German Car Zone

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"Just the idea of an Audi RS 4 had American sport sedan fans salivating, anxious for the opportunity to snatch up their own copies the moment the little car went on sale. And since Audi began deliveries to these shores in June, almost 1000 units have made their way into those fans’ garages.




With its 420-hp 4.2-liter V8—that’s 87 more than the BMW M3’s 3.2-liter I6, mind you—conventional six-speed manual transmission and rear-biased all-wheel-drive system, the RS 4 certainly looks attractive on paper. At the track, the car proved drop-dead gorgeous.

Once we found a spot on the drag strip to the RS 4’s liking, a patch with just the right amount of rubber laid down, the car would momentarily spin its 19-inch Pirelli PZero Rossos, then hook up perfectly. When the all-wheel drive kicked in, the car would bog down briefly once it hit cleaner pavement, but not so much to upset the car—clearly not with a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.91 seconds and quarter-mile in less than 14 seconds.

Finding good traction off the line might have been easier if the quattro in the RS 4 was tuned like that of other Audis, but Ingolstadt opted instead to slant the bias toward the rear, with 40 percent sent toward the front instead of 50. The move clearly benefits the car’s handling, as we quickly found on the slalom course.

With the electronic aids—both traction and stability control—switched off, the RS 4 sailed through the slalom as easily as anything we’ve tested. It needed only very small steering inputs to get around the cones and remained very controllable throughout the exercise. Even when the back end stepped out of line, it required only feeding it a bit more power to stabilize the car—but not too much power. We found the best approach was with a steady, constant throttle.

To compare, the RS 4 managed a best 46.7 mph through the cones, a significant margin over the Cadillac CTS-V’s 46.2 mph. And the Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG we tested two years ago wasn’t in the same league with its 44.1 mph.

On the skidpad, RS 4 exhibited moderate to heavy understeer, the front end grinding a bit as the wheels made their way around the 200-foot circle. It remained easy to hold on the line, but it did call for quite a bit of steering lock at the limit in response to the understeer. Just holding the steering steady and modulating the throttle ever so slightly made for the best runs.

We recorded a best lateral acceleration of 0.85 g by pointing the car with its throttle. If it ran wide, we’d back off to get the nose to tuck in but never once had to change the steering-wheel lock. In other words, the RS 4 feels like a front-driver on the skidpad.

One tester called the RS 4 “simply the best-balanced car I’ve driven in years and years. I think you would have to go back 10 years of BMW M3s to find a sedan so perfectly placed as this one, and even then you would not have the monster power of this mighty V8.”

Bringing the car to a stop produced a huge amount of brake squeal—probably the most we’ve experienced during testing—but little to no nose dive. And the RS 4 ate up just 113 feet to come to a standstill from 60 mph, which holds up next to the CTS-V’s 112 but, again, trumps the C55’s 116.

On the road, the RS 4 felt like a very heavy car (and with a curb weight of 3957 pounds, it certainly is no lightweight), with a solid ride quality that oozed German luxury. Even though tire noise made its way into the cabin, the suspension never felt harsh, soaking up bumps even over fairly rough sections of freeway.

Owners we heard from found the same, though most cited the all-around combination of qualities—a balance of power, styling and performance—as the reason for their choice. “This would have to be one special car to justify a price that is two-and-a-half times a base A4’s MSRP,” said one. “Consider it justified!”

Added another: “When you want more than 400 horsepower, four-doors, all-wheel drive and a normal six-speed manual transmission, the RS4 is the only choice.”



Some cited the V8 rumble and others mention the clutch pedal feel as details of the package they particularly enjoyed. Most found the RS 4 seats to be especially supportive and comfortable.

Our testers couldn’t be happier with their time at the track. “It is certainly one of the best-behaved, most responsive cars ever made,” said one. “It is like a DTM car but with all the comforts of a modern luxury sedan. I cannot think of a better luxo four-door.”

OWNERS SAY...

The RS 4’s engine is fabulous and pulls hard to redline. The car looks great and is less subtle than Audi’s understated performance vehicles of late—and avoids the upgraded base-model feel. The back seat is practical only for smaller children. I considered other cars but decided on the RS 4 for its great looks, awd, four doors, top-notch interior and performance so good you’ll need your lawyer on speed dial. No matter where you live, this car can be driven every day of the year. As a past owner of an S4 and RS6, It is the best Audi I have owned.
Scott Parkhill, Reno, Nev.

This is a perfect car that gives up nothing to the Porsche Carrera 4S, Chevrolet Corvette or Mercedes 500SL. The Audi is lightning-fast and handles great. I love the Lamborghini brakes, four doors and real trunk. The RS 4 also has the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in, allowing me to not even think about my bad back over a recent weekend trip. Bluetooth and navigation systems work great and are easy to learn and use. All this and the quattro give it great handling in the rain.
Art Germain, Tamarac, Fla.

It has gobs of power, surgical handling, room for four, full-size trunk and enough subtle style to get noticed by those who know, and the tuner crowd leaves me alone. There are lots of quality glitches with less than 5000 miles: suspension hydraulic failure, vacuum hose rupture, missing bolts from exhaust heat shield, loose fuel tank insulation cover and windows that go down by themselves. If Audi gets quality up, it might have the perfect car.
Jin Takemura, Long Beach, Calif.

Sounds from the V8’s mechanical whirring to the exhaust note make it special. I’ve averaged 18 mpg in mixed driving—more than acceptable given the performance. It occasionally has issues with hot starting. The body structure integrity isn’t as solid as the BMW I owned, and sounds as if the door panels move slightly on their mounts. Not a big deal, but at $80,000 out the door, I expect a solid and rattle-free experience.
Jeff Rosen, Mountain View, Calif."

LIKES
Big power
Well-designed package
Awesome performance

DISLIKES
Too much understeer
MMI controls
Annoying warning bells

OTHERS CONSIDERED
BMW M5
Porsche 911
Maserati Coupe GT

Specification:

STANDING-START ACCELERATION
0-60 mph: 4.91 sec
0-100 km/h (62.1 mph): 5.17 sec
0-quarter-mile: 13.69 sec @ 101.8 mph
ROLLING ACCELERATION
20-40 mph (first gear): 1.7 sec
40-60 mph (second gear): 2.3 sec
60-80 mph (third gear): 3.4 sec
BRAKING
60 mph-0: 113 ft
HANDLING
490-foot slalom: 46.7 mph
Lateral acceleration (200-foot skidpad): 0.85 g

Wow, they had pretty slow 0-60 time there.

No kidding
That quarter mile is very weak as i am quite sure this car is capable of 13 flats

The range of test results varies widely. I've seen the RS 4 tested as low as 4.3 0-60 and high 12 1/4 mile - R&T I believe.

I think that the RS 4 causes considerable difficulty for testers. Unlike the M5 with its launch control, the RS 4 takes some getting used to. I've read quite a few owner reports on launches, and have done a little experimenting myself.

Traction control off - RPM 3500 - quick release and punch it. I'm suspecting that I'm able to produce consistent 4.5 seconds. Miss that a little and she'll bog a little and be a around 5.0. I've had a couple of absolute scorcher launches that felt like lower than 4.5, but I don't know exactly.

Frankly, at almost 4000 lbs, the RS 4 just isn't a drag car. As a barometer of performance, the basic sprint tests are valid, but the real essence of the car is in the daily drive if you're lucky enough to have some twisties on the ride. This is evidenced by 7.3 AMG's thread on corner times at the ring. The RS consistently performed amongst the best cars in the world, often beating cars costing twice as much and more.

I have yet to lose a steet challenge (not that I go around looking for them), but the best rides I've had with it are on the roads where others fear to tred at speed. As I reported in a thread a few months ago, a friend with an IS 350 thought his car was fast until we ran our own little Gran Prix for about 15 miles. All he saw were the taillights, and then only when I let him catch up!

I think it's the first time I hear the RS4 being understear...

Maybe, they weren't going fast enough! But you're right, normally all magazines praise the perfect handling and balance of the RS4

You can't place an IS 350 with 300hp against the RS4 with 420hp. Not in the same league. However, I understand your enthusiasm because the RS4 is a great car and is at the top of the heap right now. But wait another 9-12 months or so when the IS 500 shows up and the new M3 comes on line. Then a road test will be in order to determine the king of the hill. I can't wait. My guess is that the new M3 will take the prize hands down once again.

ive seen 335i times better than these...whats going on AutoWeek???

Great review however. Thx.

No reflection on the merits of the RS4; it's a great car. But to compare the RS4 to the M5, 911 or Maserati coupe is a bit of a stretch, IMO. Also, to compare the perf stats of the RS4 to the old M3 (with its six cylinders) and the MB with the 55 AMG engine is disingenuous. These two vehicles are last generation technology. A more relevant test will be in the near future when the new V8 powered M3 comes out along with the MB with the new 63 AMG engine. This will be a the better and fairer comparison which may yield different results.