B9 S4 (Petrol) to ‘similar’ spec B9 RS4....worth the spend ?

[SiPie]

Going round in circles here. I rate my S4 highly, no real complaints. However the RS4 itch won’t abate.

S4 is Jan 2018 with comfort & sound pack, panoramic, 19”S, carbon inlays ,12,000 miles. Perfect condition FSH

RS4 is March 2018, 3,500 miles, decent spec but missing pano roof and B&O. Audi have come back with a decent offer of £28k for my S4 as a trade in.

I only do around 6k miles a year, insurance costs not an issue as I’m old...

Is the RS4 worth spending an extra circa £22/24k on, for a similar aged and marginally lower spec car for the extra grunt and handling. I was going down the APR stage 1 route with the S4 but debating extending warranty if I don’t trade in, so holding off.

Haven’t driven the B9 RS4 yet (only B8 4.2)

I know it’s first world problems but it’s doing my head in and any thoughts really appreciated.

 

[Terminator x]

The arches alone are worth it

TX.

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[Dippy]

Like you I'm old and my ears struggle to take advantage of a decent audio system any more. As for the pano roof I tend to look through the windscreen when I'm driving.

That's me, but maybe you get the point: You need to look at the differences one by one and judge their importance and maybe put a price on them. What do you mean by "RS4 itch"? Is it just "bragging" about what you own? Will seeing the badge mean that much to you? Or is it the performance? If so which aspects?

Fortunately I am anti-bling and very value-for-money focused. My stage 2 S5 has RS5 performance at half the price (at a guess). Also I only did 4K a year even before the virus crisis. Nowadays my car spends much more time in my garage than on the road. I'm glad I did not scratch my RS itch.

 

[SiPie]

What do you mean by "RS4 itch"? Is it just "bragging" about what you own? Will seeing the badge mean that much to you? Or is it the performance? If so which aspects?

This is the bit I’m struggling with Dippy. I’ve wanted an RS4 for a long time and now I’m in a position to afford it I am questioning ‘why’ I actually want it and is it really £25k better than my S4. Arches aside

 

[j00ls]

Hi new to the site and not had my S4 for long, its the same spec/colour as yours, so hope you don't mind me saying its very nice (with some obvious bias ) .
Before buying the Audi, was all set to purchase a BMW f10 M5 CP, but ultimately pulled out because I couldn't see how I would ever use the extra performance. For me the M5 was a halo car, something I aspired to own, could now afford to run, but in practical terms, it stood out like a sore thumb, would be lucky to get into 20's on fuel even on lightest of runs and brakes/tyres were double the non-M price, much like the RS parts on Audi's I expect. The RS4 would be a more practical proposition, granted, but if it was me I would be asking if I would get 25K worth on benefit out of it. Hope thats of some help.

 

[Flowrider99]

This is the bit I’m struggling with Dippy. I’ve wanted an RS4 for a long time and now I’m in a position to afford it I am questioning ‘why’ I actually want it and is it really £25k better than my S4. Arches aside

The simple answer is no, the RS4 isn't worth double an S4. But that's not the whole story. If you are looking for value for money then keep the S4 but if you really want an RS4 then pay the going rate, its just down to that.

 

[Terminator x]

Hi new to the site and not had my S4 for long, its the same spec/colour as yours, so hope you don't mind me saying its very nice (with some obvious bias ) .
Before buying the Audi, was all set to purchase a BMW f10 M5 CP, but ultimately pulled out because I couldn't see how I would ever use the extra performance. For me the M5 was a halo car, something I aspired to own, could now afford to run, but in practical terms, it stood out like a sore thumb, would be lucky to get into 20's on fuel even on lightest of runs and brakes/tyres were double the non-M price, much like the RS parts on Audi's I expect. The RS4 would be a more practical proposition, granted, but if it was me I would be asking if I would get 25K worth on benefit out of it. Hope thats of some help.

Oh dear ...

TX.

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[jdp1962]

.

Haven’t driven the B9 RS4 yet (only B8 4.2)

There's your problem.

 

[Jcbmally]

Going round in circles here. I rate my S4 highly, no real complaints. However the RS4 itch won’t abate.

S4 is Jan 2018 with comfort & sound pack, panoramic, 19”S, carbon inlays ,12,000 miles. Perfect condition FSH

RS4 is March 2018, 3,500 miles, decent spec but missing pano roof and B&O. Audi have come back with a decent offer of £28k for my S4 as a trade in.

I only do around 6k miles a year, insurance costs not an issue as I’m old...

Is the RS4 worth spending an extra circa £22/24k on, for a similar aged and marginally lower spec car for the extra grunt and handling. I was going down the APR stage 1 route with the S4 but debating extending warranty if I don’t trade in, so holding off.

Haven’t driven the B9 RS4 yet (only B8 4.2)

I know it’s first world problems but it’s doing my head in and any thoughts really appreciated.

Bit of a double edged sword TBF. Like others have said the S4 would be the sensible choice, but from experience once something is in your head it cant be shaken.
So will you ever get over wanting the RS ? Ask the dealer for an extended test drive, I know from experience in the past, that "the want/urge to own something special" can easy be dismissed after test drives i.e. I ached to try (maybe own) an Aston Martin V8 Vantage but after the test drive I was "meh", not for me.

 

[harvey.nott]

We have had similar dilemmas in the past
We bought an S4 B6 cab many years ago after back to back testing both the S and RS4 both 18 month old cars , and the money of the RS didn't stack up.
It depends what you have owned etc as at the time we had a Caterham a nd an Elise in the Garage.

Strangely I felt the same over V8 vantage and was left underwhelmed and the same with an R8 so went the 911 route instead.

I get the whole itch thing but I have usually found the want does not stack up a few months after purchase.

If financially you don't care then buy with your heart.
If you're being sensible and using your head you will mod the S4

Watch Chris Harris video on modded S4 vs RS4 stock .....

Ultimately only you know , I have wasted too much money on cars and ultimately squandered £££££ on racing.

Do I regret it hell no

Should I have been sensible .... of course


In summary either choice is the right one.

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[SiPie]

Still like my S4 and would be sorry to see it go. Particularly with only 12k miles on it.

Thanks everybody for your input, it is genuinely helpful and at least nobody yet has come out and said “it’s worth £25k to change as it will go £25k faster, will handle £25k sharper, sound £25k better etc .....

 

[Jcbmally]

Still like my S4 and would be sorry to see it go. Particularly with only 12k miles on it.

Thanks everybody for your input, it is genuinely helpful and at least nobody yet has come out and said “it’s worth £25k to change as it will go £25k faster, will handle £25k sharper, sound £25k better etc .....View attachment 210792

The RS will definitely NOT be £25 better, your S4 is a low mileage cracker.

 

[Nham68]

Interesting debate. My fully loaded b9 S4 avant is 3 yrs old, I’d love an S5 sportback.
I have a great offer ( mega discount of >20%) on a 2020 brand new S5 with every option box ticked ... it’s diesel . It’s beautiful looking car. Stunning. But diesel . Cars will get much more ££ after Jan from Germany with currency shifts.
What would you do ? (a bit nervous also on running 20 inch rims on our roads.. even with adaptive suspension),,
Help me with his 1st world problem please !

 

[Jcbmally]

S5

 

[NevMan]

Agree S5. With adaptive 20”s no problem

 

[Dingah from Downundah]

Speaking from own experience, the V6T B9 S4 with APR Stage 1 is awesome in all respects and absolutely no RS itch happening likely to.
The other points to consider about RS model series are it's about being able to afford to own one and not being able to afford to buy one.
Nice as they are and I've had my RS time, the additional costs for nearly everything with an RS badge really add, up at service time.

Dingah

 

[jdp1962]

I've pondered long and hard about S v RS, albeit in my case from a B8.5 perspective rather than B9, so the comparison is between supercharged 3.0V6 and NA 4.2V8. I ran my S4 on stage one for about three years before just recently going stage two, which largely equalises the performance differential between the two. And as we all know, there are plenty of mods available for those who want to bridge the handling and braking gap for still a pretty modest outlay, relative to the price differential between the cars.

But of course that won't turn an S into an RS; the differences are more than just about how fast they go, stop and steer. The cars have fundamentally different characters, one is essentially covert, the other very overt. RS models generally speak openly of their sport/high performance credentials, both in terms of looks (inside and out) and sound where the S has always been discreet. Individual preferences come into play here, and for me personally, the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing nature of a stage two S4 is a much more attractive proposition. So for me, there'll never be an RS itch; but for those who prefer the overt over the covert, it's likely that no amount of tweaking an S will satisy the RS itch.

 

[Terminator x]

For all the doubters

TX.

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[Spearo]

Still baffles me why for the additional money Audi couldn’t have extended the lights ..... particularly at the front! Those black grills look a bit like an afterthought to me.

 

[harvey.nott]

For all the doubters

TX.

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Is that an S or an RS ?

Which in itself says it all !

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[Bells]

Is that an S or an RS ?

Which in itself says it all !

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Audi’s styling between S and RS models is usually pretty subtle compared to the differences between say an M240i and a M2. Which is both good and bad depending on which way you look at it I guess.

Personally for me I’ve never been able to justify the extra cost of a RS model, could I afford it yes but it’s not just the extra purchase price to consider it’s things like servicing, tax, insurance and parts to think about too.

Not to say RS models aren’t nice though, they are that bit more special and you don’t see as many on the roads. Probably as the S models are the sweet spot in cost and performance for many.

 

[harvey.nott]

Funny enough we are about to buy an M2 comp to add to the fleet.

But again deciding M240 vs M2 vs Comp has been tricky where as when we had the S v RS dilemma it was a no brainer



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[SiPie]

Funny enough we are about to buy an M2 comp to add to the fleet.

But again deciding M240 vs M2 vs Comp has been tricky where as when we had the S v RS dilemma it was a no brainer



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Hope this helps..... latest addition to my bosses collection

 

[harvey.nott]

@SiPie .... exactly what we will get , but looking at the gold forged wheels ..... oh and manual gearbox

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[Dippy]

This is the bit I’m struggling with Dippy. I’ve wanted an RS4 for a long time and now I’m in a position to afford it I am questioning ‘why’ I actually want it and is it really £25k better than my S4. Arches aside

Life is strange isn't it? Now that I'm mid 50s I can "afford" a variety of the cars I previously lusted after. For no particular reasons I have fancied Jags, Aston Martins, McLarens etc. But I am a fairly rational person and I have analysed my own car "itch". It was well exposed at my two daughters' Proms. My eldest was taken in my brother-in-law's Ferrari. My youngest was OK to be taken in my S5. So I was there chatting with other parents who owned Aston Martins and McLarens and I realised that the "itch" was simply male ego. How ridiculous. Put that aside and I look at what counts. I like the look of the S5 and its comfort and tech are good enough for me. But mainly I like its performance, and it is more than enough for me. It's more powerful than my brother-in-law's Ferrari - but I never discuss such matters with him because of course owning a Ferrari is what he wants and he naturally assumes that it is quicker than my Audi. Why would I dispel that misconception?

I'm more looking to the future - my excess income is better off invested for my retirement.

 

[JohnNW]

Life is strange isn't it? Now that I'm mid 50s I can "afford" a variety of the cars I previously lusted after. For no particular reasons I have fancied Jags, Aston Martins, McLarens etc. But I am a fairly rational person and I have analysed my own car "itch". It was well exposed at my two daughters' Proms. My eldest was taken in my brother-in-law's Ferrari. My youngest was OK to be taken in my S5. So I was there chatting with other parents who owned Aston Martins and McLarens and I realised that the "itch" was simply male ego. How ridiculous. Put that aside and I look at what counts. I like the look of the S5 and its comfort and tech are good enough for me. But mainly I like its performance, and it is more than enough for me. It's more powerful than my brother-in-law's Ferrari - but I never discuss such matters with him because of course owning a Ferrari is what he wants and he naturally assumes that it is quicker than my Audi. Why would I dispel that misconception?

I'm more looking to the future - my excess income is better off invested for my retirement.

However your brother-in-laws Ferrari might not have any depreciation or might even be appreciating and whilst it maybe a male ego thing, it might also make financial sense!

 

[harvey.nott]

However your brother-in-laws Ferrari might not have any depreciation or might even be appreciating and whilst it maybe a male ego thing, it might also make financial sense!

Exactly what I was going to say , my 42 year old 911 has increased in value a lot and I get to use it.

Certaily increased more than the same sum in a pension fund !!

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[Dippy]

Without going too far off tangent, I shall respond to the above two comments by stating that I am fully aware of the financial situation with classic cars but my experience has been that the NASDAQ provides better opportunities for a return on investments.

 

[harvey.nott]

Without going too far off tangent, I shall respond to the above two comments by stating that I am fully aware of the financial situation with classic cars but my experience has been that the NASDAQ provides better opportunities for a return on investments.

Do both , win win ;-)

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[spartacus 68]

Worth the extra £24k, probably not. That said the RS4 Avant is highly desirable. I should point out I know nowt about these cars, just giving an opinion if I was in a similar position.

You really need an extended test-drive. If you're away to sink that kind of cash into the car, then it needs to be on point so to speak. You're ultimately paying a premium for the privilege.

The panoramic sunroof in your current S4 isn't just about opening on a summer's day. Even on a crisp Autumn day with the heating on, then it's great, plus it floods the interior with light, which I love. If it were me, then that's one of my must haves, when I'm not chasing a bleed' leak!

This is quite an interesting video, above the usual journalistic rhetoric about horses and styling. The adaptive suspension he speaks about is worth finding out more about.

 

[SiPie]

Worth the extra £24k, probably not. That said the RS4 Avant is highly desirable. I should point out I know nowt about these cars, just giving an opinion if I was in a similar position.

You really need an extended test-drive. If you're away to sink that kind of cash into the car, then it needs to be on point so to speak. You're ultimately paying a premium for the privilege.

The panoramic sunroof in your current S4 isn't just about opening on a summer's day. Even on a crisp Autumn day with the heating on, then it's great, plus it floods the interior with light, which I love. If it were me, then that's one of my must haves, when I'm not chasing a bleed' leak!

This is quite an interesting video, above the usual journalistic rhetoric about horses and styling. The adaptive suspension he speaks about is worth finding out more about.

Thanks ... have watched that vid, very informative.

Getting a test drive has been ‘tricky’ to say the least.....

My S4 went in for warranty gearbox work and a service yesterday to Edinburgh Audi and although I asked them 2 weeks ago for an extended test drive of an RS4 to tie in with the S4 being worked on, they couldn’t do anything and gave me this instead, then followed up with a sales call asking if I was keen to buy a diesel S4

I’ll save the full opinion of the diesel S4 v’s my petrol S4 for another thread ..... but as for my initial point, I’ll hold off buying an RS4 as it’s just not making sense. I could afford a new new one but the loss of the MMI wheel and the new touch screen awful thing witnessed yesterday confirms to me that Audi have taken a back step (certainly with the S4 ...diesel aside and possibly their wider range too) I know this is the S4 I’m talking about now but the interior just felt overly angular in its design and markedly cheaper in its feel.
Very disappointing.

 

[JohnNW]

Thanks ... have watched that vid, very informative.

Getting a test drive has been ‘tricky’ to say the least.....

My S4 went in for warranty gearbox work and a service yesterday to Edinburgh Audi and although I asked them 2 weeks ago for an extended test drive of an RS4 to tie in with the S4 being worked on, they couldn’t do anything and gave me this instead, then followed up with a sales call asking if I was keen to buy a diesel S4 View attachment 211063
I’ll save the full opinion of the diesel S4 v’s my petrol S4 for another thread ..... but as for my initial point, I’ll hold off buying an RS4 as it’s just not making sense. I could afford a new new one but the loss of the MMI wheel and the new touch screen awful thing witnessed yesterday confirms to me that Audi have taken a back step (certainly with the S4 ...diesel aside and possibly their wider range too) I know this is the S4 I’m talking about now but the interior just felt overly angular in its design and markedly cheaper in its feel.
Very disappointing.

It will be interesting to get your comparison of S4 petrol vs S4 diesel.
I'm pretty keen on the new S4 in Avant form and it's certainly a possibility for my next car later next year (or sooner depending on how a current land sale pans out), but there's a bit of me that wishes it hadn't been done as an S4 but rather the top of the V6 TDI A4 range, a bit like the previous gen A6 Bi-Turbo.
In some ways being an S4 leads to certain expectations for a driving experience that perhaps aren't met with a diesel, despite how good that diesel engine actually is.

 

[rs3fanboy]

Going round in circles here. I rate my S4 highly, no real complaints. However the RS4 itch won’t abate.

S4 is Jan 2018 with comfort & sound pack, panoramic, 19”S, carbon inlays ,12,000 miles. Perfect condition FSH

RS4 is March 2018, 3,500 miles, decent spec but missing pano roof and B&O. Audi have come back with a decent offer of £28k for my S4 as a trade in.

I only do around 6k miles a year, insurance costs not an issue as I’m old...

Is the RS4 worth spending an extra circa £22/24k on, for a similar aged and marginally lower spec car for the extra grunt and handling. I was going down the APR stage 1 route with the S4 but debating extending warranty if I don’t trade in, so holding off.

Haven’t driven the B9 RS4 yet (only B8 4.2)

I know it’s first world problems but it’s doing my head in and any thoughts really appreciated.

If you can afford it, then go for it. I know if I could afford the RS4 then I would swap my S4 in for it. The performance difference may not equate to the price difference but looks wise, it is far more aesthetically pleasing on the eye and much more aggressive (yet subtle) than the S4. Also they're much more rare than a S4, feel more special. I've barely seen any B9 RS4s on the road whereas when I've been out and about in my S4, I've come across plenty of S4's and S5's.

The people saying no are just boring old gits haha

 

[elpeterol]

I went from the best S4 (supercharged) to a new RS4 and as the previous poster said if you can afford it just do it- you won’t regret it

 

[motty225]

Agreed, you only wouldn't have an RS4 over an S4 because you couldn't afford it

 

[harvey.nott]

Not sure that's strictly true , circumstances are different for everyone .
Is it one car to do everything ?

Do you have other performance cars in the house ?

You see its not as easy as you may think.

Its only straightforward if that's what you think and thats what you would do.



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[SiPie]

Good to see some mixed responses coming in now!

It will be my only car as I recently sold a Boxster S as I was sick of 2 lots of running costs and only one garage to keep 2 cars in.

 

[harvey.nott]

I think in my view it makes a difference if its your only car.
I don't think I could go down to 1 car each unless we didn't have the garage space.

And thats what I meant about circumstances , the reality is only you know.

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[SiPie]

Well there you have it.
Picked the RS4 up yesterday from Redline in Knaresborough and the 4 hour drive back home on a combination of motorway and then the great A701 Moffat to Leadburn stretch answered all my questions.
What a machine.
The A701 is one of my favourite roads near to home and to have a direct comparison of the RS4 v S4 on the day of collection confirmed that the S4 wouldn’t even see which way the RS4 went. The wider track gives the RS4 such a planted feel and the way it delivers the power (linear but brilliant).
It did cost £30k to change but after only 200 miles, it is worth it.
I‘ll write more no doubt on other comparisons as they appear but thanks to all who helped me finally make up my mind. If you can afford it.... do it!

 

[eggraces]

Looks great, congrats!

I think the way the S4's throttle and gearbox is mapped stock will be going some way toward that difference. I'm hopeful a tune to both the ECU and TCU will help on mine!