S5 vs RS5 quick opinions

[Morells]

Hi everyone I was just looking at these cars thanks to gilford's buying a RS5 and selling his RS3. And I got to looking at the performance figures and I have come to the conclusion have Audi shot themselves in the foot? Basically I see the new facelift S5 has changed engines to a v6 that's in the S4 if I'm incorrect please correct me and have noticed that the 0-60 is 4.9 and the bhp and torque are 333 and 325 respectively, now the RS5 stats are 0-60 in 4.5 and 450bhp and 317 torque.

Now this is where my whole post comes together the 0-60's are very close, the power ok are totally different but the S5 wins on torque this is because the RS has a n/a engine and the S5 a forced induction engine. But as we have seen with Chris Harris with the S4 vs the RS4 with a simple remap you can be challenging the RS brother if not keeping up with it on performance no problem at all so why would you buy the more expensive rs brother rather than seriously thinking of the S? Also the S has better mpg witch is always a plus.

Some may say the RS is all about the feeling don't get me wrong i love my RS but the S version of my car is a 2.0 turbo and mine has a turbo as well so I could also remap mine to keep ahead of a remapped S version which isn't the case with these cars mentioned in the op. do you think audi should be changing there tune with the N/A engines and end up adding a turbo or whatever so this sort of thing chant happen? I wouldn't want to spend more money on a RS to get beaten at the lights or on the road by its little sister.

Love to hear your thoughts on this one guys.

 

[MBK]

I think this answers your question Morells, it's a great watch too! An unloved S4 with a few choice mods (Revo remap, Milltek exhaust, Stasis stoppers I think from memory) versus the RS4...



If I wanted a stealthy Q car wagon with all that space too I'd buy one of the laster S4's for sure and map it.

I really did like the new RS4 when I drove it but there wasn't enough difference (glorious V8 sound aside) from the RS3. The RS4 was great to throw around track, you could really feel the weight move around. The ceramic brakes were simply epic and the traction out of the slower chicanes at Oulton Park just astonishing. On road though it was a different story. In comfort mode the throttle felt flat. I was sharing the car with an old shape RS4 owner and he was far from impressed. Sure once you get on the throttle in sport mode etc it was awesome and wow could it build speed above 3 figures, but how often does that matter?

Just my thoughts but the RS4 needs to follow the AMGs and next M3 with some form of forced induction to be really attractive again.

Oh and when the road tests start coming out you might well be asking exactly the same question new S3 v current RS3 as they have the same official power to weight ration of 216bhp/ton, time for an airfield drag race I think!

 

[Revo Steve-W]

Revo/STaSIS stage one software alone, takes the standard S4/S5 from 333 BHP to 410 BHP!

Type

 

[Morells]

Thanks MBK for that video which I knew off and like you say they surely will have to follow with the times and introduce the forced induction to the RS models like the RS3 TTRS and RS6 have because as much as I like the rs4 I'd go for the S4 because of the tune ability.

Also how do you know what cars have launch control would the facelift S5 and S4 have it now because if they do then next year I might be seriously looking into 1 of them.

 

[Morells]

Just out of curiosity revo Steve-w what's the price on a stage 1 for a ttrs ATM with the sale on?

 

[MBK]

Oops yep missed your mention of the video in your op - but then it was another excuse to watch that episode of Drive!

I assume the facelift S4 & S5 have launch control yes, I don't know for sure - is it an updated S-tronic box, again I'm not sure. I do enjoy the odd launch but even that I could live without given how infrequent that is, great gadget but not essential. An S4 Avant certainly appeals as a family wagon with shall we say pace!

 

[gilford]

The thing is, out of the box the RS5 is the quicker car, looks much better, handles better, stops better, and has much better toys!! Audi aren't stupid, they know what they are doing, just like with the new S3

all manufacturers are the same now, they make a "madras" version and then the good old "vindaloo" for us pure petrol heads!

I'm not in to modifying cars at all, I would much rather buy the RS and have piece of mind, but I know a lot of people will disagre with me. Each to their own as they say!! I got stung with an RS Turbo when I was 18 (17 years ago now), spent most of my time and wages in TurboSystems in Stoke letting professor Tony modify it to 230bhp, it was so unreliable. I vowed from that point on not to do it again.

 

[Morells]

Oops yep missed your mention of the video in your op - but then it was another excuse to watch that episode of Drive!

I assume the facelift S4 & S5 have launch control yes, I don't know for sure - is it an updated S-tronic box, again I'm not sure. I do enjoy the odd launch but even that I could live without given how infrequent that is, great gadget but not essential. An S4 Avant certainly appeals as a family wagon with shall we say pace!

Yeah I'm not to sure either when they brought the launch control in and yeah the advant would be a sleeper.

The thing is, out of the box the RS5 is the quicker car, looks much better, handles better, stops better, and has much better toys!! Audi aren't stupid, they know what they are doing, just like with the new S3

all manufacturers are the same now, they make a "madras" version and then the good old "vindaloo" for us pure petrol heads!

I'm not in to modifying cars at all, I would much rather buy the RS and have piece of mind, but I know a lot of people will disagre with me. Each to their own as they say!! I got stung with an RS Turbo when I was 18 (17 years ago now), spent most of my time and wages in TurboSystems in Stoke letting professor Tony modify it to 230bhp, it was so unreliable. I vowed from that point on not to do it again.

yeah I know what your saying that if you want straight out the box performance you go for the RS no question. And with regards to tunning after a certain point they become unreliable but stage 1's these days run within the limits of the car, so you should still have great reliability and that's why sales of the RS might start to drop I mean like you say Audi aren't dumb look at the new RS6 that's got forced induction and I'm willing to bet on it that the next gen RS5 and RS4 will have forced induction that's the way manufacturers are going, so your RS5 and the RS4 might be the last time you see a n/a v8 next gen they probably be turbo'd or supercharged.

 

[MBK]

Standard V Modified or used v new, the same old arguments that are impossible to settle.

Tuning always comes with costs at some point, not many people will be honest about this. How many people are going to come on line and say tuning cost me £xxxx in extra wear, tear and repairs and cost?

Used v new - be glad someone buys them new or there would be no used ones anyway!

Close to perfect out of the box for me:

Road car - RS3

Track toy - Megane R26.R

 

[gilford]

Yes, sad isn't it, it's all EU guidelines for Co2 etc. I had an E60 M5 V10 a few years ago, what a motor, you won't see another one of them from BMW!

 

[Ubbs]

The thing is, out of the box the RS5 is the quicker car, looks much better, handles better, stops better, and has much better toys!! Audi aren't stupid, they know what they are doing, just like with the new S3

all manufacturers are the same now, they make a "madras" version and then the good old "vindaloo" for us pure petrol heads!

I'm not in to modifying cars at all, I would much rather buy the RS and have piece of mind, but I know a lot of people will disagre with me. Each to their own as they say!! I got stung with an RS Turbo when I was 18 (17 years ago now), spent most of my time and wages in TurboSystems in Stoke letting professor Tony modify it to 230bhp, it was so unreliable. I vowed from that point on not to do it again.

Do you remember their rs200?
ubbs

 

[gilford]

Yep, and the Escort & Sierra Cosworth

if I recall correctly the Escort Cosworth was a tad under 500bhp and 0-60 in 4.5secs, bit like what we are hooning round in now but without the investment, mods and ball ache

If you have the money to waste and like a "Q-Car" I can see the attraction, but for me I'd rather work my *** off and get a 991 911T which is designed from the ground up to do it, not just a chip, exhaust and some other Demon Tweeks bits.

 

[MBK]

Me too give me GTR or 997T or a lottery win 991 Turbo and I'll let the mrs drive the rapid child/track day support vehicle.

 

[Revo Steve-W]

Just out of curiosity revo Steve-w what's the price on a stage 1 for a ttrs ATM with the sale on?

TTRS Stage one, taking the stock 335 Bhp to an impressive 410 Bhp (332 Lbft - 403 Lbft) would be £671.04 inc

 

[Kelza]

So wish i had the money ,worth every penny ..

 

[klauster]

S vs RS models.... having owned an S3 in the past, I can honestly say while nice, it cant hold a flame to the RS3. It's not all about the engine/power, S and RS cars are about the package overall, trim levels, the look/styling of the car, brakes, ride etc....

I bought a brand new S3 before buying a used RS4 B7, the S3 was a MASSIVE disappointment, was slow, handling when pushing on was terrible, before i got to 5k miles I had remapped it and fitted lowering springs, when that didn't work I got rid.