Discussion
If you can live with the running cost (petrol) no issues. Have had my B7 RS4 for 9 years (second owner). Totally reliable. Other than wear / service parts the only thing replaced has been the oil cooler (replace with Forge not Audi) and a window lift motor. Neither stopped play, it has never let me down. At 70 odd k miles it is on original exhaust, clutch and DRC suspension. Each of these will go eventually (replace DRC with coil overs) so check those out on any prospective purchase. Many will already be on coil overs. Also they do benefit from a head off carbon clean if you want top performance from them but it’s not essential (unless you want to race the latest hot hatches). Many have now been moded but good original cars should appreciate from here and there are some very tasty and well looked after moded cars if that’s your thing. Look carefully, spend good money for a good one and avoid cheap / abused / iff’y ones like the plague. Unless you know exactly what to look for (there are a few things beyond those mentioned) stick to full service history (Audi or a recognised specialist) as dog cars will cost a LOT to put right.
Of the three cars you mention I think the RS4 is likely to be the most valued future classic - last of the manual normally aspirated Audi RS’s and still often benchmarked.... but I am biased. I think that you will find that it’s also the smallest of the three so check rear leg room if that’s important to you or the kids (especially so behind the desirable wing back seats).
Back to the first point on the petrol front low 20’s is normal, teens if using it ‘as intended’, 30 just about possible if you can bear to cruise along at under 70mph. But who cares if you’re buying a V8 car.
Of the three cars you mention I think the RS4 is likely to be the most valued future classic - last of the manual normally aspirated Audi RS’s and still often benchmarked.... but I am biased. I think that you will find that it’s also the smallest of the three so check rear leg room if that’s important to you or the kids (especially so behind the desirable wing back seats).
Back to the first point on the petrol front low 20’s is normal, teens if using it ‘as intended’, 30 just about possible if you can bear to cruise along at under 70mph. But who cares if you’re buying a V8 car.
Fuel on long journeys is a thing however stopping does force a break just don't fancy paying services prices!
Rear legroom is important I'm around 6ft so need to have some space behind although most of the time it's just the two of us but would be handy to cart people about.
Any other issues like rust or areas of weakness I know the RS6 had an oil seal which is an engine out job
Rear legroom is important I'm around 6ft so need to have some space behind although most of the time it's just the two of us but would be handy to cart people about.
Any other issues like rust or areas of weakness I know the RS6 had an oil seal which is an engine out job
Bought one of these in Sept 2017. Just about to hit 130k miles now. Common issues are drc failure , oil coolers and aux rad corroding causing them to leak , valve in rear exhaust silencers seizing, front suspension arms wearing, carbon build up on engine and brakes can be expensive to replace . Mine had a comprehensive history with bills showing replacment of the common issues . These cars are getting old now so unless parts have been changed recently I'd advise going in with your eyes open. In saying that there are plenty aftermarket options for parts - I wouldn't go near a main dealer unless your made of money ! Drc hard pipes went on mine 6 months after purchasing it (annoyingly the previous owner had replaced the dampers and flexi hoses at a cost of 4.5k but the hard pipes (2 of) will easily cost over 1k to replace and can only be sourced from Audi). In the two and a bit years I've had mine I've replaced front discs and pads (£650 vs £1200 from Audi), lower suspension arms £250 , removed drc and replaced with Koni sport dampers using oe springs £690, oil cooler and both oil cooler pipes as they seize to the cooler (alloy cooler onto a steel pipe) £660 vs £1200 from Audi. Many usually make about 350-360bhp due to carbon build up. Mine had no history of carbon clean but made just over 400bhp recently on a dyno. I'd advise driving quite a few to get a feel for good and bad ones. I drove some low mileage examples that drove worse than the one I ended up buying . Go on condition and history rather than mileage personally. I love mine and revving that v8 to 8k rpm still brings a smile to my face every time. I would say the space in the rear is poor especially if the car has the optional wingback seats ( which are desirable and for me one of the features that make the rs4 feel special). With the seat fully back the rear legroom is non existent. They are a good all round car being practical , refined and comfortable and yet great fun when you want it to be . Quattro is great with slight rear bias which means under power it will powerslide rather than understeering like most Audi. Still probably the best rs model that Audihave produced for driver involvement.
Meant to add engines are bullet proof with none of the timing chain issues that the s4 can suffer with. Plenty specialists around for servicing. Engine takes 9l of oil. Audi charge by the litre and will charge well approx £250 just for oil. Go online and easily buy the same quality/quantity of oil for under £100! Regarding corrosion again these cars are getting old . Bonnet and front wings are aluminium. Common for the wheelarch lip on the front wings to corrode as the arch liner rubs against it. With the wings being alloy it's no where near as bad as a normal b7 a4 where you see a lot with severely rusted wings nowadays. Mine was showing signs of this so had the full front end painted to freshen it up.
Awesome thank you for the list, gives me a good idea on what to ask people if they have had the work done. What's the difference between the wing back chairs and the recaros?
I'm not sure if it's worth going for the C63 first and go RS6 Avant for me in a year or 2 or even go full RS6 now, so many choices!
I'm not sure if it's worth going for the C63 first and go RS6 Avant for me in a year or 2 or even go full RS6 now, so many choices!
I owned a B7 RS4 for 6 or so years, been running a C7 RS6 for the last two or so and i'm likely to return to a B7 RS4 this summer as i miss the manual box and tbh, fear i'll find myself in hot water in the C7.
Most issues with the RS4 have been flagged as above; DRC, expensive brakes, oil cooler, clutch - none are cheap, especially if you want originality as i did. The market likes cars to have a flat-bottom steering wheel and the 'wing-back' / bucket style seats as opposed to the comfort ones or whatever they're called.
Most issues with the RS4 have been flagged as above; DRC, expensive brakes, oil cooler, clutch - none are cheap, especially if you want originality as i did. The market likes cars to have a flat-bottom steering wheel and the 'wing-back' / bucket style seats as opposed to the comfort ones or whatever they're called.
bobski1 said:
Awesome thank you for the list, gives me a good idea on what to ask people if they have had the work done. What's the difference between the wing back chairs and the recaros?
I'm not sure if it's worth going for the C63 first and go RS6 Avant for me in a year or 2 or even go full RS6 now, so many choices!
Wingbacks are the sportier choice and are more bolstered than the comfort seats. Easy way to identify is the harness slots at the top of the wingbacks. Both comfort and wingback seats are made by Recaro. You'll get more rear legroom with the comfort seats. With the wingbacks the bolsters can be inflated to "hug" you more and when sport mode is selected the bolsters automatically inflate. As mentioned wingback and flat bottom steering wheel are desirable and will make the car easier to sell at a later date. For me the rs6 is just too big and I find the power of the rs4 more than enough for our roads . All the reviews rate the b7 rs4 as a better drivers car than any rs6.I'm not sure if it's worth going for the C63 first and go RS6 Avant for me in a year or 2 or even go full RS6 now, so many choices!
Haven't stopped looking and I've now added the c5 & c6 RS6 to the list 
Found a place which has a C63 saloon, c6 RS6 & an EYE estate so going to take the Mrs and get feedback from her. Will find a place which has an RS4 so that can get a free for them all
The 4wd of the RS gives me more comfort given I won't be driving it all the time & given I'm a VAG man
I'm leaning more towards the RS6 than the 4 but I have a massive soft spot for the B7 but the space is a big worry.
Found a place which has a C63 saloon, c6 RS6 & an EYE estate so going to take the Mrs and get feedback from her. Will find a place which has an RS4 so that can get a free for them all
The 4wd of the RS gives me more comfort given I won't be driving it all the time & given I'm a VAG man
I'm leaning more towards the RS6 than the 4 but I have a massive soft spot for the B7 but the space is a big worry.I'm biased but b7 rs4 or c63 estate personally. C63 has the better sounding engine but like you I'm a VAG fan and always wanted the b7 since it was launched. Quattro also swayed it as the wife uses mine as well. For me the rs6 is just about straight line speed ( rs4 is fast enough!). Space ain't great in them. I had a new Leon FR estate before the rs4 and it had more space (both legroom and boot) than the rs4.
I’ve completed 45k in both a B7 RS4 and a C63, both estates, both pretty much from new.
Loved them equally, the C63 was notably more reliable, absolutely nothing broke on that other than a Lambda sensor at 750 miles.
Point to point the Audi was easier to drive fast, in my opinion it looks better too. The manual gearbox is also a plus. Fuel appetite too close to call. The Audi feels marginally more bespoke and has a bit more design flair, mine also had a subtle NASCAR style gearbox whine that gave the car real character. The Audi was not cheap to repair, nothing seemed to cost under £1,000!
I am sure that you would love either of them, they are lovely cars to own!
Loved them equally, the C63 was notably more reliable, absolutely nothing broke on that other than a Lambda sensor at 750 miles.
Point to point the Audi was easier to drive fast, in my opinion it looks better too. The manual gearbox is also a plus. Fuel appetite too close to call. The Audi feels marginally more bespoke and has a bit more design flair, mine also had a subtle NASCAR style gearbox whine that gave the car real character. The Audi was not cheap to repair, nothing seemed to cost under £1,000!
I am sure that you would love either of them, they are lovely cars to own!
I think the battle now is between C63/E63 or an RS6. I will go test drive to see a RS4 but the lack of rear leg room is a bit of a concern for it.
I agree that I don't think I'll regret either but I'll always feel like I'm missing out on the other but I can always get one when I change my car too but that would be an expensive fleet to run!
I agree that I don't think I'll regret either but I'll always feel like I'm missing out on the other but I can always get one when I change my car too but that would be an expensive fleet to run!
I bought my first B7 RS4 eighteen months ago and haven’t regretted it. It’s a small car with a decent boot that does well on my country roads. I only have a short commute and don’t do many long distance cruises.
About to tip over 130k but more important for me was a strong service history with decent specialists, and it’s had the common faults replaced. Mine has coil overs and a full milltek non res exhaust, and can confirm nothing sounds better at high revs. A c63 sounds better at low revs though.
I have nothing to add to everything that’s been said above but reiterate rear legroom sucks. Mine seems reliable so far - in that 18 months I’ve replaced the front control arms (bushes going) and put a new starter motor in it. Coming up to needing discs and pads, which is just over a grand all in if you avoid Audi.
I’m also wondering whether an RS6 would suit me better. I don’t drive particularly fast, I love the handling but don’t really ‘use’ it to full potential. I’d also like space, and prefer an older car (C5)
The question I have to ask myself, is it worth getting a worse, less reliable car, that won’t increase in value as well as the b7, just because I want some rear legroom I’ll never sit in and an engine I can tune up to 700bhp for no reason because I don’t drive quickly...
But if you do lots of long distance, RS6 may suit you better.
About to tip over 130k but more important for me was a strong service history with decent specialists, and it’s had the common faults replaced. Mine has coil overs and a full milltek non res exhaust, and can confirm nothing sounds better at high revs. A c63 sounds better at low revs though.
I have nothing to add to everything that’s been said above but reiterate rear legroom sucks. Mine seems reliable so far - in that 18 months I’ve replaced the front control arms (bushes going) and put a new starter motor in it. Coming up to needing discs and pads, which is just over a grand all in if you avoid Audi.
I’m also wondering whether an RS6 would suit me better. I don’t drive particularly fast, I love the handling but don’t really ‘use’ it to full potential. I’d also like space, and prefer an older car (C5)
The question I have to ask myself, is it worth getting a worse, less reliable car, that won’t increase in value as well as the b7, just because I want some rear legroom I’ll never sit in and an engine I can tune up to 700bhp for no reason because I don’t drive quickly...
But if you do lots of long distance, RS6 may suit you better.
gottans said:
At 130k miles, just use it and enjoy it. Rear leg room is not an issue for you as you are driving. If it affects someone who is going to bend your ear about it all the time a second car may make sense.
It affects how far I can put the seat back if I have both kids in the car as it hits the child seat 
To be fair though we got a Jeep Renegade for family duties, so the RS4 has been relegated to weekend treats and solo commutes!
bobski1 said:
My problem is that the RS4 will be driven by the wife and eventually family duties, alternative is to buy a run around when the family duties begin & I keep the RS4
Am I reading that as in she’s expecting, or you’re thinking of having a baby?If so, you’ll probably want an ISOfix car seat? and the bases really struggle to fit behind the driver in an RS4. Or passenger if they want to actually move their legs.
We’ve just had a baby, and I’ve specifically had to buy a toddler seat that fits really flush to the back seat for the older kid, because two ISOfix bases in the back was a non starter.
If that’s your situation I can go take a pic if you need.
Hence now a Renegade for family trips!
And now it’s a mumsnet post...
Mine was used for the first year of ownership as daily family transport. Have two Recaro child seats although didn't bother with isofix base for them. Didn't really have any issues and boot swallowed all the usual stuff that goes with young kids ! Now they're getting older (4 and 6 years) they keep putting their dirt feet on the back of the front seats ......drives me mad lol! Got a people carrier for family duties now , motorbike as my daily and rs4 is now used more as a toy and weekend blasts .
neilferg said:
Now they're getting older (4 and 6 years) they keep putting their dirt feet on the back of the front seats ......drives me mad lol!.
I enforce a strict "shoes off getting into daddy's car policy" for exactly this reason having the white and black supersport seats in the S4. Enforce from young and they soon get it in the muscle! Gassing Station | Audi, Seat, Skoda & VW | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff