I've just sold my XJR and am a bit stumped as to what too replace it with! I have my STI RA as a second car, so what do I buy as my everyday car?

I am very keen on a RS4 or a Alpina B10 touring, I need a big car as I am expecting my second tin lid in a few months!

Any ideas?

Dom.

 

Mercedes C class 36 AMG - You can pick them up for about 9 grand used. A real wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

RS4 does it for me

Gastro

 

Go for the new Saab Saloon thingy........dunno what the model name is but it looks gorgeous!!

 

I just got an STI8PPP to run next to the 22B. I got to that after owning a MY01 WRX, an S3 and an S4 Avant. I found the Audi's (standard) a little dull to drive, brakes and steering just completely uncommunicative IMO and I ended up just letting the wife drive whilst I passengered TBH.
The 03STI and the 22 are different enough driving experiences to warrant it IMO.
My criteria were :
1 - 4 doors (as have 6 and 3 year olds)
2 - Fun to drive.

I ruled out the new M3 due to (1) and an RS4 due to (2) and having had 2 Audi already.

The only other cars I wished I'd tried is a Jag S type R or an M5, but the first is almost certainly a depreciation dissaster and the second is just too big.
Pretty hard spending money these days LOL
Chuck

 

X5 or ML AMG (NOT KEEN MYSELF)

 

Now an AMG merc. is quite tempting, I am defo. tempted by the RS4. Not a great fan of Saabs, they do look nice but a bit slow for me!!

I test drove a RS4 a couple of months ago and I was very impressed with the performance, but a little dissappointed with the slightly wooden steering and gear change...typical Audi!

I'll have a look into the AMG's to see what they can offer, I can spend upto about 40K!

Dom.

 

What about a VW Touareg V10 diesel?

Ideal for kids, novelty value and the best diesel engine on the market.

 

I realy don't fancy a S type R as I going to be staying clear of Jaguars due to my XJR being very unreliable!! Also can't get on with an Auto!

An M5 is a good idea, need to have a look at how big the boot is...god I'm sounding old!

One more question is do you think that the RS4 will have the same bullet proof deprecation as the RS2??

Dom.

 

Alright...I saw a RS4 today and it looked so mean! Is it true that they old sold 400 RS4's in right hand drive?

Dom.

 

£15-20k will get you a E55AMG Estate, generally much cheaper than Alpina B10.

Huge boot, rock solid mechanicals, great auto box with tiptronic changes, loads of rear leg room, 354 bhp, 0-62 5.7s, 155mph. Most had huge kit on leather, climate, Command sat nav, etc. Some also have the two extra kiddy seats in the back, which can be quite handy for the Mcdonalds with friends run.

I recently bought a ML430 as a big comfy load lugger for long trips, I tested tested X5 sport and Jeep Grand Cherokee Overlander. They all handle poorly compared to a sports saloon, the X5 was the best handling but it's still not as good as a decent saloon , it's ride was really quite hard, its rear seats and boot is small. Unless you really need a 4 by 4 I'd consider a 540/alpina estate or an E class, although the ML430 is surprisingly quick and its quite a laugh pushing on on a twisty country road it does lurch about and is uncomfortable for passengers, like other 4 wheel drives I have driven its also almost impossible to correct it when you push it beyond its limits, it really understeers .

 

Have you thought about a BMW M5 - 400bhp and a lot of toys for a 2yr old example for a good price compared to the lesser powered and 4wd power sapping RS4 - if it's an everyday cruiser, then why go for the porsche 4wd technology? Not that I've ever had one mind you, but I thinkg these are v good value at the mo, for about 30k.

 

Dom

Have a look at http://www.rs246.com for info regarding the RS4. A guy on there has a RS6 for sale ...


Jeff

 

no contest, Holden GTS-R hello 520 BHP.

 

Mmmm,

Show me an E55 wagon for 15-20k please! On autotrader there are none at that price and the only sub £20k E55 (saloon) has done over 100k!

 

The Holden is something that I have thought about, does anyone know the web address of the company that imports them and also that does the supercharger conversion!!

I've whittled it down to the RS4, M5, AMG55(might be to much for the new shape E class) and the Holden.

Deprecation is my biggest worry and I reckon that the RS4 will hold its money the best and the Holden will lose the most???

Dom.

 

Dominic,

Handling and gear change are the two most criticized aspects of the RS4 and rightly so, see if you can drive one with the shortshift kit, and quattro gmbh suspension kit, solves most of the shortcomings of the original..

 

Check out the latest Autocar, it has something in there about buying an M5. It would definitly be my choice.

Its the issue with 100 cheap fast cars on the front!!

 

I'll get autocar as it sounds like a good article! M5 is a good car, but you do see a lot of them around...well you do in West London and Surrey!

Can someone confirm that Audi only made 400RHD RS4's?

Dom.

 

Dom

Orginal Cosworth press release for the RS4


Audi RS4 - 'British heart beats in German supercar'

Cosworth Technology has played a major role in the production of Europe's latest supercar - the Audi RS4 Avant Quattro.

This limited-run, four-wheel drive machine is the fastest estate car on the market and the most powerful production machine that Audi produces. At its heart is an astounding 380bhp engine, which uses cylinder heads that are cast at CT's Worcester site, with the complete engines being assembled at the company's Wellingborough facility.

The RS's engine is a derivative of the 2.7 litre twin-turbocharged V6 unit which is used in the Audi S4 Avant quattro, but power is increased by around 115bhp. The six-speed engine produces 141 brake horsepower per litre Ð which Audi believes is the highest of any production supercar. This compares to 115bhp/litre for the normally aspirated 3.6 litre Porsche 911 and 111bhp/litre for the Ferrari Modena. Top speed for the machine is governed to 155mph.

To get that extra power, changes were made to the cylinder heads which included redesigned intake and exhaust ports, larger air ducts for both inlet and exhaust, bigger twin turbochargers and charge air intercoolers to optimise turbo boost pressure. Quattro GmbH Ð another Audi-owned company Ð redesigned the exhausts which also helped boost power.

Worldwide, only 4000 units of the £46,500 car will be built, with around 400 of those coming to the UK. Such is the demand that months before the September delivery date all the UK cars have been sold.

Wellingborough began production of the RS4 motors - codenamed project W9 -in April. It will be April 2001 before all the 4000 engines along with the associated spares will be completed. By that time output will have risen from the current level of around 25 engines a day to 35.

To help fulfill this project, the Northamptonshire-based site has recently received £1.75m of investment. The major part of this has been in the form of a new Schenck dynamometer, installed by JW Froehlich UK. This new system can handle engines with a maximum power output of 600bhp and its fast docking capability means that motors can be linked to the test bed in 15 minutes, rather than the two hours it previously took for older test machines.

The RS4 project comes at an exciting time for Cosworth Technology's Wellingborough site, which should see floor space more than doubled from 4,500 to 10,000 square metres in the next three years. Currently, CT employs around 190 people at the facility. Other current projects include spares production for the 2.6 and 2.8 litre two-valve V6 engines for the Audi Cabriolet and the 6.0 litre 420bhp V12 engine used in the Aston Martin Vantage.

EDITORS’ NOTE:
Cosworth Technology is an independent consultant and major supplier of powertrain engineering services to the global automotive industry. It employs around 1,000 people at its operations in Northampton, Wellingborough and Worcester in the UK and at Cosworth Technology, Inc. in Novi, Michigan. Its unique blend of capabilities includes powertrain design, development and systems integration, engine manufacturing and aluminium engine component casting technology, incorporating the patented Cosworth Technology Casting Process. Cosworth Technology is a subsidiary of AUDI AG.
.

[Edited by Jeff Wiltshire - 3/31/2003 11:56:08 AM]

 

Polarbearit, this ones a Saloon but they are about for this money, saw one in the Sunday Times the other week.

Good cars coming in at resonable prices

1998 E55 AMG
Brilliant Silver with Black Leather


Registered: 1998/R
Mileage: 69604
Price: £18995
Body style: Saloon
Engine capacity: 5500cc
Transmission: Automatic
Engine: Petrol

From a Mercedes Benz dealer

http://www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/pc/index.html

 

What happened about the RS4's denting wheel problem? Did they all get sorted in the end?

 

The dented wheels will be replaced for life or changed for some harder compond alloy's! If I went for a AMG 55 I'll want to get the new shape and they seem to be over the 40K mark which is the max I can spend as it's a company car!

I guess i want something a little bit different, the super charged Alpina 5 series, maybe the Holden with the 500+ bhp or the RS4 which you rarely see on the roads. It's just a matter of which one would be the most rewarding to drive, best value for money and will depreciate the least!!

Defo. couldn't live with a 4x4 as I had a X5 4.4i for a couple of months and got really bored of it!

Any more suggestions!

Dom.

 

Legacy GTB?
Just as fast as anything mentioned above, half the price and just just as much fun.