Audi RS4 vs. M5

Performance. The two are very close wise in performance. The RS4 is four seconds faster around the "ring", but in real life they are very close. There is also a significant price difference, the RS4 is about 20k cheaper. The RS4 also looks much better. Both are great cars, I would pick the RS4, but both are good choices.

dwade... you mean RS4

It depends on how big of a car you want, either a 5er or A4... If I were you, I would get a M5 if you like the extra horses, but the RS4 is more of a personal car, I think... I've driven both, although the RS4 only for like 1 min, but the RS4 is more for me... the M5 is a little too big for me... BMW is tighter on handling, but I think comfiness, i like RS4

The M5 is about twice the price of the S4. The S4 is a great car, but you can 't really compare it with the M5, it competes with the current M3.

The IS is good car, but it can't come even close to competing with the RS4 or the M5, not to mention that it is about half the price of the two. I would not even consider the IS when comparing it with the RS4 and the M5.

Now I see, the S4 still applies then. You can get one under 60k and you can still track/use it on the twisties.

I don't know. Here are some reviews for you to read of the cars that I think fit your needs

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/8682/executive-adrenalators.html

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_0308_sports_car_comparison/index.html

Dwade being another avid motorist i must say that both are commendable cars, but you can't go past the M5 the shape the body the presence.... the drool that drips from one's mouth at the sight of such a beast.... did i mention the engine? have you heard it? the 5ltr high revving v10! Oh baby, there is a reason why it won engine of the year, again.
There is nothing like the feeling of knowing that you have the road-going version of an F1 engine in your car and that there is very few machines that will ever match it with you in a straight line.
Personally i am a BMW man through and through and the thought of purchasing an Audi has honestly never gone through my mind, as i'm of the opinion that they just don't stack up in terms of presence and status. (note this is my opinion only, others will digress)

BMWMPower your belief that Audi does not matchup to BMW in terms of presence or status is about to go out the window.

When the Audi RS4 defeats the beloved BMW M3 in straight-line acceleration, track performance and costs $15-20K more, I think you would be smart enough to think about that whole status deal.

Furthermore with the Audi R8 coming you will see a Lamborghini Gallardoesque supercar with an engine to blow the doors off the 911 (except Turbo) and it may even be pretty close to the Turbo in terms of straight-line performance.

And so the high-performance trend only gets hotter for Audi as the Quattro GmbH division is already busy planning the TTRS, RS5, RS6 and RS3 along with getting the factory ready to build the R8.

There you have an additional 5 Audi RS models which will cost more than their BMW counterparts in terms of price, will likely just as fast if not faster than the respective BMW M models in straight line acceleration and offer extremely good track performance as witnessed with the RS4 and new (model year 2008) TT which shaved 15 seconds off the previous model's Nurburgring time.

That whole 60:40 weight distribution thing paying off?

I seriously think so......

BMWMPower

The engine on the RS4 is just as high revving as the M5's. It is just smaller. The RS4 engine also sounds very good.

Here is a video

http://web.mac.com/sugardeez/iWeb/Site/Audi%20Streets%20of%20Tomorrow.html

Under 60K, its tough but I would either go with an S4, which is not bad, but from personal experience, its not all that great of a car, (I have an A4, so no, I'm not bashing Audis). You know, the E90 M3 will be coming out with a 4 door in 1.5 years, if you could wait. If not, I think the 550i, although its like 70K, its a great car... M5 might be way out of your range, at 90+K. 550i or S4/RS4, the S4 being in the low 50K, and RS4 being at about 70K... Can't think of anything else...

Lemme know what you finally decide to get... and I'll keep throwing suggestions if any comes to mind...

Jovi
Have you actually driven the RS4?

Neverminds, I thought you said RS4 in your first sentence.

You could get a USED E55 AMG for about 58K.

That car is delicious. Even though they came out with the new engine, that supercharger just makes this engine a torque BEAST.

It looks great as well.

I think the BMW 550i is your best bet. BMW will easily beat Audi in: resale value, warranty care, reliability, performance, panache, etc. etc.

IMO. For the ammount of metal you receive for that price I would take the M5. I like the sound of the engine. But then again the RS4 has a nice sounding engine as well. Similar sound due to its large engines. If you want a more intimate vehicle to drive that's not so big on size then the RS4 is for you. IF you want a mid/full size sedan with a BMW name that's already well establihed then pickup a M5. You can't go wrong with any of these German brands. MB/Audi/BMW = great brands respectively. They are better than any Japanese import IMO.

Aside from all the people defending their favorite manufacturer, their all great cars for the daily commute. Just personal preference in what kind of styling you want and which dealer gives you a better deal first.

Regarding size, the RS4 is similar to an A4/S4 whereas an M5 is typically a 5 Series. Both are very nice cars and I'm sure you would be happy with both of them. Performance: the RS4 is quicker around the "ring" by ~4 seconds, but in real world driving, the M5 is faster at any speed. 5-60, 30/60/90 standing starts, 0-150mph, etc. You are talking about a V-10 with 500hp compared to a 4.2L 420hp engine...as for weight they are ~150lbs apart. Handling: I think Audi has done a terrific job with the suspension AWD system is among the best. For now, it is only offered as a six speed so that is also a very good thing. The SMG on the M5 (which I have driven) is a bit complicated at first, but becomes easier with time.

Hope that helps.

Audi4ever have you had your head in the sand? BMW is bringing out the M5 in a manual stick shift anyway. The i-drive crap? Then why the hell is everyone else copying it and implementing similar systems in their cars?

BMWMPower....you are right, audi4ever does have his head in the sand...quick sand that is......you have to relate to the poor guy, he's works for Audi and he's trying to protect his job and (hopeful) future car sales.

M5 is great driving, and the SMG is great to use, which is probably why many people don't like it, because they haven't used it often enough, maybe during one or two test drives...

SMG is better than a Stick, which, to me, is very old fashion.

Chewie, yes, I have driven the RS4 at Audi of Fairfield's Audi Days at LimeRock park earlier this year (mid-late April). Its great.

But I think the 550i, RS4, or used E55/CLS55 is a good choice... Now its up to you for the styling, and size preference...

Having been one of the few people on this site to actually have driven and been in a M5 im just gonna go outon a limb here and say sorry Audi fans but keep dreaming. Oldies alrite Rs4 better because there most proberly computer illiterate. The M5 is all that and a packet of potato chips. Power of so powerful and magic power, relaiblilty and the best thing when shomeone goes jeez sounds like a diesil and then u plant your foot and the intoxicating sound of the high revving V10 brings a sheer joyous smile on that persons face you no your driving all that a packet of chips. I come from Asutralia were Ford performance vehciles and Holden Speciality Vehicles and the main stream performance inc. (all great cars might i say). But nothing and i mean nothing in my view speaks power, luxury, presitege and out and out class like a M5. BTW i love iDrive with voice commands and i love the SMG although i dont really ever use automatic seetings cause i love using the paddles and the interior proberly not up to RS4 standards but i aint gonna complain bout it its relaxing, comforting and to me quite practical. The M5 is a true performace car and I would choose it 10 times outta 10 oiver the RS4

The M5 would be more fun to drive because it's got so many drive settings you can play with, I personally find RWD cars more fun than AWD cars, and even though it's only a little faster it still is faster.

The RS4 has tons of bang for the buck, but if cost isn't the option, most people who want to drive will take the M5, especially when the manual gearbox is released next year. Even though I still think the SMG is great fun.

Fortunately, nobody not even BMW or MB can match Audi for their interior desgn. The RS4's interior has better fit and finish, better materials quality, better ergonomics and better layout when compared to the M5 or even 3-series for that matter.

I drive a 2006 Bmw e60 m5 and my brother in England drives a RS4, aswell as a maserati grand sport (when its not in the shop months at a time for repairs). The main thing that turned me off the audi RS4 was the old technology that has been put into the car. The interior design of it has not changed enough since I had a 01' A4. I find the navagation ugly, along with the leather poor quality, contrary to chewy's beleifs. The SMG drive is a dream, and it helps the car outperform almost all standard drivers. I've also never been a fan of the quattro system because its 1 not nearly as fun as a rwd car, and 2: it allows audi to have poor weight distribution and get away with it on sedans. So far with my m5 I have had 2 problems. 1: I damaged a rim which was covered by "rim insurance" which I purchased quickly after finding out about it while buying my car, and 2: My hood paint was damaged by a corosive leak in my under ground garage and needed to be buffed and painted. BMW paid for BOTH of these to be fixed, and so far after 2 oil changes and 10 months of driving I have had to spend 0 dollars on car maintenence.

Whoo hooo VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE TENS

I'm a fan of both, although partial to the M5. Just looks mean/aggressive/classy all at the same time.

Hold out for the 2008 BMW M3....it will be well worth it!!!

RS4 vs. M5? They are two different classes of cars not meant to compete. By industry standards the RS4 falls into the “D-Sport” class and the M5 falls into the “E1-Sport class”. The only reason they are compared now is because the M3 is at a severe disadvantage to the RS4. The loyal “propeller heads” (I say that as an endearing term) are defending the honor of the BMW marquee by drawing the comparison, as if it meant something.

BMW will offer both a M3 Coupe and M3 4 Door Sedan. If it where me and money was no object. I would definitely go with the Race Car for 4. The BMW M5!

But, if you don't want to spend the big bucks, go with the Audi RS4. You get more bang for the buck until the 2008 M3 4 Door Sedan arrives.

Both are exceptional cars ... really depends on what you prefer driving. The M5 is more of the purists car while the RS4 is more subdued and more intimate in regards to driving ... It is impossible to compare the two cause they are so different. The SMG is an awesome transmission, but it is not for everyone. BMW has the purists in mind when the build the M5. It also, depends how long you plan to keep it and whether return value is important for you. If that is also a consideration, then Everyone Knows that the M5 is definitely king in that area. Sum it up the M5 is faster, handles better, more raw & sports oriented .... The Rs4 is more subdued, sporty , and more intimate, cost bout $20 less ... Either way they are phenomenal cars ....

BMW4me4ever

The RS6 Audi has held its value better than the M5, the RS4 will hold its value very well probably as it is a limited issue car. The M5 also probably doesn't handle better than the RS4, it is slightly faster, but the RS4 IMO is the purer sports car out of the two.

HAHAHAHAHAHA im just gonna forget i ever read what you just wrote chewy... the Audi RS4 a a more purer sports car then the king of kings in terms of sport sedans... Honestly AUDIS are awesome no denying that but in terms of sports sedans dont even attempt to compare it to the M5... The one problem people seem to see with the M5 is the all the technology problems. If thats the case get a Idiots guide to reading the manual for 10 minutes because ive only ever had 1 problem with the technology in the car and that was in the first few days of driving my m5 and the problem was the nav but i worked it out after reading the manual and i love the car its perfect. Audi Rs4 and Rs6 both great cars but no M5...

Both are great cars, but two different cars.

E60 M5: 500 hp, rwd, V-10, and the BMW sporty feel.

RS4: 420 hp, awd, v-8, and a more comfortable Audi Feel

If I were you, and willing to get used, go for the E39 M5. A little slower, but a nice handling car. RS4 and M5 are great, but might be a bit out of range (price wise). Good luck...

Neither

Hey Aussie, you're right the RS4 is not really comparable to the M5. But since it is really a smaller car in the 3-series range, it makes no sense to compare it.

And I GUARANTEE that the RS6 (the car actually intended to compete with the M5) will out do the M5 in every category. The last generation bested the previous M5 as well. You know this, you are just so stuck on BMW that you aren't willing to talk about it.

YOu really are down under aren't you?

RS4...at least you don't have to push a button to get more than 400hp :screwy:

For a family, the 550 or A6 4.2 are more realistic.

If you just have to have the super sedan to destroy all the other moms and dads on the way to your kids' soccer games, then go ahead and get the M5.

Have you considered a used RS6?