Buying a RS5.. maybe?

[Iwant1]

Hi Team, thinking of buying a 2012 RS5 with about 90k km on the clock and I'm wondering what I should look out for and what I should be prepared for in the short term? I will get the car inspected and it will be a dealer car so there will be a short warranty period.

I read a previous post regarding a 100k km service and all the parts required including O2 sensors, Water pump and thermostat and I am wondering how hard those parts are to source and if they can be fitted by most mechanics or do I need to find an Audi specialist.

Any advice welcome. Let me know what our ownership experience is as well if you like.

[IchBautAuto]

I can't offer hands on advice on the RS5 specifically but I would suggest that you need access to a mechanic who has experience with RS versions. I have two earlier RS and very few really know the tricks nor have the special tools. Luckily I have both myself so I haven't had to find someone. Even some Audi mechanics can be a bit perplexed with older cars, their primary reason for being is servicing newish cars and hardly anyone takes an older Audi to the dealer for work, so the younger mechanics may never have seen some models.

I would suggest that part of the purchasing process is actually finding this mechanical unicorn in your area that you could use. Rarely is there such a design issue (as opposed to general condition) with a car that you would walk away from a purchase but like all of the top end cars, keeping them on the road is not necessarily without some ongoing expense.

I don't recall any really glaring issues with the RS5 from owners on here but we will all have our own perspective on whats acceptable. Good luck.

[jnrdavo]

I would say if it hasn't been done already, will need to have a engine carbon clean (there are various ways to do it).

Apart from that, the suspension if original and DRC could be leaking, or will be at some point. Most people go the 'cheaper' option and swap out for KW's, Koni, or something similar... The original replacements are quite expensive in comparison.

If you have plans to get 'more power' from the engine, there are not many options. I know of one guy who put on a supercharger, only to blow up the engine at great expense. An exhaust and air intake is the most bank for buck. Any chipping is not really worth it/doing anything in my book.

Other parts to do are the front suspension parts (control arms, CV boots etc), but apart from that, it's generally a good reliable car.

I would definitely get it scanned for errors. Gear box troubles (as it's not a manual) can also be expensive.. See if you can get the service history and see if any complaints on the gearbox and if they did anything to fix it.

[Iwant1]

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep looking and see what comes up hopefully I can find the right one that's been loved by sommeone else and treated with the respect it's due.

[IchBautAuto]

The points jnrdavo raised are all important and cross over many models, not just the RS5. DRC is a great idea but never reached viability in practice. Very expensive and prone to problems. If you aren't buying to keep a car mint standard as a collectors piece then aftermarket suspension is a great option and is in fact a better bet for both ride and reliability.
Front suspension on any model, but increasingly with the heavier V8 is also a common problem across the range. Just an outcome of the design.
We have all been seduced by the turbo car upgrade potential. As jnrdavo said, no such luck with the n/a motors. The return in $ per HP gained is quite horrific and is more a coffee talking point than something anyone would notice from a seat of the pants experience, just real world physics.

[Iwant1]

Well, drove an RS5 amazing but.... I didn't think it was right for a daily driver so I got myself a B8 S5 V8 which for seemed about right for me as well as being a little less cash.

I'm very happy with it so far and have found it fun but also easy to get around as well.