Should you Buy an Audi RS4 B7 4.2L V8 Saloon/Avant - OWNER'S REVIEW & What To Look For on Test Drive
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- čas přidán 29. 01. 2021
- How good is the AUDI B7 RS4, and what’s it like to own and run an RS4 with its legendary 4.2 V8 engine and 6 speed manual gearbox? What are the big expensive things that can go wrong with an RS4, and what issues should I check when buying an RS4? What's the best Audi RS4 to buy - a B5, B7, or B8? I owned a 2007 B7 RS4 Saloon for 4 years and over that time learnt a huge amount about living with an RS4 as my daily car. I would daily drive my RS4 Saloon as it was really the perfect all-rounder with 5 seats, a decent sized boot/trunk and possibly the best naturally-aspirated 4.2 V8 engine ever to come out of Audi’s RS division, it was basically the same engine as what they fitted to the R8. Looking back I may have gone with the Avant now, but given they don’t make a saloon RS4 any more I think they may hold their value a little better than the estate in the longer term as the good low mileage cars become more rare, but the Avant does look so good..! So, can you live with a B7 RS4 and what are the running costs, repair costs, and general maintenance costs like? As a previous owner, hopefully my insights and advice will help towards your checklist and buying guide of what to look for and also what to avoid when buying a used B7 Audi RS4.
Most important things to note are the DRC suspension and Oil Cooler which are both prone to leakages and can be very expensive fixes, like I found out when I owned mine… There is also the carbon build up issue in the engine, which means you may need a carbon clean in order to get the full 420bhp or higher from the engine... However there are also lots of other smaller things that many people often don’t know about or simply overlook when making their buying decision on an Audi RS4 B7, such as whether the flaps are working in the exhaust, if the side bolsters are activating when pressing the sport button on the steering wheel, if there's a 'turbo-like' kick in the power delivery after 5000rpm, and plenty of other things that you just tend to learn or discover over the course of ownership and now want to pass onto others who may just be getting into B7 RS4 ownership.
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I had two RS4 B7's I loved them so much. One of the the best cars ever made. You certainly need deep pockets to own one, but it's worth it. I went skiing, racing the Nurburgring (7 years), touring around Europe with the family and maxing it out on the Autobahn at 194mph.
You are so lucky man
I've had one for four years now. 125k miles. Still on original DRC. It's an expensive car to maintain, no doubt about it. Rotors are 600 per corner. Oil changes are $120 in consumables. Needed to swap the throttle body... pro tip: buy the GM part number instead for $400-600. It's heavy and will go through gas, tires, and brake pads liberally. It sounds glorious and worth every penny.
I am a B7 RS4 owner for close to 6 years now and i disagree with removing the DRC from the car. The car handles better with a DRC in good working condition. Also, the engine will improve a lot on the higher rpm with a flap delete, ported manifold and port-matched heads. I advise deleting the air box flap because it will make the engine have more cold air without sport mode. Deleting the pre-cats is a must IF the country or state has less restricted emissions. I noticed less heat coming from underneath the car. I run a stock cat back exhaust with vacuum lines connected to the actuators. I have driven it from Toronto to New york city.. great on long trips, track days, grocery getter, pick up kids in school or car meets.. Only driven in "non-salt weather"
I bought an Audi rs4 b7 a few months ago as a daily. Following your advice, I bought an Avant (i wanted an Avant) with wingbacks and as stock as possible (stock exhaust, properly maintained DRC, stock ceramic brakes, sunroof), maintained all its years in an Audi dealer. Even it was 180.000km it runs great with no issues! I hope that the years I will own it, will be epic years! Sounds amazing! The car has such character, whenever you drive it for whatever reason. From going to work and back home, to road trips and some (just a few -but epic as you said-) school runs, it really makes your day. Thank you!!!
Congratulations mate, they really are epic cars!
Literally bought my dream RS4 last week, sprint blue... Checked all of the points you've mentioned and it's all good👍 being a mechanic helps tho with these cars...MRC very soon for that clean and map....
Wicked content mate, all truth 👊
Congrats mate! Wicked colour choice too, hope you enjoy it!
Welcome to the club. SB here too.
Thank for this mate, really helpful.
Excellent that was mate nice one just subscribed
Great review from someone that knows what they’re talking about, unlike some so-called RS4 ‘experts’ on YT 😀. Spot on with the advice on the car’s weak points and tuning. I had mine carbon cleaned and remapped (stage 2) at MRC. They really know what they’re talking about. Mine went from 375 to 427 bhp and was, as you say, night and day.
Thanks very much, means a lot! Glad you enjoyed.
U can definitely feel the difference in power right away
Amazing review. Thx!!!
Great vid very helpful thanks. 😀👍🏻
With this im going to buy one but its for doing trips and im going to see all that very good video thumbs up 👍
Great review and many thanks. Am waiting my 911 RSR clone to sell and then will likely buy a B7 RS4. I had a B7 3.0 TDI Quattro and loved its handling and torque (which was more than the B7 S4). As you rightly say, best to have one of these before legislation decides you cannot!
Cheers for this mate excellent advice Ive got my eyes peeled for one at the minute so this is very helpful 👍
Very welcome mate, good luck with your search, amazing cars.
Very informative, thanks
Useful information nice one
Thanks, good info. I just bought a 2007 and I'm picking it up on Thursday, Stoaked.
Congrats Phil, you'll love it!
How did you get on? do you mind me asking how much you paid, condition etc? if not no bother
welcome to the club, Phil.
Definitely the best RS4! The oil cooler has gone on mine which isn’t cheap!
I love my b7 rs4 but the first month I got it it had the fuel pumps and fuel valves fail along with a couple cracked vacuum hoses but ever since then it’s truly been all I’ve hoped for it’s a beautiful car
Interesting, just remembered the engine light came on in mine the day after I drove it away from the dealer, was just the lambda sensor and fixed under warranty. My heart sunk for a minute though!
One of the best looking sedans ever. It's special.
Completely agree.
Wicked information. 🤙🤙🤟🏼🤟🏼
Good advise here, had mine 4 months had a carbon clean and flap removal, need deep pockets but so worth it.
Totally agree :)
I did a very odd thing, I got a rs4 engine and dropped in a s4 to experience part of the experience at a bargain... Still haven't cleared all the faults, dash lights giving me sunburn, but it's fun to drive just in that platform... Attached a magnaflow exhaust, so no flaps...
"Two different types of metal that over time eat away at each other". Sounds like Galvanic Corrosion. Thanks for the review.
These are unbelievable cars
Matt Armstrong had an R8 4.2v8 which had 260 bhp. I think its now running 399 bhp after some work, but it basically had the power my A4 2.0TFSI has.
That was not carbon build up though! it was mostly a vacuum leak combined with one cylinder with lower compression, but the car had been a track car before. He went to the trouble of doing the carbon clean himself and it gained him about 1bhp or something lol haha
good to see im not the only land rover man with a rs4
Great video ,and some good advice mate ,its good to hear from a long time owner, im looking to get one soon ,just waiting for lockdown to lift 🙄
Thanks 👍 hopefully you won't have to wait too long now...
Not long at all actually picked one up today ......well pleased 😀😀👍
@@777spectre. do you mine me asking how much you paid/condition etc?
@@dagnut hi mate no ,i had to buy at the bottom end of the market ,but i think i got a good deal £11000 113000 miles in red bucket seats drc removed, and after market exhasust and carbon intake ,it needs work but thats what i like to do
@@777spectre. I'm not not put off by higher mileage is its had the work down. There are things that will fail on these regardless of the life its had. Good luck with it, I think that's a great price you got.
im about to buy one of these, thanks for this vid
Did U get one? They are absolutely 💯 % the bomb ❤ mine $$ to maintain just put kwv3 coils on mine 7000$ installed ! I live in Canada . Do yourself a favor get one :-)
@lancegallant3647 yeah, I got a supercharged '07 with 115k miles. It's been too fun, got nabbed for speeding the other night, oops. Only thing I need to address is some weeping from the oil cooler which sucks but it's been great otherwise!
@Kalanioccc Shit I bet U got caught speeding! Sorry bud be careful as poss ! No fun having to repair oil cooler and lines one of the annoying issues these beauties have . I haven't had to do yet . rs4 brother be safe 🙏 💙 our cars 🚗 🙏
Nice Al. Cheers
Clutch,injectors,discs and pads,pcv,these are also things to sort if not already..
My v8 had carbon builded up but it wasn’t a big deal. suspension on bc racing coilovers . The big deal is when you start hearing a rattle in engine or not and you have broken timing chain guides… (if u have this problem stop using the car and fix it right away before you ruin your vehicle and make cost more expensive) that is going to cost you big $$$ for the time in service lol if your doing this maintenance you should might as well do everything that requires to be replaced in back of engine
Great tips, I've not owned one as of yet hopefully in near future. I also did hear the brakes have big problems over heating and fading? Did you notice anything with yours? 👍
Thanks, no never had any issues with my brakes, always performed great under spirited driving. Depends on how you're using it though, I never tracked mine, and that may be where you get those issues under much harder repeated use. You can get ceramics too...
how comfortable have you found the wingback seats on long journeys mate?
had a B8 RS4 previously and the seats were awful.
great video!
Thanks! I found them really comfortable even on longer trips. I have wingbacks in my defender now too (Corbeau), they're comfy but not B7 RS4 wingback comfy.
Interesting to hear the b8 rs4 seats weren't comfy. Standard or wingback?
great car . iv had mine 10 years now. yes expensive common faults with them all fixed now still on Drc repaired 3 times in that time, parked mine away now tbh. Worth a bit soon?
Yes I think prices are starting to hold on the B7 finally.
Thanks
I got the 07 Audi s4 full package and 6speed raced a stage 1 b8 and through the corners on stock vs stock suspension the b7 is for sure planted to the ground I pulled a bus length through turns and watch the b8 rear end swing haha but the b8 is arguably fast in a straight line. Cant wait to introduce a supercharger to my car someday :)
I recently bought one and love it but had the decat milltek exhaust. Now worried about MOT.
Been fortunate previous owner looked after her and spent around £9k with the main jobs done but not cheap to run.
Sounds amazing and not many left either so I think near the bottom for resale good value
Sounds lovely decatted I bet 👌
@@al-s Yeah it is amazing.
E46 CSL or RS4? Which id better Al?
I've got a regular M3, and test drove a few RS4s and M3's at the time the E46 M3 was a bit cheaper and I dropped on a really nice example
I'd have to say for sheer driving pleasure and engagement it's the CSL. The RS4 was mighty but you could feel the weight of the V8 out front, it's hard to describe, you had to wrestle the RS through the bends whereas you feel like you're a part of the CSL, the feedback it gives through the steering/seat, etc. is just on a completely different level. The mechanical grip of the Quattro with the wider 275 tyres kept it hugely planted through fast corners but again you could always feel the weight trying to pull you wide. In comparison the CSL just obliterates the same corner and leaves you thinking 'I could have taken that faster'. The 300+kg weight difference is definitely noticeable between the 2 cars.
I own a b5 RS4 have done for 14 years and yes it’s a money pit. Got 210k miles now had 50k when I bought it all them years ago. I should of got a B7 when I had the chance.
That's some miles, but I bet you've enjoyed them! B7's are still relatively affordable if you ever fancied chopping in the B5 I'm sure you'd still probably come out with some money after the deal.
I feel like the DRC gets a bad wrap in terms of cost because people just automatically rip it out and stick coilover kits in at £1200-£1600+ instead of just replacing the faulty shock etc. The factory suspension is brilliant, find a specialist with the kit to refit and pressure it and the cost is reasonable for a performance car. same for the brakes, keep the bells and swap out for some reylands and save yourself some money as well as the fact they don't warp like the factory disks do, they also do 2 piece rears as well as a direct replacement so you can just swap the discs.
I think DRC/oil cooler, etc. will become the B7's 'rod bearings' of the M3s, IMS of the 996s, etc., there's always something that scares people. Ultimately yes though, often a DRC repair can be cheaper than going the coil-over route (and the handling certainly can't be faulted) but I guess it's the worry of further failures adding up in the future. Buying another it wouldn't put me off whether it has/hasn't got coil-overs, and to be fair very few do, most still retain the DRC, but if I found one that had been done along with the oil cooler then I'd possibly consider that over another just as general peace of mind. Would depend on how it rides on coil-overs too as the DRC was great.
@@al-s I think i'm lucky with mine, its a black avant with 87k miles, still on DRC which is in good condition, MRC stage 2 and had the manifold flap removed and cold air feed in place of the 2nd oil cooler. I looked at the exhaust and noticed it wasnt standard and asked the sales rep if it was modified to which he said no lol, took a gamble on it really because I fell in love with the car on the drive and when I got home and read through it's history there was a folder full of receipts and the work carried out by MRC. Theyre such epic cars
Sounds lovely and makes me want one again! Fancy a swap for my Range Rover?! Or let me know when you're selling and I'll have it anyway 😂
@@al-s Did the B7 RS4 have the same issues with cam chain guides that the B7 S4 had?? I was looking at a B7 S4 but got scared off by the supposed common problem with them....
Correct me if I'm wrong, the road tax is the same ATM Feb 2022 for all rs4b7 from 2006 to 2008? Cheers for video. Take care.
May have changed now since I published this video. Wouldn't surprise me though if the gov have updated it in their favour.
@@al-s yes 600 pounds a year i guess. previous 320 quid was a bargain :D
What was the mileage of your RS when you sold the car.. I recently got one trying to learn as much as pos
Was around 70k when I let mine go.
There's one of these parked on a driveway close to me, it's not moved for at least 5 yrs. Criminal really to leave it, I guess it would take a lot to get it back on the road.
What a shame, these cars are made to be driven! Could probably be recommissioned for less than you think, but then it all depends on how it's been looked after/serviced in the past and how it's been stored for those 5+ years...
@@al-s It's out in the open, has flat tyres and moss growing on the window lower edges. I guess there was a good reason for it's abandonment originally like a mechanical issue?
Try and find out what's the score and rescue it!! There's an R33 GTR V-spec on a driveway near to me that equally has just sat there for as long as I can remember, that also needs work but again such a shame it's just sat there too... absolute beast of a machine that.
nice car do u miss it? mine is exactly the same murdered out black !!! But live in Canada none here with seat and flat bottom steering wheel but still love her ❤️ tones :-)
Very much so, would love another but probably go for the Avant this time. Agree the noise they make is just 👌👌
@Al S deff bro very cool 😎 b7 rs4 for life special car ! Have a great day bro :-)
Great first owner vehicles under warranty.
Steps to owning these types of cars:
Rev that engine to redline and make it scream.
Enjoy smiles per mile on a daily basis.
Return lease.
Watch next owner suffer in repairs from all the smiles you got by launching the damn thing around corners.
Sip coffee in the next lease
I know one guy got it a year ago, and dumped allrady 15k into it :) now hes selling for 30k USD, not worth selling it, if you decide on rs4, just keep it and fix it as it goes, as whatever time and money you put into the car, isn't worth selling it, ones you get one, and get rid of one, you gonna end up buying another one, damn I know I should kept mine DAMN, it only had 63k miles 3 years ago when i sold it. I may look at one tomorrow , it has 153k miles on it :)
Hi all RS4 lovers. How much does an RS4 b7 cost to run per year? Anyone here willing to help me? Regards
Hi I have a rs4 can u fit the 275 types on the standard 19” Audi wheels
Depends. I just got the Forgestars CF10s 19 x 9.5, going on 265/35
Yes, 275mm width tyres will fit without rubbing at standard ride height, but there will be a limit on how much you can reduce the rear ride height before it will contact the Fenderwell liner.
Even if you wanted to keep DRC, many Audi dealers are no longer familiar with DRC recharge.
That's crazy, the B7 isn't even that old! Would probably use a specialist over main dealer for reasons like this alone.
@@al-s That’s not the only worries in keeping the vehicle running. Some spare parts are not in stock in some countries. e.g. If I place an order from the States, I have wait almost 1 month for the part to ship from Deutschland.
Ha, a month isn't too bad though, try owning an M3 CSL - many parts are now NLA 😄
Just parked the best sounding one in front of my house now....red
I have a b8 manual
If you put the 275 tyres on can u use your standard wheels
Mine were the standard wheels. I believe oem tyres were 255s so you're adding 10mm either side of the wheel moving up to 275s. They still fitted fine on mine and also gave a little bit extra sidewall protection for the wheels.
@@al-s I will give that a go on mine thanks
@@adamwatson508How do You like 275 all the way around ? Will do same on mine if it's all that . Rs4 rule enjoy your baby !
Do you own Mrc mapping ?
😄 no
What was the mileage on your RS4?
Think it was around 70Kish when I sold it...
Classic or Money Pit, what's the answer?
Classic - gotta be
Name a performance car that will not require deep pockets to maintain and keep up?
19 and buying as a investment
👍well done mate, although I'd imagine any gains may get swallowed up by your insurance premium at 19yo! Buy it to enjoy it, if it doesn't lose you money or even makes you some, all the better.
This or an E46 M3?
That's a tough one, can I say both?😂
@@al-s you have money for one… which one lol
😬😆 E46 M3 in that case. Great to drive plus values on those are going up quicker than a b7
@@al-s lol thank you. Now I’m glad I bought an E46 M3😂🔥
e46 m3 has vanos issues or cracked rear frame but that can be issued. IF you drive where it rains and snow, rs4 is way to go :)
From my ownership point of view I would suggest alot of that carbon clean is smoke and mirrors. Mrc charge way too much for such a lttle amount. I've seen gains of just 6hp after a proper clean and "others " claimed 50hp gain when the driver couldn't notice. You know an extra 50hp when you find it. Claims are nonsense imo. Bigger things than that are clutch and flywheel which is £2k plus for the right one and also brakes are over £1k although some available a bit cheaper now.
That's partly why I never got mine carbon cleaned, it never felt like it was lacking power. mrc do before/after dynos so there results are clear after a CC, but yes I know of other places where the gains are perhaps a little more questionable. Good tips on the other bits, mine had new stoppers all round before I bought it, so I dodged that bill 😂
A lot of shit ones out there, buy one with full history that has been looked after. Might cost more but will save you in the long run.
The car will never make 420 hp, cause that is crank power, not wheel horsepower. I want an RS4 one day.
Yes I'm referring to crank, ie what the manufacturer quotes. Even when adjusted on a dyno, crank power is often significantly down on what is officially quoted by Audi. It's covered in depth on most RS forums by lots of owners.
Rs4 b7 will always be an rs4 b7. Nothing else matters
Wat about timing chain??
As it's a chain rather than belt it doesn't normally need changing I believe, if anything it's just the tensioners. It's really only if the chain starts rattling badly that people consider changing.
That was a problem on the s4 not the rs4
@@Canadiangypsy1414 Yep. S4 issue, not RS.
S4 single row chain RS4 dual row chain there are RS4s with 150k+ with no issues most S4 tend to need the chain and tensioner replacing at 100kish. It is an engine out job as it is on the rear of the engine plus the parts are expensive and once you have the engine out it makes sense to do the whole setup due to the cost of getting to it. Consider a clutch as well for the the same reason.
@@mikemorris3421 B7 RS4 has also single row chain. I believe there is no two row chains in audi engines, old mb engines had those and they are bullet proof. Main differences are the chain guides which in RS4 are metal and in S4 plastic. The plastic ones fail.
I'm thinking about placing a
HEMI into my 2007 audi a4
b/c audi motors are🗑😏🤪
Just buy an RS4?
E39 M5 all day over this..
Great video, Had my sprint blue avant for 7 years now, has been very reliable in that time, granted ive not done big miles in it in that time. 87k and still on drc. I think its for sale too 🫣
Certainly are keepers these B7s