S6 vs. RS6

[Roger]

I have a 2003 RS6 and I'm considering a new S6 but no local dealer has one for test drive. Have any RS6 owners here test driven an S6 and can give me a first hand comparison? I'm sure the interior is nicer, the engine is fine, but how does handling compare? the acceleration? The ride?

[cornishmoocher]

not in the same league. The RS6 maybe 5 years old now but still has the legs on the s6

[DuckWingDuck]

ya, no comparison. If you're GoFastKindaGuy and have five other crazy cars, then having an S6 is fine but the drop off between the RS6 and S6 is VERY pronounced.

[artur777]

My opinion is to go with Facelifted S6 as it's a new car and more refined..

Old RS6 is rather old model IMHO

[Roger]

Have any of you actually driven an S6?

[cornishmoocher]

yes.........

[RS6-4dr911]

Yes, and frankly I liked it. No doubt the RS is faster and edgier but unless you're intent on winning your class in SCCA or going to the drag strip, I doubt after a few weeks you'd miss it. Very good ride/handling trade-off IMO. No plans to trade soon but I would consider it in a year or two as the used ones approach my price range.

[cornishmoocher]

I would miss my RS6.

The C6 S6 and C5 RS6 are two COMPLETELY different cars. Of course the C6 is going to be more comfortable, it is 5 years newer and its only an "S".

The question was Handling acceleration and ride how do they compare. And whether its more comfortable (obviously is) on all of the three points requested its a different beast altoghether. In no way can it be compared to the C5 RS6, in the same way as the C6 RS6 cannot be compared to the C5 S6.
The C6 S6 is softer, slower and more laboured than the RS6. The fuel consumption will be truly horrific as it has no turbos and you will need to thrash it to get it to perform. I did 90 litres of fuel in 190 miles urban. Now that is shit.

Its a great car mind you, If thats what you want, but I dont. Maybe one day.

[Fonzie Audi]

i have also experienced a lengthy test drive in a 2008 S6.

At first glance, the interior and comfort of the car is inspiring. Although the excitement level dropped as i pulled out of the dealership and made my way around town. The technology and comfort are hard to ignore - however the performace left me somewhat disappointed. The car is NOT slow, but it is not the RS6. There is respectable power - but the "throw your head back into the seat" feeling is just not there.

Pretty car, nice interior, upgraded technology - but the smile that grew on my face as i drove away from the dealership in my RS6 left no questions in my mind..

[DHall1]

Uhhhh, take a look at Roger's other cars. He has plenty of hp to go around.

If I remember correctly, the RS6 has been used mostly in the winter months for the Quattro safety factor. If that is the case, then the S6 would be a nice addition. Its new, its reliable(so far), its got some hp. Its ok.

I am just not a fan of the looks. Hey, when you get bored you just throttle up that GTR anyways. Doh



ya, no comparison. If you're GoFastKindaGuy and have five other crazy cars, then having an S6 is fine but the drop off between the RS6 and S6 is VERY pronounced.

[DuckWingDuck]

Uhhhh, take a look at Roger's other cars. He has plenty of hp to go around.

If I remember correctly, the RS6 has been used mostly in the winter months for the Quattro safety factor. If that is the case, then the S6 would be a nice addition. Its new, its reliable(so far), its got some hp. Its ok.

I am just not a fan of the looks. Hey, when you get bored you just throttle up that GTR anyways. Doh

Hence my caveat. The S6 is a great car, nobody is saying that it's not (at least I'm not) but for my money, it doesn't compare with the RS6. Again, like the caveat, if Roger feels that his other cars have enough oomph then the trade might be a good one. Circumstances may change of course but I'm also looking at other semi-choice cars but would never think about selling the RS6 :D

[BLITZEN]

Is this a repost? I swear I've heard all this before...

[DuckWingDuck]

LOL, different guy, same issue ;)

[Audiphile]

Ok, I own an S6 and I have driven Greg's previous generation RS6 as he has driven my S6. The S6 is plenty fast. You'll get to 60 under 5 seconds without much incentive from the car. The sound is excellent. I would say that the S6 is much more refined then the previous gen RS6 and is more of a cruiser than a brute force machine like the RS6. One can only imagine the beast that the new RS6 must be with almost 150 more hp over the current S6. I do not think I could enjoy the previous gen. RS6 as a daily driver. Too much work compared to the ease of the current S6. The S6 is sort of a wolf in sheep's clothing. If you want to punch it make sure no car is in front of you or you'll create a new asshole in it. I like my goodies in the car and demand luxury at that price. It is definitely a sleeper, and you cannot miss one on the road with those daytime LEDs. Way Cool!

[Roger]

Thanks for input, I guess it shapes up the way I thought. It's just difficult after having a car, even an RS6, for a few years not thinking about the newer model of the car. Sometimes I do think about a more refined ride, but who wants to give up cornering excitement? I wish the new RS6 was available in the US.

[DuckWingDuck]

that's why you do incremental updates! Like I'm slowly adding things like RNS-E, suspension, then ECU/TCU.

[Audiphile]

Thanks for input, I guess it shapes up the way I thought. It's just difficult after having a car, even an RS6, for a few years not thinking about the newer model of the car. Sometimes I do think about a more refined ride, but who wants to give up cornering excitement? I wish the new RS6 was available in the US.

Actually, the S6 is excellent in cornering and twisty roads. I've taken "Bogie" on several drives on very narrow twisty roads and he handles with precsion and feedback in every turn as if a smaller car. It is quite a blast actually!

[DuckWingDuck]

As Richard so eloquently puts it, the S6 is Dr. Jekyll and the RS6 is Mr. Hyde. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.

[Copper]

Trying to compare the (C6) S6 vs the (C5) RS6 is like trying to say which Playboy Playmate is better, Ms. October or Ms. November?

As far as the 2003 RS6 looking "dated"... I think that really only applies to people who own Audis. Honestly, until I bought my first RS6 I never paid any attention to Audis (Volvos as well, still don't). They all sort of looked the same to me with the exeption of the TT. I think that 90% of the population does not have a clue as to what an S6 or RS6 is. Maybe more like 99%. With updated LED tail lights on the RS6 the car looks very similar to the C6. The big grill being the exception. No one seems to know what year my RS6 is. I mean no one. Shock and surprise when I tell my clients "Oh it's an older 2003 Audi, no big deal..." It is one of those cars that if they look close enough they see the big brakes and the wheel arches, not quite sure what it is but they know if is something special.

That said, I too almost purchased an S6 recently that was at a local Audi dealer. They had taken $15K off the list price. I liked the interior and upgraded electronics, etc. Recaros were also nice. While it drove nice it was not anywhere close to producing the power of the RS6, esp. with the Revo upgrade I'm running. To say it was slow is not correct. It was plenty fast to get me thrown in jail (twice):deal: . Something about the boost on the RS6 that puts me in that "happy place". For now I'm waiting for the C6 RS6 Sedan to arrive (still have a deposit) and if they don't bring it over then I'll seriously have a tough time finding a suitable replacement in a few years. I've even considered buying another RS6 with low miles and storing it until this one has racked up 100K miles. I just won't tell my wife...

[RS6-4dr911]

Copper, if you're going to put it in those terms we'll need some pic's first . . . . :hihi:

[RS6-4dr911]

I vote for October (blondie)

[DuckWingDuck]

Bwahahahahaha

[DHall1]

Good points. I agree completely


that's why you do incremental updates! Like I'm slowly adding things like RNS-E, suspension, then ECU/TCU.

[TheBrit]

Have any of you actually driven an S6?
Yes, and I bought an S8 instead.

It comes down to what you want the car for.

The C5 RS 6 has that wonderful feeling that it's attached to your lower gut, and it's dragging the rest of your body along by pulling it, where the S6 is just fast. The human body can't really detect acceleration, merely change int he rate of acceleration, so the very linear acceleration of the S6 (and D3 S8) doesn't feel as fast as the "swell" of forward urge you get in the C5 RS 6.

The S6 has lots more electronic shinyness - DVD nav, a better Bose setup, iPod interface, reversing camera, tyre pressure display etc as options. The ESP system is smarter too, in my opinon.

The S6 (in Avant guise anyway) both does and doesn't handle as well as the RS 6 - more roll and a more wallowy (but less crashy) ride, but less understeer because of the lower nose-weight and rear-biased torque split.

The S6 is not the most fuel-efficient beast ever, and if you spank it all the time it drinks like the RS 6. It's also more effort to hammer along because you need to rev it high all the time to liberate the horses.

The brakes are better on the S6 for fast road use - it's nowhere near as easy to cook them.

But nothing has matched that (literally) gut feeling of raw performance of the C5 RS6, not until the C6 RS 6 came along, that is. If that's what you love about the RS 6, you just won't get it in the S6. If you want a comfortable and capable, but still fast, luxury car for every day and every weather, the S6 is a good choice if you can get your kicks with another car, but I'd always go for the S8 over the S6 if I'm honest.

[RS6-4dr911]

Brit - Minor technical correction to your post - the human body can most definitely feel acceleration, which is a change in velocity, what it can't feel is velocity. If you feel a greater surge in the RS6, then you're feeling greater acceleration. :mech:

[Copper]

The S8 is a great choice. I bet that thing will eat up the miles in such comfort... Question, sort of off topic. Did you get the B&O audio option? If so, is it really all it's cracked up to be? at +$6700 over the stock system, 20% of A8/S8 owners went with the B&O option so it must sound pretty good?

Post some pics of your new ride when you get a chance. We don't get enough car p0rn around here (you know just pics of old boring outdated B5 RS6s///) :hihi:

[TheBrit]

Did you get the B&O audio option?
Nope - I think it was a little OTT in the S8 to be honest. For sure, the S8 is a quiet car for it's performance, but it's not as quiet as say an A8L W12 with regular suspension, where I think you would really be able to hear the great range of the B&O system properly. I'm not sure the S8 with it's wider 20" rubber and firmer suspension bushings really has the same interior dynamic for audio.

The B&O is also very loud, so it may be worth it if you have titanium eardrums and can stand the volume. I suspect a lot of B&O buyers turn it up loud to showcase to themselevs and others, but have it nowhere near it's maximum volume most of the time.

I like to have music quite loud (given the confined interior of a car), but still be able to hear important sounds (like car horns) from outside, and as I don't have the finest audiophile ears in the world, Bose does me fine as I think the A/S8 Bose setup is about he best there is in the Audi range.

I really don't have any decent pictures of the RS 6 (or the S5 for that matter), as I only managed to grab a couple of mobile phone pictures when it was new and clear, and right now it's got about five weeks of road grime, salt and mud on it. If I get time to clean it and if I get time to get out with a camera while it is still clean, I'll try to take some more over Christmas and New Year.