Published On Oct 2, 2023
Audi RS5, BMW M3, or C63 AMG?
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0:00 - Intro
BAD:
0:20 - Not as dynamic
The M car will feel me dynamic and sharper and more disciplined
It will feel more at home at the limit and on track
So if you’re looking for the most aggressive thing go ahead and head over to BMW…but here’s the thing
2 Years ago I was driving around Road America in the wet with the new M4…I wasn’t anywhere near the limit and it wasn’t even THAT wet
And I still lost the rear out of turn 3 and almost ended up in the grass…so the M car will bite you if you’re not ready for that level or not expecting it
The RS5 is a bit more forgiving…you get Quattro AWD as std…you get a little understeer on corner entry so there’s a bit of safety built in
BUT I have to say, I drove this car in 2019 and the differences dynamically are larger than i thought
This new updated car has far less understeer, the chassis feels more neutral, and you can steer a little bit with power
It’s not going to fling itself sideways like the M, but if you’re thinking it’s not FUN you’re wrong
It’s fast, it sounds good, there’s good drama from the gearbox - and it’s a better handler than it’s ever been before
The only reason I have this point on this side of the video is because relative to the M3/4 it’s not as balls-to-the-wall crazy…and i’m not really interested in the C63 after driving the C43
1:55 - Not as fast or powerful
This comes down to performance on paper and the BMW is just more powerful and faster
The RS5 gets the same 2.9TT V6 we’re familiar with and from the factory it’s pumping out 444 hp and 443 lbft
In comparison the M3 base puts out 473 hp and 406 lbft
So more power but less torque
An M3 Comp will do 503 hp and with xDrive it’s getting to 60 in 3.4 sec..which is realistically only a tenth or two quicker than the RS5 with it’s more torque down low and AWD grip
And the C63 is making something like 670 hp and 750 lbft and does 0-60 in 3 sec dead
So the BMW and Mercedes are more powerful and quicker, but the AMG has a star next to it and the BMW is only very marginally quicker
2:51 - The Culture
I don’t usually talk about this because it’s impossible to cover the entirety of the culture and everyone’s experience differs
But there is something that I’ve noticed in my time around cars and it’s that BMW people in particular, are incredibly dismissive of Audis RS cars
Like the RS5 doesn’t get the respect I think it deserves because it’s not as crazy or it understeers a bit or it’s softer
But I guess the way tht I look at it is that the RS5 is more honest about what it is
These aren’t race cars, they’re luxury sport sedans and MOST people will never once put their 80k car on a race track
[I know some people will, and that’s great]
But for the majority of sales, and the data shows this - they’re never tracking the car and from that angle the Audi is a better companion day-to-day…and we’ll talk about that more in a little bit…but let’s switch gears and talk about all the great parts of this car
GOOD:
3:55 - Price
Starts 78,600 for coupe
+$300 for sportback
Easy choice
Comp starts at 93,800
I’ll skip the Comp
M3 to get AWD need toget comp
Starts 84k
C63
STARTS at 95k - Just dont
4:30 - Still fun/Best daily
Explain*
5:38 - Practicality
This is what Audi does so well
Introduce practicality to performance
This is Sportback which means hatchback
Huge cargo area
Cant fold seats from here tho - M2
You dont get this in the M or AMG cars
It’s the same thing as you move up in size too
So better looking and more practical is what I was talking about when i said this might be the car to get now
6:10 - Styling
Yes, the M3/4 twins are more dynamic and faster
But they look like that
This RS5 is gorgeous
Facelift in 2022
New headlights
Grille split detail like R8
Lower fascia adjustments (radar)
Taillights updated
Way better looking than the M or AMG
6:52 - AWD standard
Quattro
7:19 - Interior Build, Design, Quality
Nice big center screen
Not the dual we see i nthe RS7
All touch - no more MMI wheel as of 22
ACP & AA
360 cameras
Great, but not spinny
Virtual cockpit
Great materials
Red accent stitching to match brakes
Heated and massage optional seats
Heated steering wheel
8:13 - Rear Seats
Reasonably spacious
Headroom starts to be an issue, but legroom is quiet good
Materials are excellent
45% of the material here is recycled
Center armrest is per side…cuz why not
9:05 - Conclusion