I thought it might be fun to write a trip report on my dads RL from the prospective of a long time Audi owner, my current and 11th Audi being an 02 S6 Avant with a 6 speed manual transmission conversion.

So here is my impression of the 2011 RL with 11,000 miles on it my dad let me steal out of the garage. (the purpose of the trip was to help him and my mom out due to failing health so he asked me to use his car instead of mine)

I recently (last week) took it on quite the trip. From Seattle to Palm Springs then Las Vegas and back home through northern Nevada and Boise.

By using this route I encountered about every road type and condition you could imagine. From freeways to highways, mountain passes and a week of city driving from sea level to about 7500 feet elevation near Ely NV. We also encountered weather from 28 degrees and sanded slippery surface, rain in Vegas to 85 degrees and Sunny in Palm Springs.

Overall impression..... Nice car, I did enjoy the trip.

Freeways; quiet, comfortable car with good ergonomics and nice features in the nav system and the XM radio. Nice engine power. Mpg about 23 to 25

City; good engine power, easy in and out, nice size for parking a very nice shifting transmission. About 17mpg.

Highs; I really liked the layout of the steering wheel controls and the cruise works very well. Very smooth feel to the brakes with good initial bite and stopping power. Very nice headlights and a decent audio system but I did miss the Bose system in my car. The A/C system worked quite well. The seat cooler is an option my car doesn't have and was a nice touch.

Lows;
Passing situations on two lane highways could use just a bit more power. (I'm used to a 340hp V8.)

How many times do I have to press the stupid nav system warning when I start the car? Alright already..... I got it.

The stock michelins really do suck, very little grip in the wet.

I see why you guys enjoy the car, is it my kind of car? No.. I like the German car feel and handling but that comes at a price of a harder and louder ride so I can see why my dad moved from the BMW to this. It is a nice car.

Thanks for your help with finding the owners manual and see you on the roads.

 

You're driving an S6 which is a sportier variant on the German car line. I have found that my RL feels more firm like a standard German sedan, even more firm than some like some Mercedes. The ride of an S6 would limit the market too much on the RL, it's probably already too firm for some of it's owners.

 

Thanks for the write up! In your passing encounters, did you engage ?


Not that we can compete with a 370 HP S6 that probably weighs 300 less lbs, but it helps.

 

Edit window closed. 340 HP*

 

I appreciate you sharing those views with us.

Indeed the RL is not tuned for the sporting edge that many desire (especially when compared to germans).

That said, a few points of perspective:

*The RL also has a Bose system. Did you tune the settings to your taste or was it simply your Audi has higher power?

*I agree with the assessment on the Michelins. Quieter, stickier tires are out there, but usually with a avg mpg penalty.

*Passing power is a variable with a mix of various componenets. Torque is never a Honda strongpoint, and torque is typically noticed as the power availability. VTECH kicks in higher in the rev band, and like many turbos, is not as 'instant' as many criticize. Also, the RL tranny is only 5 speed, behind the curve. Further, it is tuned for smooth, seamless acceleration. That may be at the penalty for agressive throttle tip in, shifting, etc. which many percieve as more powerful and again 'instant'. Last, as many new trannies have is learning logic and if driven 'softly' the tranny learns and modifies the shift points to a more lazy pattern. A few days of agressive driving may alter that logic. There are also a few posts in the forum to 'reset' the tranny logic and begin to learn your more aggressive driving style.

 

The 2011 he was driving had 6-speeds.

OP, did you use the paddles? The are always turned on with the MMC RL.

 

Good Point. Thanks.

 

nice post fourrings
Do you have any comment on SH-AWD?

 

Just curious, 2011 or 2012 model year? Your other thread said 2012.

 

You are absolutely correct, it is that. But I have owned and Driven standard models and find them to be sportier. I won't argue with the Mercedes comment as to me they feel like driving a bus. (the few I have driven)

 

It is a bose? Wow I never would have guessed. Mine just has a richer sound with much deeper lows.

Thanks for the Trans explanation, but what I was missing was torque. I have had a few 5 and 6 cylinders and nothing beats a V8 for grunt. Well except a V10. ;-)

 

I did use the paddles at times and that system works quite well. I had my tiptronic set up the same way prior to the manual conversion.

 

Great post.

Can you compare your Quattro to SH-AWD? Having owned a lot of Audis has likely given you a lot of experience with Quattro (obviously), so how did SH-AWD feel to you...or did you notice it?

 

Oh yea, I used the full range of power available..... I've never been known for being a gentle driver.

Actually the RL is about 100 lbs lighter.... mine is a pig.

 

It seemed like a good system but I had limited testing with it. When we went over Siskiyou pass it was 27 degrees and had been wet. It was heavily sanded but I could feel the traction moving around. It did a nice job keeping the car planted.

Now that being said, in town I was constantly getting little chirps at crosswalk lines, which I have never had happen with the quattro systems. Was it the crap tires or just the system reacting? I don't know.

 

Thanks for catching that, I think an 11 to tell you the truth.

 

Thanks, I enjoy chatting about cars and it was fun to spend this much time in dads car so I thought I would discuss the experience with you guys.

see above for the awd comment

 

It was the crap tires. Sticky tires, dry weather, and curves bring out the best in SH-AWD.

 

So get this.... we have been back since Monday night and I am still driving the RL. My car doesn't have XM and since I paid for three months worth and am a HUGE Hockey fan I have been enjoying the hell out of the NHL Network. LOL!!

I even washed it Tuesday so I could put it in the garage and swap cars. Guess I'll have to wash it again Saturday.

 

I wouldn't argue with this at all.

I do have a ton of experience with quattro and slippery conditions having participated and instructed in multiple winter driving schools and being a skier.
I would really like to get this car out on a snowy road with a set of Nokians on it to test it out.

 

Since I can't post a picture yet here is a link to my car

http://12v.org/urs/lowered1.jpg

 

Thats a sweet wagon!

 

Wow did you nail it. I also came from an Audi...not an S6 though. An 03' 2.7T A6. And even still your comparison is spot on. Even though mine had far less power (than yours), the TT really helped in passing people on the freeway. Sometimes in the RL I floor it and I don't get my head thrown back. Now the odd thing is my Audi felt more powerful which is weird because it had 50 less HP than the RL. I love the S6...sweet ride.
Reliability did prove to become an issue, a very expensive one, especially at 90k. Hence, the reason I am in an RL now. =)

Heres a pic of mine below...

 

But, as Bob stated, SH-AWD shows its true colors on dry roads!

 

But it's tough to reap the attributes without pushing it hard and when it's not your car there must be a certain reluctance to exceed the limits of a system that is unknown. (even if it is your Dad's car)

 

Understood
That said, I clearly notice SH-AWD if you accelerate in curves or on ramps well before pushing very hard.

 

Well I hate to say this guys but the quattro system is pretty sweet in the dry also..... it has been banned from IMSA, Trans AM, DTM and legislated out of Speed touring competition..... they all called it an "Unfair Advantage"

All wheel drive is the only way to go in all conditons IMHO.

 

Yea, it can be pretty expensive to own one, I do all my own work and have access to dealer and aftermarket parts at wholesale pricing so it end up being pretty reasonable for me.
Mine has 150k on it and has had 3 timing belt services, front control arms, the dreaded oil cooler pipe, 2 cats (warranty) and the transmission blew up hence the 6 speed conversion. I'm not including the normal maintiance stuff.

 

 

Keep in mind SHAWD was first deployed with the RL / Legend. As this model car was focused more on refinement, luxury and safety, SHAWD was tuned to be seamless to the driver, allowing confidence in typical driving or when road conditions might compromise a typical driver. The RL is not a high performance car and SHAWD was not tuned to deliver that level of driving experience to the RL and targeted driver.

I see my SHAWD MID graphic constantly varying, even if subtle amounts. Even on a straight road and coasting, it may show only FWD, but as soon as I touch the throttle, I see RWD torque engaged. And if I did not see the MID display, it would be unbeknownst to me that anything mechanical was happening. Just because I do not see it, or feel it in typical driving does not mean it in not working nor effective. It is doing as designed and deployed in this model.

As many of us have learned, we can press this car far beyond what a typical driver would and certainly beyond what any novice to the car would attempt. That thrill and surprise is something we RL owners covet and snicker when critics niavely dismiss as non event engineering.

When SHAWD was released on the TL, the torque vectoring software was tuned to be more noticeable for the driver of a sedan with more performace attributes (and drivers more likely to use SHAWD as a performance attribute beyond the passive safety capabilities). Even the 2009+ RLs had earlier thresholds of engagement for outer real wheels in the turns (1st gear).

Now with sport applications (NSX), expect SHAWD is to be more tuned for performance, hence the SPORT Hybrid ammendment to SHAWD.

Again, definition of performance to a luxury focused driver is likely different expectations that performance expectations of a sport / performance focused vehicle.

SHAWD for the RL was aligned for the expectations of luxury performance sedan drivers being confident handling, safety and seamless integration to the driving experience. And that is what was delivered.

 

i found that the shifts weren't very quick using the paddles. Maybe they tweaked the logic in the later models.

 

The most underrated part of the car! The last set of tires I had on my RL were Michelein Pilot Sport+ ll seasons with a Z (actually they were a W rating). On the numbers for the aspect ratio it showed a Z (i.e P245/50 ZR17), but on the section that shows the speed rating they were actually W.

They were a little noisier, but definitely stickier.

 

Coming from an '02 S6 as well, I really must agree. The differences between quattro and SH-AWD are minute - way more insignificant than posters here want to admit.

 

^ I forgot - what is your RL experience?

 

Drove an '05 for a bit under a year - came directly from the S6 followed by a R32.

My experience with AWD ranges from a 1992 Typhoon to Audi, VW, BMW and MB along with the Acura. For all practical purposes, all mainstream modern AWD systems function the same way. Any differences will only show up at the limit.

Sorry to burst your bubble. I steadfastly maintain that most posters here that rave about the wonders of SH-AWD are really raving about AWD.

And what is your experience with AWD?

 

It is impossible that you have ever reached the limits of any one of your cars and therefore cannot accurately assess the true characteristics of their driverrains.



Oh, and their wood looked like plastic too.

 

I'm not even on this level...

 

More than your experience
If you can't tell the difference than you do not know how to drive

 

Impossible? Don't know about that, I have 2 Porsche Club track records in my 993tt and am a Audi club and Porsche club instructor with over 80 track days under my belt. I have reached the limits of the car a number of times. Luckily with no resulting damage.

 

So I took the car back yesterday and while it was great to get back in the S6 I do miss a few things.

Steering wheel controls, The Xm radio and the key less entry/start. (I keep getting in the car without taking my key out of my pocket first)

Well it's been fun, enjoy your RL's.