Audi RS4 (2012 – 2015) Review
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Audi RS4 (2012 – 2015) At A Glance
Great performance from 450PS normally aspirated V8 engine. Quattro as standard. Huge amounts of grip and traction.
Lacks the raw edge of the previous RS4.
While Audi has produced fast S4 models recently, there had not been an RS4 since the much-loved second generation model which went off sale in 2008. Audi says the new RS4 will be exclusively available as an Avant as the RS5 is effectively the replacement for the saloon model
The high performance version of the new A4 is powered by a 4.2-litre V8 engine developing 450PS. This is the same V8 engine as the RS5 and the hand built high-revving unit develops 430Nm, giving it a 0-62mph time of just 4.7 seconds. That’s slightly faster than the BMW M3 saloon which does it in 4.9 seconds. But where the RS4 really trumps the BMW is with its quattro four-wheel drive which means superior traction, particularly in the wet.
There is also an advanced centre differential which can vary the power delivery between the front and rear axles with up to 85 per cent going to the back wheels. This works with a torque vectoring system which can brake the inside wheel in a corner to stop it losing traction and to make cornering sharper. A sport differential, which actively distributes power between the rear wheels, is available as an option.
Given all that power, the RS4 isn’t as thirsty as you might expect with an average claimed economy of 25.7mpg. Like the RS5 there’s no manual gearbox, instead it comes with a seven-speed S tronic dual clutch automatic with steering wheel mounted paddle shifts. It also gets Launch Control which manages the clutch for optimum acceleration away from a standstill.
To mark it out from the standard A4, the RS4 gets flared wheel arches, a roof spoiler, chunkier bumpers and a honeycomb grille. At the back there are large oval dual exhaust pipes and an aluminium trimmed diffuser. Eight paint colours are available including two special crystal effect colours, Panther Black and Prism Silver.
Reviews for Audi RS4 (2012 – 2015)'s top 3 rivals
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Audi RS4 (2012 – 2015) handling and engines
- Engines range from 4.2 quattro to 4.2 FSI quattro S tronic
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 19–28 mpg
The big surprise with the RS4 is that it only comes as an Avant. Not the usual body shape for a high performance motor, but Audi has form here. There was the epic V10-powered RS6 Avant from a few years ago and the previous RS4 came as an estate too. The reasoning for the lack of a saloon according to Audi is that it already has the RS5 which is powered by the same engine.
And that engine is a monstrous 4.0-litre V8 which produces 450PS. Surprise number two here is that unlike the recently launched S6 and S7 Sportback it's not turbocharged. Instead Audi has opted for a normally aspirated engine so the performance purists will be very pleased. However it does mean it's thirsty with a claimed average of 26.4mpg and if you're heavy with your right foot that will quickly plummet. That said it looks positively economical compared to the old RS4 which only did 20.8mpg on a good day.
But you won't be shocked to discover that the RS4 is very quick. It will rocket from 0-62mph in just 4.7 seconds helped by a launch control system which comes as standard. You simply hold the brake with your left foot, put the accelerator pedal to the floor and release the brake. The on board clever stuff then maximises traction and acceleration.
As you'd expect from a high performance Audi, the new RS4 gets quattro four-wheel drive as standard. As standard it directs 60% power to the rear wheels but it can increase this to 80% depending on the conditions. With all that power the extra traction certainly gives you more reassurance, especially in the wet, so accelerating out of slow corners feels much more stable than in a rear-wheel drive. Remember that neither BMW nor Mercedes-Benz offer four-wheel drive in their equivalent performance models.
There's also a torque vectoring system which works with the self locking centre differential. This gently brakes the inside wheel in corners, making the RS4 incredibly precise in bends and requiring less steering input. The sheer grip from those wide tyres is immense and despite it's considerable size, the Audi is agile and responds well to quick changes in direction. Rarely does it become unruly.
What might not please the purists is that the RS4 comes with an S tronic gearbox as standard. There's no manual 'box available and Audi says there won't be either. Is that an issue? Well the S tronic does work very well with the big V8 engine and makes the RS4 useable in traffic and in town. You can leave it in D and it will happily potter along at low speeds. It's when you're pushing a bit harder that you might miss the interaction and enjoyment of a manual. However you can shift using the paddles on the steering wheel and in Dynamic mode it will hold the revs at the red line rather than automatically changing up.
Without a turbocharger the RS4 doesn't have as much torque as the S6. That said with 430Nm it's hardly shy of pulling power but it does peak higher up the rev range than with a TFSI engine and so it doesn't feel as responsive low down as you'd expect. The acceleration is wonderfully smooth and linear though and that V8 sounds great too with a lovely low rumble on start up and a deep resonance when you're on the move.
Surprise number three is that the RS4 rides smoothly, particularly so for a performance car of this ilk. It's forgiving and comfortable which means it's a car you can live with everyday without ruining your spine. There's the Audi Drive Select system which lets you choose between various setting from comfort to dynamic and if you pay extra for the Dynamic Ride Control system it also alters the ride settings so you can go for softer on rough roads.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 FSI quattro S tronic | 26 mpg | 4.7 s | 249 g/km |
| 4.2 quattro | 26 mpg | 4.7 s | 249 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Audi RS4 (2012 – 2015)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
85%
Real MPG
19–28 mpg
MPGs submitted
16
Audi RS4 (2012 – 2015) interior
- Boot space is 490–1430 litres
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4719 mm |
| Width | 2040 mm |
| Height | 1416 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2813–2815 mm |
Inside the RS4 is trimmed completely black apart from the roof lining which can be specified in Moon Silver. There’s chrome trim on the switches and controls along with carbon inlays. Brushed matt aluminium, piano black or stainless steel mesh trims are available as options.
The standard sports seats are finished in leather and Alcantara and offer good support but there are optional bucket seats available which are even better and look great too. The rest of the interior is everything you'd expect from Audi with a high class finish and a real feeling of quality throughout. To make it stand out the RS4 gets a thick rimmed steering wheel with a flat bottom and a carbon fibre effect trim on the doors and central console.
Prices start at £54,925 which is more than competitive alongside the Mercedes C63 AMG and BMW M3, especially when the Audi gets an automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive as standard. It's well equipped too with sat nav, Bluetooth and xenon headlights as standard. There's some good options too including ceramic brakes, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and a sports exhaust with black tailpipes.
Audi RS4 (2012 – 2015) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4719 mm |
| Width | 2040 mm |
| Height | 1416 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2813–2815 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1795 kg |
| Boot Space | 490–1430 L |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Servicing | 9000–18000 miles |
| Spare Wheel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Tyre-repair kit | ||
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £56,595–£67,235 |
| Insurance Groups | 41 |
| Road Tax Bands | L |
| Official MPG | 26.4 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | - |
On sale until October 2017
| Estate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| RS4 4.2 FSI Quattro Limited Edition S tronic 5dr | £65,610 | 26.4 mpg | 4.7 s |
| RS4 4.2 FSI Quattro Nogaro S tronic 5dr | £67,235 | 26.4 mpg | 4.7 s |
| RS4 4.2 FSI Quattro S tronic 5dr | £56,610 | 26.4 mpg | 4.7 s |
On sale until October 2015
| Estate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 4.2 FSI quattro 450 Limited Edition S tronic Auto 5dr | £65,595 | 26.4 mpg | 4.7 s |
| 4.2 FSI quattro 450 S tronic Auto 5dr | £56,595 | 26.4 mpg | 4.7 s |
Model History
February 2012
RS4 unveiled
Available exclusively in the attractive and accommodating Avant body style, and expected in the UK in September, the RS 4 contradicts its distinctly business-like first impressions with extreme sub-five-second zero to 62mph pace, 174mph capability and exceptionally tenacious quattro all-wheel-drive handling.
The Audi RS 4 Avant uses the same high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 engine that powers the RS 5 Coupe. The hand-built 4,163 cc unit with its distinctive red-painted cylinder covers produces 450 PS at 8,250 rpm and maximum torque of 430 Nm from 4,000 to 6,000 rpm, and powers the RS 4 Avant from 0 to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds on its way to a governed top speed of 155 mph, which can be increased to 174 mph if required. No less impressively, it achieves all this while at the same time potentially returning up to 25.7mpg according to the combined cycle test.
With its impressive efficiency and long top gear, the standard seven-speed S tronic transmission makes a significant contribution to this uncharacteristic fuel economy. Drivers can let the lightning-fast dual-clutch transmission shift automatically or change gears manually using the selector lever or the paddles on the steering wheel. For explosive starts, drivers can also activate Launch Control, which manages the engagement of the clutch to achieve an optimum starting speed with minimal wheel spin.
In common with every Audi RS model, the RS 4 Avant features quattro permanent all-wheel drive, which is bolstered here by the advanced crown-gear centre differential. This compact and lightweight component can vary the distribution of power between the front and rear axles rapidly, smoothly and over a wide range, with up to 70 per cent flowing to the front or as much as 85 per cent to the rear. The default 40:60 ratio of the rear-biased configuration favours agile and precisely adjustable handling. The sport differential familiar from the S4 quattro and the RS 5, which actively distribute the power between the rear wheels, is available as an option.
The self-locking crown-gear centre differential works together with a torque vectoring system, which acts on all four wheels. If the load on the inside wheel is reduced too much in a corner, the torque vectoring system brakes it slightly before it begins to skid. The electronic stability programme (ESP) also offers a Sport mode and can be fully deactivated.
The chassis of the Audi RS 4 Avant is a very complex design, with a five-link set-up at the front and a self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear assembly, a high proportion of which is crafted from aluminium to reduce unsprung weight. The new speed-dependent power steering is a highly efficient electromechanical system with a direct steering ratio for highly precise road feel. It helps the driver stay on course by making slight steering corrections when braking on surfaces with different levels of grip.
Polished 19-inch, ten-spoke forged aluminium wheels shod with 265/35-series tyres amply fill the arches, particularly as the taut RS set-up positions the body 20 millimetres lower than a standard A4 Avant. For an even more extreme stance 20-inch five-V-spoke design wheels with 265/30-series tyres, or 5-arm rotor design wheels with two different finishes, can be specified as an option.
Mounted behind the large wheels are internally vented wave disc brakes with high gloss black-painted callipers. The front callipers with their eight pistons and prominent RS logos measure 365 millimetres in diameter. The steel friction rings with their wave-like outer contour are perforated and connected to the aluminium brake caps via pins. This concept reduces tensions, quickly dissipates heat and prevents transmission of temperature peaks. The new shape of the friction rings shaves a total of roughly three kilograms off the unsprung weight.
For the front axle, Audi offers the option of 380-millimetre carbon fibre ceramic discs and six-piston callipers in anthracite grey. The ceramic brakes are especially lightweight, robust and durable.
The Audi drive select driving dynamics system is a standard feature of the RS 4 Avant. With it, the driver can switch between three modes – comfort, auto and dynamic – to determine the characteristics of the steering, the S tronic transmission and the throttle response. Audi drive select can even vary the sound of the exhaust system, double-declutching when downshifting in dynamic mode. If the car is equipped with an Audi navigation system, a largely driver-configurable ‘individual’ mode is also available.
In addition to the sport differential, another component available for Audi drive select is dynamic steering. It varies its steering ratio by nearly 100 per cent depending on speed and automatically countersteers slightly at the cornering limit for even more precise and stable handling.
Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) will also be available as an extra cost option in this latest generation RS 4. The system connects diagonally opposed pairs of shock absorbers by way of oil lines and a central valve, and promotes even greater stability and composure at speed. The three damping modes it offers will also be controllable via the Audi drive select system.
The exterior design of the RS 4 Avant leaves onlookers in no doubt about its very special capabilities, without overstating the case. Its hexagonal single-frame grille is set in a frame with a matte aluminium-look finish and its honeycomb insert is finished in high-gloss anthracite. LED daytime running lights encircle the xenon plus units like a clasp in the wedge-shaped headlights. The air flows through large openings divided by crossbars and embedded in a distinctive bumper featuring a motor racing-style splitter edge.
When viewed from the side, the chiselled sill extensions and flared wheel arches enable the RS 4 Avant to strike a powerful pose even in profile, and give a nod to the pioneering Audi quattro from back in 1980. The side mirror housings and trim strips have a matte aluminium-look finish, and a discreet roof spoiler ensures the necessary downforce.
The distinctive bumpers and the two oval tailpipe caps of the dual exhaust system dominate the rear end and are integrated into an upturned diffuser. A sports exhaust system is available as an extra cost option to deepen the tone of the already deep-seated exhaust note, and where this is fitted the exhaust pipes feature matte black caps.
The Audi RS 4 Avant is 20 millimetres longer, 24 millimetres wider and 20 millimetres lower than the standard A4 Avant. It will be available in a choice of eight colours: one solid and one metallic finish, four pearl-effect colours and two special ‘crystal-effect’ colours: Panther Black, which is available from launch, and Prism Silver, which will be available to order later this year. The extensively clad underbody integrates air vents for the seven-speed S tronic transmission and the front brakes.
The interior of the RS 4 Avant is finished completely in black, with the exception of the roof lining, which is optionally available in Moon Silver. Chrome clasps subtly accentuate switches and control elements. Carbon inlays are standard, with brushed matte aluminium, Aluminium Race, piano black finish or a light stainless steel mesh available as options.
The standard heated front sport seats with integrated headrests are power- adjustable and covered in a combination of black leather and Alcantara. Fine Nappa leather in either Black or Moon Silver accentuated with Stone Grey piping is available as an option. Other options include bucket-style ‘super sports seats’ or luxurious, climate-controlled comfort seats with a ventilation function. The thick ring of the leather multifunction sports steering wheel is flattened at the bottom, and it features shift paddles in an aluminium-look finish.
The Driver’s Information System (DIS) with colour display includes an RS menu with a lap timer and an oil temperature gauge. Both it and the MMI monitor display a special RS welcome screen when the car is started.
The instrument cluster bezel is finished in gleaming piano black, and the design of the selector knob of the seven-speed S tronic is unique to the RS. Typical of all RS vehicles, the door openers are two delicate bars. The pedals, the footrest, the air vents, the shift paddles on the steering wheel, the MMI buttons and other controls have an aluminium-look finish. Aluminium inserts also adorn the door sill trims, which are accentuated with RS 4 badges.
Audi offers exclusive high-grade leather packages for all seating options, including a design package with honeycomb quilting for the RS 4 bucket seats. Rounding out the list of optional equipment is a broad range of state-of-the-art driver assistance and communication systems, including the Mobile Phone Preparation – High option that connects the RS 4 Avant with the Internet and brings Google Earth satellite navigation mapping when specified in conjunction with MMI navigation plus
Options for the luggage compartment, which offers up to 1,430 litres of cargo space, include a rail system with load securing set and a power-operated tailgate.
June 2012
UK price of Audi RS4 announced: £54,925 OTR – first UK deliveries autumn 2012.
February 2014
RS4 Avant Nogoro unveiled
The customised Nogaro blue, pearl effect paint finish is the most immediately apparent tribute to the esteemed RS2 in this anniversary model. In addition, the frame of the Singleframe grille and the window surrounds are painted high-gloss black, and the roof rails matt black. The RS sports exhaust system terminates in two oval, high-gloss black tailpipe trims.
Under the bonnet of the Audi RS 4 Avant Nogaro sits the same 4.2 FSI as the standard RS4. The Audi RS 4 Avant Nogaro selection rides on 265/30 series tyres. Behind the gloss turned finish 20-inch wheels in 5-V-spoke design gleam red-painted brake calipers bearing RS emblems.
Audi offers two different upholstery versions for the electrically adjustable S sport seats with their integrated head restraints. In both cases, the side sections are covered with black Valcona leather; the Alcantara trim for the centre sections and door trim inserts are coloured either black as well or Nogaro blue – in homage again to the Audi Avant RS2. The armrests are covered with black leather, with blue contrasting stitching providing accents. Black or Nogaro blue piping frames the black floor mats.
Black leather with blue stitching also refines the steering wheel rim and the selector lever boot. Blue threads run through the carbon inlays. A badge on the RS selector lever knob of the S tronic and the logos on the door sill trims refer to the special status of the anniversary model. The Audi RS 4 Avant Nogaro selection will be available in mainland Europe later in 2014 as a limited edition. The possibility of UK specification production is still under discussion.
