Happy Holidays, CL: Special Review: 2009 Audi S5 Quattro
#46
I love the Audi S5 I really do but it would be so hard for me to give up the luxurious and refined interior setup that Lexus has and go to something rigid and sporty like Audi/BMW. Also one thing, the exterior is not as exciting as I would want a sports car be and the overall interior looks like it's from a sports car from the mid 90's. I like the attention to detail but it's really not enough.
The handling and power is great, I have no problem with it.
I'll wait and see what the RS5 has in store for all of us.
The handling and power is great, I have no problem with it.
I'll wait and see what the RS5 has in store for all of us.
#47
#48
The 6-speed manual transmission and clutch were not Honda-silky/short-throw, but generally well-done, and shifted smoothly. The clutch engaged smoothly, about where you would want it to be.....not too low or too high off the floor, and required little slipping from rest because of the engine's strong torque. The transmission linkage was a little on the vague side, but smooth and not particularly notchy. Shift throws were not as short as, say, a Mazda Miata or Honda S2000, but were short enough to be sufficient sporty. Some transmission/driveline whine, however, did make itself known on acceleration, increasing in pitch as you gained speed, but it was fairly quiet and not obtrusive.
I personally love the S5 and have been considering it along with the ISF and E92 M3. I do have to agree with some of the posters, though, about the pricing, which is clearly in M3 territory for near 335i-performance. And yes, I know the M3s don't offer AWD.
The one thing I found interesting that you didn't mention was Audi's use of the "electronic" parking brake. Audi S5s are in short supply everywhere and when I went to the local dealer to inquire about it (they didn't have any to test drive, not even a demo model), the salesperson told me that you "just need to drive it - you'll get used to it." I currently drive a TL 6MT and my condo's parking garage is on a steep 45-degree angle. I hate having to balance with the clutch and find it far easier to leave it in Neutral and use the ebrake instead of "balancing."
What are your thoughts on this? I'd much rather have hill assist than an electronic parking brake - only more things to go wrong with. At least Audi saw fit to offer the 4.2L V8 with a true manual. (I'll pass on the DSG, sorry.)
The other thing I found to be a bit "el-cheapo" with the car (which is very few, btw) is the use of light-bulb tails on a near $60K car (which is being replaced by LEDs, thank gawd) and trunk hinges (pretty much all Audis had non-intrusive gas struts in lieu of el-cheapo trunk hinges like the B8s now have, ugh). I'm also surprised you said the hood has only "one" gas strut? Thinking back on the review, were there any other issues aside from thin carpeting that seemed out of place on a car the price of an S5?
Thanks again for the great review!
#50
The one thing I found interesting that you didn't mention was Audi's use of the "electronic" parking brake. Audi S5s are in short supply everywhere and when I went to the local dealer to inquire about it (they didn't have any to test drive, not even a demo model), the salesperson told me that you "just need to drive it - you'll get used to it." I currently drive a TL 6MT and my condo's parking garage is on a steep 45-degree angle. I hate having to balance with the clutch and find it far easier to leave it in Neutral and use the ebrake instead of "balancing."
What are your thoughts on this? I'd much rather have hill assist than an electronic parking brake - only more things to go wrong with. At least Audi saw fit to offer the 4.2L V8 with a true manual. (I'll pass on the DSG, sorry.)
What are your thoughts on this? I'd much rather have hill assist than an electronic parking brake - only more things to go wrong with. At least Audi saw fit to offer the 4.2L V8 with a true manual. (I'll pass on the DSG, sorry.)
Not many cars today, outside of a couple of Subarus, offer the classic "Hill Assist" with manual transmissions that maintains brake pressure with the clutch pedal in and your foot off the brake, even though the feature itself is not new (some Studebakers had them back in the 1950s). With the decreasing popularity (and production) of conventional three-pedal manual transmissions today, I wouldn't look for this feature to be expanded much, if at all.
The other thing I found to be a bit "el-cheapo" with the car (which is very few, btw) is the use of light-bulb tails on a near $60K car (which is being replaced by LEDs, thank gawd) and trunk hinges (pretty much all Audis had non-intrusive gas struts in lieu of el-cheapo trunk hinges like the B8s now have, ugh). I'm also surprised you said the hood has only "one" gas strut? Thinking back on the review, were there any other issues aside from thin carpeting that seemed out of place on a car the price of an S5?
Thanks again for the great review!
Thanks again for the great review!
LEDs may look nice, but they are complex to manufacture and install, and I don't see where they do much more than conventional taillight bulbs. Still, some manufacturers have opted for them.....the 21K Mazda5 that I reviewed earlier this week, for example, had them.
I mentioned the single strut, not necessarily because there was anything wrong with it (there isn't), but because I review a car in detail and, though I occasionally forget a few things, I try to be as accurate and comprehensive as possible. One advantage of a single strut is that gas struts sometimes wear out after a few years, and a single one, of course, is simpler and (sometimes) cheaper to replace than a double-one.
As far as things "out of place" on this car (regardless of price), I'd have to say the MMI. Like most BMWs, this is a car built for driving. That means DRIVING......keeping your eyes on the road, not fiddling around with a electronic joy-stick and video screen. That's why I listed the MMI as one of the car's chief minuses.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-06-08 at 06:38 AM.
#51
#52
#53
The 3-series, however, has a little nicer steering feel, and its overall ride/handling combination is slightly better than Audi's. Some of the 3-Series come in AWD xi versions, but they are more-or-less grafted-on AWD vehicles that were not designed from the outset for AWD, like Audi's Quattro.
#54
For many, comments about "design" are comments about what their eye is taking in. Why toss a "yeah, but..." at them about steering and chassis dynamics?
Now you got me on the defensive.
#55
GS3Tek (a CL member who I have had a long and good relationship with in this forum, BTW) made a statement about prefering the S5 over the 3-series (and I greatly respect his opinion...I share it in some ways). I merely pointed out, briefly, in one sentence, the 3's traditional strong points....steering/chassis dynamics, and that it is a good alternative. I didn't HAVE to spend more time on the S5.....I had already done that in a long review (and, yes, I appreciate the things in the review you yourself pointed out to me that I may have overlooked, like the trunk-located battery).
But, if GS3Tek, whose post I was answering, had no problem with my reply (and he would have brought it up if he did), I don't see why you should either.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-06-08 at 04:00 PM.
#56
My comment about your 3-series defense was not meant as a personal jab. I should have left the smiley at the end of the sentence.
#57
But I was just pointing out my reasoning for replying to a previous post as I did, that's all....you had questioned it. That is my perogative, as well as yours.
#58
Pole Position
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
From: Carson, California currently in Makati City, PI
Mike, thanks for the great review. Though the price for the S5 may be a bit high, and the 335i may have the overall ride/handling combination, it's a small premium to pay for a car you won't see in every street corner, unlike the G37, 335i or even the M3.
#59
De Nada, Amigo. (You're welcome). Anytime.
Dollar for dollar, IMO, it's hard to beat the 335i. It even offers an AWD xi version like the S5 Quattro, but the BMW AWD system is not as refined as Audi's Quattro...it was not designed for AWD from the start like Audis are, but simply grafted on.
The S5's price may seem high, but it is actually substantially lower than many AMG and BMW M cars. Of course, though fast, it doesn't have quite the tire-shredding power of the typical AMG either.
Though the price for the S5 may be a bit high, and the 335i may have the overall ride/handling combination, it's a small premium to pay for a car you won't see in every street corner, unlike the G37, 335i or even the M3.
The S5's price may seem high, but it is actually substantially lower than many AMG and BMW M cars. Of course, though fast, it doesn't have quite the tire-shredding power of the typical AMG either.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-08-08 at 06:06 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
mmarshall
Car Chat
36
03-13-09 03:43 PM