Overview

The Audi RS4 Avant will need no introduction to driving enthusiasts. Audi has a fabled history producing high-performance estates going all the way back to the RS2 introduced in 1994, and the result is a cult following that eagerly anticipates the introduction of any new model.

As previously, this fourth-generation model (known as the Audi RS4 B9), is based on the regular A4 Avant. Already one of the best estate cars on sale. This performance model is hugely upgraded, however, with bespoke bodywork to cover the wider wheels which in turn cover bigger brakes and are attached to specific sports suspension. All designed to better handle the 450hp twin-turbo petrol V6 under the bonnet.

Feeding the frenzy of especially well-healed fans, for the first time there is also an RS4 Avant Competition variant. This gets further – extensive – suspension upgrades, changes to the steering and the quattro four-wheel drive system, sharper gearbox software for faster acceleration, a louder exhaust, and a higher 180mph top speed.

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Just 75 examples of the Audi RS4 Competition are available in the UK, priced at £84,600. That’s actually less than the £86,100 charges for the range-topping RS4 Vorsprung model, which is a slightly more luxurious but less-focused option. The cheapest RS4 start from £71,545.

Rivals to the Audi RS4 are limited. There’s the contemporary but less storied BMW M3 Touring in its first generation. And there’s the Mercedes-AMG C-Class estate, massively powerful but in the process of switching to a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid engine, which won’t appeal all buyers in this market.

If you’re not set on a load-lugger, the Audi RS5 is a closely related coupe, and there are a number of high-speed saloons to chose from as well. You could even consider a fast SUV, such as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio or the Jaguar F-Pace SVR.

What’s it like inside?

If you’re familiar with the Audi A4 Avant, the RS4 offers few surprises. Fortunately, material quality is every bit as good as you’d expect at this price level, and although the tech is no longer at the cutting edge it is well integrated.

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The RS4 has been around in facelifted form since 2019. But although the infotainment is a little outdated compared with its BMW and Mercedes rivals, it is at least simple to use and performs well. The Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster offers a selection of customisable views, including mapping data and comprehensive trip computer info.

The interior is as roomy as any other A4 Avant, although the high-backed front seats can make things a little claustrophobic for those in the rear. Luggage space is perhaps not as generous as you might expect from an estate car; capacity is 495 litres with the rear seats in place, 1,500 litres with them folded.

Comfort

The RS4 Avant gets firm but supportive sports seats in the front that do an excellent job of keeping you comfortable on long-distance journeys while also holding you in place during faster cornering. There’s plenty of adjustment and the driving position is sound, catering for drivers of most sizes.

We’d certainly place the RS4 ahead of the BMW M3 in this regard – the BMW’s front seats are not so forgiving.

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The Audi’s rear seats are also firm, but comfortable. Kneeroom and headroom are acceptable for a car of this size, though passengers might find the backrest angle a little too upright.

Some passengers may also take umbrage at the suspension – we’ll come back to this below.

Safety

The RS4 Avant is equipped with the top line of driver-assistance technology available from the A4 range, intended to help the driver get out of trouble if they get things wrong. Audi’s iteration of these systems is very good indeed, with few of the annoyances that afflict some rivals.

The adaptive cruise control works well, for instance. Once activated, it keeps you in the centre of the lane, while intelligently holding you at a distance from the car ahead that you can adjust. This is standard fare, but it does it well, without jerkiness or random movements.

What’s it like to drive?

Nestled behind the mesh-filled grille is a 2.9-litre biturbo V6 petrol engine shared with the closely related RS5 models. Some may see this as a downgrade from previous-generation RS4, which packed a V8 engine. The new powerplant is more efficient but perhaps not as immediately alluring.

Starting with the standard versions, the RS4’s headline figure is 450hp, while 600Nm of torque (pulling power) is available from 1,900rpm to 5,000rpm. The 0-62mph acceleration time is 4.1 seconds, while top speed is an electronically governed 155mph. Opt for the RS4 Vorsprung and that leaps to 174mph.

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Rather than the seven-speed twin-clutch S Tronic automatic gearbox found in more everyday models, the RS4 has a conventional eight-speed Tiptronic automatic. This is better able to cope with the huge performance demands. It’s smooth, but not always as responsive as we’d like in the standard models.

The RS4 Competition solves this problem with recalibrated software, which makes such a difference to the speed of gearchanges that is knocks the 0-62mph time down to 3.9 seconds. Furthermore, Audi has increased the speed limiter by a faintly pointless 6mph, making this version capable of 180mph.

The Competition Avant also has reduced sound insulation between the cabin and the engine compartment, as well as the somewhat convolutedly named RS Sports Exhaust System Plus. Identifiable by its black tailpipes, this saves around 8kg in weight (again, faintly pointless in 1,729kg car) and is intended to inject a little more emotion into proceedings.

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While it does add some extra burble and purpose – especially in the Dynamic drivetrain setting – the RS4 remains quite muted. Which may well be a good thing for some buyers, but we’d have liked to let the car off the leash even more. Similarly, although the Competition is capable of whip-crack acceleration, it seems to work best if you leave the gearbox to its own devices rather than attempt to intervene yourself.

Even in this guise, while the RS4 is an undeniably fast car, it’s still not a particularly engrossing one. Fixed ratio – rather than variable – steering means you have more of a sense of what the front of the car is doing at all times, and adjustments to the Quattro system have reduced some of the nose-heavy feeling you get from the standard car. But it’s still not overburdened with feedback at sensible speeds. Great for easy-going long-distance travel, not so great for involvement.

As such, though there’s no denying that the RS4 is a supremely effective way to cover a significant amount of ground very quickly, it was only when really pushing hard that we felt we were getting enjoyment much out of it. And that kind of behaviour is not often very compatible with the public road network.

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If you’re still with us, there are also choices to be made about suspension. With the main model range we strongly advise you go for the adaptive RS Sport Suspension with Dynamic Ride Control, which gives you a Comfort setting that can truly take the edge of the worst of British surfaces. Vorsprung models get this as standard, but are lumbered with the occasionally unpredictable Dynamic Steering, too.

The RS4 Avant Competition pairs its sweeter fixed-ratio rack with RS Sport Suspension Pro. This is three-way adjustable coilover suspension with firmer springs. The type of thing more usually found on racing or dedicated sports cars than underneath family estates. It comes 10mm lower than other variants from the factory, with a further 10mm of height reduction available.

It does make the RS4 look incredibly sexy at a standstill. Unfortunately, it also makes it ride rather abruptly around town – and although you can adjust this, if you’re prepared to muck about, there’s a good chance you’ll only make things worse.

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If you’re planning to take your RS4 on track then it might make all the difference to you. But in day-to-day driving the greater range of flexibility available from the adaptive suspension will almost certainly make more sense. Hence Audi only offering 75 examples of the RS4 Competition to UK buyers.

Ultimately the M3 Touring is a sharper drive. The Bavarian car feels that bit more rear biassed and a touch more balanced because of it, whereas the RS 4 feels generally heavier and less pointy. The BMW also boasts 60hp more from its 3.0-litre twin turbo engine.

Ownership costs and maintenance

With 450hp and oodles of performance, running costs are going to be on the high side. The official claimed fuel economy actually beats 30mpg, but in testing we struggled to do much more than 22mpg, with around 25mpg available on longer motorway runs.

You also need to budget plenty for tyres and brakes. This is a quick and heavy car, and it will use these up quickly if driven hard. No surprise that the necessary premium replacement parts are expensive, too.

The RS4 Avant comes with Audi’s standard three-year warranty with breakdown cover. Reassuring, but hardly generous.

What models and trims are available?

The RS4 Avant is available in standard, Carbon Black and Vorsprung trims, plus the limited edition RS4 Competition. Even the ‘entry-level’ model features 19-inch wheels, adaptive matrix LED headlights and the Audi Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster.

The RS4 Carbon Black goes to 20-inch wheels but is otherwise largely an exercise in styling, tinting most of the exterior brightwork black.

Go to the top RS4 Vorsprung and you get a substantial upgrade in safety equipment, head-up display, Bang & Olufsen hi-fi system, panoramic roof and the adaptive RS Sport Suspension with Dynamic Ride Control and Dynamic Steering.

The RS4 Competition we’ve covered in detail above.

So is it worth it? Read on for our verdict to find out whether we recommend the RS4 Avant over its rivals?