Newbie Hello & Help! What Spec RS4 Avant should I pick?

[rapport25]

Newbie here, but not to the VAG marque.

Undecided on what options to pick, so please give your feedback guys.

Currently running a 66 plate SQ5 plus with a remap & looking to purchase a new RS4 Avant mid 2019.

Will keep an eye on this forum.

Thanks,

Rappy.

 

[cosmicblue]

Hi Rappy

I know you from the MyAudiQ5 forum (I was SQ5John there).

The RS4 is one very remarkable piece of kit and as you will have noted there are lots of VERY expensive options.

Your 1st choice would be wheels - the published road tests suggest that the 19" rims provide an acceptable ride, spec the tasty looking £2k 20" 'Edge' wheels (which are tedious to clean, see image below, as the channel that runs behinds the spokes is narrow) then DRC option box needs a tick too.

I can vouch that in Comfort mode the ride quality is very acceptable with DRC and the lack of pitch/dive or body roll along with the (standard) Sport Diff makes the RS4 feel like it's about half the physical length - like an MX5 on steroids on a twisty road. If I was buying new then I'd spec a black pack and the tire pressure monitoring is essential (it's real, not the ABS sensor variety).

The rest of the options list is much like a an SQ5... so you'd probably tick the matrix lights, pano roof, folding mirrors, ext LED interior lighting, storage pack, comfort & sound pack, Audi phone box.... I have the HUD and really like it, not sure I'd pay £900 for the pleasure though.

It might be academic as a German chap on one of the RS specific forums has been told by his dealer that the RS4 won't be back in production until 2020.

 

[rapport25]

Hi SQ5 John,

Thanks for such a detailed reply.

I had hoped you had moved on here/ someone else who had an SQ5 previously.

I was looking at the Carbon Edition, but these where a limited run on intro.

So, before we get on to the options. Can I ask that you compare the SQ5 to the RS4?

Thanks,

Rappy.

 

[rapport25]

Back to options. I keep getting to around 10-12k of options.

I'm looking at the following...

1) Wheel upgrade & looking at the two tone version. With anthracite inserts. 100% sure

2) Black pack. 100% sure

3) Tinted windows 100% sure

4) Sports exhaust 100% sure

5) DRC. 70% sure. How does the ride compare to the SQ5?

6) Matrix LEDs 100% sure

7) Rear heated seats 100% sure

8) Extended LED lighting pack 100% sure

9) Parking pack 100% sure for Mrs Rappy

10) Carbon interior inserts 50% sure.

11) Comfort & sound pack 100% sure

12) Panoroof 50% sure

13) Red brake calipers 100% sure

14) Remap 100% sure. As per all my previous cars, it will see a stage 1 at 1000 miles.

15) Nardo grey 60% sure. Also looking at white & Daytona grey. Love my SQ5 in Monsoon grey & the Daytona is a deeper colour. Also, like the red but Mrs Rappy's next car is red. So that is off the list.

Guys, please give feedback & add yours.

Thanks,

Rappy.

 

[cosmicblue]

Hi Rappy

SQ5 vs RS4

The SQ5 is nice and smooth but has no drama, no sense of being in something special, much of the interior and exterior tech is the same. The RS4's handling especially on A roads is simply nuts - helped of course by the 275/30 tires (lots of choice unlike the 21" SQ5 big alloy option) and in my case DRC. The ride with DRC is similar to the SQ5. The performance is in a different league though- day to day the RS4 is really easy to live with, smooth and quiet like the SQ5, however the gentlest of indiscretions on the right pedal catapults the RS4 past any legal limit VERY quickly - that bi-turbo lump has zero lag - oh yes and all of this is on demand without indulging in completely loony S mode.

Audi, very typically, undersell DRC - even the brochure makes it sounds like adaptive dampers which is only half the story. DRC links all the suspension units up hydraulically with a central pump. So under hard acceleration the rear of the car doesn't squat, the front end barely dips, even under max braking and corners are taken absolutely flat - the DRC systems keeps the car level and stable. So the limit of cornering speed is, whilst ultimately at the mercy of the physics, also heavily influenced by one's imagination and prior decades of driving experience. The effect of the huge tyre grip and the Sport Diff shifting tractive effort to where it's needed enhances the sensation of simply being spat out of corners - addictive. Imagine sprinting cross country with an SQ5 and an RS4, the '4 would get further ahead at ever bend, out braked and out handled even at legal speeds.

Sports Exhaust - your call of course however it isn't that loud, even in Dynamic mode - I'd rather leave the Sports Exhaust off and get a Millltek later if I was choosing from scratch.

The option list cost is properly scary, especially as it will lose virtually all of it's value the moment you drive away from the dealership - buy used? There are 2-3 fully loaded RS4 in the dealer network at the moment.

 

[Chris518]

Hi I took delivery in June this year of my RS4 and went for Nardo grey, black exterior pack, 20" anthracite alloys, panoramic sunroof, sound and comfort pack, extended interior led lighting, red brake calipers, rear heated seats,driver memory seat , sports exhaust.Wished I did have the matrix headlights and paid a bit extra for the anthracite interior trim but had a budget to stick to. Never bothered with the parking pack but wished maybe I should of as I now get very nervous when parking next to kerbs.
Chris

 

[cosmicblue]

Love those wheels Chris - would have defo spec'd those if I'd had mine from new.

The Parking Pack does have an irritating feature in that the extra sensors on the sides of the front and rear bumpers get into total panic mode if anything get's closer than say half a metre away, from the sides. So getting my car in the garage means getting continuous 'imminent disaster' tones from the front and rear side sensors. It will even wake up when crawling in motorway traffic.

I've yet to try the self parking feature...

 

[Chris518]

Hi Cosmicblue
I have noticed one irritating thing about my car though. I have parking sensors on mine and it seems I have the side assist but that seems to be amber warning lights in the mirrors. Sometimes when reversing up to my garage which is set back from the house the brakes suddenly lock . It feels like I have hit something. Annoying or what!
Chris

 

[rapport25]

Thanks Cosmic Blue.

Great to hear what I thought you would say .

SQ5 brakes & handling have always left me underwhelmed. Like I said on the Q5 forum. I like the car but not my best purchase. However the remap makes it a great motorway cruiser, but not a great car for a blast down fast A roads.

How does the sound inside compare to the SQ5? I know its fake, but sounds very impressive!

Sold on the DRC. How does the tyre noise compare? Mrs Rappy always moans about the tyre noise in my SQ5.

Sports Exhaust is something I was looking for due to gloss black. Not sure it makes the car a lot louder or faster than stock.

Agreed about the value. Hence I keep changing my mind about which options to tick.

Thanks again,

Rappy

 

[rapport25]

Thanks guys .

Rappy.

 

[cosmicblue]

Chris - yes completely agree, from choice I wouldn't have any of the fancy sensors though have to grudgingly admit that the blind-spot sensors (the amber lights on the insides of the mirrors) are a really good idea, well executed.

Rappy - according to OBD11 the RS4 has a Soundaktor for interior artificial sound that can be tweaked incrementally between 0 and 100% in 10 steps. Prior to collecting the 'Red Rocket' I thought I'd probably turn it off but if it works at all then it's really unobtrusive. The thread I saw on the Milltek had black tail pipes.

Tyre noise - like many others (including Chris 518 in this thread) with 20" wheels mine is on Conti Sport Contact 6 rubber, which has some sort of 'Silent' label. They are as claimed pretty quiet, if not silent - certainly better than an SQ5. Would seriously consider them as replacements when the time comes even though they are in the top end price-wise.

 

[Terminator x]

RS4 can't be mapped as ecu is triple encrypted. S4 the same. Awesome car though. Pics needed lads!

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

 

[rapport25]

Have seen the plug & play, but not a fan of tunning boxes.

Rappy.

 

[rapport25]

JF Automotive have a plug & play with great results!

I wonder if anyone has one fitted & can provide feedback.

 

[NevMan]

RS4 can't be mapped as ecu is triple encrypted. S4 the same. Awesome car though. Pics needed lads!

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

Seriously cannot get enough of.your @FranA3 detailed RS4 in my fave colour @terminator x

 

[cosmicblue]

I do like Nardo, one of those rare colours these days.

 

[rapport25]

Just noticed, your Nardo Grey RS4 is debadged & Audi rings in black.

Very, very nice. Love the Nardo Grey, pure porn !!

Rappy