AudiRS e-tron GT

　　

2023 Audi RS e-tron GT Review

byDan FrioReviews Editor

　　Dan spent many years covering the go-fast, look-good, get-loud corners of the automotive universe. First, he served as editor of enthusiast magazines AutoSound and Honda Tuning, then as executive editor at SEMA News, the publishing arm of the trade group that produces the annual SEMA Show (yes, that show). As a contributor to zzdcar, he now likes to keep the volume low and the speed limit legal, providing expert car-shopping advice to drivers looking for the perfect match.

　　, rating written byDan FrioDirector, Vehicle Testing

　　Jonathan Elfalan has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. As a director of vehicle testing at zzdcar, Jonathan has tested and reviewed thousands of cars and written thousands of car-related articles over the course of his career. Jonathan got his start testing cars for Road & Track magazine as a newly minted mechanical engineer grad from University of California, Irvine, and has also contributed to Motor Trend and the Associated Press. He likes to say he learned to drive a manual transmission in a rear-wheel-drive mid-engine vehicle but often omits it was his family's 1991 Toyota Previa minivan.

　　Audi is so bullish on an electric future, it plans to phase out internal-combustion engine ("ICE," as the cool kids say) cars by 2026 in favor of an all-electric lineup. An ambitious goal, surely, but the 2023 RS e-tron GT is another step toward that future. Now in its second year of production, the RS e-tron GT is Audi's most aggressive electric performance car, generating 590 horsepower while covering 232 miles of estimated range. In zzdcar' testing, it exceeded that number by about 50 miles. That's still fairly average in terms of EV ranges, but it's respectable given the RS' performance and astonishing acceleration: 0-60 mph in just 3.0 seconds. A passenger-side charge port has been added to increase parking flexibility when it's time to replenish the battery.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

Audi RS e-tron GT EV Insights

Trim:RS e-tron GT Base

　　4dr Sedan AWD (electric 2A) (Most Popular) - $143,900 MSRP

　　

Range

 zzdcar TESTED

　　285 miles

　　zzdcar Tested Rangezzdcar begins with a full battery charge and drives the vehicle on a mix of city and highway roads (approximately 60% city, 40% highway) until the battery is almost entirely empty. (We target 10 miles of remaining range for safety.) The miles traveled and the indicated remaining range are added together for the zzdcar Tested Range figure.

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 242 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　8 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　10.5 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　Restrictions: This program is a charging agreement between Audi of America and Electrify America. Customers who purchase a new Audi e-tron GT or RS e-tron GT will receive 3 years of complimentary charging on the Electrify America network. Complimentary charging expires 3 years from date of sale. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$90/mo

　　RS e-tron GT

　　vs

　　$198/mo

　　Car Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　Compared to the standard e-tron GT, the RS adds features such as high-performance summer tires, upgraded brakes and steering, an enhanced all-wheel-drive system, and a carbon-fiber roof. Adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera are also standard features that cost extra on the regular e-tron GT.

　　Despite the top-dog RS designation, the RS e-tron GT leaves us a little underwhelmed. Acceleration is amazing, but everything else feels half-baked. Read our Expert Rating below for our test team's detailed thoughts, and keep in mind that the Porsche Taycan Turbo (mechanically related to the RS e-tron GT) and Tesla Model S Plaid are also in this price range, so the competition is tight.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Good

　　7.8

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.0/10

　　How does the RS e-tron GT drive? If the regular e-tron GT's 3.8-second sprint from 0 to 60 mph just isn't cutting it for you, the RS will spice things up a bit. How does 3.0 seconds to 60 mph sound? This puts it among the quickest cars you can buy, on par with a Porsche Taycan Turbo but behind the class-leading Tesla Model S Plaid (2.3 seconds in our testing).

　　Unfortunately, the RS e-tron GT is missing everything else that usually goes into an Audi RS model. While we were willing to overlook the relatively regular handling performance of the non-RS e-tron, the RS barely improves on the experience. It still has precise steering and confident handling, but nothing about this experience convinces us it's worthy of an RS badge. Braking from 60 mph improves by 2 feet (stopping in 104 feet in our testing), but the handoff from regenerative braking to the carbon-ceramic rotors is utterly crude.

　　High-performance driving aside, the RS GT remains as easy a commuter as the non-RS. Unfortunately, just like the e-tron GT, the RS doesn't provide enough passive regenerative braking to solely drive using the accelerator pedal. Where some cars like Tesla allow you to slow to a stop by just lifting off the accelerator, the RS e-tron GT will almost always require you to press the brakes at some point. We're hoping this changes down the road.

　　

Comfort

8.5/10

　　How comfortable is the RS e-tron GT? Audi is a master of blending performance with incredible road comfort. Even with its 20-inch wheels and summer performance tires, the RS e-tron GT somehow manages to offer a ride that is both supple and responsive. The adaptive suspension softens up for all manner of pavement bumps but never wallows over undulating sections of highway. Bumps are mostly noticeable in the form of low-frequency thumps, but they're hardly intrusive. The e-tron GT also does a commendable job of filtering out all other ambient noise.

　　The front seats are about as good as they get. The highly supportive and adjustable sport buckets include heating, cooling and massaging functions. In contrast, the rear seats are unremarkable. The floor of the car is a bit high too, hampering rear comfort for long-legged individuals. Thankfully, the climate controls are far less fussy than the Porsche Taycan's, and the system delivers ample cooling to keep the cabin at your desired temperature.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below