B7 RS4

Wondering what you all think about the B7 RS4 - classic from the past. I got my V8 fix via the e92 m3 here. Anyone own or driven one of these?

Yup driven one many times, a good friend of mine has one. Compared to our m3 the biggest noteworthy items are steering feel and weight transfer in the corners. Steering feels a little numb on center and not quite as precise, body roll in corners is a bit of an issue as well.
The 4.2 v8 is a gem though, high revving and noticeably more torque than the s65, feels faster out of he hole and sounds pretty good as well. You do notice the extra weight up front though with the Quattro system and that big v8 hung entirely in front of the front axel.
Solid car all around, great daily IMO.

great motor, except for the carbon buildup issue

also, forget about back seat passengers... it's almost as small as the current A3

Great to know. I have heard one of these before. It definitely is a nice sounding engine. I feel like this and the e92 are sort of from a previous era squashed due to emissions regulations when all the fun starts. Maybe I will nab one up and add to the stable )

Spend a little more and try an RS5 if you don't mind DCT.

I would absolutely buy one.

Hits all my criteria and one which I can't with E9X = AWD

If my life required me to commute every day, I would've bought it instead of my E90 M3.

dparm wrote

If my life required me to commute every day, I would've bought it instead of my E90 M3.

Really?! I assume cause your location?

EnVe46 wrote

Really?! I assume cause your location?

Yep. The AWD would make a world of difference.

Prior to the M3, I had a B6 S4 and that thing was unstoppable on snow tires.

dparm wrote

EnVe46 wrote

Really?! I assume cause your location?

Yep. The AWD would make a world of difference.

Prior to the M3, I had a B6 S4 and that thing was unstoppable on snow tires.

Yea the quattro is unstoppable. My wife had an A3 Quattro and years ago my family had an Audi 100 Quattro. Studded snows got thru anything upstate NY thru at it

They're all around solid cars minus the carbon buildup that someone already mentioned. Also, If you're half decent with a wrench, go for it. Repair/Maintenance costs are just stupid on these cars.

Carbon buildup isn't the end of the world. It's just part of the routine maintenance. Every high-strung car has its quirks like that -- be glad the carbon buildup is relatively cheap and easy to remove.

From a maintenance perspective, the S4/RS4 is a bit tricky due to the cramped engine bay. Still, it's no harder than any other car, but things do take longer.

My favorite Audi:thumbsup:

One of the few Audis I like.

I had a B7 S4 as a daily when I had my E46 M3.

So when it comes to "daily" it really depends. These V8s drink a lot. I used the B7 as a daily for a year and from a maintenance and petrol perspective it sucked. Timing chain is expensive and MPG wasn't the greatest. I had a muffler delete on the S4 as well and the V8 sounds beastly. Euro muscle car. Just wish I had the RS4 because it definitely need the extra 70 hp.

They are a beautiful car, the RS4 even more so and it would a great car to own. I'd buy one for sure, not to replace the M3 but just to have and I definitely wouldn't consider it a daily, but that's just me.

dparm wrote

Prior to the M3, I had a B6 S4 and that thing was unstoppable on snow tires.

Not that the E9X M3 is great, but the thing that most often stops B7 RS4s is...

themselves. Great cars to drive until things start to go wrong... and they go wrong incredibly frequently. I have a best friend with one, and he's the best amateur mechanic I've ever met. And he is drowning in all the problems he has with it. The M3 is built from granite in comparison.

Driving-wise, its much easier to drive on the street than the "busy and nervous" M3 but slower at a track, dragstrip, or autoX.

Visceral wrote

dparm wrote

Prior to the M3, I had a B6 S4 and that thing was unstoppable on snow tires.

Not that the E9X M3 is great, but the thing that most often stops B7 RS4s is...

themselves. Great cars to drive until things start to go wrong... and they go wrong incredibly frequently. I have a best friend with one, and he's the best amateur mechanic I've ever met. And he is drowning in all the problems he has with it. The M3 is built from granite in comparison.

Driving-wise, its much easier to drive on the street than the "busy and nervous" M3 but slower at a track, dragstrip, or autoX.

Good to know about maintenance. Been wanting one for a while to daily.

SDPLV wrote

Good to know about maintenance. Been wanting one for a while to daily.

I know about the suspension (which can be cured by installing KW's) and the carbon build up (which there is no cure...). What are other common issues?

Water/meth injection could help with carbon buildup.

I've been more than happy with mine since selling my e92 M. Maintenance costs are very similar between the two, and it was nice getting back into a proper gearbox car (My M was a DCT). The torque in the RS4 is noticeably greater than that of my previous M, and the Quattro system is fantastic as others have noted.

If you're seriously considering one, there are quite a few more threads on the topic I'd suggest going thru:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1447516

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1037078

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=492837

TTony wrote

I know about the suspension (which can be cured by installing KW's) and the carbon build up (which there is no cure...). What are other common issues?

A good PPI will go a long way in cutting down on headaches down the road. Some of the more 'high dollar' items to check for include:
-Most recent Carbon Clean
-Brake Rotors/Pads
-Sticky clutch
-Oil cooler lines corroding at insertion point (causing leaks)
-If it still has the original DRC Suspension, check for leaks
-Injectors
-Check the CV boots for leaks/tears

pbonsalb wrote

Water/meth injection could help with carbon buildup.

Unfortunately it's been proven to not really help on our cars: https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/507845-Meth-Injection-for-N-A-RS4

Is this the same 4.2L that needs the engine out for a timing job?

R3dliner wrote

Is this the same 4.2L that needs the engine out for a timing job?

No, timing chains are NOT an issue with the RS4, only the B6/B7 S4 4.2L. The guides were upgraded to metal on the RS4 (when the service is performed on the B6/B7 S4's most shops actually use the RS4 kits as the default upgrade).