Midlife Crist Alert--- I got a Wagon errrr Estate errr Touring errrr Avant. And what a cool car this thing is. Not the fastest, not the loudest, not the most aggressive of what I have but still a good functional car that has great guts, nice roar, and a very sleek look to it. The color is not for all, but it was what it was with the deal I grabbed on it.
Since this is a versus section I’ll give you some thoughts against the CS's but it’s not apples to apples of course.
And of course, large shout out to
r33_RGSport aka Ben and team at RG for modding it and sourcing the parts so damn fast. Again, being treated not as a number but as a valued customer. And while he loves BMW, he has done work on this, my Porsche, Plaid, Z06, GT63, R8, and few other non M's. If you all are in SoCal, take the drive to his shop and get stuff done with great service, strong pricing, and he will buy you McDonalds.
Basic Mods all via RG:
Tint 35% Ceramic
12mm spacers square
KW HAS (30mm drop front 25mm rear)
AWE Full Catback Exhaust
RaceChip Piggy (50 whp 60 wtq)
RaceChip XLR Throttle Adjuster
Thoughts against the CS's (doesnt matter which one)
Driving: The CS's are almost 950 lbs lighter if not more so there's that. The RS hides the weight but doesnt eliminate it. The RWS helps and the new differential keeps the tq split reasonably to the rear as I plow into and out of turns but its never gonna be that dancing car. The RS steering is fairly on point and little to no Quattro understeer and I actually like it equally to the CS programming here. Good balance and reasonable feel with decent tension. The CS is probably faster with its better hp to weight ratio and it feels like it too but the RS isn’t here to be the fastest thing; its here to be the coolest. Launches are crazy in the RS with the rear squat literally giving me a feel of wheelie like pop… I like it. The RS is probably a stock 3 second to 60 car and low 11’s at best pre piggy. The 2025 mods to the Performance in the RS are definitely felt vs the likes of the previous C8 Gen. I only test drove those cars (591 hp vs 621) but they were not as dynamic. The CS will beat it off the line and down the road but wont crush it like a Plaid or a Turbo S.
Transmission: The CS is bad ass- its violent yet controlled and is basically an "on demand" driver from this standpoint. The RS is just not the same; its still pretty aggressive but I have to push it to get it to act. Consider the comparison like the S63 vs the S85 where the 85 begs one to drive hard while the 63 needs one to drive hard. The XLR pedal adjuster did help a bit but the TCU programming of the CS is Gold.
Sound: The Audi 4.0 TFSI wins this of course with its V8 roar. The RS is heavily sound deadened so the AWE was necessary. The CS has the Ti rear which helps in the tonal aspects and the ER mid pipe but the deep growl plus limited barks and pops (not over the top) gives me more smiles in the RS. But this is an engine thing for sure.
Looks: Damn- I like the RS but only when I look back. Ive always said I like to drive a car that is equal or better as a driver than its looks. This RS might be a tie in that regard. The RS is alot of fun on the open road as a GT car.
Interior: I got the RS Red package and that definitely makes the car special inside. The alcantara trim and adds are luxe in nature and the leather is a level up over my prior M's as the leather super supple. I actually don’t mind the MMI of Audi but Im not a infotainment junky as long as the main things I need to make the driving experience are accessible. The B&O is great and while the exhaust is the real soundtrack; the system is excellent. The RS is better here and it better be- I like the guts arguably better than even my prior M8’s too. The HUD in the RS is one of my faves- full rpm, speed, and oil temps with excellent clarity but still not visionally obtrusive to my down the road optic needs.
Overall: The RS is a great GT car with an amazing interior that can also get going and kick some ass on the road. Its not a track car or even a quarter miler, but it can launch like a bat and roars brilliantly. Its not a cross shopper to the CS's or even the G80's and there is no Estate option here in the US so if anyone wants a cool wagon style and doesnt feel attracted to the G99; this is the car. BTW I didnt even consider the G99. Im not sure why but I just didnt even give it a chance.
BEFORE DROP
