The 2001 Audi RS4 Avant Is an Amazing Fast Wagon
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2022
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2001 Audi RS4 Avant review! The Audi RS4 Avant is a seriously exciting car, and today I'm reviewing it. The B5 Audi RS4 Avant is especially special, and I'm going to show you all the quirks of the RS4 Avant -- and I'm also going to drive the B5 Audi RS4 Avant and show you what it's like behind the wheel of this special fast wagon.
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I know you said you were gonna move to mostly new cars, but doing one like this is extremely satisfying and shows that you are still in touch with your base. Keep it up Doug! 👍
He did?! That would be the slow death of this channel so I hope he keeps to the eclectic!
@@skylined5534 yeah, because of the annoying fans of specific old cars spamming him everytime he commits the tiniest mistake about it. (For example if he says something not completely accurate about the 3000gt there was the complete fan club of that car spamming him "you're and idiot, you know nothing about this car" whatever, it's mostly fans doing what they do the best, gatekeeping and ruining things
@@lukasroessler5511
I can see how that would irk and wear him. With you.
I hope he can ignore pedantic arses like that and bring us massively eclectic content as he has done for years. He's one of the best automotive youtubers for the longest time and I pray he doesn't narrow his content.
It seems that this video was recorded in winter? I also love this type of videos, and I hope that he continues reviewing old nice cars! 😁😁
Reviews of older cars is the sole reason many of us click on these videos so I hope it dosent stop completely
I lived in Germany in the early 2000s and I distinctly recall one of these passing me on the Autobahn at ludicrous speeds, and feeling the shockwave. Pretty awesome car.
I wish i had the same memory lol
Did you maybe drive a porsche in that moment and uploaded the video to youtube?
ALTER WAS IST DAS FÜR EIN KOMBI??!!
@@dmer-zy3rb I wish. I was in a 90's era Audi 80 that topped out at about 125-130 MPH, which became my regular cruising speed in places. Amazing how you just get used to those speeds after a while. The worst part was coming back to the USA after a year. I was on I-39 through Illinois north of Bloomington, driving 87 MPH on a straight, flat, completely empty stretch and absolutely LOSING MY MIND because it felt like I was driving 35 MPH on the freeway. I was fighting myself every second to not accelerate to "normal" freeway speeds. Then I got pulled over and written up for a $120 ticket for going 87 in a 65. I remember blinking at the cop like I was in some bizarre alternate reality. It took more than 5 years for me to feel like 80 MPH was "fast" again, as it is on US roads, and for the feeling that I was going crazy at that speed to wear off.
@@jmpersic its just a meme. There is this famous video out there with an s4 avant overtaking a porsche at full speed
Wow Doug. So, this is the one. This is the car I've been waiting for you to review, as I've been following your journey for many years now. This, is to me, my ultimate dreamcar and has been since it was released in 1999. Since I grew up in the B5 era, and loved these cars, especially the B5 S4, when the RS4 B5 was revealed I went crazy. As soon as I would see one on the streets, I'd literally scream like a little baby and point at it. It was perfect. So extremely wide and so insanely fast. I loved everything about it. As I got older, I was putting money aside so maybe one day I could afford my dreamcar. And in 2014, I found one Nogaro Edition in perfect condition, and my dream was fulfilled. I had bought my ultimate dreamcar, and I have never looked back since. This is the coolest Audi ever made. I will be 90 years old and still driving my Nogaro B5 RS4 and I will be still proud as heck. That I made it. And a few years ago I also made a video about it called "Living with your ultimate dreamcar". Thanks!
That is so awesome.
This is inspiration!
@@enekmartinyeta1215 ua-cam.com/video/TD7ubYyY19I/v-deo.html If anybody is interested
Not getting married or having kids was a smart choice also.
Legendary post. You have achieved what most of us dream of!
12:00 - The "wrong door shown" isn't a software problem, it's a hardware problem. The wires for the door sensors are plugged in to the opposite ports on the computer. The vehicle probably had a repair at some point that required unplugging things from the computer, and the tech plugged those two into the wrong ports.
Possibly the federalization procedure.
Interesting, I wouldn’t have guessed that. Figured since was sold new in so maybe RHD countries that they just left it like that for LHD markets. I’ll look into it if we ever have the car apart in that area.
He mentioned that the car was in Japan at one point so maybe they adjusted the software for RHD market and forgot to return to original when it left Japan
@@amogus694 good point, that’s a possibility too
That's probably not the original cluster. I've seen this when a cluster is swapped in from a RHD car to a LHD car.
The amber reflectors instead of the stock clear corners in the headlights are also part of the federalization. Also, the "storage area" in the rear armrest should contain a red first aid pack that fits in there perfectly and slides out. Looks like it's been removed.
Spot on. 👍🏻
amber reflectors on the corners look so much cooler. I changed mine to US reflectors instead of clear ones on my '97 Volvo T5 Wagon. Gives it alot more depth. Cheers from Germany.
@@CFHardstyle Meanwhile in America we all think the amber is ugly and swap to euro-style headlights or drill out the amber reflectors in order to make it look more "clean".
@@matdflo It does look far cleaner. The old amber in those headlights really makes them look dated. Otherwise styling holds up.
Still one of the best looking cars of all time, despite being 20 years old it still looks mint, RS4 b5 will never gets old. Timeless machine!
Really just a good looking era for cars in general
@@ChrisG1392 I agree it was a time when cars reached their peak of beauty, design and technology. Modern cars looks all the same. they're so anonymous you can take a badge off and put It on another brand car and it won't make any difference. I don't despise modern because they can be better built, safer, even more performing but... Driving pleasure is not given by all those touch screen display and other electronics stuff
@@thehandsome11 same with motorcycles. everything peaked before emissions regulations and when everything was still done the old fashioned way. clay models, car shows, magazines, etc.
Yea this car looks like it could pass as a 2012 release or newer. I have an 04 Elantra and this car makes it look like an 80s car lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣
From the factory, the rear seat arm rest had the factory first aid kit inside. I had this in my B5 A4 Avant. It was in a red nylon pouch/box that fit in there perfectly.... in typical German style. Also behind the arm rest is a ski boot. There's a big waterproof bag in the rear seat as a pass-through to the rear cargo area, to put your wet skis in there, and still have room for passengers in the back seat.
I was about to write this same comment.
Great info, and I hope that he reads it to learn more about the car 👍👍
My B6 A4 Avant's armrest has that first aid kit, but the top of the armrest is the lid.
I'd imagine you could get somekind of cupholder thingy as aftermarket part for it, if the car doesn't have the kit anymore. Would be great use of that space.
I believe it was an option to have the ski bag. At least It was on my allroad of the same model
Doug is the type of guy to have more fun in a station wagon then a lambo
Yeah pretty much
If you live in a big city, you see more Lamborghinis than you do wagons like this.
@@marktwain8192 yup
Same here, my guy. Sleepers are where it’s at.
This is an ultra rare icon. Lambos are not boring by any means, but this...this is special.
The reason for the display showing wrong doors open is because they used a gauge cluster from an UK car to get MPH readouts, probably necessary to get it federalized and thus not a glitch in any software.
👿
It’s the original cluster it was coded to the uk setting to show miles on the odometer, it’s easily changeable with vagcom but Uk was selected instead of us because it would change day month year to an unreadable month day year the euro cluster wouldn’t show correctly
how does that work? left door is still left, right is still right, no matter of the wheel location
@@vladvulcan left door is master door/switch but with the cluster coded to uk the cluster thinks the master door is right side
@@Marchautowerks why would they bother with coding differences like master/slave instead of just setting them to recognize left and right sides? The doors are symmetrical, aren't they? They may have differences like the driver switch to control all the windows, but from the sensor's point of view they aren't any different.
Still the coolest and most beautifull RS Avant there is! When RS cars actually were still sleepers. Just some slightly different bumpers, sideskirts and the wide fenders, your everyday person had no clue what hes looking at.
I go back and forth between this and the same era RS6 avant. Such perfect looking cars.
I rly like some rs6 wagons too.
RS2 is waaaaaaaaaaaaay cooler.
Except this one is lowered, like it was owned by 16 years old dude
I had an opportunity to work at a Porsche Dealership/Workshop and i had a chance to work on two B5 RS4's. One was Yellow, other was Black. Despite their lack of space in the engine bay, it's one of the most easiest cars to work on. The front end is literally legos. Such a pleasant yet very rare car in my country. If i'm not mistaken there are at least 4 of them in existence in my country and funnily enough i know all the owners personally.
Where I live I am lucky. In the UK there is a decent amount of these compared to other countries
I've owned multiple early 2000's audis. A main learning point for me was-if the check engine light is not on, you've got problems
I have different problem with my B5, it's 99 2.4 Q, my plan is to drive it till it die but after 300000 km it still works fine, not a single check engine light in 12 years since i daily drive it.
I daily drive my b5 and ive had it for a year and a half, not a single CEL
Camshafts, usually
@@aspanger your day is coming.
@@skrillah6259 your day is coming.
Doug, I love how excited you get driving these Audi's! You're like a kid in a candy store. I'm an old school Audi driver and just loved these types of rare ones. So neat to see these old cars get some attention.
15:22 The slot in the rear armrest is not strange: it contained a very complete, perfectly fitting first aid kit. I owned a 2001 B5 RS4 from 2005 til 2016 and I enjoyed every mile in it. Mine was Avus Silver. A very special, slightly blueish silver metallic. To my taste, that is the most beautiful, understated color for the RS4. Also, Doug says the RS4 did 0-60 under 4 seconds, but that was 4.8 seconds. Still, fast for the period. Thank you Doug, for finally reviewing it. I have been looking forward to this video for a long time.
The best colour in my Opinion is the goodwood Green
I just commented exactly that but for some reason the lid for the aid kit doesn't have the emergency symbol, it's erased
Though it can still be used as storage
@@dhalsim-1 of course
@@kiwaycanny6522 Oh? Never seen one of those. I have only ever seen the RS4 in Avus silver, Nagaro blue, Imola yellow, Misano red and black. But indeed: Goodwood green was an original color... Are you British by any chance? For some reason, green seems to be a color of choice on British cars like Jaguars, Bentleys, Land Rovers and Minis. And green looks great on them, but (in my opinion) not so much on cars from other countries. Weird. Never thought of that before.
No matter what car you review, you can see the passion you have for vehicles. Keep up the awesome work man.
Man it is so good to see you reviewing not just an enthusiast car, but an enthusiast car that you love
I love wagons. They look sportier than sedans and SUVs and they're surprisingly good for hauling things. You can fit a bundle of 10ft boards inside, and you can lock up the cargo, unlike a truck. You also have a lot of roof so you can strap lumber and small boats on top. Get one with load levelling and you can carry a decent amount of weight.
Wagons are for transgenders, not even women like them, they get SUVs
I think you can lock a truck box, and it doesn’t mess up your interior when it goes shifting around
Not only do they look sportier but they drive sportier than SUVs!
@@roddydykes7053 yeah except it drives like a truck.
I have owned a 1998 GMC Sonoma and a 1994 BMW 530i touring, and these vehicles had useable cargo space.
One drove like a sports sedan and the other was a GMC small size pickup. I will concede the Sonoma did better burnouts and had the sports package so it handled decent.
@@_baller Unless it's a MAGAwagon. Traitors, pedophiles, and terrorists love them. I hear Putin has one too.
This and the E 63 AMG estate are my dream cars, such performance and sporty features with the practicality of an SUV, an all-around car with the most quality in mechanics (sort of) they could ever have, and they look amazing, plus AWD is very nice, too.
Don't forget about BMW E61 Touring. I own both the Audi S4 Avant and BMW 535xi and the E61 hands down is a much better vehicle
Speaking of the E63 AMG, we need a review of the original W211 E63. Particularly the wagon.
@@damilolaakanni I wish he would review my CLS55, especially considering he never reviewed an AMG CLS from that era
You guys really need to dial up your dream cars. That's not a dream car, that's just a car you buy when you grow up a little. Like, at least be in the $200k range if you're talking dreams.
@@rustler08 Well I'd love a Ferrari GTC4 Lusso, a Range Rover Sport HSR, or an M5.
From a certain point up, it's all excessive, do you believe a $130k car is a kid's joke? Curb your privilege.
I said compelling, an all-around car that meets all needs in luxury, performance, versatility, and excellent features, plus a solid platform, not an unpractical flaunt mechanism that goes out once or twice a year, I like driving.
We bought the same type, but the 4.2 v8 S4 a couple months ago for a cheap sum. I did the timing chains on it. A 30hour job... It's now our little shop sweetheart. Such a beast of a little car
I've only seen one of these in my lifetime & it was in my hometown of Savannah GA. It was silver and the gentleman was happy to tell me the story of how he disassembled the car completely and shipped it to the US in boxes marked "Audi parts" The monster fender flares can't be appreciated unless you see it in person. Amazing car!!!!
I had a B5 S4 in the mid 2000’s and always lusted after the RS4. I absolutely love this review. Thanks Doug!
we really didn't come here to find out if Ingyham had one, we truly don't care this isn't your channel
A couple of my friends had b5 s4s too. Good memories. This video was nostalgic for me too lol. The design is again very well. It still looks great.
I own a non metallic black one since 2013 with a light gray Nappa interior and original light gray Alcantara steering wheel and shift knob. I’m still loving this car. The build quality is absolutely stunning.
This is one of my favorite cars. Your smile when driving it is unavoidable
Normal car UA-cam: NEW 10 MILLION DOLLAR HYPERCAR REVEAL
Doug: Metermaid car & Old Audi anyone?
I like Audi's or cars like this then a 10 million car tbh.
@@aidaaliten8817 why the fuck do you say random nummers on every video and comment? What is the point of that?
This car was an era on it's own. Owning this was equivalent of having a supercar (which it pretty much was). Still looks dope though. Also crazy to realise is the fact that a modern day A3 is bigger than this was back then.
The ever increasing size of cars is a big problem for me in the U.K. as the parking spaces aren't getting any bigger. I don't want to go bigger than my Golf MK7 Wagon.
Great video, I got myself a b5 rs4 back in 2020. One of 400 right hand drive rs4s made. Extremely glad I did!
Having owned a 2000 A4 B5 Avant 1.9 TDI for 5 years, this video really warmed my heart
Cool to see the same engine bay components` layout and parts (same fluids reservoirs, air filter and ducts location etc.) as in my 25-year old Passat B5 1.9 diesel wagon.
EDIT: Lol, basically 70% of interior is same as well. Very cool.
They're basically the same car, build on the VW B5 platform. Base models share the same engines and most parts in the chassis. In my opinion these cars were the pinnacle of old school VW quality before declining in the mid 2000s and slowly picking up now. My cousin still has his 1999 B5 variant 1.9tdi with over 600000km on the odometer. It's a bit clapped out, but 'ol girl is still purring and can easily do over 3000km trips and bring us back home.
@@Inarilla VW B5 was build on Audi pl45 platform. Last Passat on Audis chassis, thats why Passat B5 is that good.
Idk if it's been said, but the storage in the rear arm rest was for a first aid kit.
This is the most wanted episode by me, once I saw a little sneakpeak in previous episodes I was soooooooooooooo tempted to see it finally
doug please do not forget about cars like this. there is so much more to this hobby than new cars
I love to see Doug’s expressions when he is excited about a car he is reviewing, he is so relatable, keep up the amazing work
I had a regular 1999 A4 Avant so this brings back both good & bad memories, the latter being some seriously expensive repair bills, including the clutch. Was very happy when I unloaded it.
My ‘99 had red turn signal lenses, not amber like this one. I’d have preferred the amber.
My first night driving it I learned the hard way the instrument cluster lights are always on if the car is on - got pulled over for no headlights/taillights.
The best trick was using the key in the driver’s door lock to open the windows or to close the windows & sunroof.
The RS2 and then RS4 were my dream cars crowing up. So when we graduated from college in 2005 I purchased an ‘01.5 blue S4 Avant in manual. I loved that car, it was amazing.
19:20 - Doug showing that emotional nostalgia…who says cars aren’t romantic and incapable of evoking emotions and memories…..all of it truly beautiful
Can't believe that Doug was sitting on this video for more than 8 months. Great review as always.
He reviewed it on March 11th, so yeah it’s been a minute haha
I was just about to ask in a comment where the hell he filmed this, because it looks like winter. Did he say so in the video? I missed it.
@@MazDanRX795 he didn’t, but it yeah it was the backend of winter. That day was cold and raining the day, that’s why he filmed inside.
@@MazDanRX795 he didn’t, but it yeah it was the backend of winter. That day was cold and raining, that’s why he filmed inside.
@@MazDanRX795 If you look on the date stamp on when the Audi was sold on Cars and Bids it was last November.
19:50 It's so cool to see that Doug is really passionate about what he does!
The B5 RS4 will always have a special place in my heart, my dad had one when I was around 2 or 3 years old and though I don't remember much from that time, I fondly remember him topping it out on the Autobahn with me there, he'd put a ridiculous amount of money into getting it to 550WHP, this made the car pretty unpredictable in terms of reliability and heat soak was a constant issue, but no car will ever compare for me.
Had 2 B5 A4 1.8T quattros (hence the name), and boy did that “when it’s running” comment at the end hit home.
I remember Doug saying he wanted to review this car, glad the buyer let you check it out!
One of the best driving cars I’ve had the pleasure of driving. Fantastic video!
"A Doug Special" - an episode with a car, related to Doug's past. Always a better story, always a better review.
A co-worker of mine bought one of these when I was living in the UK. I got a ride in it on British back roads. I've wanted one since.
My gti vr6 shared much of the same stuff you mentioned here and I miss that car dearly.
The fact that I was supposed to buy s4 b5car as my first but couldn’t because it was too far from me really hurts me man. I love this gen audis.
But this is a B5 tho lol
@@matteiasm.3618 wait i messed up
@@matteiasm.3618 thanks it was definitely that generation car it was relatively cheap at the time (2018) but 4 hours on public transportation without even driving the car that would have been painful. I kinda regret it but I moved to a different country in 2 years anyways so it would have made no sense
You drive all these modern hyper cars yet you smiled so much more while reviewing this 😁. I love it!!
I owned a Santorian blue B5 A4 in college as well, same deal, used and always breaking down, but I loved it to pieces and sold it just before the pandemic. This was incredibly satisfying to watch and I'd love to see you review a regular B5 too
A4’s are really easy to take care of though?
My dad had a B5 and then a B6 A4 when I was growing up, this brings back some memories
Looks just like your car Doug. Love wagons. Expecially sporty ones. Gotta get me one bro.👍💙💙🤑😎😎
This review is classic Doug content. Keep reviewing the old stuff, Doug!
I’ve been waiting years for you to make this video on a B5 RS4 Doug, YEARS!
I just retired my b5 this thursday, it was the diesel 1,9 tdi engine, but man this review brings back memories.
Doug loves his wagons....hearing how excited he sounds to talk about this Audi's quirks and features reminds me of a kid in a movie thinking he's about to score lol
correction: When air is compressed by the turbo, the air temperature increases, which then reduces the density. An "inter-cooler" cools down the air downstream of the turbo before it reaches the cylinders, which increases the density of the air which also enters the combustion chamber at above sea level pressure. The inter-cooler does not cool down the turbo. Its purpose is to cool down the heated air leading to increase performance. In some turbo cars (e.g. WRX STI) there is even a "water sprayer" for the inter-cooler that cools the air down even more.
Maybe Doug Demuro had no idea that the car tuning community and aftermarket forced induction companies exist
I have always loved these, when I was a kid I always wanted a B5 S4. Then a colleague at work bought a nogaro RS4!
I then bought a year later a Manual Avant Cactus B5 S4, which is the rarest B5 out there - only a 100 in the entire world. It’s my dream car and I own it!
Wow that volume knob is fantastic
I had a B5 S4 modified to gen 1 Audi R8 performance specs. It should be noted that one of the main appeals to modifying them is that they tend to increase reliability rather than decrease it when done properly. Maintenance on the 2.7 engine is a nightmare that often requires a full removal, including those turbos (which are considered a wear item according to Audi). The aftermarket mods tend to dial out factory imperfections along the way.
For anyone looking to modify their B5 S4, I highly recommend keeping it "modest" to around 450 HP because after 500 HP they start throwing rods. Even if you account for that, it has short gearing and you will be rowing gears all the time on a heavy clutch and not want to drive it. These cars are very front-heavy and heat is what kills the engine, so they are a poor choice for the track but possibly the best choice as a GT highway cruiser.
Had a stage 3 noggy on noggy s4 that was bulletproof. That's long gone but picked up a fully stock silver auto for the wife as a project. Let's just say it's getting quite modified to become a reliable fun car
@@kflan86 if you are open to suggestions, I would recommend Motoza for engine management. They will assist you dialing in a custom tune, while also letting you toggle to something more modest for your wife as a default setting. I had quite a while where mine was on ~375 HP with older design Frankenturbos and it was a very classy OEM+ setup with no real trade-offs or unwanted behaviors.
@@UmbreonMow may end up going k04, hear alot of issues with cheap turbos. as far as tuning ill probbably hit up blake beadle for a mild tune and code out some problematic parts. my old stage 3 whas on k04s with a daz tune. and that thing was a monster 10 years ago i miss it
@@kflan86 KO4s + daz is a perfect setup, good luck with it. Honestly, even the stock KO3s aren't bad by any means. They just don't hold up the repeated abuse and heat that the lower spool time encourages. I mostly just advocate against huge turbos like tial 605 and up, or things like a 3.0 conversion. It's just too much power and will bite you in the ass one way or another. These cars are at their best in the 400-480 HP range due to chassis design.
Doug please keep making vids on old cars. It's why I follow you. Keep it weird!!!
The old RS models are so good because an untrained eye barely can see the difference between a "A" audi and an RS but the performance difference is huge. They can take out porsches... as a station wagon. I love it.
Really felt this one. Thanks Doug, keep it up!
Back in the day there were a few of these knocking about where I lived in Australia. I knew they were cool, I loved their turbo V6 power. At one point they were affordable too. For me, this was peak Audi, where it looked subtle, but stylish and not over the top.
2:16 B7 RS4 was also the only one to have saloon, estate and cabrio. Every other RS4 is Avant only. And B6 never had RS version
B7 is just facelifted B6
My wife and I had a Nagaro Blue manual S4 2001 Avant.. Great car, man I miss that car!
i think that storage in the arm rest used to have a first aid kit crammed into it. my buddy had an same gen A4, I def remember fiddling around with that kit.
Very lucky to be someone with a B5 RS4 (live in the UK, not USA)
Has been a very reliable car over the years and it's high mileage, despite what people say, but if you need to do any work, the front end has to come off, quite a pain.
But very special and rare car, personally wanted an imola yellow example, did own a noggie blue B5 S4 previously and it's a very nice colour but the popular Avus silver is still a beautiful colour. Not sure why this one has been lowered, the stock ride height looks perfect (although it is still too low for aggressive speed bumps). The value is going one way and it's up. Quite alot of modified examples but in stock form (with a remap to go even faster if you dare) is just excellent itself.
Just to add, saying the mirrors are "silver" isn't quite right as they are unpainted alluminium not a painted silver. But they are a beautiful touch to an elegant car.
Ah yes the zillion of a dead flies on the mirrors after a good highway run.
Love seeing how emotional Doug gets 😂
I had a neighbor next door who had a B7 RS4 sedan, in Argentina that’s $200k+ new. Same blue💙
You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this ever since you mentioned it a few months ago
Got to drive one fairly regularly 15 years ago. Loved to chase motorcycles over country roads. The memory of bikers who kept checking their mirrors, puzzled by the fact that I was _still_ behind them...in a station wagon, still makes me smile. 😊
Another certified hood classic
🫡
Oh Doug, here you are with another Audi that is quite similar to a C5 allroad, and you love it. I'll never let you hear the end of this
I love the A4's, i bought a 2000 A4 B5 just to save it, 2012 A4 B8 and 2016 S4, but the best RS or S for the A4 model is the RS7 B7 sedan. I love the V8 in that car. With the modern mods and tunning, and with the engine rebuilt from 0, im going 1on1 with supercars for under 50k€. Since the project is done, its also my daily. I need to get the V10 RS6 while its available, its a car you cant miss.
Just a few “clarification” comments on this wonderful review. The rear bench is not too small for European tastes. This was THE family wagon. Rarely have I seen a middle class family in a Audi A6/RS6. The 6 has always been expensive for the everyday guy. It’s like the E Class of Mercedes. Second, the net is not for dogs in particular. It is for when the car is jammed to the roof with luggage. When you hit the brakes, no luggage will be flying around. Very, very cool era. Cars have become so overly complicated and crazy expensive.
Spot on with the over complication comment. 1985-2005/10 is the best era of cars imo. Just the right blend of technology
i agree. doug fits and it doesn't look massively uncomfortable. impressive for a car from 97.
An RS6 would also be difficult to park in most European spaces which were marked out for a MK1 Golf or even the Ford Anglia featured in Harry Potter.
Front doors are different from lesser b5's. They are flush whereas all others got a strip which required holes drilled in the door skin. I know because I've done rs4 widebody conversion on my b5 s4 avant.
Thanks Doug! I always love this car
Damn. THIS is dope. 18 seconds, no views, 4 comments. Truly one of the ultimate dream wagons.
Thank you Doug for another great review !
I also still daily drive an 1996 A4 B5 Avant with an 1.8T engine, so i basically know the car and thats why i have to supplement some things ;)
#1 The mirrors are not just silver, they are made out of solid aluminium.
#2 The S4 on 3:37 is a S4 B6.
#3 The brake caliper normally were not looking completely like an stock one (like the reviewed RS4).
#4 I love the position of the stock for the headlights is perfect for an car were no atuomatic lighting was available bacause you don´t have to put your hands from to stearing wheel to get the light on or off.
#5 The storage in the centre armrest in the back seat is the place where the first aid kit is normally housed.
#6 The two tailgate poppers are basically one piece, and i think this ins not just one big piece because of the key hole.
The RS4 is a really great car !
Same here, 1,8t A4 B5 with 320k km. Such a fun cheap car
I will repeat endlessly that the B5 chassis, inside and out is a timeless marvel of meticulous curves and well thought out shapes. It's all 100% cohesive inside and out. My 1998 A4 was running 24psi through a K4 on the stock motor with bolt ons. Sold it just south of 300,000 miles to its original owner, because even he knew that chassis was made right and missed it.
Driving my 01 VW Jetta 1.8t all through high school and modding it after graduation, I always fantasized of owning the RS4 Avant.. I Moved on and had a kid, and sold the 01 for a 17 passat I'm getting real close to buying my dream car, Maybe when it's legal to import ill get one, Thanks doug for the Inspiration.
Few months ago i sold my A4 Avant 2.4 quattro 5 speed and the more time passes by the more i regret it and it's almost impossible to find another one with V6 here in Serbia. I know it's not even close to rs4 but it can give glimpse what's like to drive one. And the sound is amazing especially because mine didn't have cats
My all time favorite car. I respectfully disagree though - Imola Yellow is the very best non-Audi Exclusive color! Best overall going to Ipanema Brown, of course.
- The rear seat armrest storage compartment was for the first aid kit that was mandatory in some European countries. That car is missing the kit.
- The "ashtray" at the back of the center console accessible by the rear seat area has a hidden additional OBDII port that works (at least the one in my '98 A4 did)
The simplicity of this RS4 it’s exactly as the 2003 Audi RS6
Honestly the best doug review i've seen lately
I have one of those since it was new. Same color.
Mine is mint condition.
Awesome car.
Thank you for doing this review. It’s such a bad ass car for it’s time and it’s in the best color.
That space on the armrest was where they would put the first-aid kit. I remember sitting in one of these back in 2001 at the Audi dealership in my city. Also, my dad owned an A6 from the era and they also put the first-aid kit in that same hole. I’m in México, btw.
This...is my first wagon love, such an incredible car.
This is such great car! Thanks for the review 😊
I agree with the 6 stage heated seats, or at least a higher number than my Impreza, which just has off, low, and high. I often have to choose between "still chilly" or "drive to the ER".
We need a comparison video between this and the RS2 Avant, just like you did for the RS2 Vs the RS6 Avant.🙏🏽
I'm a big fan of hatchbacks and sport wagons in general... this 2001 RS4 Avant is sweet!! I've owned 4 Volvo sport wagons(98 V70XC,98 V70XC, 00 V70XC/SE, 04 XC70) and I now own two 2005 Saab 9-2x's (linear/Aero). I almost purchased an Audi Allroad wagon but got the 2004 Volvo XC70 instead.
We own a B6 1.8t 192cv Avant Quattro, and it will stay with us forever. It's a very reliable car, nice exterior looking, durable interior with no rattles, correct size/function, and no stupid "beeps" or functions. I would buy an RS4 from that era if I had the money to find one with that conservation, underrated cars.
The most fun I've had in a car was in my friends '97 5-speed 1,8t quattro B5 A4 avant. Bad coilovers, even worse studded tires and a couple of inches of fresh snow. 250 horsepower and little to no grip just sliding and having fun. It was like a car straight out of a video game.
Gone are the days when these high peformance road cars are so under the radar with subtlty, humbleness and elegance
That rear armrest storage area was for Audi's original first aid kit, it fit perfectly in there
The back center armrest is for a stock audi first aid kit. My b5 avant had it, perfect fit
I was expecting...
"And the Doug Score is here, 73 out of 100, which places it here as the best car ever!"
Great review of a fantastic car Doug!
Who else thought Doug would say, “This is my RS4 Avant.”
That rear center storage was for the first aid kit. I test drove a wagon with the first aid kit snuggly stored there. Probably an option that wasn’t included in this model.
The winning bid was definitely Doug's burner account