Target01

I'm torn between the E55 and the RS6.

As far as I know the RS6 is safe and predictable with a lot of traction, but then the E55 supposedly handles better.

I like the Q styling of the RS6, but I'm not sure about the E55, it is fairly in your face.

Anyway, which should it be, and why?

MN-E55

I have both an RS6 and an E55 on order and I am keeping the E55. Here's why:

While the RS6 is an extremely competent car (I currently drive an A6 4.2 Sport), it is turbocharged and there is a bit of lag, it is in the final stages of that current body design and Audi isn't yet ready to play with the big boys - Mercedes and BMW. Hence, you will see some relatively dramatic depreciation versus the Mercedes. That has been the story with the A6 and A8 line for years.

Sure, the Audi has quattro which is great in the winter with snow tires but I don't drive in snow with these cars. There are some dry traction advantages for the Audi....maybe. The E55 with its electronics won't let you get in a lot of trouble unless you switch it off.

The RS6 will be a great car. No doubt. It is still unpriced but here are the options and colors available:

Warm Weather Package
Carbon Fiber Interior
Rear Side Airbags
Navigation
Sound Enhancing Exhaust w/ Black Tips (wish MB offered this one)

A lot fewer options than the E55.

Colors:

Avus Silver
Mugelo Blue
Ebony Pearl
Daytona Gray
Goodwood Green
Red

My dealer expects it to sticker for $75-$80K so it should be about the same price as a moderately optioned E55. The first cars are built and will be hitting in April. 860 or so will be built. Period. Production should last through October or so. They will be rarer than the E55 and they are currently fetching a $15,000 premium on eBay but then so are E55's. We'll see how long that lasts.

If you'd have told me ten years ago that we would have these kinds of cars to choose from I would have told you you were crazy. Now the bar may be raised to 550 h.p. soon. And I thought my 911 Turbo was quick.....

I've got an RS6 for anyone if you are interested.

amg55

From my previous posts on this topic:
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1)
OK, I'll admit from the outset that I'm biased against Audi products when it comes to the performance segment.
My biggest gripes are that 1) Audi's penchant for bland styling is essentially inappropriate in the sport market (who wants to pay $85,000 and drive a car that looks so much like a VW Passat?!), 2) interior styling in the Audi R and S cars is as bland as the exteriors, 3) since the public has little respect for Audi as a manufacturer of sports cars, depreciation and resale are the worst in this segment of the market.

I've copied the last half of Edmunds' review of the RS6 because I think, in essence, it supports my views of why the RS6 is a poor choice for those looking for a super sport sedan.

{ The rest is at:
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/road...h..reviews..3.* }

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We tested the RS6 on the same track as the S4 and it proved an abject lesson that light weight can make up for all the technological advancements in the world. Although it couldn't match the RS6's straight-line speed, the S4 could whip the RS6's 4,024-pound butt in the twisty bits despite its theoretically inferior suspension and brakes. As well, the automatic transmission is easily confused and often in the wrong gear despite its Tiptronic manual-shifting mode. The RS6 was never meant for such abuse, but when kept in its intended environment or high-speed cruising on wide, flat roadways, it's quite amazing.

As for more pedestrian duties, the RS keeps with most of Audi's A6 abilities. Unlike the S4, the rear accommodations aren't overly cramped. However, I would have preferred the smaller Audi's Recaro front seats. They provide much better side bolstering and were far more attractive with their colored Alcantara inserts. The RS6's seats are more muted, with monochromatic gray leather, for instance, highlighted by white piping. It's meant to appeal to the older, more conservative crowd who can afford the RS6, but anybody buying this car, regardless of age, is defining him or herself as young at heart.

Speaking of price tags, the RS6's is expected to ring in around $85,000. That's serious coinage, more than BMW's class-defining M5, in fact. Besides the conservative cabin decor, my one condemnation of the RS6 is that the company seems to have once again put the cart before the horse in the pricing sweepstakes. Audi desperately wants to be mentioned in the same breath as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but before it can start charging the same price for its products it must first establish a reputation equal to the task.

The RS6 may indeed be the equal of BMW's M5, but I think it will be some time before public perception catches up. Charging more than the class' benchmark right out of the gate certainly takes some serious cajones.
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2)
Having a good deal of familiarity with the Audi breed, I would be very surprised if you find that the handling of the RS6 is even close to that of the E55.
I believe the RS6 is going to be a one trick pony--a straight shot artist lacking in 1) great handling 2) interior amenities 3) stylishness 4) resale value. Braking should be solid.

Audi is trying to milk some extra $$ out of the aging A6 lineup with the RS6.
You can bet your life that they haven't put half the engineering effort into its performance/handling qualities that MB or BMW do on their AMG and M models.
That goes for all of Audi's S and R models compared to AMG and M.

Price estimates: RS6 $82-85,000
E55 probably upwards of $76,000, but definitely less.

Resale? Audi is pitiful in this area, while MB is tops.

I can't even imagine why someone would buy an RS6 over an E55 or M5.

MN-E55

I spent time at the Paris Motor Show with both the RS6 and the E55. The RS6 was open, the E55 locked.

Stylistically, the E55 has it all over the RS6. That Audi body is looking dated and tired. The E55 is brand new. Audi's interiors have won some acclaim but I really expected more when I sat in the RS6 - I was sitting in my A6 back home. Boring.

Forget the power for one minute - when you put the two side by side the MB wins (to me) hands down.....and I'm an Audi guy and have been for some time. This is my first Mercedes product. I'm done with BMW for awhile. Have you seen the horror show in the new 5 Series prototypes?

Buy the MB. Down the road you will be much happier - especially at trade-in time.

Target01

Audi certainly is playing with the big boys. The new A8 is beating the S and 7 in reviews. As for Quatro GmBh, they're a seperate company from Audi (own profit and business schemes) and have done a lot to tune the RS6. For one thing, the Engine is wonderfull, the brakes work well, the special DRC is new and innovative, and the car is very solid


The RS6 is indeed an old design but it looks so muscular, I love the way it is sculpted. As for traction, the RS6 will have a lot more traction in the wet than the E55, also more safety due to this traction in any weather.
In a recent Top Gear test, the E55's traction control light was on the whole time, 500 BHP is too much for two wheels it seems, especially in the wet. Thus, to fully exploit the E55 here in UK, I'd only truly be able to enjoy it when the roads were dry...

As for turbo lag...there is none as far as I know, I believe somebody sucked that out of their thumb.

Finally I did post this question on an audi forum and people said that the RS6 has less of an image problem. Merc is seen as an old gents car, or in Holland at least, as a car that butchers drive.

amg55

1-I owned an A8 about 4 years ago. It is an "underappreciated" (actually this is a pun of the truest sort) vehicle, I will say. They are innovatively designed, tightly finished, very solid vehicles. The problem is that public perception is what drives resale values and prestige. Audi is still the German stepchild to Porsche/MB/BMW. As such the RS6 will languish in murky depreciation oblivion.
I am not a big fan of the S class, and I detest the new 7 series. But the biggest downside to the A8 is that buying one is like flushing money down the loo (you're in the UK, right?) as you drive off the lot.

2- beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. I warmed to the clean lines of the Audis while I owned one, but now think they're just plain boring. Look at the lines of a 330i, an SL500, even one of the Volvo 60's. Great styling is out there all around.

3- Given that it has 4WD, the RS6 will be much more versatile in the UK, no question.

4- You asked people on an Audi forum if they think Audis have an image problem?
That's like asking a new mum if she thinks her infant is an attractive child.
I used to read the Audi forums frequently. The saddest thing about owning an Audi is that you know that most everyone thinks less of your car than you do, and the people at the Audi forum seem to carry quite an inferiority complex...they're very sensitive about comparisons with MB and BMW....and quietly jealous IMO.