Researching an RS7 vs RS5 (current S4 owner)

[AudiS4SD]

Hello everyone!

I'm a visitor from the S4 side of the house, so if this has been discussed before, kindly direct me.

My 2014 S4 is touching 89k miles soon and I'm having the itch for something else in the next year or so. I have an extended warranty until 120k miles through Audi, so I do not necessarily have a rush to let go of the car. It's been great and I hope it continues to serve me well in the meantime. That being said, I've always had an eye for a C7.5 RS7. I'm not looking at the new ones coming out as budget will not allow.

However, if I wanted to get an RS7, what are the pros/cons that you as an owner have experienced? Any major maintenance issues to look out for? The plan would be to find one with under 30k miles and that seems to put me around $65-75k. What options are a must? I noticed that the later years have synthetic vision, which seems pretty cool. My commute is in the middle of nowhere, so deer are common and hard to see/detect. How is the handling? Is the RS7 more of a straight-line beast or can it still run mountain twisties?

Then, there is the RS5 Sportback. Brand new, cost would be about the same (or slightly higher) and the overall performance from what I've read is pretty comparable. But, a 4.0TT is tempting and sounds great.

I would appreciate your thoughts and whether or not the RS7 vs RS5 SB is a fair comparison. There is time before a decision needs to be made, but looking ahead as we always want the next best thing, haha.

[GasMan]

They are a pretty fair comparison, outside of engine size. I actually walked in to Audi to build at RS5SB but ended up falling in love with the RS7 sitting on the showroom floor. Picked it up CPO and haven't regretted it one bit.

Comparing the two now, the biggest difference is the overall size and motor.

RS7 feels like the luxo-barge that it is, RS5 is a bit more nimble. However, I've never had any lack of confidence tearing up twisties in my RS7. If you plan on tracking the car, the RS5 might be a better option. RS7 weights about 450 pounds more than the RS5. Just look at the two side by side and you'll understand why; there's a lot more car there. 188 inches versus 197. That overall size to me is nice, as it feels roomier and more like a luxury vehicle sitting in the cockpit. The RS5SB is very nicely equipped, and you'll get all of Audi's new touch screen tech/MMI in the RS5, but I feel the RS5 exudes a more sports car feel to the driving experience. Really depends what you want out of the vehicle, but you wouldn't be depressed with either option.

RS7 motor is a beast. I've had people scream and people laugh at the acceleration, and I'm just running a K&N air filter. Do a stage 1 tune and it's almost unusable power, but oh so much fun. There's a great aftermarket supply out there, you can get the motor down to bare bones with stuff out of catalogs and build it back up. The V8 exhaust note is one of the sexiest ones around, and you can open it up even more with fairly cheap exhaust upgrades (Milltek, 2-3K'ish) or go nuts with an Akrapovic setup (8K). The RS5 motor is a relatively new thing, and I could be wrong, but I don't think there's a lot of aftermarket items out there yet. To be honest I haven't looked in a while. The V6 exhaust note is individual preference, but I think it sounds a little wimpy considering it's got great power for what it is, and can give an RS7 a serious run for its money.

RS7 is pricey to maintain. Standard brakes will run you at a minimum $2K in parts, closer to $5-6K if done at the dealer. Turbo failure and replacement will run you just under $10K if you're looking at the dealer to fix it. The 4.0TT V8 has serious issues with oil starvation to the turbos if you don't already know; it has gotten better over different oil screen revisions, meaning you're more likely to see it in a 2014 versus 2018 for certain, but some of that is also related to mileage/timeframe as well.

Must-have options for me would be Bang & Olufsen stereo, carbon optics package, and dynamic package or performance model. B&O stereo is the best sound system I've ever heard in a car. CO package should have been on my short list up front but wasn't, and I've spent a pretty penny getting proper OE or German-made carbon bits to piece it all together. It's not impossible, I'm just about done, but it's definitely more expensive to do on your own. Dynamic package gets you the red calipers, sport exhaust and DRC instead of air suspension. Performance mode will get you carbon ceramic brakes instead of red calipers, but you'll still get the DRC. Some people like the adjustability of the air suspension, that is pretty nifty I'll admit, but I think as far as carving corners, the DRC makes for a more fun experience.

Hope that helps you some.

[AudiS4SD]

Great, thanks for all the info! I'll have to do some more research, but the RS5 does seem to be a strong contender.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Ford Prefect]

Great, thanks for all the info! I'll have to do some more research, but the RS5 does seem to be a strong contender.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Could you ask for a better first reply than what you got from @GasMan ?

I just bought a ‘14 RS7 but kept the B8 S4. I love the pinstripe over the Carbo (S4 has carbon). I have the sport package and all with night vision which is cool.

My advice before you contemplate too much is go sit in one. It’s a big car. My left elbow continually looks for the right place to sit (I’m 5’ 11” at 190lbs). I need to drive it multiple days or longer in one day for muscle memory to kick in.

Sound, power, usability, and damn awesomeness is well worth it. Just starting the damn thing is an experience.

But again, GasMan nailed it.


Sent from my iPad using Audizine

[Kodachrome]

Gasman's reply is pretty much spot on.

I will add that compared to your S4, the steering in the RS7 will feel pretty heavy until you get used to it. Another odd gotcha is that the RS7 only seats 4 where as an RS5 SB will seat five. I think the RS7 handles curve carving fine but an S4 will feel like a scalpel in comparison keeping it tight and in control, the 7 has a bit of understeer when pushing the curves. My main beef with it is I still don't know where that edge is while driving in snow and ice where as my A4 I could toss it around like mad and it would not break loose.

Another consideration of the RS7 is Winter tire options are not as good due to needing to run at least 20" wheels. Maybe that is not as much of a consideration for you but I live in a ski town and drive in snow 5 months out of he year so I have not yet adapted to the RS7's limits in that regard.

But the power, lol! Mine is stage-1 and like Gasman says, the power is almost unusable. What this car is really designed to do is cruise on the autobahn at 150MPH with ease, a highly felonious proposition stateside. But that does not mean it is not a very effective tool for playing the chess game of hole shots, strategic passes, etc. When playing that game I have found nothing can touch it, the moves are effortless and the speed of this thing is comically fast. It's a master at the "Sneak Attack".

And unlike the new platform of the 2.9TT in the RS5, the 4.0TT has a host of tuning options. In either case, the RS7 or an RS5 2.9TT would be a notable upgrade from the B8 S4.

[AudiS4SD]

Could you ask for a better first reply than what you got from @GasMan ?

I just bought a ‘14 RS7 but kept the B8 S4. I love the pinstripe over the Carbo (S4 has carbon). I have the sport package and all with night vision which is cool.

My advice before you contemplate too much is go sit in one. It’s a big car. My left elbow continually looks for the right place to sit (I’m 5’ 11” at 190lbs). I need to drive it multiple days or longer in one day for muscle memory to kick in.

Sound, power, usability, and damn awesomeness is well worth it. Just starting the damn thing is an experience.

But again, GasMan nailed it.


Sent from my iPad using Audizine

Gasman's reply is pretty much spot on.

I will add that compared to your S4, the steering in the RS7 will feel pretty heavy until you get used to it. Another odd gotcha is that the RS7 only seats 4 where as an RS5 SB will seat five. I think the RS7 handles curve carving fine but an S4 will feel like a scalpel in comparison keeping it tight and in control, the 7 has a bit of understeer when pushing the curves. My main beef with it is I still don't know where that edge is while driving in snow and ice where as my A4 I could toss it around like mad and it would not break loose.

Another consideration of the RS7 is Winter tire options are not as good due to needing to run at least 20" wheels. Maybe that is not as much of a consideration for you but I live in a ski town and drive in snow 5 months out of he year so I have not yet adapted to the RS7's limits in that regard.

But the power, lol! Mine is stage-1 and like Gasman says, the power is almost unusable. What this car is really designed to do is cruise on the autobahn at 150MPH with ease, a highly felonious proposition stateside. But that does not mean it is not a very effective tool for playing the chess game of hole shots, strategic passes, etc. When playing that game I have found nothing can touch it, the moves are effortless and the speed of this thing is comically fast. It's a master at the "Sneak Attack".

And unlike the new platform of the 2.9TT in the RS5, the 4.0TT has a host of tuning options. In either case, the RS7 or an RS5 2.9TT would be a notable upgrade from the B8 S4.

Thanks for the information! All very good input and I appreciate the transparency. It's still a draw in some respects, but I would almost edge the RS5 SB due to the 5-passenger capacity vs. 4. But, then you have 2.9TT vs 4.0TT. Can't beat a V8 in sound, performance, etc. Both cars would be similarly priced, but the RS5 would be brand new and the RS7 would be used. So, getting a CPO/used RS5 would then edge it overall, I think.

[Nachos Libres]

I was kind of in the same boat as you (came from an Audi S3) and I watched so many RS5 Sportback review videos on YouTube. I thought that was what I wanted but I couldn't find the exact specs I wanted used (I know these are only really a max year old, but I swore to myself I wasn't going to buy another new car and take a huge deprecation hit). The main appeal to me of the RS5 Sportback was that it could seat 5 instead of 4 like the RS7, but there was always something about the side profile of the RS5, plus the fake vents on the headlights and tail lights that I didn't like. After finding my RS7 with 12,000 miles for only $77k (I couldn't find a used RS5 Sportback that cheap) I took the plunge and have been very happy with it.

One of my favorite things, besides the amazing amount of power, is the air ride suspension. It is super comfortable, but can be nimble when needed (as nimble as air ride suspension can be I guess). I also liked that I could easily lower it myself without having to buy additional parts. I thought I might miss some of the technology from the newer Audis like the RS5 and even my S3, like the virtual cockpit, but the analog gauges in the RS7 look pretty dang good and the LED screen in the gauge cluster, while small compared to a virtual cockpit, does a great job and looks great. The popup screen in the RS7 is pretty massive, and while not as high-res (at least it doesn't seem to be) as the newer virtual cockpit models, it still looks great. If you get a 2017 model you will get Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (which was a requirement for me) and I pretty much use that all the time (just like I did in my S3, and prefer Waze/Google Maps over the built-in Audi navigation, even though it did look good in Virtual Cockpit).

I think both cars are probably equally good, I guess it will depend on which you think looks better and if you would rather have more power with aftermarket support already there or better technology.

[Kodachrome]

The sound track of the RS7 in spirited driving is legendary, it's like driving in your own private thunderstorm...

[AudiS4SD]

I was kind of in the same boat as you (came from an Audi S3) and I watched so many RS5 Sportback review videos on YouTube. I thought that was what I wanted but I couldn't find the exact specs I wanted used (I know these are only really a max year old, but I swore to myself I wasn't going to buy another new car and take a huge deprecation hit). The main appeal to me of the RS5 Sportback was that it could seat 5 instead of 4 like the RS7, but there was always something about the side profile of the RS5, plus the fake vents on the headlights and tail lights that I didn't like. After finding my RS7 with 12,000 miles for only $77k (I couldn't find a used RS5 Sportback that cheap) I took the plunge and have been very happy with it.

One of my favorite things, besides the amazing amount of power, is the air ride suspension. It is super comfortable, but can be nimble when needed (as nimble as air ride suspension can be I guess). I also liked that I could easily lower it myself without having to buy additional parts. I thought I might miss some of the technology from the newer Audis like the RS5 and even my S3, like the virtual cockpit, but the analog gauges in the RS7 look pretty dang good and the LED screen in the gauge cluster, while small compared to a virtual cockpit, does a great job and looks great. The popup screen in the RS7 is pretty massive, and while not as high-res (at least it doesn't seem to be) as the newer virtual cockpit models, it still looks great. If you get a 2017 model you will get Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (which was a requirement for me) and I pretty much use that all the time (just like I did in my S3, and prefer Waze/Google Maps over the built-in Audi navigation, even though it did look good in Virtual Cockpit).

I think both cars are probably equally good, I guess it will depend on which you think looks better and if you would rather have more power with aftermarket support already there or better technology.

That's a good point regarding Android Auto. I definitely use that everyday. I don't need the virtual cockpit either -- it would be nice to have, but "old-school" gauges are great in the RS7.

Right now, I'm still leaving RS5 SB, but once I test drive each, maybe I will change my mind drastically!

[AudiS4SD]

The sound track of the RS7 in spirited driving is legendary, it's like driving in your own private thunderstorm...

Sounds sick! Love the 4.0TT. Epic performance.

[GasMan]

That's a good point regarding Android Auto. I definitely use that everyday. I don't need the virtual cockpit either -- it would be nice to have, but "old-school" gauges are great in the RS7.

Right now, I'm still leaving RS5 SB, but once I test drive each, maybe I will change my mind drastically!

I had CarPlay here on the forum install Android Auto for me. Definitely prefer Waze to Audi nav, but the Audi nav isn't terrible.

I just had my car at the dealer for an issue with the DRC. They gave me a 19 A5 for a few days as a loaner. It's the same virtual cockpit in the RS5SB if I remember correctly. To be honest I wasn't blown away. Other than having a larger map screen in the cluster, I felt maps looked exactly the same.

I got my RS7 back yesterday and was very happy to go back to my setup.

I now know I wouldn't part with my car just for the updated infotainment/nav tech.

[bknewtype]

I had a 2017 TTS so I had car play , virtual cockpit, and all the new new tech stuffs. switching to an older tech s7, I did NOT miss the tech on the newer cars at all.

imo, the rs5, even with exhaust, just sounds horrible. my friend has a rs5 sportback with miltek exhaust and it did nothing for me. starting up my s7 with just an awe exhaust got me way more giddy. so I can only imagine the rs7...v8 > v6 all day for me

in terms of power, the rs5 is quick af. def drives smaller than it looks, if that makes sense. the 7 body is a big boat. u need to sit in it to feel whats better for you

only thing I dislike about the 7 is the 4 seats. so if u need 5 seats, then of course the rs7 wont cut it.

[Nachos Libres]

I had CarPlay here on the forum install Android Auto for me. Definitely prefer Waze to Audi nav, but the Audi nav isn't terrible.

I just had my car at the dealer for an issue with the DRC. They gave me a 19 A5 for a few days as a loaner. It's the same virtual cockpit in the RS5SB if I remember correctly. To be honest I wasn't blown away. Other than having a larger map screen in the cluster, I felt maps looked exactly the same.

I got my RS7 back yesterday and was very happy to go back to my setup.

I now know I wouldn't part with my car just for the updated infotainment/nav tech.

And then you have the 2020 A/S/RS5, 2020 A7/S/RS7, etc. that are updating that again to the touch screen (no more wheel clicks) and the higher resolution screens and navigation. And it still probably won't be as good as Waze or Google Maps lol.

[.skully.]

Beyond what was mentioned above for 4.0T maintenance on the RS7, I'd recommend that you test drive both the RS7 and the B9 RS5. They drive and feel different from handling to acceleration. And are noticeably different than your current S4. Between the 3, I preferred the RS7, but I do enjoy the interior upgrades on the new RS5's. While driving through the tail of the dragon, I did have fluke coolant line failure on the RS5, which I don't see being an issue anywhere else.

Used RS5's are dropping in price. I saw this one the other day while looking at friends new to him B8 S4: Audi Gwinnett 2018 RS5

[AudiS4SD]

Beyond what was mentioned above for 4.0T maintenance on the RS7, I'd recommend that you test drive both the RS7 and the B9 RS5. They drive and feel different from handling to acceleration. And are noticeably different than your current S4. Between the 3, I preferred the RS7, but I do enjoy the interior upgrades on the new RS5's. While driving through the tail of the dragon, I did have fluke coolant line failure on the RS5, which I don't see being an issue anywhere else.

Used RS5's are dropping in price. I saw this one the other day while looking at friends new to him B8 S4: Audi Gwinnett 2018 RS5

Appreciate the link. I wasn't aware the RS5 Coupe was 4 seats only. However, that price is pretty good given where it started.

As I understand it, the SB was/is only a 2019 model, correct? Hopefully there will be similar price reductions around next summer.

Maintenance is a big thing to consider as well. While the RS7 is great, you have to pay-to-play. The RS5 would probably be expensive as well, but maybe not as much.

Once I get to drive each, I'm sure the decision will be much easier.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[wwhan]

.....As I understand it, the SB was/is only a 2019 model, correct? Hopefully there will be similar price reductions around next summer.......

Allegedly there will be no 2020 RS5 SB year model, but maybe a 2021 RS5 SB will be available.

2019 last year for RS5?