Buy this Audi RS6 while it's still CHEAP!

Check if your car was damaged with a 10% discount with Car Vertical here:
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The Audi RS6 C5 from 2001 is the ultimate performance car bargain. It has a 4.2-litre twin turbo V8 tuned by Cosworth and puts out 450hp in the standard car. The RS6 Plus I test here has 480hp. In this video I will talk you round the design, show you the interior and see how practical it is. I will also take it for a drive and let you hear the exhaust noise. And of course I will launch it to see how quick it can accelerate from 0-60mph.

[@barron204]

This car was featured by Autocar back in 2020. There is a long list of problems with this model as noted by many websites. I wouldn’t recommend one without an extensive Audi service history.

[@stubones]

Thanks so much Haynes manual.

[@chamaldealwis9]

Cheap for a reason haha

[@chrismartin6427]

Had one for 7years never had any problems but it does have a big service every year

[@marcus5551]

Had one from 2012 to 2016. The only major issue I had was with the DRC. It was cheaper to go with aftermarket coil overs than have the DRC replaced. If I recall correctly the cam belt needs replacing every 40k, which at the time was around £1k, so probably more now. As Matt said, the gearbox is showing it’s age, but I don’t recall any actual mechanical issues with it. Just make sure if you’re considering buying one, do your research, shop around for a good one and have your RS slush fund topped up just in case.

[@01gtbdaily30]

I’ve heard the biggest problem with this model is the transmission. I almost bout the sedan version of this but the transmission was slipping and the center computer screen had many dead pixels which made reading any warnings very hard.

[@ChrisN06999]

"You don't need a car any quicker than this." Mat: ***laughs in his current daily driver Porsche 911 Turbo S.

[@bent540]

lol, do you even know what an RS6 is?

[@Vincent_Stevens]

@@bent540 You do know that the Turbo S Is like 2 secs quicker to 60 Right?

[@badass6300]

keyword NEED.

[@disal...69]

@@bent540 lol,do you even know what an Turbo S is?Drag race king on Carwow(stock)...2.5sec to 60?

[@SnabbKassa]

Bentayga for Autobahn. 0-60 is irrelevant. Torque over 90mph is what you need, despite the drag.

[@gary5516]

Amazing cars. Loved mine. Biggest downfall to them is the gearbox, they need a rebuild at around 90k miles which will set you back around £4k but if you can find one which has had it done then you’ll definitely have a great car.

[@tadhgbolen3054]

True enthusiasts 01E swap these cars to eliminate that issue.

[@semiusefulinformation144]

on mine the connected suspension went and was crazy expensive to fix but no over issue till I sold it at 160000km

[@semiusefulinformation144]

@Kris Nicholson Yes, Had a few leaks and pump failure, I should have just gone for coil overs in hindsight as it kept giving issues.

[@BtappinHD]

It depends on how you take care of it, my S6's gearbox lasted 320,000km before a seal failed which caused a drum to blow up, getting all wear parts replaced and fully rebuilt costs around $6K in the U.S., I found a reputable company and they did a great job on mine

[@BtappinHD]

@Kris Nicholson Oh yes I understand, thank you for pointing that out, I guess it's similar to the 2.7T's torque causing the torque converter to fail, I'm sorry to hear the stronger "a" version of the box isn't strong enough to withstand 150-200k miles

[@john99brazil]

A bargain until it breaks.

[@SpeedDaemon3]

Also fun to refuel and it's likely gonna get worse.

[@raygt6370]

Yup then it becomes a real b*st*rd. But most of these cars are expensive to run. I do love the c5 however.

[@posterunkowytv]

IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SAVE MONEY WITH RS6 THEY CAN INSTALL AN LPG INSTALLATION BC THE RS6 C5 HAS A MULTIPOINT FUEL INJECTION :D

[@richishere82]

@Kirna Mina👄 bot

[@LimeyDude]

@@posterunkowytv Yep, you can convert to LPG if you have that in your country. But I'm currently in the process of converting mine to run E85 ethanol which is available at most petrol pumps where I live in Finland.

[@kennywallace1]

I had one of these for 4 years. Loved it. 5 years later still regret selling it. Few owners and low mileage are musts if buying as is solid history. There is no such thing as a cheap RS6, you either pay for it up front or pay for it in maintenance. DRC usually gets replaced with coilovers for about £2k, as it’s so unreliable. I had Bilstein PSS9’s set close to original ride height and rebound on 6 clicks. Make sure gearbox has been serviced, even rebuilt, as that’s a £7k bill when it goes pop, and it will go pop at some point as the clutch pack will wear out. Cam cover gaskets sweat oil, which drips on the manifolds and causes an intermittent burning smell. Discs and pads are £2k when they need done. Tyres lasted me about 8000 miles on Pirelli’s or Continental. Averaging 20mpg is about right, which equates to about 300-350 miles from it’s 80 litre tank. A heavy right foot will drop the mpg to 5. Find a reliable independent Audi specialist familiar with working on these, you will become very good friends. I spent about £25k on maintenance over the 4 years I had it. I did 40k miles in it, which equated to £5k in fuel over 4 years when it was about £1.10 a litre for 98 octane. It should only be run on high octane fuel as it prevents engine knock, which can be a challenge to find in remote areas. Insurance was about £400 annually and emissions tax was £260. And I’d bought an unmodified 50k mile one owner car with immaculate history that added up to £30k+. These are getting close to 20 years old now, so things will go wrong and the bill typically has 4 figures. You’re not buying a £10k-£15k car, you’re buying a £60k supercar for £10k-£15k. Budget accordingly.

[@slavicdude1016]

Are manual S6s any better maintence wise?

[@gyula6516]

@@slavicdude1016 S6's are good but you should know it's no where near this car it's performance. And those NA engines do nit allow you to upgrade the performance to this HP level

[@flowmastaflam]

damnit i come to the comments to argue and the first one i see is thoroughly bang on

[@kennywallace1]

@Slavic Dude No idea, never owned one. But to speculate I would guess so. The auto box is the weak link in the drivetrain. S6’s supposedly lack any power low down in the rev range so quite slow off the mark, which is probably why the RS was given twin turbos to compensate. The RS6 and the S6 might look fairly similar, but they are very different animals.

[@-webbo-]

One of the best comments ever seen on KZbin. Sensible and informative. Cheers Kenny, you make very good points.

[@QuickPeep]

I love these modern classic videos. Would be mega to see you drive a Golf IV R32.

[@AruaBakayaro]

I've got one. Best sounding Golf ever!👍

[@MrR0sch]

1up

[@SnabbKassa]

yes, the most drug dealer car you can buy and impossible to insure

[@scazz007]

My nephew has one, nice car.

[@alanjoynson9731]

Thanks Mat for instantly increasing the value of my original 28k miler. Regular maintenance, occasional repressurising of the DRC and NO brake boosting keeps mine sweet. The only bucket list car I've kept hold of.

[@finight5863]

Nice patching. Your channel is getting ridiculously well. Some compilation there i see. Never tired of these. ! Good show.

[@user-jq5tj7kq8w]

So many car KZbinrs are not hindered with any technical knowledge, otherwise he would have known that you do not rev any car with a slushbox (a car with automatic gearbox and a torque converter). This is often also the reason that manufacturers are fitting rev limiters because of the damage you can cause to dual mass flywheels / catalytic converters / torque converters / bodywork (plastics) from extreme heat build up / and all kind of thermal heat damage to the engine and its components.

[@MatWatsonCars]

Check if your car was damaged with a 10% discount with Car Vertical here: www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?a=watson&b=38b26e3a&voucher=watson Or just head to Car Vertical at a later date and use the Watson10 discount code!

[@udaygiansharma8097]

First

[@qirvol7925]

@@udaygiansharma8097 Who asked

[@asrieldreemur1764]

@@udaygiansharma8097 No I was. Read comments above.

[@alancrisp1582]

@@udaygiansharma8097 🤔 No,no and no Karen, I was first. Now I demand to speak to the manager immediately..bring him to me right now...

[@MarkVinewood]

I still remember the awesome opening scene with the RS6 and "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult from Layer Cake.

[@tommyball1863]

I bought an RS6 Avant C5 like this in 2017, it was my hero car that I always wanted. I looked at the later version (C6) but this just had more appeal. This has bought back so many memories for me. I miss my RS6 so much but it’s gearbox went to pot! It was so much fun and a great daily driver! Miss it lots! 😊

[@markdobai043]

Loved the video, great content Mat!😁 I was wondering if you could show us an Audi TT typ 8n Sport Quattro too in the future🤔

[@okithdesilva129]

Mat thank you so much for this insane video!

[@giz5393]

Ty ive been waiting for this video!

[@scazz007]

I’ve got a red saloon C5 with a sunroof and only 99k on the clock. Last owner for 12 years. My little Gem…absolute keeper and all original apart from the Milltek exhaust… Oh and it’s a right hand drive as I’m in the U.K. 😄

[@scazz007]

Yes mine has a gearbox issue but really considering dropping a manual box in it and aftermarket coil overs. Long term keeper for me, currently stood with MOT…

[@Pickchore]

I just talked my pal out of buying one of these and into the B7 RS4 avant. He’s now in love with the NA 4.2 v8.

[@demonstructie]

As someone who drives on the right side of the road, 8:17 scared me to death

[@jameswallace7091]

You mean the “wrong” side of the road😆

[@TheSuperBoyProject]

@@jameswallace7091 nope, it is on the right.

[@tr7145]

r/technicallythetruth

[@LM-oh3vw]

This is giving me nostalgia because the interior has so many pieces in common with my dad's old Audi A4 B6.

[@okithdesilva129]

Classic cars with Mat!

[@madmaz8890]

I've not long picked up a C5 2.7L v6 Biturbo for £1000, AWD, leather recaros, 250bhp and not a single fault on it, shifts for a big car! Currently fabbing a custom exhaust for it as well, sounds fantastic! C5 Rs6 Is the goal though!

[@wdbaudio]

My parents had a C5 Audi A6 1.8T when I was a kid. Nothing like this RS6 for performance but man it was solidly built. I miss that car

[@oliwierprzepiora7678]

Everyone saying that it is unreliable but isn't that a thing with every old performance car? Mine is fantastic!

[@mro9466]

No, it isn't. Turbos make everything complicated in the long run.

[@danstarc]

The NA 4.2 shown is the chain driven BHF/BBK from the B6/B7 S4, which displaces 4163cc. The one on the RS6 is belt driven, and even if it's also a 4.2 and 40v, it's a different architecture and displaces 4172cc!

[@semiusefulinformation144]

yes I had one if I remember it is a bcy motor

[@billymills1370]

Hi Matt love the channel, please could you do a video with the Aston Martin v8 vantage from 2006-2013 please always loved this era of Aston. Thanks.

[@RATADATUAVELHA]

as for the delay in the gearbox, I think there's updates to be made to gearbox software and also, replacing the oil makes wonders.

[@lewisburt3750]

Can we get a update on the 996, supercharged MX5 and Fiat 126?

[@lewisburt3750]

@RZR 🔈 Why not?

[@erdi6415]

@RZR 🔈 plp

[@TaffPlays]

@RZR 🔈 Oh, thanks Mat, surprised you have another KZbin channel, is that your Civic? I didn't know you own a Civic alongside the cars mentioned, as well as the long term loaners you get from carwow...... Love watching you drag race, when do we get to see the running race against Yianni, can you tell us that?

[@kevinmortimer1883]

its my fav too. apart from the tragic gearbox and collosal running costs

[@Dr.Curly2099]

I’ve always had a thing for older Audi wagons😁. However, what would you think of you and Carwow doing an off-road battle with budget wagons?

[@ElRayDelRio]

Love your opening and couldn't have said it any better myself! I believe we are entering an era where the C4, B5, B6, and B7 RS4/RS6's avants are now in a whole new market where true enthusiasts are learning too really appreciate these machines! Dont get me wrong, I love my E36 and E61 BMW but they could never replace what I've found in my Audi's 🤝🏼. Have a URS4 sedan, B5 S4 sedan, B5 S4 Avant, B6 S4 Avant, D2 S8, and a C7.5 S6 for the fambam 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦. #GangGangGang

[@izdakilla]

Got a B7 S4 myself. She's dead right now but I will revive it lol I love that thing so much. There's just something about great AWD, a great interior and a beautiful sounding V8 that can't be replicated. I miss it so much :(

[@husk1c]

dude those are old ass abused cars, dont touch them if you arent ready to spend money to maintain them and by that point you would have been better off buying something newer

[@Din9mir]

Mat,I hope you will come with Coulthard in Plovdiv Bulgaria this weekend for the F1 movie.Will be great to see you here!

[@Nyc4u247]

Great review matt , I own 3 . If u do the math only 850 UNITs came stateside 20 years ago ,so there’s approximately only 300 left, due from total loss from accidents. It will be very rare. C5 rs6 the king 🤴 that started it all .

[@The_journeyy]

*One of those soon to appreciate cars* 🔥

[@channelsibley]

Loved these back then. Nowadays Just nostalgia.

[@kevinmcauley7527]

I have had a C5 S6 which has the 4.2 V8 without turbos, 340bhp and same wide arch shell as the RS. Still offers great performance and aggressive look at a fraction of the servicing costs. Make sure to service the auto box at regular intervals to help avoid issues though.

[@Jeroensgambling]

The problem is the AT is'nt capable of holding up to the engine's power. That why it needs servicing so quite often. You could spare quite some money if you replace the AT with a MT from a S4/RS4 B5. Requires some work but it will save you over long run.

[@chanuka_rulez8343]

Hey Mat great video as always. But you got a yellow tint on some parts of the video, better get that checked.

[@silverva]

C4 S6 Plus next please. First ever Quattro Gmbh production car.

[@jo05dk]

Eventhough i know that these are famous for horrible reliability, i can't help but want one. ..mostly for the looks and the engine to be fair, but also for the interior. I find myself drawn towards the times before cars got filled with screens and haptic buttons.

[@janvink9520]

great cars. Normal 4.2 V8 often cheap, especially with higher mileges, but as a result of that, often expensive to repair. A couple of thousands are easely spent.

[@clintalexander3184]

I had one of these, 53 reg when it was around 8 years old... You can buy them for Mondeo money, but they cost as much as a supercar to maintain... I had a problem with my Auto box and Audi wanted £8,000 plus VAT to fix it! Compared to my 8V RS3 now, it was slow too!

[@leecs3]

Awesome car, a fortune to maintain! Easily spend more than it’s worth to keep it running.

[@alpine_pro5814]

Such a great car, such timeless platform. I own a 2001 B5 S4 Avant, I love that car. Car is down at the moment but will be back on the road again. Mat I would love to see you review a B5 RS or S4.

[@lonewolf1300]

I have a b7 ,not S , but i think about it like a facelift of the b6 ,many common things on those two cars , but sincerely audi did a good job with them

[@paddygilmore711]

He can use my b5 rs4 for a review if he wants 😂

[@one87dnb1]

Bought one a month ago, love it!

[@kjellarnetaksdal5309]

Great video and an awesome car! 😁 Used to own one 😍 How about a video on the Lexus ISF?

[@aust8273]

Reminders me if layer cake! Great review mat

[@audimanao]

These are my favorite cars ever, a timeless design inside and out. I have a 2000 Audi A6 4.2 V8. I wish it was the RS6.

[@snbala]

Audi at their finest for quality , and being understated. As for other cars to review, how about Something very rare, 90s produced sports saloon. The Accord Type-R gets my vote for a review.

[@alexanderarborelius2523]

Love mine have had it for 8years now the only downside is the gearbox.I’m on the third gearbox now. The difference is now it has a fully built gearbox and a full service engine out an everything. Be careful if you want to buy one

[@andrewwright.]

repair cost are silly, most work....the engine needs to come out.

[@bmwx5130]

Hi Mat, can you please do a BMW X5 E53 review? I think they are awesome cars and one day they will shoot up in value, since it was the first proper driver's SUV and they handle beautifully. Thank you.

[@extreamline]

Finaly my dream car is reviewd by my favourite motor journalist 🇵🇹👌✌✌✌

[@Hcarmad]

My favourite RS model. Also the car they used in the film Layer Cake 😎👌🏽

[@joaquinvillasenor4818]

Over here in Mexico it’s Father’s Day. Congrats Mat

[@jonnywalker3208]

There's one next door to me! It sounds epic and definitely goes!

[@johnsterfer5906]

Please review the Passat W8. I have one and it's bad on petrol and not very fast but it's incredibly unique and sounds cool

[@Gustavsen777]

You should have a serious talk with the people who are colorgrading your videos

[@UnseenLuckGaming]

You should review the B8.5 RS5 (2013-2015). I would love to get your impression of the 4.2l in the RS5!

[@mohamedaboraya6880]

I just shat myself when I’ve seen the car from the opposite direction came from the right

[@costafilh0]

Review the A80 convertible! I love the looks but I don't have pockets to buy one let alone to keep it running! lol

[@cidkplas]

My uncle had one, endless money pit with the gearbox. Would go for the S6 C5, same overall look but not the RS tax on every part.

[@MartinGanev]

Love you, Mat! ❤️

[@alancrisp1582]

🤔 How nice, but does he love you?. He is a happily married man 👨....

[@MartinGanev]

@@alancrisp1582 He doesn’t have to love me in order for me to help him reach more people and spread across the value that he brings to the world by liking and commenting on all of his videos (because of the youtube algorithm). He is one of the most hardworking, talented and entertaining people in the world, he deserves everything that he’s got. I’ll always show love and express my gratitude towards him in every way that I can, so that more and more people get help for everything related to cars from the best source there is. I believe in helping people, uplifting people, and not being petty and condescending to people, who are trying to help, I’m referring to you btw. Have a nice day 🥳

[@heskcbl2969]

Car review requests: Ford Focus RS Mk1 & Mk2

[@fratu2]

what a beautiful wagon 😍

[@mikeyBIA]

You also get membership to the burning £50 notes club

[@one7decimal2eight]

I think this is the same car that is used in the movie Layer Cake.

[@Rasscasse]

Perfect sleeper car. With the subtle body mods, Most people have no idea what you have until you mash the loud pedal and roast them. It does ‘went’ very well. It’s a wonderful thing.

[@GG-gk7jn]

Lovely car. Just get ready for the maintenance cost. Real beauty ❤️

[@juanmanuelruizrodriguez9365]

would love to see your review of a ford gt 40 the old version, that would be the best car review you could do! probably too difficult to find...

[@grahamek86]

It was always my desire to buy one of these with a rooted gearbox and manual convert it. Alas, it never happened. And I'm older and can't be arsed so I'll save harder and buy a C7 Performance and get the better ZF8 gearbox.

[@KeliK1]

That V8 sounds very good.

[@examinerian]

Can you do an infotainment refresh like Porsche offer? Not having steering wheel controls might make it a bit easier to fit. Also, any gearbox swap options? Seems like there would be a market for a different cog swapper on this engine.

[@trexfishtec7375]

@MattWatson. I think I saw you in your Porche on the M42 yesterday enjoying the traffic?

[@seanheb6103]

I loooove the Audi c5 design🤩

[@kyleflanagan3433]

Hey Mat, the good old C63 amg 6,2 V8 especially the coupe. Would be interesting to see what you think about them.

[@davebissmire6783]

Great video - would love to see one on the RS5 B8.5

[@Tom-zq6um]

Such a handsome, classy shape and engine sounds fantastic as well 👌

[@TheRafark]

Are u talking about the car 👀

[@deandunn206]

Had a 2001 C5 RS6, was the best and the worst car I've ever owned. When it was working it was epic. Every time I drove it I expected something to break. Off the top of my head it needed new intercoolers, rear drive shaft, rear boot struts, EGT sensors and a lot of other stuff I've forgotten. Dont buy one unless you've got deep pockets. Oh and this was a one previous owner full Audi FSH with less than 60,000 miles.

[@ocavant]

Sadly we never got the wagon of this. We did get the B5 Avant. That's what I have.

[@jedanlik4468]

Reving on cold engine, very nice.

[@thierryhimself2796]

8:18 got me off guard with this car on your lane. Well, "your" if it'd been elsewhere.

[@indopleaser]

man , this car has everything!

[@EnfieldUK]

Matt, have you looked at the reviews for your sponsor's website?

[@pharaoh8590]

What’s up! I guess I’m not the only one watching this dude at 1:30 am!!!

[@Beatsmith2005]

Who colour graded those outdoor shots.... did Mat dirty, looking like an emoji guy 😂

[@tcaudiobooks737]

Do an E38 7-Series please Matt. Maybe a shorty sport.

[@OngezileGonya-xf1xj]

Could you please do a review for the new polo 2022 gti facelift with the manual transmission.

[@hyper8545]

One of my favorite cars 👍🤙

[@haydnnuss7868]

I had the A4B6 4.2 Avant, was lovely until the engine went bang - luckily under warranty!

[@Medge2sc]

Really considering one of these, cant decide on this or the e39 m5 or b7 rs4 I think the only thing putting me off is that it’s not manual

[@R8_Jake]

Nice one. The E39 M5 is still more special IMO

[@drumpaul1347]

I had an E39 M5, but I prefer my RS6. A manual swap would be heaven.

[@SnabbKassa]

special because rare. rare because nobody wants them. Loads of the RHD ones are in Lithuania now.

[@MRFUCKOFF202]

@@SnabbKassa No one wants E39 M5s? Why are they still more than double the price they were a few years ago then?

[@SvilenTrifonov]

Matt, try to find a Volvo V70R to review (either a 97-00 or a 03-07 car...ideally BOTH)

[@deansaunders5626]

Is it just me that was absolutely buckled by the front left connected to the left leg song

[@Luis-ek6xg]

In Germany we say "Was´n das fürn Kombi?"

[@jamcarz8982]

It actually sounds pretty good for a Turbo

[@Jeroensgambling]

When you do buy it, consider swapping out the automatic gearbox with a manual (S4/RS4 B5). It will save you quite some money on the long run. I owned a RS4 B5 for 3 years. I'd say in terms of cost those are quite better.

[@Retro-Sprocket]

Mat, could you review the Volvo V70R (mk2 specifically)?

[@clocktown64dd]

I have a Delorean- come review my car! That aside I had a b7 rs4 before and that was sensational to own. If only this rs6 came with the same manual transmission the rs4 had!

[@debaloybasak1284]

Do a review on an 04 tpye r or a golf r32 would be cool to see

[@onuribrahim7385]

Mat can you pls do a review on a old e class amg, either 55 or 63 doesnt matter

[@Syscrush]

"Cheap" Owning this vehicle is a lesson in the difference between price and cost...