Audi A4 RS4 (05-08) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
Last Updated: 16 January 2009
Available as a saloon, estate and convertible, Audi's ultimate A4, the RS4, is powered by a huge 4.2-litre V8 engine with a whopping 414bhp. This gives it a 0-60mph time of less than five seconds and allied to a howling soundtrack from the FSI engine and four exhaust pipes, it makes driving one an intoxicating experience. The RS models have long had a cult following and this one is no exception. It's not cheap to buy or run, but if you want a less brash and overt alternative to the BMW M3, look no further.
5 out of 5

Other Audi reviews

2 out of 5

Running costs

The RS4 isn't a car you buy if you have one eye on running costs. As well as high fuel bills, insurance, servicing and any parts will all be expensive. When new it was competitively priced alongside the M3 with a price tag of more than £50,000. But it does come loaded with kit and of course, mind-blowing performance.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Variable - according to on-board computer.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£475.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

0.5 out of 5

Green credentials

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CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The RS4’s 4.2-litre petrol engine returns just 20mpg on average, so it's no surprise that the model performs poorly on the eco front. It emits 329g/km CO2 which is very high compared to an average family car, but fairly standard compared to similar performance models. The only saving grace is that owners of these sorts of cars tend to do fewer miles per year than those that own average family cars.

Find the exact engine and CO2