Audi RS4 Avant Review 2024

Sensible, sober-suited Audi has a dark, high performance side, and that’s no better demonstrated by its RS models, and in particular the RS4. Introduced in 2018 and revised for 2020, the current RS4 isn’t immune to the creep of emissions regulations, so the V8 of the previous car is replaced here with a turbocharged V6. That allows the RS4 to retain the 450PS of the V8 it replaces yet improve on the performance, bot against the clock and in relation to economy. 

Audi blasted high performance practicality onto the covers of enthusiast car magazines in the mid-1990s with authority with its radical RS2 Avant.

Here was a car, which thanks to its quattro four-wheel drive traction, some assistance from Porsche and a 315PS turbocharged engine, that boasted acceleration to 30mph quicker than the mighty McLaren F1. It shocked and surprised, Audi, with the exception of the quattro a decade or so earlier, being a relatively staid manufacturer, making sensible premium models to appeal to company car buyers.  

Audi has pretty much owned the fast estate marketplace ever since, the RS4 that RS2’s direct relation, separated by three RS4s before it. With the exception of the R8, and the RS4’s RS6 bigger brother – based on the A6 - no current Audi is so coveted by enthusiasts.

Rightly so, the RS4 always offering performance that’s able to mix it with sports and supercars, but one that allows you to bring the family along for the fun, too. 

It’s grown ever more bold looking with each generation. Power has also swelled during the RS4’s timeline, too, though Audi’s never been too religious about what’s generated it, or its aspiration, with the RS2 a turbo five-cylinder, the a 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6, the next two getting a 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8. That fabulous V8 was dropped for this RS4 in favour of a 2.9-litre twin turbo V6.

Fret not, power remains the same 450PS of that final V8 before it, while the lighter weight of that engine, and Audi’s other weight savings elsewhere, does still bring sledgehammer performance, but now with the hope of pin hammer dynamics.  

Broad wheel arches, filled with standard 19-inch alloy wheels, or optional 20-inch items, the RS4 might be based on the A4 Avant (estate), but its more muscular looks are full of menace. The front grille is huge, framed by intakes to cool the brakes, the rear view dominated by a pair of massive exhaust outlets.

A gloriously wild concept, with mega performance wrapped in a practical package, there are few true rivals, Alfa Romeo not making an estate version of its Quadrifoglio and BMW doesn’t make an estate version of its M3, though Alpina makes a Touring (estate) version of its B3, leaving only Mercedes-AMG offering a direct, mainstream, alternative with its C63 AMG estate.

Other, indirect, but credible alternatives would be high performance SUVs, like BMW’s X3 M Competition or the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. 

That AMG only sends its prodigious power to the rear wheels, the RS4 distributing its power to all four via its quattro four-wheel drive (like those SUV, actually), via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

A mild refresh for 2020 brought the RS4’s styling into line with the rest of the A4 range, changing the lights front and rear, though also gaining an even more confident front, as well as a few detailed revisions to the transmission, and even greater weight loses to help improve economy and emissions. If you like your estate cars quick and capable, then read on. 

Surefooted, that’s always been a quattro byword, and it’s applicable here, even when the tyres are tasked with coping with 450PS of turbocharged power.

Certainly it’s not as boisterous as that Mercedes-AMG, but not everyone wants car’s tail wagging at every exit, particularly not the dog that might be in the boot. The Alpina B3 Touring offers four-wheel drive like the RS4, too. 

As standard the RS4 rides on a conventional suspension set up, which has regular gas dampers and springs, this passive system not offering differing drive modes. For that you’ll need to specify the optional RS Sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC). 

It adds £2000 to the price, and adds a linked shock absorber system that counteracts pitch and body roll. With it there are three differing modes – Comfort, Dynamic or Auto. That DRC allows the RS4 surprising ride comfort at slower speeds on poor surfaces.

Clever as it is, the standard, passive, set-up feels better when pushing the RS4 on testing roads, so you’ll need to decide whether you’re prepared to sacrifice a bit of ride comfort for engagement, it really depending on where you’ll do the majority of your driving.

All come with a sports differential, the RS4 able to direct as much as 85% of its drive to the rear wheels, and 70% forward, when required. The steering, is light, both in weight, and feel.

No, it’s not a 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 anymore, but the twin turbo V6 isn’t such a poor relation, and indeed brings some real advantages.

There’s more power available more of the time, while you’d be left waiting for the revs to rise in that old V8, the V6’s turbocharged power, and huge 600Nm peak torque, arriving low in the rev range at just 1900rpm, and available all the way around to 5000rpm. 

It’s a rewarding engine to drive, and not just because of the prodigious performance it produces – 62mph arriving in just 4.1 seconds – but aurally, too. To get the best from it, you’ll need to option the RS Sports Exhaust, which burbles and growls with real intent, so much at times it does feel a bit synthetic. We’d still say it’s a must have, though even if a 43 AMG does sound better.

The V6 might offer excellent low-rev torque, but there’s real reason to wring it out to the redline, too, its response immediate, it working well in conjunction with the eight-speed paddle-shifted automatic transmission.  

The Audi A4 was Euro NCAP tested in 2015, alongside its A5 relation. It scored a five-star score, which is as good as it gets.

The RS4 should, arguably, do better still, as it’s got bigger brakes as standard, while some safety equipment that might be optional further down the line up is included as standard here. That list includes Pre-sense City, Parking Assist, Hold Assist, a rear view camera, Audi Side Assist, as well as a full house of airbags, ABS, stability and traction control systems.

The only option you can add to improve that safety with the RS4 is the Driver Assistance Pack, which gains driver support systems including Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop&Go Traffic Jam Assist, Pre-sense front, Camera Based traffic sign recognition and Active Lane Assist, among others.

You can option your RS4 with a towing package, though it’s not possible if you’ve optioned the RS Sport Suspension with Dynamic Ride Control, you need to do so with the regular suspension. Unlikely many will feel inclined to tow with an RS4, but it’d make one hell of rapid a Grand Tourer with a caravan on the back. More likely buyers might want a hook on their RS4 to carry a towbar-mounted bike carrier. 

The RS4’s USP, or at least part of it. It might be a car that’s got 450PS and the ability to reach 62mph in just 4.1 seconds, but it’s also able to carry you and your family or friends, and a good amount of luggage, too.

Indeed, the RS4 loses out nothing on practicality over its more ordinary A4 Avant brethren, if you ignore its greater width makes it less easy to park, and those huge alloys wheels and more focussed suspension do upset the ride a bit. 

The boot is accessed by a large opening, and do that and you’ll find 495 litres of bootspace with the rear seats in place. Drop them (not entirely flat) and that increases to 1510 litres, which matches the AMG C63 estate’s ultimate boot space.

If you’re comparing it to something like a BMW X3 M Competition, it’s slightly down on ultimate capacities, but the RS4’s boot is far better for longer loads, while the lower boot lip makes loading it much easier, too.

Indeed, with its more overtly styled sports seats, with contrasting stitching and the more sporting look to the cabin throughout, the RS4 better exemplifies Audi’s incredible attention to detail when it comes to interiors.

The material quality throughout is beautiful, and, unlike some, there’s no evidence of cost cutting anywhere inside, digging deep into the cubbies, glovebox and suchlike not revealing any subterfuge on the materials front.

As the range-topping model in the A4 range, the RS4, unsurprisingly, comes with the best of Audi’s infotainment offering. In the centre of the dash there’s a large, 10.1-inch MMI touch display which can be controlled by either the screen itself, or via a touch pad on the transmission tunnel between the driver and passenger – replacing Audi’s previously familiar rotary push button here (and not necessarily for the better).

Within it, there’s all the infotainment, sat nav and more, controls, with the addition of an RS monitor to give info on performance-related things like tyre pressure, power output, lap time, acceleration and g-force measurements, which you can bore your friends with. 

In front of the driver there’s an RS-specific, configurable Virtual Cockpit display, which replaces conventional instruments, the RS elements adding special instruments and displays pertinent to the RS4’s greater performance.  

The RS4 in standard specification is a few hundred pounds shy of £65,000 on the road. For that you get 19-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights and LED dynamic rear lights, MMI Navigation with MMI touch and RS Super Sports heated front seats in Fine Nappa leather.

Above the standard specification you can add the RS4 Carbon Black, this adding £6000 to the list price, and gaining five-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels in gloss black, a carbon styling pack covering the front spoiler, sill extension inserts and diffuser, with a black trimmed radiator grille, window surrounds and in the rear diffuser. 

Still not spent enough? Then Audi offers the Vorsprung (roughly, that’s German for advancement) specification, for £82,770.

That not insignificant outlay does up the standard equipment, it coming with RS Sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control, Dynamic Steering, an RS Sport exhaust system, a black exterior pack, panoramic sunroof, heated rear outer seats, Bang & Olufson 3D sound system, a Driver Assistance pack and Parking Assistance Pack Advanced and a head-up display as standard. Audi also unleashes the speed limiter (a bit) increasing it from 155mph to 174mph.

The standard RS4 really does come comprehensively equipped, with only the Driver Assistance Pack and Parking Assist Package, as well as that improved audio being things you might like to consider, along with the colour and wheel choice.

One absolutely necessary option is the RS Sport Exhaust for an amusing soundtrack to enjoy with the performance, while the Comfort and Sound Pack is well worth having too, as it adds a 360 degree birds-eye view camera, that Bang & Olufson audio, additional hands free key operations and LED interior lighting for just £1400.

You don’t have to buy it outright, either, Audi offering all sorts of finance and leasing options if you want to drop a deposit and pay for it monthly.

Its running costs look great when compared to the Porsche or Ferrari you might have to buy to get the same performance otherwise.

Audi dealers are everywhere, so servicing it shouldn’t be too much trouble, either, though unlike its more mundane A4 relations, things like tyres and brake pads will be high performance items, and more expensive to replace as a result.  

Yes, it’s able to reach 174mph (or 155mph), getting there with ferocious alacrity for something so useful, too, but, likewise, take it a bit easier and, officially, it’ll return 29.1mpg on the combined consumption cycle.

That’s measured by the current, more realistic WLTP protocol, which means you might, on occasion, actually achieve that. Really, though, we’d anticipate a real-world mpg in the mid-20mpg range, and a bit less if you’re inclined to hoof it. As you might be. 

Taxing it will be more expensive in the first five years, as its over £40,000 price means you’ll add £310 annually to the standard rate.

Insurance shouldn’t be too punitive, so long as you’ve a clean licence, and park it somewhere safe. As with other A4 models it’s covered by a 3 year 60,000 mile warranty, it extendable, to 4 years 75,000 miles, or 5 years and 90,000 miles for £430 and £995 respectively.

Audi offers three models on its online configurator, these being the RS4 Avant, RS4 Avant Carbon Black and the Vorsprung. The standard car should suffice, though you’ll want that sports exhaust and Comfort and Sound Pack with it, and, hell, while you’re at it the RS4 looks better on 20-inch wheels than the 19s as standard here. 

Carbon Black RS4s add much as its name suggests, so there’s a lot of black bits, for a lot of extra outlay. 

The Vorsprung really is the everything in option, with a lofty price tag to match, it full-loaded specification-wise, but we’re not sure it’s worth the more substantial outlay, a lot of the additional kit it brings not adding much, if anything, to the driving experience. 

At the time of writing Audi is offering a RS4 Avant Bronze Edition, which is limited to 25 cars in the UK, and sits above the Vorsprung for price. Aside from that limited build status, it adds some bronze detailing to the otherwise black exterior and interior. Big money, but it does look pretty fine…