[RS2list] Re: rs6 drive

[David Eaton]

There are really 2 questions:

1) which is the better car?
2) which would i prefer?

in terms of the better car, we can discount the rs2. unfortunately.  it is very
clear when you drive the new rs models that technology has progressed significantly.
 the new cars are faster, more comfortable, have better engines and transmissions,
and are therefore better.

on the downside with the newer cars is their lack of exclusivity (too many made
- i'm particulalry thinking rhd here), and their lack of the "porsche" connection.


between the rs2 and the rs4, the only areas where i prefer the rs2 is that it
has better seats and (with the 993tt brake upgrade), better brakes.  the rs4
has brake assist which doesn't givve you the modulation under braking which
we know and love with the big reds.

choosing between the rs4 and rs6 is more difficult. the rs6 is a faster car,not
so much in a straight line (i can't remember the standing km numbers), but certainly
in a day-to-day sense, the v8 is awesome.

engine:
the rs4 engine is fanstastic.  if you think that the rs2 is good, the rs4 is
better.  much more low-down punch, with excellent top-end. lovely motor, and
a joy to drive.  seat time in an s6 or s8 quickly introduces you to the top-end
audi v8, which is a peach.  instant torque with a nice top-end.  particulaly
the 265kw unit in the s8, which has a creamy rev range right up to 7k red-line.
 the rs6 has this, with little lag, and then some.  the amount of power available
is simply stunning.  where the s6 at times feels a little heavy for the engine
(strangely the s8 doesn't), the rs6 feels like it is built around the engine.
 points to the rs6.

engine:
the rs4 trnsmission is the 6-speed manual with a fairly clunky shift (better
than the rs2, but the new s4 is apparently much better), while the rs6 is of
course auto only. i've spent quite a lot of seat time in an s6 and an s8 (more
on that later).  both auto.  the rs6 tranny is a more definite shifter (although
still the 5-speed unit as in the other cars).  particularly when you shift into
sport mode (there is no "1", "2" "3" indications on the rs6 shifter - just "s"
for sport and "d" for drive).  drive gives you the usual 1 second pause before
down shift, while in sport mode this virtually disappears.  there are shifter
paddles behind the steering wheel which are much easier to use than the usual
tiptronic shift buttons on the steering wheel (s6, s8). i don't go much for
this "manual is better than auto" bs, as it depends on the quality of the transmission.
i've got a quote from colin mcrae on this topic somewhere where he says "why
would anyone want to use manual for day-to-day driving when the quality of auto
transmisisons can be so good?"  i prefer the auto in the rs6 over the manual
in the rs4 which is relatively slow and clunky (although better than the rs2).


so points to the rs6 over the rs4 in the transmission department.  one other
point here is that the matching of transmisison and engine is much easier with
auto as the engine management and transmisison management software can interface.
this is of course not possible with manual, so things like driveline shunt,
and overrun smoothness become a problem with high-po manuals (think m3 here).


chassis.
this is harder due to my relatively brief time in the rs6.  the rs4 is secure,
and predictable without the pitch and slow damping of the rs2, but not a point-and-squirt
machine like the 20v ur-q.  if anyone has downlowed jeremey clarkson's top 100
car video he compares the rs4 and 20v head to head.  he calls the rs4 simply
stunning, and awesome car, but likes the adjustability of the ur-quattro 20v
chassis.  some nice footage of him doing 20v party tricks as well.  i'd love
to see what an rs4 could do without the ridiculous tyres. put 225's on it and
you might find that ther adjustability is there after all.  the rs4 doesn't
have the steering feel of the 20v, but it isn't bad either.  better tyres could
bring some of this back.

the rs6 feels very secure as you'd expect with even less roll than the rs4.
 pitch on both is negligble - much better than the ur-s cars (any), and also
better than the rs2.  10/10ths i don't know because i didn't go there.

the rs6 is a big heavy car though, and i'm sure that the rs4 would score points
over it in this regard.  with the rs4 i don't think you'd ever be bothereed
about its size or weight, but you would be with the rs6, particulalry in city
living.

both the rs4 and rs6 have esp and edl which is a definite win over the rs2 with
it's old quattro drivetrain.  esp particulalry looks very useful, i'd love to
have a play with it in the wet to see if it is as good as it looks on paper.


brakes are a win to the the rs2 (only with big-reds) with better feel, but retardation
is a draw.  ultimate stopping with any of these cars is stunning, but i don't
like brake assist which intrudes on the feel of the rs4 stoppers.  the rs6 brakes
don't do this noticably, and have better feel than the rs4 stoppers and would
be better than big-reds.

practical issues:
the like the size of rs6, certainly as family expands the size of the rs4 becomes
an issue.  as anyone iwth a s4 knows the size of the sports seats takes precious
rear seat space.  the old a4 (rs4) is definitely size limited for those with
families.  the a6 platform is much better in this regard - with no practical
difference between it and the old a8 in interior size.  as anyone with a "lifestyle"
avant knows, the avant is barely better than a sedan in useful space, unless
you invest in a proper screen between the rear and the front, when you lose
the advantages of the fold-down seats.  i prefer a large boot (trunk).  the
rs6 i drove was an avant, but i would prefer the sedan which has a nice large
boot.


so there you go.  i'd go with the rs6, but when i take values into account,
the rs4 would win decisively.  rs4's are still selling in a week over the forecourt
here in nz, the latest at $138k nz last week, a disount over new of only $25k,
which is very impressive for a 2-3 year old car.  s6's are still selling for
a premium (2-3 year old cars for $25-$30k off new price), but the s4's look
very soft at present.  i would not pay another $100k for the rs6, but as audi
here in nz is kicking hi-po bmw and mb arse (see rs4 example), the likelyhood
of getting the rs6 in 2 years for $100k less doesn't look likely.  might thought
of the rs6 causing rs4 values to drop hasn't eventuated.  rs6's are sold out
until december where there is one available apparently, with lots of e55's and
m5's being traded.

hth,
dave
'95 rs2
'90 ur-q

>I am sure that Dave will prefer the RS6.
>
>His love for the big V8 engine is more than apparent. And I would totally
>agree with him since there is no substitute for cubic capacity.
>
>Take care
>Pantelis
>
>P.S. Dave, I also have a question for you. The RS2 you drove was salloon or

>Avant.
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jani Peltopuro" <jani.peltopuro at poyry.fi>
>To: <RS2list at yahoogroups.com>
>Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 6:47 PM
>Subject: [RS2list] Re: rs6 drive
>
>
>> Thanks for the report Dave.
>>
>> Having now driven all the RS models, which do you prefer? RS2 can't
>> really be compared, it is too old to be compared to the '4 and '6,
>> but of the new duo, which gets the nod?
>>
>> Regards,
>> Jani
>>