so.. concerned getting a car..

[Alex Kim]

Hi. I am new to here but I have been here reading threads for long time..

I own a v-10 S6 right now but I am thinking about to change that to either Rs4 or Porsche 911 s or M5.

I know there are lots of discussion about this but I still can't figure out what to pick.

S6 was the first Audi I driven so far. It is fast but, it doesn't feel that comfortable at high speeds. I think it is because of the suspension itz got.

I had driven my friend's M5 and it is fast but I am worried about all those problems with VANOS valve, SMG etc... Also I am worried about the resale value..

and Rs4.. I never driven before.

Also the Porsche... I never driven before.. However everyone has good opinion on the Porsche so..

From my experience so far, I like the M5 because of it's engine sound and power. Also I kinda think the stereo system in Audi (the premium Bose package) is not that strong enough compare to BMW's Logic system. (Does anyone agree with me here?) I might be wrong but.. that is what I felt.

The opinion above is just my opinion without even driven the Rs4 yet.. My dealer told me that he will have Rs4 in few months.. and will let me test it but.. it is too hard to wait..

Do you think I will love the Rs4 or not..? (I would love to see Rs5 or Rs6 but.. we don't even know if it will come or not... right? I wish just R8 had 4 seats.... which will satisfy me in every aspects.)

Anyway.. I still think S6 looks sooo gooood. wish.. it was more tuned to high speed..

[BigRick]

Not much to say other than the porsche is more a two seaters than all the others you're comparing. Also my personnal experience with porsche is that the noise level in the car makes it a bit unconfortable on long rides. Suspension is also not as comfy.

Regarding the stereo system, I have the premium package and I'm pretty satisfied with the system (the two SD slots are a nice addition) Since the car is pretty much silent you don't need a really strong system to overcome all the in car noise. Note that I'm no audiophile.

Regarding high speed you would need to be a bit more specific as your high speed might be pretty different than mine.

So, these were my 2 cents :)

Regards,

[Arslanoff]

I think that if you prefer comfort, high quality music and a lot of power there are only 2 suitable cars for you M5 and RS6, so buy full option M5 or wait till the release of RS6 and it is definitely going to be much better than M5!
There are already some spy shots of RS6, so it may appear soon....

[KK265]

One year more waiting and buy the new RS6.I saw a mule at my last visit to Neckarsulm.Of course no pictures.I asked the man who was with us what is this and he told a mule and nothing else.But the wheels were at 2/3 out of the car so i am sure it was an RS6 mule.I also drove S6 and i did not like the feeling of this car.After 20 years perhaps i like this feeling but not now.RS4 is much sportier and flexible.A little bit louder but more racing noise.

[Leadfoot]

You didn't say where you are from, if Europe then with the RS4 you can spec the trick seats but if State side then you are stuck with the standard Recaros from the S4.

The S6 is an impressive car and the only thing after driving it that I could complain about was the ride quality, too hard for a luxury sports saloon but by the same merit so is the ride in the M5. Believe it or not the RS4 rides way better than both of them though it is a little short on space in the rear but as you are also thinking about a 911 then rear space isn't really an issue.

My very surprise and frankly amazing no one else didn't bring this up was that you like the sound of the M5 :doh:, how such an impressive engine with F1 technology can sound like a diesel on start up and at tick over amazes me, yes it does sound better with revs but the v10 in the S6 sounds so much more beefy.

You rate the sound system in the M5 (Harmon Kardon) if memory serves me. Yeah they're OK and loud but the actual quality of the sound is not comparable to the BOSE, distortion is what actually makes things sound louder than they really are, the BOSE has a very low distortion rate for a factory fit and this makes their sound seem lighter than most other systems. Take it from me, I know as I uses to be in the business, it's amazing how a 50watt amp in a headunit distorting away can sound as loud as a 1000watt system with zero distortion, but don't confuse volume with quality that all I will say.:noshake:

Like the rest of the gang I would say hold on and sample both the RS4 and 911, you won't be disappointed with either but if you are still unsure then the logical thing would be to wait until more is known about when the RS6's spec and launch date, if you like what you hear it isn't that much of a hardship to live with a S6v10 until such times as the RS6 becomes available.:thumb:

[BigRick]

My very surprise and frankly amazing no one else didn't bring this up was that you like the sound of the M5 :doh:, how such an impressive engine with F1 technology can sound like a diesel on start up and at tick over amazes me, yes it does sound better with revs but the v10 in the S6 sounds so much more beefy.



I never heard the M5 engine but since you bring that to the table I can recall posting this comment from a web review.

But it's another story in the M5. For starters, it sounds like a fish in a blender when it fires up. And the new six-speed manual tranny isn't what I was hoping for. A combination of longish throws and slender gates demands a deliberate, three-step shifting technique that rubs me the wrong way.

So you're probably right about the poor engine sound :thumb:

[Alex Kim]

oh.. I agree with all of you guys.

I live in U.S. I agree with the point about the ride quailty of the S6. The road on Cleveland is terrible and.. I feel like.. S6's suspension is set for neither sportier or comfort.. (Sorry for the bad english)


Regarding high speed you would need to be a bit more specific as your high speed might be pretty different than mine.

I drove the car up to 145MPH on the high way and I felt like.. the car is about to fly or something... I am not sure if it happens due to bad road quality but..

Also many people tell that the handling in Audi is really better than the BMW but.. I am not sure if I agree with that point.. when I exit on the highway with little over speed.. I feel like the car is about to lose traction and can not make the curve... (But.. it always made it.. haha may be itz just the feeling..)

To sum up.. what I wrote up here.. When I drive the S6.. I don't feel like the car is on the road. I don't know how to explain but the car feels too light for me.

For the Engine sound, actually I think I didn't have chance to hear the sound of my car from out side.. since I am the one always drive it.

For the Sound system, I feel like the bass is little weak for the car. (even with adjusted EQ)



S6 must be a good daily car. My friends were surpried by its looking and the power. (Although a friend with M3 thinks his car is faster than my car but I don't really care and.. I actually think S6 is faster than M3.. may be..? Is this correct?) I think the problem with S6 is that lack of advertisement. I mean it is almost impossible to find any race with S6 and any comparsion with S6..

Ohh One thing I forgot to mention.. I had few races so far.
One was with Infiniti G35 07. The owner of the car was like I will BS your car, but after the race... he couln't say a thing. haha I was actually surprised how fast S6 is with pedal shift or the S mode.

The other one was with tuned mitubish (<-sorry for the bad English) and.. I smoked him on the highway haha. I am not sure what the car was but.. he changed exaust and got brembo brakes etc..

I wish for more videos on the website so that I can hear my car see my car around world with other cars..

[Alex Kim]

Oh forgot to mention... As all of you said I think I should keep S6 for Rs6 or Rs5. (I heard a rumor that Rs5 might get a Rs6 engine on it... if so.. it would be a great carrr)

[Leadfoot]

I drove the car up to 145MPH on the high way and I felt like.. the car is about to fly or something... I am not sure if it happens due to bad road quality but..

Also many people tell that the handling in Audi is really better than the BMW but.. I am not sure if I agree with that point.. when I exit on the highway with little over speed.. I feel like the car is about to lose traction and can not make the curve... (But.. it always made it.. haha may be itz just the feeling..)

To sum up.. what I wrote up here.. When I drive the S6.. I don't feel like the car is on the road. I don't know how to explain but the car feels too light for me..

Alex, I think you need time to adjust to the steering. I had a S4 for almost three years and at the start I too felt the steering was light but you do get uses to it. The Audi is actually much better at high speed than the BMW, BMWs are set-up more for handling feel and this leads to wandering at high speed, you are steering the thing all the time.

Trust me mate you will not lose traction on the corner, the difference between rwd and awd is the way you enter a corner, with the Quattro once the car is settled into the corner you can floor it and the thing just grips and grips. A rwd car will lose rear traction especially hi-powered ones, there is no ability to shift power to the front if needed like there is with an awd car.:jlol:


For the Engine sound, actually I think I didn't have chance to hear the sound of my car from out side.. since I am the one always drive it.

For the Sound system, I feel like the bass is little weak for the car. (even with adjusted EQ)..

Alex, get a mate to drive your car pass you at full throttle, if it doesn't put a smile on your face check your pulse I think you are dead.:D

Your statement of weak bass is exactly what I was talking about, distortion makes the bass sound thicker, check out a local Car Stereo shop to see about a bass box. This might just do what you want without costing a fortune and won't take up too much space in the boot.:thumb:

[BigRick]

Ok you're mad! 145MHP is almost three times the speed limit!:MTM: But you're the one driving... just make sure you don't kill someone.

At this speed it really depends on the road condition. For sure the car has some thing to do with handling but when your reach these speeds you really want to have a nice flat road. If it wasn't the case then give the S6 another try on a better road it might just satisfy you enough to wait for the RS6 :thumb:

As Leadfoot said, going for a BMW won't be any better at that kind of speed you'll be struggling with the steering all the time to keep it straight. (even more if the road's not perfect)

BTW, have you tried the car on a closed circuit? It might be worth it. You'll learn to tame the beast in corners and you can do all the speeding you want. Ho! man, I sound like my mother now! :doh:

Cheers!

[AndyBG]

My advices would be:

1. Porsche 911 Carrera 4S or just S, I don't know what you prefer 4WD or 2WD, with all the goodies (power kit 381 hp...)

2. Audi RS 4, fully equiped, you want be dissapointed.

[Alex Kim]

Haha do you know where I can get some information about closed circuit around Ohio?

And maybe you guys are right.. at that speed..

And I think I will keep the my S6 now for the Rs5 or Rs6.

(If I can find a closed circuit, I will race with my friend's M3 and post a video or something )

[Leadfoot]

Haha do you know where I can get some information about closed circuit around Ohio?

And maybe you guys are right.. at that speed..

And I think I will keep the my S6 now for the Rs5 or Rs6.

(If I can find a closed circuit, I will race with my friend's M3 and post a video or something )

Great idea, if he beats you will can all say it was expected as the S6 is a bigger, heavier car to steer around a track. But if you beat him you have two choices.

1: Say with a smile, 'I knew the Audi was the better handling car' and walk away.:D

2: Say with an even bigger smile, 'Man I was sure the M3 would be the quicker on a track' pause for a few seconds and then say, 'hack I must be a hell of a driver', then walk away.:hihi:

You will learn, to be a good Audi driver you must take the piss out of BMW drivers at every opportunity. :thumb:

[Alex Kim]

Ha ha. I am actually impressed how fast S6 is.. it wasn't race but I and the M3 was on a red light (I was behind him).. and he suddenly accelerlated (I think it was full throttle) when the light changed.. and I followed him with full throttle and I was able to shorten distance between his car and my car. We couldn't go any farther because we were caught up by another red signal light but.. consider that I had 5 ppl (including me) in my car and he only had two people in his car.. it was fast..

[BigRick]

Haha do you know where I can get some information about closed circuit around Ohio?

And maybe you guys are right.. at that speed..

And I think I will keep the my S6 now for the Rs5 or Rs6.

(If I can find a closed circuit, I will race with my friend's M3 and post a video or something )

Way to go buddy! :thumb: I'm glad to hear that :dig:

So now we need to find you a race track in Ohio.

Cheers,

[Leadfoot]

Ha ha. I am actually impressed how fast S6 is.. it wasn't race but I and the M3 was on a red light (I was behind him).. and he suddenly accelerlated (I think it was full throttle) when the light changed.. and I followed him with full throttle and I was able to shorten distance between his car and my car. We couldn't go any farther because we were caught up by another red signal light but.. consider that I had 5 ppl (including me) in my car and he only had two people in his car.. it was fast..

Well done, five people on-board and you still were able to close the gap a little. Maybe the S6 is in with a shout at beating the M3 on the track and trust me, unless your mate track-days a lot you will be all over him in the S6. The way it will hook on the corner and just grip will impress the hell out of you, something that will build your confidence to attack even hard and you will find yourself shouting at your mate to get out of your way.:p

[Alex Kim]

Just curiosity.. how does RS4 feel like when you drive? Is there any one who drived both M car and RS4? Since I never driven the RS4, I was wondering if it is really that different from S6. (Does RS4 feel like M cars too? or is it some what more comfortier than M cars?) (I am asking you this so that I can feel what RS5 or RS6 will be like..)

Thank you

[Benman]

Ok you're mad! 145MHP is almost three times the speed limit!:MTM: But you're the one driving... just make sure you don't kill someone.



That is not too bad, that is only a few mph faster than I was riding on my bike just a few days ago. ;)

Actually, he has a point. At 145, the car should not feel like that. The RS 6 sure as heck doesn't. It feels planted, planted, planted! I safely and legally drove one at an indicated 173mph and it was very rock solid. Yes, the senery was a blur, but the car did not feel as if it was about to fly off.

Alex,

The RS 4 would do you just fine if you're willing to sacrifice some rear passenger room. Can't go wrong!

Ben:addict:

[Arslanoff]

I tryed RS6 2004 - it is very good, pleasent driving, a bit firm suspension for long journies, but very nice turning on high speeds. I liked it very much. and I also tried M5 but previous one, it was also nice, but I think a bit tricky during fast acceleration and turning, I think due to rear driving wheels, so quattro is really nice thing!

[BigRick]

Have you check the Audi Club North America Site? http://www.audiclubna.org/component/option,com_extcalendar/Itemid,31/extmode,cat/cat_id,1/

You might find some race tracks and events.

At least two are in Ohio:
Mid Ohio Raceway: Lexington, OH Friday, July 06, 2007 (8:00 )
Nelson Ledges: Nelson, OH Monday, July 30, 2007 (8:00 )

Might be a good start.

[BigRick]

Just curiosity.. how does RS4 feel like when you drive? Is there any one who drived both M car and RS4? Since I never driven the RS4, I was wondering if it is really that different from S6. (Does RS4 feel like M cars too? or is it some what more comfortier than M cars?) (I am asking you this so that I can feel what RS5 or RS6 will be like..)

Thank you

I think I can summarize the RS4 experience by saying that you'll leave traces in your shorts before you reach the limits of the car. :blush: (ok, ok some people on this board are probably capable of no traces... but they're professionals not amateurs like you and me :))

I've never driven the S6. But I've driven a M3 and I had an S4 for 3 years (2001 bitrubo model). The difference is huge. The lack of feedback that M drivers were complaining about from Audi is now history. The handling is awsome, the car always feel planted. You feel like the only thing sticking to the road more than that car is the line in the middle!

The new suspension (cross-linked) makes the ride much better for long rides and feels really stabe on the track. The new 40/60 split quattro drivetrain is also helping in reducing the understeer that most AWD are suffering of. So, overall I tend to think the ride is better in the RS4 then in the M models.

In short the RS4 handles really good, rides gently when needed, can be quite aggressive in corners and always feels planted even on rough roads. And where I'm living we're king of rough roads so I know what I'm talking about. I sold my S4 because I couldn't stand the roads anymore so there was no way I would have bought the RS4 if I had a doubt about the ride quality.

Regards,

[Alex Kim]

OH Thank you for all your replies.

I've got another question. My friend was asking if it is possible to get RS4 Converterble in the U.S? I know that U.S dealer doesn't get Converterble here.. but is it possible to get it in some other way?

Also He and I also like much more of Europe spec than that of U.S spec. (Like seats, handle etc) (And believe or not.. I heard from him that cars from Europe is a little stronger than cars from USA.)

[Leadfoot]

Just curiosity.. how does RS4 feel like when you drive? Is there any one who drived both M car and RS4? Since I never driven the RS4, I was wondering if it is really that different from S6. (Does RS4 feel like M cars too? or is it some what more comfortier than M cars?) (I am asking you this so that I can feel what RS5 or RS6 will be like..)

Thank you

Alex,

Yes I have drove both the M3 and the RS4 and lucky for me within 30mins of each other as I went for the test drive with the brother-in-law in his M3. Like all quattros it feels more secure than the M though the steering is lighter at slow speeds but gets heavier as speed increases, the really big difference between the two is the confidence the RS4 gives you to really throw the thing down an unfamiliar road. The ride is way better in the front and rear and the way the thing picks up from low revs makes the M3 feel like a car half the engine size not one only 1000cc down.

But I think you should wait to drive the S5, because what my dealer's sales manager who has just drove it says the car is an almighty step forward from even the RS4 in terms of steering feel and balance. He said the car feels so light on it's feet and there to drive as a comparison was the C-class and the old E43 M3, 335i coupe among others. He was impressed with the 335i, so anyone with an order :thumb: though like many found the fit and finish well below that of the Audi.