i've been toying with the idea of getting an rs4 to replace my 8 year old m5...honestly i'm not totally convinced it's the right thing to do now but the rs4 looks great inside and out and i could get away with something a little smaller now that 2 of my kids have left the nest. i'm curious what people think of the merits of the two platforms. in a lot of ways the cars seem pretty similar, with the audi having a more modern appearance inside and out and awd. the m5 is a little bigger, but i don't know how the two stack up in terms of performance/handling.

any real world experience would be appreciated. thx!!

 

thanks, that's a great thread...really addresses the points.

 

I have only test driven the older M5 (never owned one) so my experience is limited. It felt quite a bit bigger than the RS4 (the newer M5 felt even bigger yet). To me the RS4 was a more sporting drive and I am fairly confident the RS4 would edge out the older M5 in terms of performance either straight line or corners in dry and kill it in the wet. The RS4 backseat is quite a bit smaller than the M5 so you don't want adults sitting there for a very long time (its doable up to maybe 45 min or an hour but not much more). I really like the look of the RS4 over the older M5 and even over the new M5. If you like BMW you could probably get a sweet deal on a new M5 however for about 60-65k for an 07'. RS4s are going for about 10k less for the same year. Either way you probably won't be dissapointed. Good luck to you...

 

thanks. there was link to a really good thread over at the audi forums that was posted here but was deleted for some reason...

doubtful i will do this right now given other pressing economic issues, but the swap is on the radar screen. amazingly low values for used cars now. i think the mint 07 rs4's will trade below $50k now, but my 01 m5 is worth $20k at best. i can get by with a slightly smaller back seat as long as the trunk can fit a couple of golf bags!

 

Here it is.

http://forums.audiworld.com/rs4b7/msgs/103165.phtml

 

I have not driven the e39 M5 so my experience may not appy to you. I have a 03 e39 540i and have just got a 08 rs4. The e39 is more roomy. Both are very similar in comfort level. The e39 corners pretty well for a car that size. However, the steering is quite numb. I do not know if the M5 uses the same recirculating ball steering as in the 540 but I suspect that is one of the contributing factors. The rs4 has a little bit of that porsche steering feel. Power wise, the M5 might have more low end grunt as in the case of the 540 but once you get the engine pass 3k, rs4 pulls strong all the way to 8k. If you are looking for a 4dr Porsche, the rs4 is the closest thing out there. Another anoying thing I found in the 540 which may also apply to the m5 is the traction control. If I corner too hard, it will brake and cut engine power for me. If I turn it off, as 540 does not have limited slip, it will spin the tires too much. Rs4 is always no fuss cornering. You do not want to get rs4 if you like drifting and smoking tires when cornering. It won't happen. Hope this helps.

 

i have no idea how to read that forum.

 

you have to read it right to left, then it all starts to make sense....

 

It's funny, people have a problem with the old sgool forum format over at AW but I find it very easy use and read. You can scan a whole weekends worth of chat in a few mins.

 

PS, I like the squished F430. Here is my B5S4 squished.

 

You can fit a couple dead bodies in an Audi trunk =)

 

well i'm still thinking about it. there is a new one at a dealer in socal who is asking $57.4k with premium and titanium packages in the dark blue that looks sweet...plus 0.9% financing which makes it even a bit cheaper when you take into account the interest rate arbitrage...my wife says i should test drive one--i told her that i already know the result if i do, same as with the m5 that i bought and still own. hmmmm, wonder what an 01 m5 with 68k miles on it is worth.....

 

Don't think about it, Mate - just jump on the RS4 bandwagon. See my siggie, and referenced post above on AW (it was mine), and was pronounced by ELEVENS (another former E39 M5 owner) as the resident AW M5 board expert. LOL

PM me if you need more convinving. I love this car as much as I loved (and still do) the E39 ///M, so no regrets (and I am not the one that easily falls in love).

PS: As far as your 01, sadly, as the Wal*Mart saying goes: watch out for falling prices. I have not sold mine because it is worth a lot more to me than the money it can fetch.