996 TT v Audi RS4

Afternoon All, Was just wondering if anyone has any experience of the RS4's ? I have been looking at 996tt now for a while and was going to take the plunge after x-mas, however, this would be my daily driver and also would chauffuer my dog round the odd weekend and was a bit worried about the smell of dog in me new 996, after browsing the trader i realised an RS4 Avant could be an option but how do they compare ??? Is the 996 much quicker as they both crack 60 in just over 4 secs i believe and also anyone know of any issues with the RS4, cost to run etc.... I've worked out that using a good indi the 996 would be affordable and i'm sure i read on here somewhere that at a steady mway speed 30+ mpg is possible, can the same be said for the RS4 ??? To be fair I know the 996tt would be a much more of a "heart" choice but if I go with my head, the RS4 sounds a bit more practical. Anybody any thoughts ? or comments ? Or do i need to go and join another forum !!! ( again ) !!! :frustrated: :grin: Hope all is well and your all OK Cheers Lee

When I had my TT I had good spin in an RS4 Highly impressive, very quick, well built and makes a fabulous noise But, its not a 911, drinks petrol at a far faster rate than a TT, and is no cheaper to run in real terms It has 4 doors and a good boot so is a good choice if you only have the option of 1 car and must have the carrying capacity. But given the choice the 911 is streets ahead IMHO

You "had" your tt ??? you mean you got rid !!! :dont know: It was the noise that attracted me to it if i'm honest !!! Didn't think it would use considerably more fuel than the tt, thats interesting, dissapointing, but interesting. I think its all boiling down to practicality to be fair, even the mrs has given the nod in the RS4 direction..... and what with slober chops dog in the back I think he may get a bit cramped in a tt too !!! :lol: Appreciated its no 911 but I imagine it to be a rewarding motor to own though, thanks ever so much for the reply and i'll go and drive a few of both this weekend and see how they feel. Thanks again.

We have an RS4 Avant in the household and it's a great, great car. Totally love it and can't fault it. Does everything we want from a car - V.fast, safe, practical, comfortable, luxurious, image...everything. But it isn't a 911 and tbh doesn't pretend to be. It's not as engaging as the 911, but it is still a very addictive car to own and drive. The noise it makes is sweet... Compared to the C2 it does feel faster, but compared to the TT i doubt there would be much diff. The RS4 feels safer than the C2, but that's mostly down to the planted feel of the Quattro. You won't get better than about 25-27mpg from the RS4 on the M-ways and that's with a careful right foot...which takes serious amounts of self control! To be fair though, even booting it on the M-ways doesn't see the mpg drop below 23...ish......lol Hope this helps a bit! Taran :thumb:

If fuel consumption is dictating your choice, my advice would be not to buy either! If you're going to do a high mileage, the depreciation, tyres and maintenance will be of much more concern than the fuel consumption. If you're not doing a high mileage, why worry? RS4 will be considerably thirstier than a TT when driven the same way for three main reasons: - Much bigger frontal area and hence more aerodynamic drag - Heavier and hence more rolling resistance (especially up hills) - Bigger capacity N/A engine (4.2 litres vs. 3.6 litre Turbo) needs more fuel ALL the time On the last point, turbo-engined cars actually use less fuel than the same size naturally aspirated engine at low revs (i.e. before the turbo starts to produce boost). This is because compression ratio is reduced to stop them blowing up at high boost pressures! On the dog issue, I'll use this as another excuse to post this picture again...

had an RS4 for a week - it felt seriously limp compared to my X50. If you'd said it was 320hp and not 420hp i'd have believed you. Lovely sound tho, lovely place to sit, lovely car - very heavy on fuel and small range. couldn't get over the lack of performance - didn't feel any stronger than an e46 M3. Very sure footed car tho. Go to rs246.com - these cars don't make anything like quoted power. If you need the space, sure get an RS4, or save a bag of cash and get a C55 AMG estate or if you want a proper fast Audi avant get an RS6 and save some money aside for DRC issues !!

The Quattro drivetrain is notorious for it's efficiency or lack of when it comes to power conversion from the engine. Yes, power at the wheels is not close to the 420BHP at the engine. Have to disagree about the E46 M3 however. I have regular access to these and they don't touch the RS, be it manual or SMG. Maybe it's just me? A friend of mine has a X50 equipped TT and that does 'feel' much faster than the RS4, although against the clock probably not much in it, in gear the TT would streak ahead. With regards to the RS6, the C6 V10 hardly feels any faster than the B7. You can really feel the extra bulk and weight and dilutes the performance feel accordingly and the RS4 is seen by most as the better car. The C5 RS6 isn't any faster than the B7 either and dynamically is at least a generation behind. Taran :bandit:

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Not talking about transmission losses - talking about engine output - the RS4 typically seems to be making anywhere from 350-390hp from teh factory - take 4wd transmission losses on top of that you don't have a particularly more powerful car compared to an e46 M3 in terms of at the wheels hp... then factor in the RS4's extra weight and theres not a whole lot in it. X50s don't just feel a lot faster, but they are in a completely different performance league to the RS4... i've driven RS4's and raced against them head to head and they get toasted. Don't get me wrong,I like the RS4 a lot and would even consider owning an avant, but the straight line performance is a disappointment to me.

Thought I had seen everything 8) Lovely dog. How does he react to the heavy right foot?

I expect he does tricks. Rolls over perhaps? :dont know:

These are two totally different cars your comparing, I would even compare the RS4 to a 996 tt especially a X50, tt will toast an Rs4 I know as iv owned both also had C5 RS6 tuned to 550bhp an my X50 toasted it clean! I will try posting a video, if you need space go for the RS4 if it's power your after nothing and I mean nothing within the price range compares to a tt.

If your thinking of getting an RS4, get yourself a B5 RS4 not the B7. The B7's have problems with intakes clogging up - See here : http://www.mrctuning.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=155&catid=41&Itemid=18 . Nothing would really compare with a 996TT as its such an individual car.

I'm lucky enough to own both a 996TT and an RS4. As was written, these are two completely different cars. In fact, they're quite complementary. You obviously know what the 996TT feels like so I'll describe how the RS4 feels in comparison. 1) Throttle response is sharper, and it has a good pull across the rev range, with a bit of a kicker at 5500rpm. The engine is rev-happy all the way up to 8300. But if you jump into the RS4 from the TT quite frankly it feels like a big, never-ending turbo lag. And it's true that one can't help but wonder how many of the claimed 414bhp are truly at work under the hood. 2) The sound of the Audi is nice, both in S mode (exhaust flaps open) and in normal mode. Good liquid V8 sound, and more rewarding than the muffled boxer. 3) Interior of the RS4 is nicer. Audi's build quality is quite good, and of course the RS4 is a 2006 design where the TT is a 1998 design. The TT's interior feels a bit cheap in comparison. 4) The RS4 is a bit more sure-footed. It's very easy to drive the the Audi at 8 tenths, even in the wet (especially if you get rid of the appalling PZero). The TT demands more attention and concentration, and that is part of its entertainment value. The RS4 can be driven fast with only half a brain on. 5) RS4 is better on practicality and stealth. The Audi goes about largely unnoticed (clients, family, etc). The TT is much more in-your-face and still attracts looks and comments. 6) Fuel efficiency is about the same until you hit the CBD, at which point the RS4 becomes unreasonably thirsty. On brisk city drives or in traffic it'll easily return 20+l/km (think that is less than 12 mpg) But here's a hint: with both cars in the underground parking, I've driven the TT home more than 80% of the time. If you can, the 996TT is one beauty of a daily driver.

I have had a new RS4 Avant every model series since they came out, plus the odd RS4 cabriolet too. They are an absolute hoot. The Avant is a real wolf in sheeps clothing, and there is no quicker or safer way to transport lots of 'stuff', especially in the wet. Is it as engaging as my C2S - no. Is it still awesome fun, and a car that will disgrace pretty much everything else in its class on the road - yes (Porkers aside!). If you are bothered about running costs, buy an A4 1.9TDI!