tuned 2017 BMW m4 competition vs 2019 Audi RS5 sportback

[ccondo]

I own a tuned 2017 M4 competition currently and I took a 2019 rs5 Sportback home for the night. This is my take on the 2 cars.

First let me say - I am no one’s fan boy, and I try to do my best to see things for what they are. There are a lot of great cars from a lot of companies. Not here to troll or ruffle anyone's feathers. If you disagree fine but please do so having spent time in both vehicles and make the disagreements respectful.

For the record, I am 45, married with a 5-year-old son (no plans on more) and I track my car between 3-8 times a year.
My car has the upgraded BMW m-sport suspension in it which is a bit harsh, and I have a tune to make more power, and some coding done to make transmission more aggressive etc... My comparison is MY M4 car vs the RS5 I drove.

I am considering switching to the Audi RS5 AND a dedicated track car. For a dedicated track car it might be a c6 or c7 Z06 Corvette, M3, M4, 911, Cayman, etc.

BMW M4:
- Pedigree and name recognition
- I like my color option better that what I have seen available on the RS5 (mine is a custom color - Ferrari Red)
- WIRELESS Apple Car Play (I was told the RS5 had it but wasn’t able to experience it)
- Better Infotainment system (my subjective opinion)
- Much quicker throttle response
- More aggressive appearance (this is also subjective)
- Better HUD - shows RPM - easier to know when to shift
- Better options for tracking the car via M Dynamic Mode
- Stereo - the stereo in this thing is amazing. 8" subs under the seats. - The stereo in the RS5 had potential. The B&O guys ran out of time or budget for getting it right. Fronts need to be crossed over higher, I think the gain on them is too high etc. (I spent time on the Audi forums looking into this. - I was able to make the Audi acceptable, but the HK in my m4 is a 9/10. The RS5 I give a 6/10
- Mine has the anti-dazzle headlights coded in and the flashing euro taillights under heavy braking. Not sure if this is available to be coded in to the Audi RS5


Audi RS5:
- SOUND - I give this a 7/10 (10/10 for a V6)
- Steering weight and feel. The BMW is WAY to heavy and feels dead in the middle
- I like the steering wheel better. I actually think the feel and size is perfect - my BMW is too bulky.
- AWD is great and this car doesn't seem to have understeer issues (at least not on the street). I launched this thing after it rained and if it lost traction, I couldn’t feel it.
- HATCH - doesn't look like a hatch but it is. With the seats down this has SUV cargo area. AND the trunk lip is low. Very easy to place items inside it.
- Flies under the radar a bit - I am a business owner and some potential customers don’t like seeing people in expensive cars
- Good interior - a bit understated (seems to be their style) but you can tell the quality is there.
- More fun to drive (even relative turbo lag vs the m4)
- Better ride vs my tuned M4

[ZCD1]

Originally Posted by ccondo

I own a tuned 2017 M4 competition currently and I took a 2019 rs5 Sportback home for the night.

The RS5 is a really nice car - I drove one when shopping as well. They look great (subjective, I know) and all the traditional Audi qualities (outstanding build quality, fantastic interior, unflappable AWD traction, good power, etc.) are present and accounted for. I see one most days during my morning commute and it always looks good.

The car's Achilles' heel IMO is its value proposition. Loaded up, they can be >$90K, which seems too high, at least to me.

After I drove a Tesla Model 3 Performance, the extra $25-$30K for the Audi didn't seem justified. That's not to say that there aren't things about the Audi that justify extra $$$$ - there definitely are, but not $25K extra IMO.

YMMV - good luck with your search!

[qba335i]

I purchased a new RS5 a few weeks ago and really like the car. For a daily driver it is really hard to find a better car.
I have Nardo Gray with black trim, black badges and tinted windows. The car looks very aggressive and I get a lot of compliments.


Ccondo:
2019 RS5 has a wireless charger, but for ApplePlay you need to connect the cable or get one of those aftermarket USB wireless plugs.

[ccondo]

Qba335 - do you have a link to an adapter? Does it integrate with the MMI?

[qba335i]

Originally Posted by ccondo

Qba335 - do you have a link to an adapter? Does it integrate with the MMI?

My friend ordered this: https://carplay2air.com/

He is still waiting to get his so I am not sure how well it actually works. It's supposed to connect with MMI.

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by ZCD1

The RS5 is a really nice car - I drove one when shopping as well. They look great (subjective, I know) and all the traditional Audi qualities (outstanding build quality, fantastic interior, unflappable AWD traction, good power, etc.) are present and accounted for. I see one most days during my morning commute and it always looks good.

The car's Achilles' heel IMO is its value proposition. Loaded up, they can be >$90K, which seems too high, at least to me.

After I drove a Tesla Model 3 Performance, the extra $25-$30K for the Audi didn't seem justified. That's not to say that there aren't things about the Audi that justify extra $$$$ - there definitely are, but not $25K extra IMO.

YMMV - good luck with your search!

Agree with your sentiments. I like the RS5 but the price is way too high compared to the M3.