Clyde

This is what Jeremy Clarkson had to say about the E55. I think he wasn’t very fund of the traction control. He rather would of seen 4weel drive?

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What do u people think about the video?

BoBcanada

He's full of ****, E class looks like honda? Right, I would *****slap him for that! And what would he call new 5 series then?

He has no taste!

vlix

well lets respect his opinion. he is a professional afterall. i like my E55 for my own reasons, i did not buy my car base on other ppl's opinion.

Marcus Frost

I was torn between the E55 and RS6 as well, and agree a lot with Jeremy aside from the E-Class styling remarks.

It came down to:
The E55 is considerably faster stock for stock.
The E55 has more potential (the RS6 has limited potential due to it's AWD transmission).
The E55 has better resale value.

The RS6 is a terrific car though...

-m

dtmpower

I guess you've never heard of levelten

Marcus Frost

dtmpower,

Actually, yes I have heard of levelten. I've also heard of the class action lawsuit that was filed on behalf of numerous Toyota Supra owners who bought their piece of **** transmission and had them fail within 1000 miles at half their claimed torque threshold.

I wouldn't trust them to upgrade the transmission in a Ford Taurus, much less an $85k Audi RS6. You may think there are just a whole mess of companies out there who can upgrade automatic transmissions, but let me tell you... it is nowhere near that easy. I know this from experience.

-m
Former '98 Supra Turbo 6-Speed, 833rwhp
Former '97 Supra Turbo Automatic, 371rwhp

dtmpower

Hmm... that's sad. Well least the folks around here loves it so far Few B5 s4's has the levelten treatment and owners love it. Now where's that good old 6 speed getrag type d????

Btw as for the resale value, I do recall someone brought up the edmunds link in the past:

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2003/aud...e.num1.2.audi*
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2003/mer....mercedesbenz*

But nevertheless, I wouldn't buy a car based on what it's resale value is going to be. True enthusiasts would care more about what they drive.

Marcus Frost

I had the feeling this was going to go this route.

S4s are still a bit behind the Supra crowd in terms of horsepower. I'd like to see more 10 second S4s run with leveltens before I'd make the comment that they do good work.

As far as the links provided, they don't hold water in my area. I test drove three RS6s, and three E55s... the RS6s cost less at the time to a comprable E55.

To say enthusiasts would drive cars no matter what the resale is, that's just being ridiculous. First off, the resale value was listed as #3, the RS6 had already lost the first and second criteria and the resale was just the icing. The fact that the resale was also less just added fuel to the fire, it was not THE deciding factor. I buy cars every 6 months, so who doesn't care about resale? You think people who want to drive enthusiast cars should not care about resale no matter how much it depreciated? You are implying that I am not a true enthusiast? That's funny, I built my last 1000hp Supra myself, I've owned and driven more sports cars with more horsepower than I can even count, and probably know more about the engineering premises behind engines than you do, yet I'm the one who isn't the enthusiast?

Why don't you do a search for my posts on here, and then come and tell me again I'm not an enthusiast. I think you a stepping a bit out of bounds.

-m

DRCrowder

what's your point here? that you can sell a base RS6 for 3,000 more than a base E55 even though that base RS6 cost 6K more?!?!?!

Thanks for proving marcus's point...

dtmpower

I just love how these people on the forum get mad about someone's post. LOL
There is an S4 that runs 10's from KTR performance, but why in the world would you take an automatic s4 when there's a 6 speed MT available from factory? As far as levelten, if it works out for some and doesn't for the rest. Great, I can careless. I'm not here to represent levelten or any other modifiers.
Since you seem like a type of person that "knows it all," can you be kind and tell me how much a stock rs6 tranny can hold in regards to the LIMITATION that you were implying rather than repeating what you've read/heard from forums and others?

P.S. I don't ever recall claiming "MARCUS! you're not an enthusiast," and could careless whether you are or not.

dtmpower

There is no point of fussing about what the resale value among the two. As far as the numbers you've mentioned, it's only 3-6k for sake!!! Compared to how much the car costs, in my opinion that should be just another pocket change.

Marcus Frost

[/b]

Keyword "A" - there 12 10 second 100% street Supras or faster (including my former one) within 60 minutes of me, and there were only 6000 MKIV turbo Supras ever made. Like I said, Supras are a bit further ahead in the game than S4s.

Why would you want an auto instead of a manual? Because if you knew anything about drag racing and forced induction vehicles, you'd know automatics are 10 times better for drag racing than manuals.



You asked me if I ever heard of Levelten in a tongue-in-cheek manner, and I called you on it. That's all. Quit being so sarcastic with all your comments and you'll get more polite responses. Have you read your signature? You don't come off in a very positive manner.



When I was on RS6.com I heard many numbers, mostly around 600hp or so, some less. Some of the most respected posters on there even claimed stock was already pushing it's luck in the longevity department.



You said enthusiasts wouldn't care about resale when it comes to a car, and I did. Therefore, that means you are insinuating I am not an enthusiast. Again, I called you out on it. Maybe read what you write before posting it.

Here's my non-enthusiast Supra


-m

adx

Marcus - I am curious to see what kind of quarter mile results you are getting on your SupraTT. Please post if there are any.

vraa

I love your plate Marcus!

dtmpower

"Why would you want an auto instead of a manual? Because if you knew anything about drag racing and forced induction vehicles, you'd know automatics are 10 times better for drag racing than manuals."

LMFAO if I were you, I would read what you've typed up before you post.

Run along now troll

MikeE55

Nice Supra!!

apriliamilleR

you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. your stupidity is aggravating and unwanted. you come on a mb forum, in the e55 section, to bash on the e55. the e55 and rs6 are so close it comes down to preference. so stop acting like one is inferior.

Marcus Frost

dtmpower,

I am not going to waste my time with you if you are going to "LMFAO" at the fact that automatics are better than manuals for drag racing in forced induction cars. As someone who's forgotten more about what it takes to build fast cars than you know, I think I probably am the one sitting in the more definitive position on what is right. No professional drag race team uses a manually controlled clutch based transmission in their car, and there's obviously reasons for it. Even today's circuit teams are moving to SMGs because of the limitations in conventional manual transmissions. You are obviously young, ignorant, and naive and as such don't like to be made out to be stupid even though in this particular exchange it is inevitable since you want to be so stubborn.

How anyone can search my posts and call me a troll is beyond me, again I attribute this to your lack of maturity.

I am going to give three quick reasons why automatics are superior for the benefit of other people reading this thead.

1.) Automatics allow preloading of a converter instead of clutch slipping. There's no balance between throttle and clutch as with a manual so launches are much faster, more linear, and more consistent.
2.) Automatics allow higher boost levels to be reached at launch because preloading the converter actually puts load on the engine which, in turn, builds more boost (this applies more to turbocharged vehicles).
3.) Automatics do not require you to let off the accelerator and come out of boost inbetween shifts. While this is possible with a 6-speed, the longevity of a transmission being subjected to this kind of abuse is minimal and simply not practical for big horsepower applications.

There are many more, but these are a few important ones and do a sufficient job of making dtmpower look stupid

-m

Vetluver

Well said Marcus.

I think that people get confused when it comes to which tranny is best for which application. With equal HP because of inherent losses with automatic a manual will get more HP to the ground. For example take my Vette. In 89 the 6 speeds were consistantly quicker and faster than the automatics that year, mainly because it was a 4 speed auto vs a 6 sp man.

No matter how good I can shift my Vette it won't shift as fast and cleanly as the E55 automatic. Huge advantage in a straight line.

JasonC32amg

Consistency is another merit of a slushbox...

I respect Clarkson's opinion...but if I need an allweather car I'd rather have an STI or EVO to run through the elements and an e55 to own the highway :p

SL Shank

Hi Guys,

Was reading this post and I thought I'd fluff my feathers and share my first hand repeated experience with the RS6 / E55 performance/reliabilty.

I currently own an Avus RS6 with the 530HP Sportec Setup. Included is a Sportec Tuned ECU, Sportec Transmission ECU Map, sportec springs, 20" wheels, and Exhaust. I currently have 10,000 miles and have Zero problems with the transmission. I do know however, that in "D"-Drive mode, and depending on the RPM's you punch the car at, IT can be very jerky.....and can easily feel how unhealthy it might be and would contribute to transmission issues. In Sport Mode, No matter what RPM, no matter what speed, The shifting is precise, and fast, and no problems. (Knock on wood?)

I was also considering the E55, but living primarily in Chicago, I did not want its RWD, and the same AMG motor I had at the time in an SL55 I owned. I also heard of several cases that the dealer shared with me about SL55 and E55 motors blowing up. A week after that dealer warning, my buddy's E55 was at the shop fighting for an engine warranty coverage. In the bay was another E55 - same issue. Not sure why MB, with F1 stature, would engnineer a blower on their line of cars, rather than the twin turbos. I wound up trading in my SL55 for an Sl600 and decided to mod via Renntech.

I did, however, have plenty (2 1/2 weeks) seat time in an E55, and Loved its torque, highway runs, etc.. The fit and finish doesn't come close to that of the RS6, though the Audi is Dated in design. Again, my personal experience is of seeing lose parts, rattles, Wood Comparisons (mine had wood trim), 3rd rate leather, etc..

As far as performance, I did unethical runs on the highway and from dead starts, and also ethical track runs. My best run with the Audi was 12.29@126. I've seen stock E55's run 12.2. On the high way and dead starts, I'd have about 3 car lengths on my buddie's E55 by about 145 mph and climbing. Again, we're comparing a chipped RS6,and bone stock E55. That e55 dyno'd 420HP to the wheels however, which I believe MB underestimates their cars. I've seen one in FL dyno 423 to the wheels as well. No doubt, the E55 is a faster car out of the box, but I'd really be scared to mod that any more due to its engine-eering.

If any of you consider a mid sized super sedan, these are two of the best out there, but with AWD, Fit/finish/paint quality, reliability, safety, ..... RS6. If you have a winter car, and want a summer sedan with brutal force, and no plans on modding, and willing to accept some interior flaws.... E55 all the way. I do consider myself an enthusiast, and if I ever wanted show how big my **** is in the highways...I'll have to pull out my 1100RWHP Viper TT.

Thats my 2 cents.

Shank

DRCrowder

How odd, I went for the AMG for the same reasons you went with the Audi. Having owned 2 A4's(B5 2.8/1.8T), 2 S4's (B5 / B6), an S6 and an allroad I just couldn't handle the inferior workmanship and the horrible reliability. Every car in that list with the exception of the B5 A4 lived in the shop. Engine issues, fit and finish issues (door panels that come loose, rattles and squeaks from no where, nav problems, head unit problems, ecu problems, went through 4 sets of turbos between the B5 S4 and the allroad (At least the S4 was driven hard, the allroad is my damn dog car). It really got to the point that in my $50,000+ cars (B6 S4, allraod and S6) if I was taking a long trip, I actually was worried if I'd get there or not..

Let me sum it up for you:
In every Audi I have driven, my GF or I have had to call roadside assistance because of a breakdown. I have never called roadside assistance for any other vehicle

I'll NEVER buy an Audi again

I got the Z4 instead of the TT and the E55 instead of the RS6

It's not just me either, I have lived @ audiworld and hear the same thing. I'm sure that you already know that Audi is ranked FAR below the other German car manufacturers for quality and reliability

Just doing some quick googling shows that VW has 68 more defects per 100 than DC (although both are sad, http://consumeraffairs.com/news03/jdpower.html) and the following link shows JD power's customer satisfaction for the A6 vs the E class (most granule comparison I could get)

http://www.jdpower.com/cc/auto/jdpa_...rdsResults.jsp
the audi ties in 3 categories and loses all others, winning none..

it is unfortunate that audi's aren't audi's, they are golfs, jetta's, passats and phaetons (tt, a4, a6, a8 respectively)



PS If you wonder why I've had so many: I love how they look, I love the apperance of the interior (not the quality). If they could make a half-decent car I'd never buy another brand.

SL Shank

Hmmm, THat is odd. Its a shame you had misfortune with Audi's. I have had 4 audi's, and 3 SLs... an SL500 (Rattles, gear shifter knob broke, transmission slipping), SL55 (Rattles, Interior trim losened worse over time, and Orange Peel Leather...and Finally my current SL600 - where the refinement and smooth soft leather, and fit and finish were far better than the previous ones. No rattles either(Thank God)

Several friends / mb owners had several fit / finish / paint issues. I still have the RS6 and A8L which I still love over the S class (500 and less)

My Main reason for going with the Audi's were #1 - AWD, #2 - Build Quality and Reliability - FROM MY Experiences..not Internet statistics.

Good luck with your E55 though....I mean Chrysler.

Belmondo

Funny coming from someone driving Audi...........I mean VW.

SL Shank

Then perhaps you should re-read. Its "coming from someone" with AUDI's, PORSCHES, AND MERCEDES. But don't let me interrupt your laughter. I'll still pick you up from the MB dealer if you need a ride for your soon to be "Blown" motor - no punn intended.