$80,000!!!! for an RS4

They need to bring it way down for the US market.
If the M3's selling for under $55 K then this can't be more than $60 K if they
expect to sell any.

Great car though!

 

The RS4 is a totally different beast compared to the M3 and C55. The RS4 is a modded Audi S4 designed and built by Audi's Quattro department. It is also built in limited quantities, compared to the M3 and C55.

 

Not a fair comparison. The M3 is WAY in over its head on this one. At least the C55 is a V8. They should've waited with this one until the E90 M3 came out, which is rumored to house a V8 as well.

 

...and as I recall, the author wrote that it wasn't a full-on comparison test and that the RS4 was almost a production version. So they light footed them around and made some weak subjective, comparative ratings.

RS4 was written up previously by another rag as being overtly sporting with an overly firm suspension set-up that would limit its acceptability asa daily driver. Awfully different conclusion here.

 

80K, granted, is a good chunk of cash, but at least some of it is justified when you consider that an RS4 has far more equipment than a 55K M3....a V8 instead of a 6, four doors, much better interior materials, and a much more complex and difficult-to-manufacture AWD Quattro system.

I'm not saying that the RS4 is worth the full $80,000, but Audi certainly can justify SOME of that big price difference.

 

I read the article last night in the C&D paper copy. I agree that the M3 was simply out of its league against the RS4 and C55. All three of these cars, however, ( not surprisedly ) are generally more suited for the unregulated parts of the German Autobahns than for American roads. I personally would consider all three of these cars overkill and ( perhaps ) a waste of money on American roads......our speed limits simply are not high enough here and our roads in some areas are too congested to make these machines practical. All three of these makes also ( not emphsized in the Car and Driver article ) have a reputation for poorly-made electronics.