2014 Audi RS4

Audi RS4

The Audi RS4 remains the cult favourite among South Africans who want performance and practicality in one package—a fast wagon you might actually spot parked outside a Parkhurst coffee spot rather than relegated to a collector’s garage. You’ve got the usual suspects snapping at its heels: BMW M3 Touring, Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate, Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo. But the RS4 carves out its own space, sticking with petrol power and tiptronic or stronic gearboxes—no drama there. Only four are listed for sale at the moment, all used, with prices stretching from R628,888 to a hefty R1,699,900. That median, just shy of R1.5 million, says this isn’t for the casual hatchback buyer, and the spread tells you condition and mileage vary dramatically. Three of those four are the Avant quattro tiptronic, all living comfortably at the top end of the pricing pool. The outlier, an RS 4 Avant quattro stronic at R628,888, stands out—on paper at least—especially with average mileage at just 32,800 km for a fleet spanning from 2014 through to 2026. SA buyers keep coming back to the RS4 for its quattro grip, which makes Joburg thunderstorms less nerve-wracking, and because its estate bodyshell actually works for families who need to carry, say, a mountain bike or two. The M3 Touring just can’t match that combo of grip and practicality, and that's the point. Fast wagons are unicorns here—rare enough that every listing gets a second look, no matter the price.