This was peak Audi design for me, and VW followed soon after. I wish there were more old A4s than new A3s and A1s on the road: my eyes would be really thankful.
Never mind the droves of A3s everywhere....its those hideous lumbering Q7/Q8 monstrosities that I can't stand! Absolutely vulgar, graceless and pointless vehicles they are.
I have had my b5 Rs4 for 15 years now. It has been very reliable when used regularly. Only time it started giving problems was when I decided to store it for 2 years as I wanted to keep mileage down. Drive your cars regularly and they will love you for it. Don’t worry about putting mileage on, as that’s what they made for.
Obviously 🤦♂. But subjective. And please do elaborate on that expert opinion. Sounds sidelined. perhaps missed out on scooping at lower prices. Of course it's not laser sharp steering/handling. What's the point here? what is the comparison... a Ford model T to a car 30+ years down the road? The B5 Chassis was in production mid 90s. Design would have been circa 1985 making this a run out model or celebration. Apples and oranges. @@EvoraGT430
I bought my B5 RS4 5 years ago a series of progressively more powerful B5s (1.8T, 1.8TQS, S4 saloon & S4 Avant) and it has been very reliable. . Other than the usual brake pads, wheel bearings, CV boots, track rod ends, the only other things I have had to replace are both EGT sensor circuit boards (DIY replacement with both PCBs costing £76 from Poland) and an alternator requiring removing the front bumper and moving the lock carrier to the Service Position. There isn't much space up front and to replace just the fan belt requires full dismantling of the front but with practice, you can get this down to c.30 minutes. It's an awesome car and probably one of the best looking estates out there. It's from an era where you had just the right balance of technology without being over the top. No silly over complicated computerised menus for everything and a proper manual gearbox.
I've had my 2000 model Nogaro B5 S4 for 16 years now and loved every moment. They didn't import any Nogaro RS4s into Oz, but if they had, I'd own one now. Re reliability - All of the big expensive bits have worn well - still on the original clutch at 263,000km, engine unopened. Little bits of annoyance are the front outer CV boots, coolant leaks and oil leaks from the back of the heads. Oh, and once you replace the front suspension bushes with quality urethane ones, steering response is sharpened significantly. This car has lived with five Porsches during my tenure - the Porsches have gone but this remains! Loved the vid, thanks!
@@realMaverickBuckley a careful driving style without dumping the clutch from rest gives you long clutch life. My Saab at 110k miles is on original clutch. I drive pretty hard but I do not burden the CLUTCH with heat.
@@777jones sure, but driving a 4wd performance car does need a careful foot... There are no tyres to spin like on an FWD Saab so the clutch does instead
Hi James, I think you are wrong re- running costs, I ordered my car in the summer of 98 when it was first rumoured and collected it 1st Nov 2000, Nogaro blue. I still have it and am probably the only "one owner car" left, it has done 138,000 miles and has had me smiling every one of them. It was upgraded to Stage 1 by MTM in 2001 420bhp and Stage 3 470bhp in 2003, it is not a garage queen, I competed in the RS4 challenge in 2002 and 2003 in Hockenheim and the car has been on the Norscheiffe many times and also many trackdays in UK and europe. I have found it to be reliable and I think cheap to maintain, was serviced by Audi for 12 years and then independents, regular oil changes and letting the car warm up and cool down properly I think helps to keep service bills down, It is not driven lightly and has been a daily driver, only being laid up for the last couple of years. It has had over 30 new wheels (all buckled and all replaced free of charge from Audi) I still have the change for free letter and video from Audi stating it is the crap roads in England as no cars had buckled wheels in Europe. It has had 6 replacement rear springs over my ownership (bad UK roads) the turbos and engine are still in perfect condition. It still averages 25 - 28mpg with normal driving and of course down to 6mpg on track. At 20 years old it is now starting to feel its age, the rear suspension is NLA so I have fitted H+R adjustable coilovers all round, it now has 19" BBS wheels I am trying to make a couple of headlamp adjuster switches which fit on the suspension as it will be an MOT fail and the parts are NLA!!! Apparently Audi keep spares for 15years. There is some surface rust on the underside and some bubbling on one front wing. Sorry mate but I think it is a great car and has relatively low running costs if you treat it with respect.
Totally agree that if driven sympathetically the B5 S4's running costs are not excessive. Also fitted a H&R dedicated coiler kit to mine and very happy with the resulting improvement in ride quality. It did help that at 212k miles the original suspension was completely worn out. Mine still running the OEM exhaust it came out of the factory with, 23 years and 290k miles later.
As i mentioned in a comment above, these cars are truly the last robust audis. They are the end of the era that gave ther germans their reputation for reliability. Its not a generalization to say the modern cars, faster as they may be, are excessively overcomplicated where they needn't be, with truly high running costs, that only get worse over time. Extremely jealous of your vehicle, as we obviously never received them.
A 1999 Ming Blue S4 B5 Avant has been my daily drive for the past 17 years! Now with 290k miles under it's belt, it has been totally reliable and I still love driving it.
I have owned mine since 2002 with 6000 miles on it. It is now just coming up to 100,000. Had a replacement gearbox under warranty early on - a well known synchro issue. It has had a few oil leaks that needed fixing - cam chain tensioners and rocker covers, again well known problems. I had to replace the lambda sensors - issue found with VCDS which is a must have - which was a fiddle but not that difficult or expensive. The front suspension arms needed replacing at around 75,000 miles. It needed a new clutch when the release bearing failed at around 60,000 miles -the clutch itself was still OK but while you're in there, etc. I too had the dreaded bent wheel syndrome and after 10 replacements gave up and bought some BBS rims which fixed it properly. The biggest problem now is if you need body parts/panels as there are none. I had to chase all over the country to find a second hand front bumper to replace the one that got damaged in Sainsbury's car park! Many other cars , some very nice ones, have come and gone in the last 20 years but the RS4 is still here. That says it all really.
@@TheLastMInuteHack wonder why. I work for an aerospace OEM and any legacy orders are still fulfilled. Different industries but still would have thought Audi would do that considering it’s an RS car also
@@shotta287 Sadly thats just not the way the industry works anymore. Almost everything manufactureres do these days is geared towards getting people into the 3 or 4 year lease cycle, keeping the cars going for maybe another 4 years after that then disposing of them. They are literally built to break in a way that makes then non-viable at a preditermined point. Yes, it's incredibly wasteful, cynical, greedy, un-environmental etc. but thats what they profit from the most and whats more, consumers seem to like it 🙄
Savage machine even to this day. In the early 2000’s in Dublin My neighbour and his wife were held at knifepoint, forced to get all the registration forms, spare keys , insurance certs etc. then tied up til their young kids found them in the morning. He had a tracker on it and it was found in a container in the docs, waiting to be shipped to Eastern Europe . Cops got it back and 3 lads were sent to prison for a long time. They boiled the kettle and threatened to pour it on a sleeping baby . True story
I picked up a B5 rs4 in August 2020. Biggest issue was with the EGT sensors but it was a simple enough DIY fix. I was after a b7 rs4 as a classic for weekend trips etc but the more I read about the b5 the more I liked. I’ve really enjoyed owning and driving it so far. I definitely think it handles a lot better than the understeering lump that you always hear about in the forums and the automotive press.
My B5 RS4 has 220k miles I’ve been one of the lucky ones when it comes to reliability but I’ve had some big bills ! ! Similar spec to this but I have Bilstein PSS9 coilovers and Wagner Intercoolers running 490bhp 702NM torque. I’m on original clutch and turbos ! But clutch does need replacement! Cam wear is also a problem on certain cars. I had my cams replaced at 145k miles. I bought my RS4 at Tonbridge Audi with 50k on the clock back in December 2006. I’ve taken mine on track to Castle Combe and also Spa ! it was surprisingly good for such a car but maybe down to the mods it has had. Great review James
Take the pipes of the turbo and use your finger to check for play on the turbine/compressor. If there is play turbo will eventually need a rebuild and it isn't too costly unless it grenaded.
I’ve owned a B5 RS4 for manyyyy years. Up to 330,000km now and it still goes so very well. It’s not cheap but the cost is mostly just top quality oil, tyres and the odd sensor or minor leak here and there. I was certainly surprised to hear you say many find them unreliable. My friend had a B7 RS4 and that definitely had a nicer chassis but the engine has so much less character! It’s fast, fun and can take the kids on holiday. I love the worst of air as the turbos spool up. I love how analogue it is. I love how understated it is. I love it, its worth every penny, it’s unlikely I’ll ever sell it.
Thanks for the review James… great fun to watch and a fair and honest review of an awesome machine. Here’s a list of most of the mods: MRC remap to 471ps 686nm Milltek cat back exhaust Eibach springs Hotchkis anti roll bars AWE drive train stabiliser Phaeton front discs This was an itch I had to scratch, a dream car of mine that I get to drive every day. Totally under the radar apart from those lucky few that know how special it really is. I was careful when searching for one and was fortunate enough to buy this beauty from a guy who owned and cherished it for nearly 14 years. It was in amazing condition and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it… then I drove it and wow, so much fun 🤩 It will want for nothing. Regular checkups with a trusted specialist in Camberley, who have taken care of the usual wear and tear which you’d expect to fork out on a performance car of this age… and an oh 5hit fund just in case. We love it 😍🚗
I drove one for 11+ years. I love the car, but it gives headaches. Wouldn't start quite often. Rims warp easily. Never nice to do major repairs, especially in the Quattro/RS drive train (all hefty custom orders by now). The rear spoiler flew off at 300 km/h. The side mirror started leaking some weird goo all right on the paint on the door... Things like that. Despite the negatives, the B5 RS4, to me, still is an extraordinary car. I have had great experiences with it and for some reason it just won't go out of style. The way it drives is utterly reliable and the force of the twin turbos never gets old. The main three pros are the understated styling, the practicality of a wagon and the performance... I am so happy to have owned it for such a long time. As with any performance car: as long as you have the funds to keep it pristine, go for it. PS: Go for the non-tuned 380 bhp standard one. It is down-tuned to make it last for ages, Audi found a great balance. O yes, mine had a sunroof, so it was an option back then.
@@DirkOz Really?!? Thank you for pointing that out. The dealer did replace the rims at one point, but they acted as if it was their generous offer on their account, for messing something up royally.
Probably one of the more accurate reviews I’ve watched. Bad news travels fast and these can be money pits. I’ve owned a B5 S4 for 13 years and only just ‘garaged queened’ it this year due to ULEZ, it’s sitting on 197k miles, I’ve done 111k of those. I’ve also owned a B5 RS4 running 450 bhp. I find every 15-20k miles you’re looking at some expense. My first set of turbos went at 120k miles then 177k miles. I’ve had the engine out 3 times and pretty much everything underneath the car had been replaced at some point, I wouldn’t swap it for anything though, I’ll keep my S4 till I die …. Just awesome cars. James is wrong btw, the noise of a RS4/S4 at full chat is incredible, he just needs to get off the B-Roads. James, you’re more than welcome to try my B5 S4!
That would be an awesome episode. I had a B5 A4 2.8, sold it years ago and was sorry I did. So about six years ago, I went looking for another and ended up with an S4. I’ve done a lot of repairs on it, but I’m keeping it. I think this is why people don’t want to part with them. They represent possibly Audi’s peak when it comes to looks and driving experience. Something that can never be gotten back once gone.
A friend bought one a few years ago. A couple of days after he collected it, it was in his garage, engine out & he fitted two bigger turbos, the two small standard intercoolers were replaced with a single large intercooler. A trip to MRC later & it returned with a power output of 550bhp.
Haha. My old car 👍🏼. Glad to see it’s still on its original plates too. Was mint when I sold it in 2005 and good to see it looking as good as it did back then.
Always liked the look of these. A friend of mine has an absolutely pristine one with about 35k kms on it, he bought for a ridiculously low amount of money like 10 years ago.
Still looks the part these days, subtle but with just enough clues its a bit of a beast. A Friend had one 15 years ago he also had a TVR though a Chimaera. Reliability was OK with only a problem with a leaking diff luckily the back one! In the end he went up a size of Audi to a A6 Avant as he was like me into mountain biking and it was just a bit too small for bikes in the back.
When working and selling Audi’s when this came out, I sold one of the very first RS4’s from Chelmsford Audi to a guy near slough. I drove it around the M25 with a driver to bring me back after delivery in an 225bhp S3. Needless to say we had some fun!
I am a swiss owner of a grey RS4 B5, review is absolutely great, so great that even the part about costs is true. Every year i have at least one big bill, the biggest one is the one I am preparing at the moment which includes : complete original new brakes, two new camshafts, new camshaft chains, new camshaftchains tensioners, new camshaft cover, new original wheels, complete timing belt (includes water pump), polishing front headlights (they became slightly yellow with sun), polishing whole body, and probably some other things I have forgotten...otherwise, fuel pomp less than 100K Km, clutch less than 100K kms, I don't know how many sensors I already changed, drivers seat belt,... the problem is every part which is exclusiv to the RS4 is very expensive !!! I cross my fingers I don't have to replace turbos one day ...because it's around 4000euros/turbo. car is full standard 385 HP, original springs, original wheels, brakes, interior, ecu,...0 modifications.
I remember seeing one of these in silver at the NEC motor show in October 2000 and thinking thats a nice looking 1.8T sport wagon...then when I read it did 0-60 in 4.9 seconds my jaw hit the floor! I just LOVED (still do) that "factory sleeper" character to it. It's a pity that Audi et all have totally forgotten how to do the whole understated/elegant/cool thing. Everything has to be so brash and obvious now, as the current RS models demonstrate! Every time I look at cars from the 1990s and early 00s, I can't help but conclude that tastes and fashions, particularly in Europe, were far more cultured and elegant than they are now. We have a surfeit of tech now but we've lost all semblance of good taste, and I think thats a pity. Perhaps one day we will find it again...
I really like these; I love the subtlety of the design which is sadly missing from modern Audi design. One of the partners at work had one for a long time and it always looked so tight even parked against modern cars.
I have had my Audi RS4 B5 same colour same spec (480BHP) as in the video. Owned it for well over ten years, loads of miles in it, no mercy either driving wise and it has been a rock solid very reliable car. I used it as my daily and for work long distance stuff. Only things needed replacing are tyres, bushes, oil etc.. standard fair for running a car. Car has done 130,000 miles and still is fine and drives great. I really don't get the unreliability comments, that's not my experience by a long chalk! In fact I would go as far as to say its never let me down.
I have to say I infinitely prefer the styling of both the B5 and B7 to the more modern RS4s. Audi design from this era is so distinctive for me, understated yet at the same time quite muscular. Interesting comment regarding reliability though. I never owned an RS or S variant B5 but I did own a regular saloon B5 A4 (first car actually) and it cost me a fortune to run. It was a high mileage car but lots went wrong on it
I had a beautifuly modded one in nogaro blue running about 440 hp sat on bilstein coilover’s ( recommended on the b5rs )..on smooth tarmac it was epic !! … also very very good on the Nurburgring 👌.. Dunno why you think they unreliable… mine never skipped a beat in 4 years .. 4 track days 2 trips to the Nurburgring.
I've owned a B5 S4 for the last 6 years. I adore it. I prefer it to my B7 RS4. Its never once broken down to the point of not being able to drive it. Most of the money I've spent has been upgrading and modifying as there is so much available for them. Most of the maintenance on it has been age related and previous neglect related. You basically need to straight pipe these to get the true proper noise out of them. Mine only has the cats and a backbox on it with a full 3 inch exhausts and 3 inch downpipes. Sounds glorious and gives my B7 RS4 a run for its money on the down low grumble tone.
I have a few b5 s4’s and I owned a b5 rs4 for a few years I just sold in November. I’m obsessed with the platform and engine. Really not too unreliable as long as you keep up with maint, and use quality parts. Fun cars to tune and play with.
This is 'the' RS4 for me , it just looks right , it sounds glorious for a V6 also. And how many big cars look good in bright red. All subsequent RS4 varients seemed lacking somehow.....8/10
Absolutely loved my B5 S4 470bhp relentless power, I even done a trackday at croft and it was surprisingly good, it was on Eibach coilovers and big AP 6 pots which I cooked. I’ll be honest I sold it before it cost me an absolute fortune, the whole time I had it it was totally reliable.
You can hear the enjoyment in your voice while driving this car James. So, so different to having to keep pinching yourself to stay awake while reviewing the Tesla recently.
Great review. I’ve owned one for 14+ years. I don’t daily it any more and I’ve put a fair bit of money into it over the years. It’s only ever broken down once - crank sensor. I think you need a good specialist who is familiar with them and/or to be very handy on the tools yourself. I don’t feel they need to be a maintenance nightmare at all.
Yep had one these. 2001 - Nogaro Blue with Factory fit sunroof, full silver grey leather, had her for 7x years( reluctantly sold her,for a larger SUV)☹ Fantastic Car, one of the best i've owned, MRC stage 2 upgrade, approx 440+, if i remember......, i've always wanted one ( bucket list), so purchased one.... it Never let me down,always spot on.... just the usual cam cover oil leaks, worn bushes, suspension upgrade etc...would i buy another one.... YES😘
I owned one for 9 years and full restored it as a rolling project. It was very reliable but i did have to do the turbos but it was a reasonable £3500. The standard suspension is poor, wallowy and crashy at the same how??. A thick rear ARB transforms them along with bilstein pss9’s. What really impressed me was how it owned our works ranger rover sport in the snow!
I have owned my B5 RS4 for 7 years now serviced by myself and it has been utterly reliable contrary to your advice. The only issues I have ever had have been the EGT sensor PCBs I replaced myself at a cost of £80 (sourced from Poland) and the alternator involving slam panel to the service position. It doesn’t squeal, rattle or bang. It’s just a well made and great looking car built with the right balance of electronic sophistication and feel back to the driver. Yes it has some turbo lag but that’s what makes it a classic that will be sadly a thing of the past when everything goes electric.
I have been waiting a while to See Jay drive another manual RS... What a machine. Really did like the steering feel description, so far one of the few I've not saying the word ''feels dead'', but instead indicating that you can do something with it.
Ahhhhh, B5 contact. 🎊🥳 That engine bay and engine is the reason I went with the 1.8t. No where near the power but it's a great start to learning how Audi puts things together. Come take a look at what I have done with it 🙂 Thanks for the video.👍🏼
I bought my 2000 S4 (same look and engine as the RS4 but in sedan form) about 5 or 6 years ago with 222k miles on it. I had no idea who’d owned it before me or how they’d driven it. The only clues that I had that it had been driven hard was that when I went to get the engine ECU tuned, they said that it had been tuned before and that the previous owner set the tune to stock mode before selling it. So they simply gave me the latest version of the tune for $150 and told me how to turn up the volume so to speak. That said, I’ve never found the car to be any more unreliable than any other high mileage car. I’ve simply found it more complicated. For example. It’s got two turbos. Thusly it’s got two turbo oil lines and two turbo coolant lines. Because of where they’re located right down in the armpits of the engine bay, they are incredibly difficult to change. I did change one turbo coolant line without pulling the engine out and it was the most miserably difficult repair job I’ve ever done. It took me 4 days and included specially grinding down an angled wrench to get into the tiny space where the turbo, transmission bell housing and firewall nearly collide. Anything to do in the front of the car and the front bumper must come off. Not just the plastic part, but the radiator and frame too. It’s also got a ton Of sensors and a ton of control arms. Since all of these cars are old. Ow, expect to have to change those out too. If you’re not mechanically inclined or have deep pockets, you will hate owning this car no matter how much you love driving it. That said, it has only left me stranded once. And that’s when the timing belt broke. But that’s something that can happen with any car With 100k miles. The best thing to do is save up for the repairs you know you’re going to have to or want to get done professionally and just be prepared to part with the money when the time comes. When they do that repair, do as many replacements and upgrades as you can when they’re in that particular region of the car, because you don’t want to pay to get in there twice. Two examples. When one control arm goes out, don’t replace just one. While it is possible to locate just one, the piece of mind you will have after someone else has replaced and is now responsible for the repair quality of all 50 of them. Timing belt gone out? Replace the water pump, drive belts, alternator and hoses so that you know you won’t have to see your car with the front end off for may years. These cars are more about preventative maintenance than anything else I’ve ever owned… but I can’t quite say they’re unreliable. Once you’ve fixed something, you’ve fixed it and it doesn’t break again. My wife’s R56 mini S on the other hand. That’s a very unreliable car 😂 Professional repairs completed - Timing belt and water pump replacement - Accessory Drive belt replacement - Front brake line replacement - All front control arms, bushings and linkages replaced - Tires Replaced by me - ABS control unit - Cam speed sensors - Left rear caliper - Valve cover gaskets - Ignition switch - Oil pan and gaskets - Turbo oil return line - APR stage 1 tune - Diverted valves to support tune - Custom exhaust to support tune - Upgraded intake to support tune - KW coilovers to support tune - Upgraded brake pads and rotors to support tune - Auxiliary water pump delete
I owned a Nogaro Blue B5 RS4 for 2+ years and loved it. They are very rare, as you say, around 400 RHD. Of those, around 10 - 12% were apparently Noggy Blue. Mine also had the 'Hi-Tech' fabric seat centres and carbon interior trim instead of the usual piano black. Can't be more than a half dozen with that combo... Y593GDU, are you out there?! Not MOT'd since 2018, hopefully tucked up safe in a private collection. Regarding reliability - mine, though tuned to 440bhp, was as reliable as anything of similar age. Went through a couple of clutch cylinders and coolant hoses but never needed anything major. I think the horror stories come from folks who have had to replace the turbos - as said in the vid, they're a bastard to do and priced accordingly. Still, a 996 Turbo has the same issue. So will most current turbo'd performance cars when they're 20 years old! It's a very special car. The kind they don't make any more. Likes a drink and wet roundabouts are an understeery nightmare (even with H&R coilovers and bigger ARBs) but they will put a big smile on your face every day. 2,800rpm... zoom! And, just look at it!
Thorough and informative review, Jay. I loved this when it was introduced, a real wolf in sheep's clothing in it's day, and good for 165mph in original spec. I think we're going to see more manual boxes in the future, your demonstration of fun is not going unnoticed (I hope).
Great vid James - well-researched and nicely balanced precis of this car as it is today. Thanks for posting. Mine was bought at 110K, with the intention of keeping it for two years before scratching the 911 itch. I've had it six years and it's now sitting at 160K miles. Bone stock, but for uprated Bilstein B12 suspension and springs, re-bushed all-round and fitted with the OEM 'hard' wheels (a free upgrade from Audi UK) to cope with UK roads. Running stock, the power/weight ration s around 231bhp / tonne which for me is ideal for UK roads (such as they are). I dailied mine for six years, taking it on European trips (South of France, Lake Como via Germany), NC500 (twice) etc. on holidays. The Como trip yielded ~28.9mpg running 99-100 RON including some Autobahn pulls (max-ed out at 161mph) and handled long stretches cruising between 110-125mph comfortably. In my ownership, servicing and maintenance included a full cambelt & pulley service, new wheel bearings, cam cover gaskets (cams were fine), and some replacement ancillaries being the 'biggies'. Total maintenance and servicing costs have worked out ~£1k a year overall (for comparison, my B9 A4 has had £5K of warranty work in only two years...). The B5 RS for me has a real 'X-factor' - it's invigorating to drive, yet never tiring. It copes well with life - yet can frighten with its pace at times. So yeah, I love it.
245K MILES on my daily driven 2000 Audi S4 with full RS4 setup and APR tuning...it's been very reliable but I have done (and still do) much of the work and it would be more daunting if I had to take it to the mechanic.
Last year I had to make a choice between a nogaro blue Rs4 and a sprint blue b7 rs4 avant. I ended up going for the b7. I’ve been thinking about having one of these as a weekend/show car. I love the styling of the b5. Someone I know had one and I can remember looking in my rear view mirror and seeing this low wide Rs4 avant pull out overtake 3 cars and sit behind me. I was in awe at the way it looked. I missed my chance on buying that car (prices weren’t what they are now) and in the end it was broken for spares. This is the year for it!
Great, objective video as usual. The RS4 has always been one of the top picks for my dream garage. I never realised how similar that V6 sounds to the 5-pot engines.
I didnt have a B5 but I still have an A4 B6 on 501.000 kilometers. Aged really well, consumption is really good (4-5l/100km). The style is still similar to the B5's, such a beauty
Owned an almost identical car between 2006-2013, with similar spec (MRC map/full Milltek/B7 brakes/coilovers/ARB's). As mentioned, very tuneable as nothing was needed with the engine's internals until >550bhp, but stage 3 seemed to be a sensible point to stop in terms of reliability. Did two of the common big ticket items on mine though, with the cam wear issue and 1st/2nd gearbox syncros needing attention, however managed to avoid having to replace turbos. Moved on to a 997 Turbo, but still miss the RS4..
Legend has it these were used to transport the happy stuff coming from Morocco en route to France through Spain. Being an estate looking like a station wagon they were the ultimate Q car...
Currently own a B5 S4 Avant, as you say running costs are very high and will always work but is never quite right. There is always a problem but rarely something that stops you from using it if you really need to. But in reliability terms it has nothing on my V5 golf and I know which one I will be keeping in the long run as my toy (the golf)
Owned a ~500bhp one of these for a few years and still own a fully standard B5 S4 saloon in a very rare colour. I really didn't like the gearbox though, a short shifter improves it a bit and maybe mine was just more worn out but it wasn't nice at all. I didn't have any big repair bills thankfully and reliability wise it never let me down. I replaced it with a very special B8 RS4 and compared to that the B5 really is a dinosaur. But having said that I do miss it and sometimes wish I'd never sold it...
Well my experience that was a sad story. Purchase the car back in 2014 for 9000. And a beautiful bright blue the same interior as this one. Beautifully clean. I was over the moon!! About one month later I had a Revo remap completely transform the car. But then I noticed there was a smell of burning oil. Both of the turbos were leaking oil so engine out two new refurbished turbos from a lovely place in Manchester. At the same time water pump and cambelt done. 3700£ later. Then the rear wheel bearing failed catastrophically and left me stranded. Then all the wishbones have to be replaced I was a bit cheap and purchased some Chinese ones on eBay. I was starting to pull my hair out and worrying every time I would drive the car what else would go wrong. So I sold it for quite a large profit in the end I didn't actually lose money and put about 8,000 miles on the clock. The parts of me wishes I had just left it in the lock up, I miss it ! I too didn't realize how rare they are. And now my life is completely different and I own a motorcycle 🤣🏍️.
My s4 was very reliable. I spent a lot of money modifying it but in terms of fixing very little. Ko4d it and 50k miles later on 160k miles with its new owner and its going just as well now as it was all those years ago
A friend has a 600hp s4 b5, its an animal. It rarely comes out, I think its the fear of it breaking. Another local chap had a b5 rs4 with a tow bar, he used to tow his other big power toys around with it. Both s4 and rs4 are a very rare sight here in Ireland.
This video makes me sad. I ordered mine in the iconic metallic silver when I saw it on the Quattro 20th anniversary visit to Neckarsulm. Piano Black interior and Silver (cream) leather. It was stunning with its extended arches. I only changed it because the RS6 came out and the V8 engine got me but the RS4 was so much more refined. I learnt last year it got trashed which made it all worse. The centre console and seats were superb and the torque in 2nd and 3rd was immense. And to echo others on here I was followed home twice in 2001-2002 when they were being stolen to order, the same time that Paul Harris had his stolen from a local hotel car park near their offices. The spiritual successor to this car is the latest RS4 with the V6 biturbo engine
I've not personally owned an RS4, but as a systems analyst I have the same philosophy with both software and German cars: if you haven't found a problem, you simply haven't looked hard enough.
My dad had a B5 S4 from new and drove it just over 100k miles (bought in 2000, sold in 2015 I think). It was a year-round car in New York which meant harsh winters. To add salt to the wounds (pun intended) it also spent a decent amount of time on dirt roads. To my memory he didn't have any serious problems with the car. Most of the suspension components were on their way out by the time he sold it, but he never had any issues with the turbochargers. I think the issues start piling up post 100k miles, which is why he got scared and traded it in (for a new B8 S4 obviously..).
During ownership of my b5 s4 it was a never ending list of jobs , every time you drove it something else would go wrong , B5 s4 rs4 owners all know the pain 1) heater matrix - dash out 2) clutch is delicate when around 500bhp - engine out ideally 3) turbos failing - engine out 4) heated seat elements 5) rs4 brake discs are £500 each from Audi hence the vw used option 6) EGT sensors very expensive - fail for a past time 7) leaky steering racks I had all the above hit me in a 3 month window But they are now 25 years old and are great fun just expensive , but if you own one of these you probably have done your homework and will be expecting it or buying a good example with the common items already changed .
We had a yellow version of that when it was new. The Gearbox broke within one month. No warranty because it had ECU Tune days before that happened (even when it was known to fail in standard cars too). Car was than repaired and shortly after that we sold it. Beside of that it was fun, First car I jumped over a crossing trying to catch the green light. :-D
You would think Audi didnt change too much of the bodywork of the standart A4 but the bonnet and the roof are actually the only body parts the rs4 shares with the a/s4
I had one of these on a Y plate. Wasn't as expensive as my E92 M3 to run.....but that's because I didn't have to pay for the wheel replacements. Had 10 or 12 new wheels due to them bending. Mad. It was a great car. Was it unreliable....? Hmm. Nothing catastrophic. I would agree and say I was always having something minor sorted ... When the wheels weren't being swapped out.
Reliability...I had a c5 allroad with a 6spM for 11 years. In North America that car came with the 2.7 v6 twin turbo, although the 4v version which made 250hp. Between that engine and the airbag suspension it was a complicated car....often used as a poster boy for German complexity and expensive maintenance. So...yeah it wasn't great for reliability, but it wasn't horrible either. Things occasionally broke, so I fixed them, then they sometimes broke again...so I fixed them again. It never stranded my wife though, and it was a dream to drive. My understanding is that the automatic transmission was a huge problem which gained the c5 allroad its reputation and of course I was spared that suffering. BUT...and this matters...the pain and suffering I went through when it did need repairs was inexcusable. The thing was designed so that even simple jobs took ages and required a suite of tools. This is likely why people complain about running costs. I would have got rid if it much sooner if I had to pay someone to do the work.
I knew somebody who bought one of these from new. Went to a Pub next to the Thames. He didn’t realise the Thames was tidal. Came back the next day & it was more like a boat. A write off.
I had one of these cars when I lived in the US, also modified to 460 HP / 480 lbft. My fuel economy wasn't too bad- 9.4 litres per 100km. They are reliable in that if you fix it properly, it will stay fixed. The issue is that so MANY things can break, and yes they are all expensive. For reference, I got a Z3 rack for my E30 for $240 and I was told that was expensive. My B5 steering rack was $3400. It's just a completely different game. Or a $14,000 engine rebuild. The list goes on. It's kind of like the Dodge Viper where it's unsympathetic to stupidity and will absolutely kill you. It just does it by making you spend another year working rather than spinning directly into a solid object at speed.
I really wanted one of those in the day. Wifey isn't keen on estates though so we went elsewhere. I left it too long to get a good used one at a sensible price. Bugger.
I think the RS6 was available during the B6 A4 generation, it might be the reason a B6 RS4 wasn't released. At least initially there was little overlap with the RS versions of these 2 lines.
I had a B5 TQS model many years ago and a number of friends have had/still have S4 and RS4 - james you are 100% correct - there is always something broken, and if there isn’t them it’s just about to 😂 but… there is something about them that makes you forgive them
The biggest downside when I had mine back in the day, was thieves and scumsuckers. I was followed home on several occasions by twonks and one neighbour who also had a re-mapped version was attacked at home for his keys. Other than that it was all gravy tbh. Tyre wear was poor when applying beanage but what else would you expect. Fuel consumption was biblical and brakes always needed fettling. I’ve since had a B7 and a C5 RS6.
![ทุกครั้งที่หลับตา (Lucid Dream) - AYLA's [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4i1OBAQyv58/mqdefault.jpg)
This was peak Audi design for me, and VW followed soon after. I wish there were more old A4s than new A3s and A1s on the road: my eyes would be really thankful.
Yep totally agree, I find all new audi's as lovely as they are all very,yep there another one and another one.
Nah, VW had their peak in design with the Corrado. :P
Never mind the droves of A3s everywhere....its those hideous lumbering Q7/Q8 monstrosities that I can't stand! Absolutely vulgar, graceless and pointless vehicles they are.
If I see you on the roads will give you a wave
I have the baby 1.8t fwd b5 avant but I still love it!
I have had my b5 Rs4 for 15 years now. It has been very reliable when used regularly. Only time it started giving problems was when I decided to store it for 2 years as I wanted to keep mileage down. Drive your cars regularly and they will love you for it. Don’t worry about putting mileage on, as that’s what they made for.
Not sure how many people feel the same way, but the B5 and C5 Audi designs have aged remarkably well.
The chassis is ancient and not good, though
Obviously 🤦♂. But subjective. And please do elaborate on that expert opinion. Sounds sidelined. perhaps missed out on scooping at lower prices. Of course it's not laser sharp steering/handling. What's the point here? what is the comparison... a Ford model T to a car 30+ years down the road? The B5 Chassis was in production mid 90s. Design would have been circa 1985 making this a run out model or celebration. Apples and oranges. @@EvoraGT430
My old car. Had it nearly 14 years. Gear knob was from esp engineering. Makes changing gear so much better than standard
That's awesome. Looks like a great improvement over the stock B5 knob
So would probably fit my B7 S4? Can you recall how much it was?
Never thought I’d say this. This early generation RS4 looks better than the RS2. Lot of love for this. Her front end just so pretty
It needs the front end of this but the rs2 rear to be perfect haha
Its a HE.
@@wolvoman1 Aha , yes
You can say many good things about Audi, but pretty? Only if drunk. 😃
@@BojanBojovic I would say the 2002 Audi S3 8L is one of the best looking (quite pretty) hot hatchbacks that has ever been made.
I bought my B5 RS4 5 years ago a series of progressively more powerful B5s (1.8T, 1.8TQS, S4 saloon & S4 Avant) and it has been very reliable. . Other than the usual brake pads, wheel bearings, CV boots, track rod ends, the only other things I have had to replace are both EGT sensor circuit boards (DIY replacement with both PCBs costing £76 from Poland) and an alternator requiring removing the front bumper and moving the lock carrier to the Service Position. There isn't much space up front and to replace just the fan belt requires full dismantling of the front but with practice, you can get this down to c.30 minutes. It's an awesome car and probably one of the best looking estates out there. It's from an era where you had just the right balance of technology without being over the top. No silly over complicated computerised menus for everything and a proper manual gearbox.
I've had my 2000 model Nogaro B5 S4 for 16 years now and loved every moment. They didn't import any Nogaro RS4s into Oz, but if they had, I'd own one now. Re reliability - All of the big expensive bits have worn well - still on the original clutch at 263,000km, engine unopened. Little bits of annoyance are the front outer CV boots, coolant leaks and oil leaks from the back of the heads. Oh, and once you replace the front suspension bushes with quality urethane ones, steering response is sharpened significantly. This car has lived with five Porsches during my tenure - the Porsches have gone but this remains! Loved the vid, thanks!
Holy shiznit😳😳
OG clutch at 164,000 miles????
How are the polyurethane bushes holding up? My B6 destroys a set in only 8000km. I have tried both powerflex and strongflex
@@realMaverickBuckley a careful driving style without dumping the clutch from rest gives you long clutch life. My Saab at 110k miles is on original clutch. I drive pretty hard but I do not burden the CLUTCH with heat.
@@777jones sure, but driving a 4wd performance car does need a careful foot... There are no tyres to spin like on an FWD Saab so the clutch does instead
Mines on 172k miles and original clutch, it's been mapped for 100k miles as well!
Hi James, I think you are wrong re- running costs, I ordered my car in the summer of 98 when it was first rumoured and collected it 1st Nov 2000, Nogaro blue. I still have it and am probably the only "one owner car" left, it has done 138,000 miles and has had me smiling every one of them. It was upgraded to Stage 1 by MTM in 2001 420bhp and Stage 3 470bhp in 2003, it is not a garage queen, I competed in the RS4 challenge in 2002 and 2003 in Hockenheim and the car has been on the Norscheiffe many times and also many trackdays in UK and europe. I have found it to be reliable and I think cheap to maintain, was serviced by Audi for 12 years and then independents, regular oil changes and letting the car warm up and cool down properly I think helps to keep service bills down, It is not driven lightly and has been a daily driver, only being laid up for the last couple of years. It has had over 30 new wheels (all buckled and all replaced free of charge from Audi) I still have the change for free letter and video from Audi stating it is the crap roads in England as no cars had buckled wheels in Europe. It has had 6 replacement rear springs over my ownership (bad UK roads) the turbos and engine are still in perfect condition. It still averages 25 - 28mpg with normal driving and of course down to 6mpg on track. At 20 years old it is now starting to feel its age, the rear suspension is NLA so I have fitted H+R adjustable coilovers all round, it now has 19" BBS wheels I am trying to make a couple of headlamp adjuster switches which fit on the suspension as it will be an MOT fail and the parts are NLA!!! Apparently Audi keep spares for 15years. There is some surface rust on the underside and some bubbling on one front wing. Sorry mate but I think it is a great car and has relatively low running costs if you treat it with respect.
Totally agree that if driven sympathetically the B5 S4's running costs are not excessive. Also fitted a H&R dedicated coiler kit to mine and very happy with the resulting improvement in ride quality. It did help that at 212k miles the original suspension was completely worn out. Mine still running the OEM exhaust it came out of the factory with, 23 years and 290k miles later.
Let me know how you get on with headlamp adjusters, my front bracket has decided to let go!
As i mentioned in a comment above, these cars are truly the last robust audis. They are the end of the era that gave ther germans their reputation for reliability. Its not a generalization to say the modern cars, faster as they may be, are excessively overcomplicated where they needn't be, with truly high running costs, that only get worse over time. Extremely jealous of your vehicle, as we obviously never received them.
A 1999 Ming Blue S4 B5 Avant has been my daily drive for the past 17 years! Now with 290k miles under it's belt, it has been totally reliable and I still love driving it.
Glad to hear it, keep it forever❤️
I have owned mine since 2002 with 6000 miles on it. It is now just coming up to 100,000. Had a replacement gearbox under warranty early on - a well known synchro issue. It has had a few oil leaks that needed fixing - cam chain tensioners and rocker covers, again well known problems. I had to replace the lambda sensors - issue found with VCDS which is a must have - which was a fiddle but not that difficult or expensive. The front suspension arms needed replacing at around 75,000 miles. It needed a new clutch when the release bearing failed at around 60,000 miles -the clutch itself was still OK but while you're in there, etc. I too had the dreaded bent wheel syndrome and after 10 replacements gave up and bought some BBS rims which fixed it properly. The biggest problem now is if you need body parts/panels as there are none. I had to chase all over the country to find a second hand front bumper to replace the one that got damaged in Sainsbury's car park!
Many other cars , some very nice ones, have come and gone in the last 20 years but the RS4 is still here. That says it all really.
Audi dont make body panels anymore?
@@shotta287 They haven't for quite sometime. Circa 2007 or so
@@TheLastMInuteHack wonder why. I work for an aerospace OEM and any legacy orders are still fulfilled. Different industries but still would have thought Audi would do that considering it’s an RS car also
That’s dedication to the cause 👌🏻
@@shotta287 Sadly thats just not the way the industry works anymore. Almost everything manufactureres do these days is geared towards getting people into the 3 or 4 year lease cycle, keeping the cars going for maybe another 4 years after that then disposing of them. They are literally built to break in a way that makes then non-viable at a preditermined point. Yes, it's incredibly wasteful, cynical, greedy, un-environmental etc. but thats what they profit from the most and whats more, consumers seem to like it 🙄
Savage machine even to this day.
In the early 2000’s in Dublin
My neighbour and his wife were held at knifepoint, forced to get all the registration forms, spare keys , insurance certs etc. then tied up til their young kids found them in the morning. He had a tracker on it and it was found in a container in the docs, waiting to be shipped to Eastern Europe .
Cops got it back and 3 lads were sent to prison for a long time. They boiled the kettle and threatened to pour it on a sleeping baby .
True story
Sick and diabolical but unfortunately unsurprising
It's always eastern europe.
I picked up a B5 rs4 in August 2020. Biggest issue was with the EGT sensors but it was a simple enough DIY fix. I was after a b7 rs4 as a classic for weekend trips etc but the more I read about the b5 the more I liked. I’ve really enjoyed owning and driving it so far. I definitely think it handles a lot better than the understeering lump that you always hear about in the forums and the automotive press.
Quality tyres, front suspension bushes and shocks are a good way to be satisfied. 💓
My fave Audi of all time
My B5 RS4 has 220k miles I’ve been one of the lucky ones when it comes to reliability but I’ve had some big bills ! ! Similar spec to this but I have Bilstein PSS9 coilovers and Wagner Intercoolers running 490bhp 702NM torque.
I’m on original clutch and turbos ! But clutch does need replacement!
Cam wear is also a problem on certain cars. I had my cams replaced at 145k miles.
I bought my RS4 at Tonbridge Audi with 50k on the clock back in December 2006.
I’ve taken mine on track to Castle Combe and also Spa ! it was surprisingly good for such a car but maybe down to the mods it has had.
Great review James
Take the pipes of the turbo and use your finger to check for play on the turbine/compressor. If there is play turbo will eventually need a rebuild and it isn't too costly unless it grenaded.
@@v4skunk739 I’m visiting MRC very soon 👍🏻😎
I’ve owned a B5 RS4 for manyyyy years. Up to 330,000km now and it still goes so very well. It’s not cheap but the cost is mostly just top quality oil, tyres and the odd sensor or minor leak here and there. I was certainly surprised to hear you say many find them unreliable.
My friend had a B7 RS4 and that definitely had a nicer chassis but the engine has so much less character!
It’s fast, fun and can take the kids on holiday.
I love the worst of air as the turbos spool up.
I love how analogue it is.
I love how understated it is.
I love it, its worth every penny, it’s unlikely I’ll ever sell it.
Thanks for the review James… great fun to watch and a fair and honest review of an awesome machine.
Here’s a list of most of the mods:
MRC remap to 471ps 686nm
Milltek cat back exhaust
Eibach springs
Hotchkis anti roll bars
AWE drive train stabiliser
Phaeton front discs
This was an itch I had to scratch, a dream car of mine that I get to drive every day. Totally under the radar apart from those lucky few that know how special it really is.
I was careful when searching for one and was fortunate enough to buy this beauty from a guy who owned and cherished it for nearly 14 years. It was in amazing condition and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it… then I drove it and wow, so much fun 🤩
It will want for nothing. Regular checkups with a trusted specialist in Camberley, who have taken care of the usual wear and tear which you’d expect to fork out on a performance car of this age… and an oh 5hit fund just in case.
We love it 😍🚗
Who's the specialist in Camberley ? Where are you ? I'm just outside Camberley myself....
@@herbiee22 The Phirm 👍
I drove one for 11+ years. I love the car, but it gives headaches. Wouldn't start quite often. Rims warp easily. Never nice to do major repairs, especially in the Quattro/RS drive train (all hefty custom orders by now). The rear spoiler flew off at 300 km/h. The side mirror started leaking some weird goo all right on the paint on the door... Things like that. Despite the negatives, the B5 RS4, to me, still is an extraordinary car. I have had great experiences with it and for some reason it just won't go out of style. The way it drives is utterly reliable and the force of the twin turbos never gets old. The main three pros are the understated styling, the practicality of a wagon and the performance... I am so happy to have owned it for such a long time. As with any performance car: as long as you have the funds to keep it pristine, go for it. PS: Go for the non-tuned 380 bhp standard one. It is down-tuned to make it last for ages, Audi found a great balance. O yes, mine had a sunroof, so it was an option back then.
@wRAAh I saw Audi offered free lifetime replacement for the OEM RS4 wheels mentioned, which were known to be soft.
@@DirkOz Really?!? Thank you for pointing that out. The dealer did replace the rims at one point, but they acted as if it was their generous offer on their account, for messing something up royally.
One of my favourites. First gen A4 interior is solid and still looks good
Probably one of the more accurate reviews I’ve watched. Bad news travels fast and these can be money pits. I’ve owned a B5 S4 for 13 years and only just ‘garaged queened’ it this year due to ULEZ, it’s sitting on 197k miles, I’ve done 111k of those. I’ve also owned a B5 RS4 running 450 bhp. I find every 15-20k miles you’re looking at some expense. My first set of turbos went at 120k miles then 177k miles. I’ve had the engine out 3 times and pretty much everything underneath the car had been replaced at some point, I wouldn’t swap it for anything though, I’ll keep my S4 till I die …. Just awesome cars. James is wrong btw, the noise of a RS4/S4 at full chat is incredible, he just needs to get off the B-Roads.
James, you’re more than welcome to try my B5 S4!
That would be an awesome episode. I had a B5 A4 2.8, sold it years ago and was sorry I did. So about six years ago, I went looking for another and ended up with an S4. I’ve done a lot of repairs on it, but I’m keeping it. I think this is why people don’t want to part with them. They represent possibly Audi’s peak when it comes to looks and driving experience. Something that can never be gotten back once gone.
A friend bought one a few years ago. A couple of days after he collected it, it was in his garage, engine out & he fitted two bigger turbos, the two small standard intercoolers were replaced with a single large intercooler. A trip to MRC later & it returned with a power output of 550bhp.
How long did it last?
Be careful with this. The weak point of the engine is the rods and the engine is known to start throwing them once you hit 500 HP
@@maxwellvantablack8217 late response but that's the standard s4s. These RS4s take 600hp comfortably.
Haha.
My old car 👍🏼. Glad to see it’s still on its original plates too.
Was mint when I sold it in 2005 and good to see it looking as good as it did back then.
What did u buy as a replacement, if any?
@@allseeingeye1 had three B7 RS4s on the trot after the B5.
@@Cartrek123 haha. If u were cut open like a stick of Brighton Rock one would find 4 interlinking rings all the way through. Nice going.
@Richard Harrold good question. First was an avant then made a mistake and got a cab then saw sense and reverted back to a Daytona grey Avant.
@Richard Harrold poorly
I used to own the B7 RS4 for 5 years, but always lusted for the B5 RS4 - a true dream wagon especially in red ❤️❤️❤️
Always liked the look of these. A friend of mine has an absolutely pristine one with about 35k kms on it, he bought for a ridiculously low amount of money like 10 years ago.
Keeper. 👀❤️
Still looks the part these days, subtle but with just enough clues its a bit of a beast.
A Friend had one 15 years ago he also had a TVR though a Chimaera. Reliability was OK with only a problem with a leaking diff luckily the back one! In the end he went up a size of Audi to a A6 Avant as he was like me into mountain biking and it was just a bit too small for bikes in the back.
When working and selling Audi’s when this came out, I sold one of the very first RS4’s from Chelmsford Audi to a guy near slough. I drove it around the M25 with a driver to bring me back after delivery in an 225bhp S3. Needless to say we had some fun!
I had a S3 in 2003 from new before I got my B5 RS4 which I got in December 2006.
my one was from Chelmsford Audi or Nigel Grogan as it was then
I am a swiss owner of a grey RS4 B5, review is absolutely great, so great that even the part about costs is true. Every year i have at least one big bill, the biggest one is the one I am preparing at the moment which includes : complete original new brakes, two new camshafts, new camshaft chains, new camshaftchains tensioners, new camshaft cover, new original wheels, complete timing belt (includes water pump), polishing front headlights (they became slightly yellow with sun), polishing whole body, and probably some other things I have forgotten...otherwise, fuel pomp less than 100K Km, clutch less than 100K kms, I don't know how many sensors I already changed, drivers seat belt,... the problem is every part which is exclusiv to the RS4 is very expensive !!! I cross my fingers I don't have to replace turbos one day ...because it's around 4000euros/turbo. car is full standard 385 HP, original springs, original wheels, brakes, interior, ecu,...0 modifications.
I remember seeing one of these in silver at the NEC motor show in October 2000 and thinking thats a nice looking 1.8T sport wagon...then when I read it did 0-60 in 4.9 seconds my jaw hit the floor! I just LOVED (still do) that "factory sleeper" character to it. It's a pity that Audi et all have totally forgotten how to do the whole understated/elegant/cool thing. Everything has to be so brash and obvious now, as the current RS models demonstrate! Every time I look at cars from the 1990s and early 00s, I can't help but conclude that tastes and fashions, particularly in Europe, were far more cultured and elegant than they are now. We have a surfeit of tech now but we've lost all semblance of good taste, and I think thats a pity. Perhaps one day we will find it again...
I really like these; I love the subtlety of the design which is sadly missing from modern Audi design.
One of the partners at work had one for a long time and it always looked so tight even parked against modern cars.
I have had my Audi RS4 B5 same colour same spec (480BHP) as in the video. Owned it for well over ten years, loads of miles in it, no mercy either driving wise and it has been a rock solid very reliable car. I used it as my daily and for work long distance stuff. Only things needed replacing are tyres, bushes, oil etc.. standard fair for running a car. Car has done 130,000 miles and still is fine and drives great. I really don't get the unreliability comments, that's not my experience by a long chalk! In fact I would go as far as to say its never let me down.
When I was 20, this was all the car I ever wanted. It looks stunning even today!
One of my all time favourite cars. One of the best engines ever made!
This design looks very fresh. 470bhp is just right for this B5.
One hell of a motor car 🚗 20 years old and still a legend! One day.... Maybe!
~ I am obsessed with cars from the early - mid 2000s. It was the best of times...
I agree mate in my opinion the late 90's and 2000's were the golden era for the combustion engine.
I have to say I infinitely prefer the styling of both the B5 and B7 to the more modern RS4s. Audi design from this era is so distinctive for me, understated yet at the same time quite muscular. Interesting comment regarding reliability though. I never owned an RS or S variant B5 but I did own a regular saloon B5 A4 (first car actually) and it cost me a fortune to run. It was a high mileage car but lots went wrong on it
I had a beautifuly modded one in nogaro blue running about 440 hp sat on bilstein coilover’s ( recommended on the b5rs )..on smooth tarmac it was epic !! … also very very good on the Nurburgring 👌.. Dunno why you think they unreliable… mine never skipped a beat in 4 years .. 4 track days 2 trips to the Nurburgring.
Happy new year. This channel can make any car interesting. The presenter has the knowledge and background to hold your interest on any car he reviews.
Very kind Rick
I've owned a B5 S4 for the last 6 years. I adore it. I prefer it to my B7 RS4. Its never once broken down to the point of not being able to drive it. Most of the money I've spent has been upgrading and modifying as there is so much available for them. Most of the maintenance on it has been age related and previous neglect related.
You basically need to straight pipe these to get the true proper noise out of them. Mine only has the cats and a backbox on it with a full 3 inch exhausts and 3 inch downpipes. Sounds glorious and gives my B7 RS4 a run for its money on the down low grumble tone.
The ultimate Q car.
Love that Calvin kept it looking stock.
I have a few b5 s4’s and I owned a b5 rs4 for a few years I just sold in November. I’m obsessed with the platform and engine. Really not too unreliable as long as you keep up with maint, and use quality parts. Fun cars to tune and play with.
This is 'the' RS4 for me , it just looks right , it sounds glorious for a V6 also. And how many big cars look good in bright red. All subsequent RS4 varients seemed lacking somehow.....8/10
Absolutely loved my B5 S4 470bhp relentless power, I even done a trackday at croft and it was surprisingly good, it was on Eibach coilovers and big AP 6 pots which I cooked.
I’ll be honest I sold it before it cost me an absolute fortune, the whole time I had it it was totally reliable.
You can hear the enjoyment in your voice while driving this car James. So, so different to having to keep pinching yourself to stay awake while reviewing the Tesla recently.
I love this generation of Audi!
It looks plain amazing in this red
. Wonderfuil in many ways, but handling is not great, though. Can also generate some huge bills too.
Great review. I’ve owned one for 14+ years. I don’t daily it any more and I’ve put a fair bit of money into it over the years. It’s only ever broken down once - crank sensor. I think you need a good specialist who is familiar with them and/or to be very handy on the tools yourself. I don’t feel they need to be a maintenance nightmare at all.
Yep had one these. 2001 - Nogaro Blue with Factory fit sunroof, full silver grey leather, had her for 7x years( reluctantly sold her,for a larger SUV)☹ Fantastic Car, one of the best i've owned, MRC stage 2 upgrade, approx 440+, if i remember......, i've always wanted one ( bucket list), so purchased one.... it Never let me down,always spot on.... just the usual cam cover oil leaks, worn bushes, suspension upgrade etc...would i buy another one.... YES😘
I owned one for 9 years and full restored it as a rolling project. It was very reliable but i did have to do the turbos but it was a reasonable £3500. The standard suspension is poor, wallowy and crashy at the same how??. A thick rear ARB transforms them along with bilstein pss9’s. What really impressed me was how it owned our works ranger rover sport in the snow!
I have owned my B5 RS4 for 7 years now serviced by myself and it has been utterly reliable contrary to your advice. The only issues I have ever had have been the EGT sensor PCBs I replaced myself at a cost of £80 (sourced from Poland) and the alternator involving slam panel to the service position. It doesn’t squeal, rattle or bang. It’s just a well made and great looking car built with the right balance of electronic sophistication and feel back to the driver. Yes it has some turbo lag but that’s what makes it a classic that will be sadly a thing of the past when everything goes electric.
I have been waiting a while to See Jay drive another manual RS... What a machine. Really did like the steering feel description, so far one of the few I've not saying the word ''feels dead'', but instead indicating that you can do something with it.
Ahhhhh, B5 contact. 🎊🥳
That engine bay and engine is the reason I went with the 1.8t. No where near the power but it's a great start to learning how Audi puts things together.
Come take a look at what I have done with it 🙂
Thanks for the video.👍🏼
This is the best Audi video you've uploaded all year.
I bought my 2000 S4 (same look and engine as the RS4 but in sedan form) about 5 or 6 years ago with 222k miles on it. I had no idea who’d owned it before me or how they’d driven it. The only clues that I had that it had been driven hard was that when I went to get the engine ECU tuned, they said that it had been tuned before and that the previous owner set the tune to stock mode before selling it. So they simply gave me the latest version of the tune for $150 and told me how to turn up the volume so to speak. That said, I’ve never found the car to be any more unreliable than any other high mileage car. I’ve simply found it more complicated. For example. It’s got two turbos. Thusly it’s got two turbo oil lines and two turbo coolant lines. Because of where they’re located right down in the armpits of the engine bay, they are incredibly difficult to change. I did change one turbo coolant line without pulling the engine out and it was the most miserably difficult repair job I’ve ever done. It took me 4 days and included specially grinding down an angled wrench to get into the tiny space where the turbo, transmission bell housing and firewall nearly collide. Anything to do in the front of the car and the front bumper must come off. Not just the plastic part, but the radiator and frame too. It’s also got a ton Of sensors and a ton of control arms. Since all of these cars are old. Ow, expect to have to change those out too. If you’re not mechanically inclined or have deep pockets, you will hate owning this car no matter how much you love driving it. That said, it has only left me stranded once. And that’s when the timing belt broke. But that’s something that can happen with any car With 100k miles. The best thing to do is save up for the repairs you know you’re going to have to or want to get done professionally and just be prepared to part with the money when the time comes. When they do that repair, do as many replacements and upgrades as you can when they’re in that particular region of the car, because you don’t want to pay to get in there twice. Two examples. When one control arm goes out, don’t replace just one. While it is possible to locate just one, the piece of mind you will have after someone else has replaced and is now responsible for the repair quality of all 50 of them. Timing belt gone out? Replace the water pump, drive belts, alternator and hoses so that you know you won’t have to see your car with the front end off for may years. These cars are more about preventative maintenance than anything else I’ve ever owned… but I can’t quite say they’re unreliable. Once you’ve fixed something, you’ve fixed it and it doesn’t break again. My wife’s R56 mini S on the other hand. That’s a very unreliable car 😂
Professional repairs completed
- Timing belt and water pump replacement
- Accessory Drive belt replacement
- Front brake line replacement
- All front control arms, bushings and linkages replaced
- Tires
Replaced by me
- ABS control unit
- Cam speed sensors
- Left rear caliper
- Valve cover gaskets
- Ignition switch
- Oil pan and gaskets
- Turbo oil return line
- APR stage 1 tune
- Diverted valves to support tune
- Custom exhaust to support tune
- Upgraded intake to support tune
- KW coilovers to support tune
- Upgraded brake pads and rotors to support tune
- Auxiliary water pump delete
I owned a Nogaro Blue B5 RS4 for 2+ years and loved it. They are very rare, as you say, around 400 RHD. Of those, around 10 - 12% were apparently Noggy Blue. Mine also had the 'Hi-Tech' fabric seat centres and carbon interior trim instead of the usual piano black. Can't be more than a half dozen with that combo... Y593GDU, are you out there?! Not MOT'd since 2018, hopefully tucked up safe in a private collection.
Regarding reliability - mine, though tuned to 440bhp, was as reliable as anything of similar age. Went through a couple of clutch cylinders and coolant hoses but never needed anything major. I think the horror stories come from folks who have had to replace the turbos - as said in the vid, they're a bastard to do and priced accordingly. Still, a 996 Turbo has the same issue. So will most current turbo'd performance cars when they're 20 years old!
It's a very special car. The kind they don't make any more. Likes a drink and wet roundabouts are an understeery nightmare (even with H&R coilovers and bigger ARBs) but they will put a big smile on your face every day. 2,800rpm... zoom! And, just look at it!
Thorough and informative review, Jay. I loved this when it was introduced, a real wolf in sheep's clothing in it's day, and good for 165mph in original spec. I think we're going to see more manual boxes in the future, your demonstration of fun is not going unnoticed (I hope).
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great vid James - well-researched and nicely balanced precis of this car as it is today. Thanks for posting.
Mine was bought at 110K, with the intention of keeping it for two years before scratching the 911 itch. I've had it six years and it's now sitting at 160K miles. Bone stock, but for uprated Bilstein B12 suspension and springs, re-bushed all-round and fitted with the OEM 'hard' wheels (a free upgrade from Audi UK) to cope with UK roads. Running stock, the power/weight ration s around 231bhp / tonne which for me is ideal for UK roads (such as they are). I dailied mine for six years, taking it on European trips (South of France, Lake Como via Germany), NC500 (twice) etc. on holidays. The Como trip yielded ~28.9mpg running 99-100 RON including some Autobahn pulls (max-ed out at 161mph) and handled long stretches cruising between 110-125mph comfortably.
In my ownership, servicing and maintenance included a full cambelt & pulley service, new wheel bearings, cam cover gaskets (cams were fine), and some replacement ancillaries being the 'biggies'. Total maintenance and servicing costs have worked out ~£1k a year overall (for comparison, my B9 A4 has had £5K of warranty work in only two years...). The B5 RS for me has a real 'X-factor' - it's invigorating to drive, yet never tiring. It copes well with life - yet can frighten with its pace at times. So yeah, I love it.
245K MILES on my daily driven 2000 Audi S4 with full RS4 setup and APR tuning...it's been very reliable but I have done (and still do) much of the work and it would be more daunting if I had to take it to the mechanic.
Last year I had to make a choice between a nogaro blue Rs4 and a sprint blue b7 rs4 avant. I ended up going for the b7. I’ve been thinking about having one of these as a weekend/show car. I love the styling of the b5. Someone I know had one and I can remember looking in my rear view mirror and seeing this low wide Rs4 avant pull out overtake 3 cars and sit behind me. I was in awe at the way it looked. I missed my chance on buying that car (prices weren’t what they are now) and in the end it was broken for spares. This is the year for it!
Great, objective video as usual. The RS4 has always been one of the top picks for my dream garage. I never realised how similar that V6 sounds to the 5-pot engines.
. Wonderfuil in many ways, but handling is not great, though
I didnt have a B5 but I still have an A4 B6 on 501.000 kilometers. Aged really well, consumption is really good (4-5l/100km). The style is still similar to the B5's, such a beauty
Owned an almost identical car between 2006-2013, with similar spec (MRC map/full Milltek/B7 brakes/coilovers/ARB's). As mentioned, very tuneable as nothing was needed with the engine's internals until >550bhp, but stage 3 seemed to be a sensible point to stop in terms of reliability. Did two of the common big ticket items on mine though, with the cam wear issue and 1st/2nd gearbox syncros needing attention, however managed to avoid having to replace turbos. Moved on to a 997 Turbo, but still miss the RS4..
I’m looking to move in to a Porsche next but a Cayman 😎👍🏻
Lucky to have a good friend who owns one i was allowed to borrow. Stunning stunning car
I'm a fan of wagons and would totally rock that as a daily driver.
Great video & lovely motor that still looks good today, This video made me realise how much am missing Summer !
A so much better looking car than anything they make today .
Legend has it these were used to transport the happy stuff coming from Morocco en route to France through Spain. Being an estate looking like a station wagon they were the ultimate Q car...
Currently own a B5 S4 Avant, as you say running costs are very high and will always work but is never quite right. There is always a problem but rarely something that stops you from using it if you really need to.
But in reliability terms it has nothing on my V5 golf and I know which one I will be keeping in the long run as my toy (the golf)
Owned a ~500bhp one of these for a few years and still own a fully standard B5 S4 saloon in a very rare colour. I really didn't like the gearbox though, a short shifter improves it a bit and maybe mine was just more worn out but it wasn't nice at all. I didn't have any big repair bills thankfully and reliability wise it never let me down. I replaced it with a very special B8 RS4 and compared to that the B5 really is a dinosaur. But having said that I do miss it and sometimes wish I'd never sold it...
Well my experience that was a sad story. Purchase the car back in 2014 for 9000. And a beautiful bright blue the same interior as this one. Beautifully clean.
I was over the moon!! About one month later I had a Revo remap completely transform the car. But then I noticed there was a smell of burning oil. Both of the turbos were leaking oil so engine out two new refurbished turbos from a lovely place in Manchester. At the same time water pump and cambelt done. 3700£ later. Then the rear wheel bearing failed catastrophically and left me stranded. Then all the wishbones have to be replaced I was a bit cheap and purchased some Chinese ones on eBay. I was starting to pull my hair out and worrying every time I would drive the car what else would go wrong. So I sold it for quite a large profit in the end I didn't actually lose money and put about 8,000 miles on the clock. The parts of me wishes I had just left it in the lock up, I miss it ! I too didn't realize how rare they are. And now my life is completely different and I own a motorcycle 🤣🏍️.
That was suuuuch a fun car with a cool design. To me the successors incl RS6 never machted the design and rawness combination. Legend!!!
That red is very nice colour. Nice video. Thanks for showcasing this car. Looking forward to the next video. Keep up the good work.
My s4 was very reliable. I spent a lot of money modifying it but in terms of fixing very little. Ko4d it and 50k miles later on 160k miles with its new owner and its going just as well now as it was all those years ago
I had the S4 of this model, what a beauty
Had a lovely 1999 S4 B5 in Santorini Blue. In the 7 years, I owned her, had no reliability problems.
Love this design, really one of my childhood cars. But as always dont drive youre heroes. Great vid and btw, happy new year to you all :)
A friend has a 600hp s4 b5, its an animal. It rarely comes out, I think its the fear of it breaking.
Another local chap had a b5 rs4 with a tow bar, he used to tow his other big power toys around with it.
Both s4 and rs4 are a very rare sight here in Ireland.
This video makes me sad. I ordered mine in the iconic metallic silver when I saw it on the Quattro 20th anniversary visit to Neckarsulm. Piano Black interior and Silver (cream) leather. It was stunning with its extended arches. I only changed it because the RS6 came out and the V8 engine got me but the RS4 was so much more refined. I learnt last year it got trashed which made it all worse. The centre console and seats were superb and the torque in 2nd and 3rd was immense. And to echo others on here I was followed home twice in 2001-2002 when they were being stolen to order, the same time that Paul Harris had his stolen from a local hotel car park near their offices. The spiritual successor to this car is the latest RS4 with the V6 biturbo engine
These sound amazing with the right exhaust on it.
As a B5 S4 avant owner, these are reliable granted it is maintained well. Great video and hope to own an RS4 soon 😬
Umm camshaft wear?
@@EvoraGT430 thats true although I haven’t had the issue with mine tbh although mine is standard.
My B7 S4 was amazing for the first 100k miles. Rigorously maintained. But after 100k miles, all hell broke loose
I always the love the variety of cars you show on the channel
I've not personally owned an RS4, but as a systems analyst I have the same philosophy with both software and German cars: if you haven't found a problem, you simply haven't looked hard enough.
More than this simple,lovely styling it was the sheet metal and build quality that stood apart in this cars.
My dad had a B5 S4 from new and drove it just over 100k miles (bought in 2000, sold in 2015 I think). It was a year-round car in New York which meant harsh winters. To add salt to the wounds (pun intended) it also spent a decent amount of time on dirt roads. To my memory he didn't have any serious problems with the car. Most of the suspension components were on their way out by the time he sold it, but he never had any issues with the turbochargers. I think the issues start piling up post 100k miles, which is why he got scared and traded it in (for a new B8 S4 obviously..).
During ownership of my b5 s4 it was a never ending list of jobs , every time you drove it something else would go wrong ,
B5 s4 rs4 owners all know the pain
1) heater matrix - dash out
2) clutch is delicate when around 500bhp - engine out ideally
3) turbos failing - engine out
4) heated seat elements
5) rs4 brake discs are £500 each from Audi hence the vw used option
6) EGT sensors very expensive - fail for a past time
7) leaky steering racks
I had all the above hit me in a 3 month window
But they are now 25 years old and are great fun just expensive , but if you own one of these you probably have done your homework and will be expecting it or buying a good example with the common items already changed .
Lovely. Makes you realise how subtle styling is sadly a dying art as manufacturers try and out-bulge and out-grill each other. Out-bling too.
We had a yellow version of that when it was new. The Gearbox broke within one month. No warranty because it had ECU Tune days before that happened (even when it was known to fail in standard cars too). Car was than repaired and shortly after that we sold it. Beside of that it was fun, First car I jumped over a crossing trying to catch the green light. :-D
Back when Audis actually had soul.
You would think Audi didnt change too much of the bodywork of the standart A4 but the bonnet and the roof are actually the only body parts the rs4 shares with the a/s4
Red B5 RS4 - they always make me think of a RS4 with large Cerwin Vega stickers which participated in US Gumball 20 years ago or so.
Remember that
I had one of these on a Y plate. Wasn't as expensive as my E92 M3 to run.....but that's because I didn't have to pay for the wheel replacements. Had 10 or 12 new wheels due to them bending. Mad.
It was a great car. Was it unreliable....? Hmm. Nothing catastrophic. I would agree and say I was always having something minor sorted ... When the wheels weren't being swapped out.
12 wheels lol what the hell Were they made out of play dough or something?! 🤣
@@soundseeker63 Ha, yeah, was crap. They ended up offering a lifetime warranty on them and eventually came up with a harder wheel.
Reliability...I had a c5 allroad with a 6spM for 11 years. In North America that car came with the 2.7 v6 twin turbo, although the 4v version which made 250hp. Between that engine and the airbag suspension it was a complicated car....often used as a poster boy for German complexity and expensive maintenance.
So...yeah it wasn't great for reliability, but it wasn't horrible either. Things occasionally broke, so I fixed them, then they sometimes broke again...so I fixed them again. It never stranded my wife though, and it was a dream to drive. My understanding is that the automatic transmission was a huge problem which gained the c5 allroad its reputation and of course I was spared that suffering.
BUT...and this matters...the pain and suffering I went through when it did need repairs was inexcusable. The thing was designed so that even simple jobs took ages and required a suite of tools. This is likely why people complain about running costs. I would have got rid if it much sooner if I had to pay someone to do the work.
Daddy Doug Demuro has a blue RS2 Avante. His favorite car. Those Audis of that generation are my favorite too.✌🏻🇺🇸
I knew somebody who bought one of these from new. Went to a Pub next to the Thames. He didn’t realise the Thames was tidal. Came back the next day & it was more like a boat. A write off.
I had one of these cars when I lived in the US, also modified to 460 HP / 480 lbft. My fuel economy wasn't too bad- 9.4 litres per 100km. They are reliable in that if you fix it properly, it will stay fixed. The issue is that so MANY things can break, and yes they are all expensive. For reference, I got a Z3 rack for my E30 for $240 and I was told that was expensive. My B5 steering rack was $3400. It's just a completely different game. Or a $14,000 engine rebuild. The list goes on. It's kind of like the Dodge Viper where it's unsympathetic to stupidity and will absolutely kill you. It just does it by making you spend another year working rather than spinning directly into a solid object at speed.
I really wanted one of those in the day. Wifey isn't keen on estates though so we went elsewhere. I left it too long to get a good used one at a sensible price. Bugger.
I miss my B5 A4 1.8T...always wanted one of these.
All my B5 S4s have been extremely reliable. Just keep up with maintenance and do things correct.
I think the RS6 was available during the B6 A4 generation, it might be the reason a B6 RS4 wasn't released. At least initially there was little overlap with the RS versions of these 2 lines.
Yes back in the early days of RS they only made one at a time… RS2, RS4 B5, RS6 C5, RS4 B7.
I had a B5 TQS model many years ago and a number of friends have had/still have S4 and RS4 - james you are 100% correct - there is always something broken, and if there isn’t them it’s just about to 😂 but… there is something about them that makes you forgive them
If my numbers came up, I‘d probably get one. It‘s so decently styled
The biggest downside when I had mine back in the day, was thieves and scumsuckers. I was followed home on several occasions by twonks and one neighbour who also had a re-mapped version was attacked at home for his keys. Other than that it was all gravy tbh. Tyre wear was poor when applying beanage but what else would you expect. Fuel consumption was biblical and brakes always needed fettling. I’ve since had a B7 and a C5 RS6.