RS4 or R?

B6/7 S4/RS4
#1

So I’ve got another 6 months or so before the CPO warranty on my Golf R is up. Trying to decide if I keep it and mod it, or move on to something else. Of all the options out there, an RS4 is the one option I can’t seem to shake for that something else.

While I pay some attention to the RS4 going-ons, I’m definitely not aware of all the current knowledge. So I wanted to poll the RS4 owners on here. Basically trying to get an idea if one would be livable as a daily. Some basic questions below, but any input is appreciated.
-Real, at the pump fuel economy?
-Regular maintenance expenses?
-Experience with weird, unexpected maintenance issues?
-Annoyances/things you don’t like/limitations?

#2

If you can’t get rid of that itch, just scratch it :wink:
It’d be good to have you back in this platform. Besides let’s be honest here, you know you missed that 4.2 growl. My very biased vote RS4 all the way.

#3

From my observation. Most of the RS4 guys drive them as there DD…so you know they stand up well for general use. The RS4 is bigger then the R but it doesn’t have that big car feel.

Other then the need for carbon cleans every so often it’s standard stuff maintenance wise. It’s a better version of what you had in the s4 with a motor built better.

Fuel mileage will be better depending on your mods and driving. But not too much worse then your R. There are the same special things on the RS4 that would be effected on your R like HPFP issues and carbon.

I think mod wise the R is a pocket rocket that’s not too hard to make fast but it’s not going to feel better then a RS4.

#4

I’m just going to start a chant…RS4 RS4 RS4. You’d look good back in a V8 Beem and I guarantee you’ll be happy. I went through my really nice truck and I wasn’t happy. I also looked at a handful of cars but kept coming back to the RS. It’s really a combination of many things, the exhaust note, comfort, AWD…I could go on and on but once we had our S4s or even you A6 it’s hard to shake a nice size AWD sedan with a V8.

I DD mine every other week or so about 80 miles a day. I’m not really a Fuelly nerd, but I’m normally close to 20MPG at the pump with mostly a highway commute. Bangoman and Datadum have some pretty good fuel economy logs I think.

In fact here is a quote

You will be right at home with the interior, not too much is different. TO be honest most people who get in my car think it’s a brand new car or 2013+. I laugh because I feel it’s a little dated, but to the norm it’s NEW. If you had a chance to snag one with Euro seats and a nice steering wheel then DO it. I like the OEM seats, but a nice steering wheel is in my future because the OEM one just doesn’t fit the car. (That is honestly one of my only complaints along with the original RNSE)

The RS4 is just so fucking raw, it’s really great. I love driving it, even if I’m only going to the end of the road to grab a gallon of milk. My exhaust should be here in a few weeks and I really can’t wait. One of my biggest reasons for gong back to a V8 Audi was the exhaust note. My S4 sounded better than any car I’ve ever had, my Ecoboost F150 sounded horrible, but this car will once again make me smile form ear to ear again.

The Golf Rs interested me from the beginning because I was a big MKIV R32 fan, but the car just didn’t fit my personality anymore. It’s probably not a whole lot smaller than the RS, but it doesn’t really have the presence of the RS4 on the road. It’s basically a GTI and IMHO a younger person car.

Every time you see an RS4 on the road…you notice it, it’s almost impossible not to. I’ve gotten compliments from 20 yr olds and 70 yr olds, kind funny. The only time you see a Golf R is if you own one or if you’re a kid with a GTI who wishes he had ten more grand.

#5

1 15 mpg average but I rarely see the highway
2 Same as s4 + carbon every 2 years, and brakes cost triple the s4
3 a couple of brake lights ($2 bulbs , a slave and master cylinder replacement and a bad knock sensor. In 4 yrs. My car is actually 7 yrs old and the previous owner had zero repairs done. If you paid a dealer for the sensor and the slave master replacement it would have been 1500-2000 in labour or so because the sensor required manifold removal and the slave and master are a big job.
4 things I don’t like would be a short list. I didn’t like how slow Rnse was and the SD card limitation of 4gb so I bought the upgraded rnse for 1000 bucks. Two x 32gb means every song from every band I have ever liked + a few thousand other songs are always in the car.

That’s literally it. All I’ve done is exhaust and changed to ti package. It’s a great car.

#6

Go rs4 :slight_smile:

#7

Fuel Economy: no real issue here - ~15-20 MPG typical for me, depending on how much I’m pushing the “fun”. My GTI does better, but it also isn’t a V8 or as much fun. I do find myself DD my RS4 for the most part, where my GTI is supposed to be my DD…

regular maintenance: as mentioned - brakes are fairly expensive - but there are some reasonable options out there. oil kits are around $90-$100. my OEM rotors are wearing well. swapped out the rears with some rotors from ECS tuning and I’ve been pleased. Tires of course will be more $ because they are larger than the set on the VW-R ($190 vs $246 each for Michelin PSS)

No weird unexpected maintenance issues for me. Just standard maintenance stuff.

annoyances:

  • back seats don’t have a ton of leg room.
  • for me, the RS4’s natural comfortable cruising speed is around 85. where my GTI feels comfortable around 70 - which can get you into trouble - which is why I’m happy I have a nice radar detector and I run WAZE when I drive.

but for me, I just cant stop looking at my RS4… I just feel good driving it. I don’t care if anyone notices that it is an RS4, its just intoxicating to drive. I do roll down the windows, turn off the stereo and just listen to the car. the only car that will likely replace my RS4 is a 911 turbo. but even then, I’d have a hard time parting with it.

#8

I see 18 mpg in a mixed driving. 23mpg highway if I’m lucky.

It’s an older platform now, so the tech isn’t up to date with what you can go out and buy. At the same time, that is kind of nice. Carbon clean is basically regular maintenance.

People have had trouble with intake throttle body, I believe. That’s an expensive fix at the dealer ($1400 ish). Otherwise, I can’t think of any “common” problems.

#9

Pick up that Papaya Orange while it’s up for grabs :wink: unless of course you’re not a fan of that color.

#10

link? didn’t see on the zine

#11

Do you want to spend 50k? Because I doubt the guys will let it go for a bargain.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/656554-Feeler-Thinking-about-selling-my-Papaya-Orange-RS4

#12

Papaya is nice with ti

Nice to look at in a photo. Not nice to own unless you want to be that guy. Most people who buy audis don’t want to be that guy… Or they’d buy something people recognize as flash.

“Audis are made for German cement salesmen…”

I don’t get the whole ‘unicorn!’ bullshit. For one thing, nobody knows what the car is so it doesn’t matter if it’s pink purple or silver, nobody knows it’s interesting.

For another, I can count on 1 finger the last time I saw 2 rs4s in one day that either weren’t including my own or weren’t a few of my buddies when we get together. The car is already rare as fuck. Every single one of them is a unicorn.

The only place that is crowded with rs4s is the rs4 forum. So if you’re spending a $20,000 premium just to have a ‘rare’ RS4 you’re really doing so just to impress the forum,because that’s the only place it needs a crazy colour to feel rare. That makes you slightly retarded. People like swesna come to mind. Doesn’t drive his car… Just looks at it. And talks about how rare and unicornish it is online. The guy thinks he’s a car genius. Meanwhile he has a bunch of depreciating cars while he lives in some sad looking Sanford & Son house. All while being the skinniest pasties white guy in real life yet he pretends he is black on the forums. Guys a mess.

If you genuinely like luminous orange, by all means have at it. However there is a reason audi only painted 6 of them bright ass orange out of the 3000 we bought in the USA and Canada. 2994 people couldn’t be bothered with it.

#13

Yeah I’d never want that color. I always liked that cherry black metallic exclusive one, but there’s not enough sanitizer in the world for that one…

#14

15.4mpg city and 22.2 mpg highway based on my fuelly stats.

Things that went spontaneously wrong on my car:

  • shredded oil cooler line fixed under CPO (around $1300 IIRC)
  • CEL light for carbon

Minuses

  • limited rear legroom, not so great for a rear facing car seat

Errr that’s all I can think of for now lol

#15

ill agree with euro about the steering wheel not fitting the car quite right. and my only other complaint is the creakyness of the center console when u lean on it. the car is easily daily driven especially in stock form. as far as mileage u guys get better mileage than me but im known for having a heavy foot.