09 Sep 05
It isn't, for example, as alert and pointable as a BMW M3. Audi says that's not what its customers are looking for, that it's the assuredness of the quattro system and the car's relaxed, potent cruiser character that appeals. It's certainly got those qualities in spades, and in fairness, you'd be foolish to buy an RS4 with the idea that you're getting a track day car in the bargain. Because you won't.
And the quattro system is, in the wet, quite astonishingly good. We drove around a drenched race track - complete with loads of standing water - at simply lunatic speed in a bid to see where the Audi would let go. With ESP engaged, it managed to sort out even the most cack-handed attempts to induce slides or understeer moments.
Then we headed out over some of Italy's less comfort-friendly B-roads and cobbled village high streets. And that provided nearly the biggest surprise of all, as this is the best-riding Audi I've driven for a very long time. On 18-inch wheels and lowered by 30mm, I was expecting a 'sportily' firm ride, for which read 'uncomfortably harsh.' Not the case, as the car absorbs short, sharp impacts such as manhole covers and tarmac ridges with smooth compliance. And with low levels of tyre roar and road noise, the RS4 is a surprisingly refined cruiser and a good long-distance car.
The bottom line is that this RS4 is a very significantly better car than the one it replaces. More powerful and faster than either the BMW M3 or Mercedes Benz C55 AMG, the Audi really should be on a shopping list that includes these contenders. Just be aware that the RS4 is unlikely to match the cheaper M3 for purity of driving experience. In every other respect, this is a three-way fight.
