Upcoming RS5 Ceramic Brake Viability
10-04-2017, 07:57 AM
#1
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Upcoming RS5 Ceramic Brake Viability
Hello all. I'm planning on getting the upcoming B9 RS5 in one form or another and I also plan on getting it with all the options....but.....the only option I am iffy on is the ceramic brakes. I'm sure it will be offered with it, but am not sure I actually want them. My question for those who have owned them before (last gen RS5, etc...), were they actually worth it? Was the cost/performance ratio really that high when compared to "standard" brakes. What I do know is that it costs a lot of cash to have them replaced, but am unsure if it is really worth it. I know worth is also subjective, but am looking for real world use and info. Thanks in advance.
Last edited by BryanB8.5; 10-04-2017 at 11:41 AM.
10-04-2017, 08:56 AM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
Depends entirely on what kind of driving you do. The main advantage of ceramic brakes is the higher temps they can sustain w/o fading. If you regularly experience brake fade, then you are a candidate for ceramic brakes, otherwise they will be overkill. I skipped them on my 2013 RS5 and later put aftermarket rotors and pads on. I do get brake fade sometimes in the canyons on a hot day, so I may consider ceramic brakes next time. However, I could also swap out my street performance pads with something that can take higher temps. The new RS5 is still a heavy car, so lots of hard braking will get the brakes to the point where they fade, but for just regular driving you'll be hard pressed to have an issue.
Brakes are always a balance between daily driving comfort, performance and noise. The ceramic brakes will also grab more during daily driving, which could be less comfortable depending on what you like and they generally need to first get some heat in them before they brake properly.
Brakes are always a balance between daily driving comfort, performance and noise. The ceramic brakes will also grab more during daily driving, which could be less comfortable depending on what you like and they generally need to first get some heat in them before they brake properly.
10-04-2017, 09:23 AM
#3
Hello all. I'm planning on getting the upcoming B9 RS5 in one form or another and I also plan on getting it with all the options....but.....the only option I am iffy on is the ceramic brakes. I'm sure it will be offered with it, but am not sure I actually want them. My question for those who have owned them before (last gen RS5, etc...), were they actually worth it? Was the cost/performance ratio really that high when compared to "standard" brakes. What I do know it that it costs a lot of cash to have them replaced, but am unsure if it is really worth it. I know worth is also subjective, but am looking for real world use.and info Thanks in advance.
10-04-2017, 10:58 AM
#4
AudiWorld Senior Member
superswiss and JohnEnglish basically nailed it.
There is a "cool factor" that isn't being talked about. It is a very expensive cool factor, but then again so is the option for a carbon fiber roof on an M3, which saves what...25 something pounds? (AKA what you could save by just laying off the Chipotle for a couple months?) I would wager there is a lot of crossover between the demographic that shops for CF roofs and hoods and the demographic that options ceramic brakes. I would further wager than less than 10% of those who take either option actually knows how, let alone dares, to drive in such a way that it matters at all, ever, even once, in the entire time they own the car. But some people don't care about that and are just worried about how the car looks when it is parked.
In the motorcycle community, we get a lot of questions about lightweight aluminum sprockets and magnesium wheels and ECU tunes and full-system titanium exhausts. My answer is always the same: if two riders invest equal amounts of money -- one into a snazzy new bike with all the performance parts, and the other picks up a beater bike and puts all the money left over into track time and good sticky tires -- the guy who dumps his money into saddle time will have the faster lap, 10 times out of 10.
There is a "cool factor" that isn't being talked about. It is a very expensive cool factor, but then again so is the option for a carbon fiber roof on an M3, which saves what...25 something pounds? (AKA what you could save by just laying off the Chipotle for a couple months?) I would wager there is a lot of crossover between the demographic that shops for CF roofs and hoods and the demographic that options ceramic brakes. I would further wager than less than 10% of those who take either option actually knows how, let alone dares, to drive in such a way that it matters at all, ever, even once, in the entire time they own the car. But some people don't care about that and are just worried about how the car looks when it is parked.
In the motorcycle community, we get a lot of questions about lightweight aluminum sprockets and magnesium wheels and ECU tunes and full-system titanium exhausts. My answer is always the same: if two riders invest equal amounts of money -- one into a snazzy new bike with all the performance parts, and the other picks up a beater bike and puts all the money left over into track time and good sticky tires -- the guy who dumps his money into saddle time will have the faster lap, 10 times out of 10.
10-04-2017, 12:08 PM
#5
AudiWorld Senior Member
superswiss and JohnEnglish basically nailed it.
There is a "cool factor" that isn't being talked about. It is a very expensive cool factor, but then again so is the option for a carbon fiber roof on an M3, which saves what...25 something pounds? (AKA what you could save by just laying off the Chipotle for a couple months?) I would wager there is a lot of crossover between the demographic that shops for CF roofs and hoods and the demographic that options ceramic brakes. I would further wager than less than 10% of those who take either option actually knows how, let alone dares, to drive in such a way that it matters at all, ever, even once, in the entire time they own the car. But some people don't care about that and are just worried about how the car looks when it is parked.
In the motorcycle community, we get a lot of questions about lightweight aluminum sprockets and magnesium wheels and ECU tunes and full-system titanium exhausts. My answer is always the same: if two riders invest equal amounts of money -- one into a snazzy new bike with all the performance parts, and the other picks up a beater bike and puts all the money left over into track time and good sticky tires -- the guy who dumps his money into saddle time will have the faster lap, 10 times out of 10.
There is a "cool factor" that isn't being talked about. It is a very expensive cool factor, but then again so is the option for a carbon fiber roof on an M3, which saves what...25 something pounds? (AKA what you could save by just laying off the Chipotle for a couple months?) I would wager there is a lot of crossover between the demographic that shops for CF roofs and hoods and the demographic that options ceramic brakes. I would further wager than less than 10% of those who take either option actually knows how, let alone dares, to drive in such a way that it matters at all, ever, even once, in the entire time they own the car. But some people don't care about that and are just worried about how the car looks when it is parked.
In the motorcycle community, we get a lot of questions about lightweight aluminum sprockets and magnesium wheels and ECU tunes and full-system titanium exhausts. My answer is always the same: if two riders invest equal amounts of money -- one into a snazzy new bike with all the performance parts, and the other picks up a beater bike and puts all the money left over into track time and good sticky tires -- the guy who dumps his money into saddle time will have the faster lap, 10 times out of 10.
04-17-2018, 07:54 PM
#6
AudiWorld Newcomer
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have a 2014 RS5 with the ceramic brakes and I wouldn't recommend it. Ceramic brakes in general seem to have lots of noise problems. I've been hearing this weird grinding noise from the driver side and Audi dealership or other performance shops can't pin point what is causing the noise. I've been dumping money just replacing brake parts for several months and noise is still there (link below). Really annoying. I'm thinking of swapping my ceramics with the normal RS kit. But these ceramics do look nice and keep your rims clean 
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud.../#post25140030
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud.../#post25140030
04-17-2018, 10:16 PM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Yes, ceramic brakes are noisy. They are meant for extreme driving and tend to be excessively noisy for just normal driving. Ceramic brakes need to be warm/hot to be effective, so if you don't drive hard enough or after a cold start to get them warm, the system slightly presses the pads against the rotors to generate heat. That can be noisy. Some have also reported that they noticed pulsating slowdowns of the car every 30 seconds when it rains. This is due to the similar wiping function that tries to keep the water off the rotors. The wiping is done with the standard brakes as well, but because the ceramic brakes grab more even under light application the effect is noticeable.
Trending Topics
04-18-2018, 04:38 AM
#8
I really like the look of the ceramic brakes and I like that kind of "techy" stuff but I'm leaning towards not getting them when I order a RS5 SB just because they seem to be more of an annoyance than anything for day to day driving.
04-18-2018, 02:56 PM
#9
AudiWorld Senior Member
I have front and rear carbon ceramic brakes on another car and absolutely love them if for no other reason than because they create almost zero brake dust.
04-18-2018, 04:45 PM
#10
Advantages of ceramics:
Virtually no brake dust
Significantly less weight
Discs will last forever
Disadvantages of ceramics:
Can be noisier
Slightly diminished performance in very cold and wet weather
Virtually no brake dust
Significantly less weight
Discs will last forever
Disadvantages of ceramics:
Can be noisier
Slightly diminished performance in very cold and wet weather