This car scares the crap out of me, and I think I like it.
01-27-2008, 11:24 AM
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This car scares the crap out of me, and I think I like it.
Took some test drives on Saturday as I am trying to decide my next vehicle.
I have driven the RS4 twice via Audi Driving experience. Once at Pocono, and once at Infineon. Both times I came away thinking the RS4 was a beast that was tough to tame. I wasn't sure whether that was the pressure of jumping into a car I had never driven in a lead follow "race" environment.
Turns out the car still makes me nervous.
I drove this back to back with a Cayman S, and they were night and day experiences. I felt in total control with the Cayman over the same exact route, where as the RS4 felt a like too much.
Again I can chalk some of it up to unfamiliar road/car vs. wanting to see what the car is capable of. The road was very twisty and hilly with lots of undulations and blind peaks. The Cayman seemed very relaxed over the peaks and valleys, and I was able to keep a fairly brisk pace. In the RS4, I felt like I had to keep letting off the gas or braking to stay in control. When I would go over an undulation in the road, the car felt as if it were floating. This seemed odd considering the weight of the RS4. I would've thought it would feel more cemented to the pavement.
One other thing happened on the drive, while shifting from 3rd-4th on a straight road, the car sounded as if it hit the rev limiter even though I was well south of 7000 RPM. I had to put in neutral and let revs drop down to like 2500-3000 before I put back in gear.
Maybe I messed up somehow, but I didn't feel like I did. Where does the rev limiter kick in?
Long story short, I like the Cayman S alot. It just went - quickly and accurately.
The RS4 makes me nervous and excited, much like being on a first date. I think I still want one.
Perhaps the RS4 is too much car for me, and I belong in a regular S4.
Anyone else have an experience like this?
I have driven the RS4 twice via Audi Driving experience. Once at Pocono, and once at Infineon. Both times I came away thinking the RS4 was a beast that was tough to tame. I wasn't sure whether that was the pressure of jumping into a car I had never driven in a lead follow "race" environment.
Turns out the car still makes me nervous.
I drove this back to back with a Cayman S, and they were night and day experiences. I felt in total control with the Cayman over the same exact route, where as the RS4 felt a like too much.
Again I can chalk some of it up to unfamiliar road/car vs. wanting to see what the car is capable of. The road was very twisty and hilly with lots of undulations and blind peaks. The Cayman seemed very relaxed over the peaks and valleys, and I was able to keep a fairly brisk pace. In the RS4, I felt like I had to keep letting off the gas or braking to stay in control. When I would go over an undulation in the road, the car felt as if it were floating. This seemed odd considering the weight of the RS4. I would've thought it would feel more cemented to the pavement.
One other thing happened on the drive, while shifting from 3rd-4th on a straight road, the car sounded as if it hit the rev limiter even though I was well south of 7000 RPM. I had to put in neutral and let revs drop down to like 2500-3000 before I put back in gear.
Maybe I messed up somehow, but I didn't feel like I did. Where does the rev limiter kick in?
Long story short, I like the Cayman S alot. It just went - quickly and accurately.
The RS4 makes me nervous and excited, much like being on a first date. I think I still want one.
Perhaps the RS4 is too much car for me, and I belong in a regular S4.
Anyone else have an experience like this?
01-27-2008, 12:16 PM
#2
I think the only explanation for that experience is the weight of the RS4...
compared to the Cayman and the inherent disadvantages the come along with a car that weighs 3950lbs. Additionally the Cayman S does have a more linear powerband with less low end torque so it may be easier to modulate and if you werent driving near redline you werent seeing as much power out of the Cayman. Otherwise, quattro makes these cars ridiculously easy to drive fast. An M3, for example, may be faster around the track but you will be wiping the sweat from your forehead to get it there.
01-27-2008, 12:16 PM
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I have a chipped 2.0T and the RS4 is an absolute beast. the rev limiter is at 8250 while the redline
is 8000. Im 16 and drive my dad's RS4 alot and its a scary fast car for me but on regular driving it is as refined as my A4.
01-27-2008, 12:25 PM
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I find that the factory suspension is slightly unsettling...once that's gone, and the car's...
adjusted to sit a little lower...and aligned well...it's a slightly front heavy Cayman S, with a rear seat, better leather, nicer interior in general, a trunk that expands when the rear seat is folded down...etc...
