain intact, a button-heavy dash still looks more than decent, and those distinctive rotor alloys still seem blemish-free. When a strange brake caliper colour seems like the worst bit of a condition, that’s got to be a good sign.
Clearly, an RS5 is not going to be a cheap car to run; never was, never will be. But it’s comparable with similar cars - i.e. a lot on tax, a lot on fuel - and it seems unlikely that any kind of Audi RS car will get very much more affordable. Certainly not one with a solid roof. An RS4 Avant will always be the cooler car, and those rear-drive rivals are justly revered, but this much engine and this much Audi for so little money deserves some recognition.
SPECIFICATION | AUDI RS5
Engine: 4,163cc, V8
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 450@8,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 317@4,000-6,000rpm
MPG: 26.9
CO2: 246g/km
Recorded mileage: 104,000
First registered: 2011
Price new: £57,480 (2010)
Yours for: £13,499
One area Audi blundered, was placing timing on the back of the engine, which will lead to a higher scrap rate than M-power/AMGs of the same vintage. Ease of maintenance goes a long way to preserve a car the later years.
It's an amazing car! That engine is wonderful, and sounds glorious climbing all the way to 8250rpm. The gearbox is a marvel and the rev matched downshift never get old.
The bills are equally scary though. I have spent £10,000 on repair and preventative maintenance in the last 18 months, include all new suspension coilover to replace the troublesome DRC, getting the timing chains replaced (and engine out job) and all new discs and pads.
That said, every time I get in to that driving seat and fire her up....all that gets forgotten and forgiven. Totally worth it
They sound great and go well, but - not wanting to rehash old stereotypes - it did feel just a bit...meh on a back road blast. I ran it up to the red line a few times and got a sense that it didn't really have much more up it's sleeve in terms of fun, unless I really wanted to push it beyond what I was comfy doing.
Still, I can absolutely see why people find the all round package appealing and I prefer Audi's take on the high revving V8 engine over BMW's in the E92 M3.
I also think you can get 80% of the RS5 (Inc all the frailties) for half of the money via a 4.2 S5, and you can get a manual...
It's an amazing car! That engine is wonderful, and sounds glorious climbing all the way to 8250rpm. The gearbox is a marvel and the rev matched downshift never get old.
The bills are equally scary though. I have spent £10,000 on repair and preventative maintenance in the last 18 months, include all new suspension coilover to replace the troublesome DRC, getting the timing chains replaced (and engine out job) and all new discs and pads.
That said, every time I get in to that driving seat and fire her up....all that gets forgotten and forgiven. Totally worth it
Or, be lucky enough to find one with all that work done and pay a slight premium.
Cheap replica wheels or maybe RS3 wheels? Either way they don't fit the car.
the RX8 and Rapide do a better job of looking like a coupe but making the rear seats available to anyone who is not a gymnast or under 5.
However 15k for that V8.....
It doesn’t seem expensive but it’s a car that can really give you a kicking, may as well get the RS rather than the S as that can give your wallet a similarly sound thrashing but isn’t the full fat RS.
Matt of High Peak Autos, a car dealer/youtuber bought a lovely one and his wallet took a hell of a kicking, it’s a good watch but a cautionary tale for anyone tempted.
Think the 3.0 diesels aren’t a bad shout if you can’t run to an S or RS, they go very well with a remap. Believe the 2.0 petrol needs some caution as can use more oil than petrol though think most will have been sorted or scrapped now.
Coupes like this seem almost quaint in an SUV/Crossover/EV world, but god they look good.
It doesn t seem expensive but it s a car that can really give you a kicking, may as well get the RS rather than the S as that can give your wallet a similarly sound thrashing but isn t the full fat RS.
Matt of High Peak Autos, a car dealer/youtuber bought a lovely one and his wallet took a hell of a kicking, it s a good watch but a cautionary tale for anyone tempted.
I saw the same with the RS6 on Not Economically Viable. A lot of jobs were insanely difficult as everything is rammed in with no regard to access later.
Fabulous cars though.
On that one I'd have those front seats popped out and resprayed. £300-ish.
Just looking at the "stance" and wheels. Mine had 265s on it; that has 255s. I'm not sure if they were different between 4 and 5, but that might explain it a little.
I never forget the RS5 but my impression from the passenger seat was that the long gearing and linear power delivery rather blunted the impression of speed it gave you. Lovely to look at and sit in though. By comparison, the R8 felt way more special, as you might expect and the TT-RS was sublime, feeling rocketship-fast and making an amazing noise to go with it.
That said, the shape of the A5/S5/RS5 remains an inherently good looking thing IMO. I'm sure they appeal more from the driver's seat but I can see why anyone with a real interest in driving would choose the E92 M3 over one of these.
the RX8 and Rapide do a better job of looking like a coupe but making the rear seats available to anyone who is not a gymnast or under 5.
However 15k for that V8.....
Really if you wanted some cheap thrills more practically and with relatively less bork factor, I reckon you'd either go non-m straight six BMW or a larger hot hatch of some kind. But then you've not got the v8...
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