[SwissMTNAlien]

I had a 2019 RS5 Sportback for four years and it was a great car but I agree with almost all of your points. I'm excited to get my M3 in to compare.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by SwissMTNAlien

I had a 2019 RS5 Sportback for four years and it was a great car but I agree with almost all of your points. I'm excited to get my M3 in to compare.

They also improved on a lot between the B9 generation and B9.5. I owned a 2019 as well and now a 2022. Many small changes to make it much better (in my opinion). Congrats on getting the M3 though, I'm sure you'll love it. Did you get a base manual, Comp RWD, Comp xDrive?

[Burrcold]

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2068086

Good small track comparison with the M3 Touring. Even though the RS4 won, the reviewer would still take the M3. Again to my point, different strokes.

[Mar48]

Coming from having an Audi daily for years and a BMW M car for a fun car (before the G80 came out and now I have both in 1), I can tell you the Audi is more luxury car than sports car. They are awesome, dependable vehicles, but nowhere near the 'soul' of a BMW M car.... An RS5 is halfway between a G80 M3 and an F90 M5.... G80 M3 = Sports car with some luxury.... F90 M5 = Luxury muscle car with a little sport... Audi RS5 is in the middle

[hrosenberg33]

I’m coming from a 2019 Audi RS5 4 door. I can agree with a lot of what’s been said.

I found the Audi to be luxurious and sporty, however, at least for me the M3, feels like an event every time I drive it. I never got that feeling with the RS5. The interior was nice, but very bland as it was black. The panel gaps are all super tight and it is fairly quiet, But like every German car, it develops some rattles. The powertrain was solid but once again, nowhere near as fun as that of the M3. Looks wise they are very different. I find the RS5 to be more “ beautiful” versus the M3 is more “rugged handsome”, if that makes any sense at all.😁

The all-wheel-drive performed excellent in the winter, and that was the original reason why I went with an RS5 in 2019 as opposed to M3. Once the M3 had all wheel drive it was no contest for me as to which one I was going to choose next.

The hatch is incredible in terms of functionality. It was fairly easy to take the family away for a weekend without any problem at all or throw 2 sets of hockey gear back there.

Unfortunately, I had terrible reliability problems with mine. Changed the exhaust three times, the soundaktor twice and then had to have the interior repaired after a buckle broke on the pillar. There were two smaller repairs for awful rattles that they did take care of. Those are the main reasons why I would never go back to an Audi. I had the car for about 3 1/2 years and it was at the dealership, every 3 to 4 months. I probably got a bit of a lemon.

From what I’ve heard the latest update with what I believe they also call a competition model is actually pretty outstanding. Wouldn’t get me back into an Audi based on my reliability experience, but it sounds like a true sports car.

Oh, finally, a big factor for me in the latest purchase was that the M3 was a car I dreamt of for over 25 years. While the RS5 just doesn’t hold a place like that in my heart. TBH I would think the ratio of kids who grow up thinking about their dream car would be 10:1 M3 vs RS5.

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by hrosenberg33

I’m coming from a 2019 Audi RS5 4 door. I can agree with a lot of what’s been said.

I found the Audi to be luxurious and sporty, however, at least for me the M3, feels like an event every time I drive it. I never got that feeling with the RS5. The interior was nice, but very bland as it was black. The panel gaps are all super tight and it is fairly quiet, But like every German car, it develops some rattles. The powertrain was solid but once again, nowhere near as fun as that of the M3. Looks wise they are very different. I find the RS5 to be more “ beautiful” versus the M3 is more “rugged handsome”, if that makes any sense at all.😁

The all-wheel-drive performed excellent in the winter, and that was the original reason why I went with an RS5 in 2019 as opposed to M3. Once the M3 had all wheel drive it was no contest for me as to which one I was going to choose next.

The hatch is incredible in terms of functionality. It was fairly easy to take the family away for a weekend without any problem at all or throw 2 sets of hockey gear back there.

Unfortunately, I had terrible reliability problems with mine. Changed the exhaust three times, the soundaktor twice and then had to have the interior repaired after a buckle broke on the pillar. There were two smaller repairs for awful rattles that they did take care of. Those are the main reasons why I would never go back to an Audi. I had the car for about 3 1/2 years and it was at the dealership, every 3 to 4 months. I probably got a bit of a lemon.

From what I’ve heard the latest update with what I believe they also [...]

Great input! Thanks for sharing your experience

[rick504]

I go back and forth between BMW and Audi all the time. I agree with most everyone has stated as well. The G80 is definitely more sporty and much faster than current RS5. Also the tech in the G80 is better.(idrive 8) between G80 and current RS5 I’m choosing G80 every time and that’s coming from a guy that currently owns two Audis.

[Forzanerazzurri]

I always forget Audi exists. They don't really compete with BMW do they?

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

I always forget Audi exists. They don't really compete with BMW do they?

With M products? No. That's not their gig. With regular products? Absolutely.

[Forzanerazzurri]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

With M products? No. That's not their gig. With regular products? Absolutely.

Yeah sorry that's what I meant

[Straykiwi]

My 2c. I was fortunate enough to drive a B9.5 RS4 and G80 M3 xDrive Competition back to back. As far as the Audi is concerned, they mask it's sporty nature so well that when you are driving in Comfort mode you could be almost be fooled into thinking you are in a normal A4, but the dozen or so badges that say RS constantly remind you that you're not. The ride may almost be described as luxurious, and when you take into account the RS4 rides on 20" wheels it's most impressive.
BMW M engineers went down a different design philosophy. They want you to know you are in a M car whether you are driving at 10mph or 100mph and it shows.
I won't go into detail about my thoughts about each car, but suffice it to say that when my wife and I drove home after giving the M3's keys back, the question was not which car was better, it was, can we afford the extra money required to buy a M3?

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by Straykiwi

My 2c. I was fortunate enough to drive a B9.5 RS4 and G80 M3 xDrive Competition back to back. As far as the Audi is concerned, they mask it's sporty nature so well that when you are driving in Comfort mode you could be almost be fooled into thinking you are in a normal A4, but the dozen or so badges that say RS constantly remind you that you're not. The ride may almost be described as luxurious, and when you take into account the RS4 rides on 20" wheels it's most impressive.
BMW M engineers went down a different design philosophy. They want you to know you are in a M car whether you are driving at 10mph or 100mph and it shows.
I won't go into detail about my thoughts about each car, but suffice it to say that when my wife and I drove home after giving the M3's keys back, the question was not which car was better, it was, can we afford the extra money required to buy a M3?

This makes good sense, after having driven my friend's car (even if only for 10-15 minutes or so) and jumping right back in my M3 xDrive (and also watching (and hearing) the M from behind!)

[/ / / M3]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

I drove the car for a few minutes, so this is definitely a "biased" review, especially since I've never owned an Audi. I did really like the steering wheel feel; however, the steering itself felt numb and light, and the throttle response felt lazy. The car was relatively quiet, even in the RS settings. You could tell the car *could* be quick, but there was no emotion, no pomp and circumstance, etc.

Pretty much all Audis are like that. They deliberately make their cars a bit dull, even the "sporty" models. Heck, the R8 has the reputation of being the world's most boring supercar. Audi could easily make cars that are more engaging and fun but that seems to go against their corporate philosophy.

[SaMaster14]

Originally Posted by / / / M3

Pretty much all Audis are like that. They deliberately make their cars a bit dull, even the "sporty" models. Heck, the R8 has the reputation of being the world's most boring supercar. Audi could easily make cars that are more engaging and fun but that seems to go against their corporate philosophy.

I guess that's what Porsche (and Lamborghini) are for, under the VW group... can't have Audi RS cannibalizing the Porsche market?

[/ / / M3]

Originally Posted by SaMaster14

I guess that's what Porsche (and Lamborghini) are for, under the VW group... can't have Audi RS cannibalizing the Porsche market?

I'm pretty sure that philosophy predates VAG's acquisition of Porsche and Lamborghini. In Germany, the old Audi stereotype was that of a "school principal's car".

Audi did make a few cars that broke the mold, such as the original Sport Quattro, RS2 and B7 RS4 but they are rare exceptions.

[Jimjamz]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

That's exactly what I'm looking for (992 C4S). I've driven a few of them and they are very fun. Possibly a GT3 but it would have to be a 991.2...the 992 GT3 prices are insane right now. I tossed around the idea of a manual G87 M2, but I just don't know if I'm sold on the looks. Not to mention that I want a weekend car that doesn't lose too much value (P Cars are pretty good in that respect).

I went through a similar eval process and came out of it with an allocation for a manual 992 Carrera T. Costs less than the 992 S and comes with dynamic goodies like rear axel steering, PASM, Sport chrono/exhaust, GT3 lightweight glass, and most importantly for me the 7-speed short shifter. The engine is the base engine and it’s not considered the best for the track (obviously GT3) - but great for the road where I’ll be driving mine.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Jimjamz

I went through a similar eval process and came out of it with an allocation for a manual 992 Carrera T. Costs less than the 992 S and comes with dynamic goodies like rear axel steering, PASM, Sport chrono/exhaust, GT3 lightweight glass, and most importantly for me the 7-speed short shifter. The engine is the base engine and it’s not considered the best for the track (obviously GT3) - but great for the road where I’ll be driving mine.

Lucky you! I'm on a wait list that is apparently 2 years long, so hopefully I can snag a CPO one or an allocation opens up. I love the T but I was looking for AWD (just so I could enjoy it through the winter as well). We'll see though...if I got an allocation for an S or T I'd take it in a second!

[Jimjamz]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Lucky you! I'm on a wait list that is apparently 2 years long, so hopefully I can snag a CPO one or an allocation opens up. I love the T but I was looking for AWD (just so I could enjoy it through the winter as well). We'll see though...if I got an allocation for an S or T I'd take it in a second!

I was told I’d never get an allocation.

It helped we’d bought a macan earlier and then realised the BMW dealer principal we bought many cars from was also owned by the same parent company that owned our nearest Porsche dealership. That got us a T allocation on account of our BMW loyalty and then the original Porsche dealer found out through the network and miraculously a T allocation was also confirmed by them as well a month later. We ended up going with them as they’ve been good and having two cars under the belt is even better than 1 if you want to order something else like a GT3 down the line. Some voodoo magic going on there. The days of walking into a dealer and saying I’d like that car are long gone.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Jimjamz

I was told I’d never get an allocation.

It helped we’d bought a macan earlier and then realised the BMW dealer principal we bought many cars from was also owned by the same parent company that owned our nearest Porsche dealership. That got us a T allocation on account of our BMW loyalty and then the original Porsche dealer found out through the network and miraculously a T allocation was also confirmed by them as well a month later. We ended up going with them as they’ve been good and having two cars under the belt is even better than 1 if you want to order something else like a GT3 down the line. Some voodoo magic going on there. The days of walking into a dealer and saying I’d like that car are long gone.

Funny, I was going to trade the RS5 for a Macan GTS in hopes that it would help my chances in getting the 911. The dealer said it might, but didn't elaborate any more so I haven't pulled the trigger just yet.

How do you find the Macan GTS? Same engine as the RS5 only detuned. I liked it, but still found the RS5 faster and couldn't get over the high ride height (relative to the RS5) - similar in comparison to when I drove the M3 Competition xDrive and X3M Comp. I would happily concede though if it meant a 911 allocation lol.

[Jimjamz]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Funny, I was going to trade the RS5 for a Macan GTS in hopes that it would help my chances in getting the 911. The dealer said it might, but didn't elaborate any more so I haven't pulled the trigger just yet.

How do you find the Macan GTS? Same engine as the RS5 only detuned. I liked it, but still found the RS5 faster and couldn't get over the high ride height (relative to the RS5) - similar in comparison to when I drove the M3 Competition xDrive and X3M Comp. I would happily concede though if it meant a 911 allocation lol.

I love the Macan GTS. In fact, we both agree it’s the best sounding car we’ve had. After about two months of driving it around I’d stopped driving my M2 CS and I was all in on Porsche. At that point I’d have sold a kidney to get a 911 given I was having so much fun in the macan GTS.

Four things to note re the Macan:
1. It’s the 2nd revision with the last version’s Turbo engine. Goes and sounds epic.
2. It comes with the adjustable ride height and when you lower it it was barely taller than our M2 CS.
3. The PDK was even better than the M2 CS’s DCT which itself was significantly improved on the F80 DCT.
4. Interior layout is beautiful. Great materials and clearly no shortcuts in design. Loved the metal switch gear and toggles. I love alcantara and the supplied Racetek wheel is thin and sublime.

Re dealer alignment. We defintely got to know our dealer well during the ordering and wait for the Macan GTS. He was great with us and I think appreciated we weren’t throwing our bank balances around like some self-entitled P car customers we could see around the dealership. He observed when he got us a rare 911 T allocation it would also be without the ADM that some others were paying and that he appreciated us being just nice customers to work with. I noted he liked certain aspects of the ordering process and made sure we spent extra time on them. My wife definitely is the PR department of our relationship so I think that also helped. I suspect he knows we may also become regular customers in the years to come as I’ve been loyal to our BMW dealer for about 20 years.

[Znomorph4theWin]

I traded in my fully spec’d ‘18 RS5 Coupe for a fully spec’d ‘23 M3CX

I really liked the Audi. It was beautiful to look at. More elegant looking then an M3. Though the M3 has a more aggressive and masculine style in my opinion.

No real issues with the RS5 besides some annoying rattles that the dealer could not fix. In contract the M3 interior is more exciting, more techy, better materials (especially when outfitted with full leather) and better screwed together. No rattles on my M3 to report.

Performance wise the M3CX is 10/10 with RS5 being more 8/10. The Audi lacked the driving dynamics of the M3 by a lot. The S58 is creamy smooth in its power delivery. Extremely balanced with no vibrations. Found that the 2.9 v6 in Audi got a bit buzzy at the top of its rev range.

Glad I made the switch!

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Different strokes for different folks. I bought the 2019 and 2022 RS5 (Sportback) over a G80 M3 for my own reasons, and of course I spent a lot of wheel time with the G80 prior to making the decision (obviously money was not a factor in my choice). The M3 is faster for sure. Everything else on my list swayed towards the RS5...again different strokes.

And I had a G20 M340i xDrive prior to the 2019 RS5 I had, and it's not on the same level as an RS5 despite what a lot of G20 owners would like you to believe. This is coming from a completely non biased owner of both. Great car don't get me wrong, but too pedestrian even by my standards. I wanted something that is at least the "special version" of the base chassis.

Looks like I gave in after all! Haha 😊

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...8#post30837288