Torn between a Cayman and an RS4

Greetings all, I currently drive a 98.5 A4 2.8 supercharged and will be getting a new car next year. I very much love Audis and was thrilled when I saw the pics and performance numbers of the RS4. I pretty much had decided I would get that until the Cayman came out. The darn thing has thrown a wrench into my decision. The car is goregeous and, obviously, is getting rave reviews. I know these are two very different cars, but my thought process is headed in these two car's directions. My A4 and my previous 626 Turbo are both sedans and getting an RS4 will put me in another sedan. Now, I'm 'that guy' in the group who is always driving, so a 4 door is ok by me. So getting an RS4 aint all the bad. I also like to track my A4 and will obviously do it to the RS or Cayman. Getting a Cayman will be very different for me, but I'm the kind of guy who doesn't mind change. Since both cars aren't out, I went and test drove the closest ones, the S4 and Boxter. I know, I know, the Cayman is xxx% stiffer and the engine is just a wee tad better, but it's the best I could do now. My first impression in the Boxter was very good. Car was tight and acceleration was good. But, in the S4, acceleration was mad!!! I can't imagine what the RS4 will be like. It supposedly is more than 200lbs lighter than an S4 as well. Both cars should be good track cars. With the Cayman being as light as it is, I imagine it will be a bit more fun to toss around. For me, it boils down to this: gobs of power 4 door sedan which a select group of drivers will recognize and appreciate vs. a pocket rocket that's instantly recognizable by anyone. Does anyone have some thought or input on either car? Either way I think I'll be just happy.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I've driven the S4 on the track with our local Audi club at one of their events and there was no way the S4 was going to keep up with the Boxster S on the track. I don't know if it was the suspension, the weight, the steering rack or a combo of all the above but the to me there was a significant difference. I found the Audi to be more like a Mercedes - let's throw some horsepower at the problem - than like a Porsche. I would concur that if you need to haul people around, the S4 or RS4 is probably the way to go, but if you want a great and rewarding track car the Cayman S is the way to go. An easy solution would be to buy one of each!

Having owned quite a few Audis and VWs over the years, I have nothing but great things to say about them. However I agree with K-man S having tracked both the S4 and the Boxster S. There is no way a S4 could keep up with a Boxster S on the track. RS4 will most likely be a different story though. Are they both priced the same where you are? Over here, the RS4 will most likely be 15% more than the Cayman S. Also, are you going to be driving in the snow? My friend currently has the same dilemma as you. However, his wife has a E500 so I am advising him to just get the real sports car.

At one point, pricing on the RS was going to be around 80k USD, but the latest rumor is 70k. The Cayman I configured is around 70-72, so the pricing is about the same. No snow driving here in Dallas, Texas, but I do enjoy the fun of quattro. I've learned how to have fun with it and use it for the track. Buy one each? Hmmmm That would be ideal. Alas, that's too rich for my blood. The price of both would get me a V8 Vantage though

imo amro it depends what you want out of your car?. do you need 4 doors?, are you going to be driving 5 people at very fast speeds?. i think the rs4 is and will be a great car if you need to drop the kids off at school and then hit the road(or track). but i think there will be nothing that will sound like the cayman. as boxster and 911 drivers will tell you that their cars sound great, they still do not have the engine in the cabin. so i think for you it is a question of necessity.

I have an S4 and love it. With half of my driving on the highway I average about 15 mpg and at $3.00 a gallon I am not getting another one when the lease is up. I don't know whether this is an issue for you. I found the Boxster S to be about as quick as my car (did you drive a Boxster or Boxster S?) so the Cayman S should have enough power for me. The RS4 will obviously be faster. While my S4 can keep pace with a 996 Carrera on public highways, it won't handle as well in the tight stuff and for a track car the Cayman S is probably a better choice. My S4 usually feels tight and secure but after a very spirited drive in a Boxster Sit felt soft in comparison. The RS4 should be an awesome car but the Porsche will probably have better feel to the steering, brakes and shift and accompany it with nicer mechanical music from the engine and exhaust. I expect the Cayman S will have a more engaging driving experience.

In the UK the base RS4 is about 15% more expensive than the Cayman S, although you may end up spending less on options. Clearly they are very different cars, and I'm sure the Cayman will feel slower in comparison on the highway. The RS4 will probably sound every bit as good as the Cayman, if not better! If I were you I'd go for the Cayman for a change - see if you like that style of driving.

I am torn between the exact same two cars!! I was dead set on an RS4, I was about to place a £1500 deposit but then I started looking at the Cayman more and more. I'm still slighlty undecided but at this time I have a £3k deposit on a Cayman for March. The thing that swung me was exactly what you said, the Cayman has alot more street cred, the RS4 is a stealth car that only a select few people will know what it is, to most it's a 4 door saloon. As sad as it sounds if I spend £50k on a car I want people to know that Im driving a damm good car. Also, the size of the Cayman is appealing. Plus, residuals will be alot better so you could get the cayman now and sell it on when you've seen the RS4 out and about for a few months and you've had a test drive, you won't lose much money when you sell your cayman, if you decide to do that. When I specced up my RS4 I came in at £53600, my Cayman came in at £49500 or thereabouts. Insurance on RS4 is cheaper but they are similar. Cayman is out in November, RS4 is delayed until March and by all accounts there will be no production limits so probably the best thing to do is get the Cayman and then wait until the RS4 comes out and see what you think then.

Great feedback guys. Thanks. Fortunately, I think I have a little over a month before orders are taken for an RS4. I will try to get to a driving event and see if I can get in either a Boxter S or 911 or both I do consider track driveability an important factor. Darn these nice cars....

Let me offer a different perspective.I don't track, justwanting a weekend sports car for its own entertainment value. Lots of HP to propel a car for cruising at 100++ MPH is not a realistic goal in most of the US unless expensive traffic tickets, exorbitant insurance costs, and possible jail time are just part of the daily routine.I live in South Florida and thereisno shortage ofsuper HP megacars (not to even include plethoras of M3s) that cannotuse their potential beyond the occasionalsecond or twoburst of speed, usually inappropriately timed. Therefore in order to make a car entertaining to drive, more is required that brute power and high speed potential, specifically chasis dynamics, steering, and braking that allow the car to transmit its competence to the driver so that even ordinary roads and speeds are enjoyable. For me that gives the nod to the Cayman/Boxster family over any mega-HP sports sedan, and even over the 911 series. At least based on my admittedly limited experience, Porsche's current midengine platform is the most entertaining, well balanced, highly engineered,adequately powered, and still relatively affordable sports car extant. There are many cars that excel in specific areas but few are as completely packaged and all are exeedingly more expensive. Edited by - DaveC on 10/23/2005 09:14:33 AM

Different tools for different jobs in my mind. Both exquisite cars but the differences probably can be summed by pointing out the following: weight bias (front to rear) center of gravity steering feel (function of rack and the fact the front wheels are driven on the Audi) versatility (usefulness - more seats in the Audi - gives you the option of scarring more people whilst motoring through the countryside ; -) The Audi has a higher front weight bias which requires differences in driving style on track - the Quattro compensates a bit for that in allowing you to get on the power a fraction quicker coming out of the corner. Both cars are well done and both are expensive to maintain. Ask the garage what it takes, physically, to replace a cam chain tensioner on the audi - or Porsche and you may be in for a rude shock.

I agree with Dave C's comments. I previously owned a 2001 Audi S4 (bi-turbo) and now have a 2004 Audi S4 (V8). While the V8 certainly has awesome power at 340 hp, after driving it for less than a year I can honestly say I prefer the 250 hp bi-turbo. Since I do not drive my cars on the track or compete in driving events there does not seem to be much point for all that hp and the mileage in a V8 is what it is. I have to say the RS4 is intriguing since I need a four-door vehicle but you just cannot practically use that kind of power which personally would diminish the experience of driving on our public roads. For me, I am going to look for something with no more than 300 hp to replace my '01 S4 and that car may be (oddly enough) an A3; when they come out with the 6-cyl. and quattro. I have driven the 2.0L FSI A3 and really liked it. On the sporty side, I have a '98 C4S and plan on buying a Cayman S within two years.

Completely different cars. Sprots (performance) sedan vs. sports car. If you consider Cayman and RS4 to be in the same calss, then there are another dozen cars you should consider.

My friend has an S4 and I have a boxster s. I agree w/ comments from both k-man s and dave c: they are both very different cars. Its obvious which one I prefer, but I prefer it for most of the reasons they mentioned above: mid-engine dynamic driving and steering (especially through corners) and communication between driver and car! Ever since driving my uncle's 993, I've never been able to look at any other car unless its had its engine in the middle or back. All other cars are the same to me (which is why I own an SUV as my second car). The mercedes attitude of tossing in more horsepower does nothing for me because they can't utilize the extra power when driving (unless going straight very fast;and braking will definitely be a problem for those cars anyway). In the s4's case, it has extra power, but can you really utilize it and feel it? Does it make you feel like a better driver? Were you able to push the car to its fullest potential? When I drove my friends s4, I felt handicapped on my favorite twisty roads. Go with the cayman, my friend!