Mini review: now with a few pics...
10-03-2007, 04:57 PM
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Mini review: now with a few pics...
Friend at the dealer let me drive it(he went as well) for a good 45 min today. Car had 70mi on it when I got in. Impressions are:
Exterior:
Nice car, not spectacular in person like so many led me to believe but has presence.
Wheels and brakes look good, well proportioned and the ride height is pretty close to ideal arc to arc with the wheels/fenders.
Can't see the LED daytime lights under the sun so... little effect for daylight hours. Probably look neat at dusk/night however.
Tail lights are all bulbs, thought they were LEDs... maybe I misread something.
All the cars I've heard of in the SEast seem to be the dark grey with red leather(well at least the three local dealers here anyway). The darker grey is kind of dull in person, not a color I'd want.
Interior:
interior is great in the front, everything falls to hand and there are a few gagets not mentioned in the docs ie cruise control setting in the FIS and the shift indicator there as well.
MMI is very well done, as it is in the Q7 and A6s, but no voice command. Seat heat and most of the other climate controls are present in MMI - don't know if thats true with other chassis/cars.
Leather is Nappa leather but does not have the premium smooth grain like my current S4 or other premiums. When I think of Nappa leather I think Tumi bag quality, S5 is slightly more rough/Japanese in feel... not a big deal. Red is a little dull in person, would look better if it was brighter or more rust-colored imo. Has a somewhat faded look, maybe just not my color choice, subjective I know.
I mostly fit in the rear seat with the drivers chair set the way I drive(I'm 5'11" and 195lbs) which is good... getting in and out is problematic at best, even with the nice lever/switch to move the seat. FYI... the seat will stop at the previous setting when moving it back - thats neat. Cup holders and armrest work well but having these down with me in the back accentuates the slightly cramped feel.
Trunk is large, no issues. Space-saver spare. Nav DVD on the drivers side as in most Audis.
Engine/Performance:
Has a nice rumble at idle, you can feel it standing beside the car, subtle but noticable.
Performance was a disappointment, granted it is unfair for me to compare to my current S but the car feels big and heavy from a stop. Once rolling acceleration is "ok" but this car does not feel fast, its deceptive at speed but just doesn't have any rip/snort like I thought it would. If you think the current B6/B7 S4s are fast then this will compare favorably to those... in the same ballpark. The 335i I drove earlier in the summer feels quicker under all circumstances. I should note I did not attempt to launch the car or go over 90mph today... if the mags are getting 0-60 in 4.8 secs they're launching this car hard. I can tell you there is no way it will pull those numbers from a roll, the torque just isn't there. I'll drive it again once the car is fully broken in and hopefully willsee a big difference in the initial drive.
Clutch is too soft, has no feel. Took me a few minutes to get used to how soft it was as I could not quite tell when it was engaging. It may gain a little more feel once the green-ness of the disc goes away... likely ok. The B6/B7 clutches are really soft to me as well fwiw.
Shifter is about 2" too tall and can be a little hard to articulate based on where your seat is located. Throws are short and crisp, has good feel just too tall... have to raise my arm to manipulate... maybe I'm lazy lol.
Steering is quick and predictable, goes where its pointed. I could not distinguish any difference between low and high speed steering fwiw, seemed to work well. It is lighter than the steering in my S4.
Overall the car is impressive for what it is. Its a soft GT coupe and likely very good in daily duties. I think though that its more Executive focused than enthusiast for better/worse. I went in today to possibly put a deposit down now that I could see, touch and drive one and ended up leaving without ordering. Not sure if I'll revisit it or not at this point... much different than I expected based on all the journalism hype. Guess I'll wait and see what becomes of the B8S4.
A few quick pics from the dealership:
<img src="http://web.comporium.net/~hpc3/pics/S5_1.jpg">
<img src="http://web.comporium.net/~hpc3/pics/S5_2.jpg">
<img src="http://web.comporium.net/~hpc3/pics/S5_3.jpg">
<img src="http://web.comporium.net/~hpc3/pics/S5_4.jpg">
Exterior:
Nice car, not spectacular in person like so many led me to believe but has presence.
Wheels and brakes look good, well proportioned and the ride height is pretty close to ideal arc to arc with the wheels/fenders.
Can't see the LED daytime lights under the sun so... little effect for daylight hours. Probably look neat at dusk/night however.
Tail lights are all bulbs, thought they were LEDs... maybe I misread something.
All the cars I've heard of in the SEast seem to be the dark grey with red leather(well at least the three local dealers here anyway). The darker grey is kind of dull in person, not a color I'd want.
Interior:
interior is great in the front, everything falls to hand and there are a few gagets not mentioned in the docs ie cruise control setting in the FIS and the shift indicator there as well.
MMI is very well done, as it is in the Q7 and A6s, but no voice command. Seat heat and most of the other climate controls are present in MMI - don't know if thats true with other chassis/cars.
Leather is Nappa leather but does not have the premium smooth grain like my current S4 or other premiums. When I think of Nappa leather I think Tumi bag quality, S5 is slightly more rough/Japanese in feel... not a big deal. Red is a little dull in person, would look better if it was brighter or more rust-colored imo. Has a somewhat faded look, maybe just not my color choice, subjective I know.
I mostly fit in the rear seat with the drivers chair set the way I drive(I'm 5'11" and 195lbs) which is good... getting in and out is problematic at best, even with the nice lever/switch to move the seat. FYI... the seat will stop at the previous setting when moving it back - thats neat. Cup holders and armrest work well but having these down with me in the back accentuates the slightly cramped feel.
Trunk is large, no issues. Space-saver spare. Nav DVD on the drivers side as in most Audis.
Engine/Performance:
Has a nice rumble at idle, you can feel it standing beside the car, subtle but noticable.
Performance was a disappointment, granted it is unfair for me to compare to my current S but the car feels big and heavy from a stop. Once rolling acceleration is "ok" but this car does not feel fast, its deceptive at speed but just doesn't have any rip/snort like I thought it would. If you think the current B6/B7 S4s are fast then this will compare favorably to those... in the same ballpark. The 335i I drove earlier in the summer feels quicker under all circumstances. I should note I did not attempt to launch the car or go over 90mph today... if the mags are getting 0-60 in 4.8 secs they're launching this car hard. I can tell you there is no way it will pull those numbers from a roll, the torque just isn't there. I'll drive it again once the car is fully broken in and hopefully willsee a big difference in the initial drive.
Clutch is too soft, has no feel. Took me a few minutes to get used to how soft it was as I could not quite tell when it was engaging. It may gain a little more feel once the green-ness of the disc goes away... likely ok. The B6/B7 clutches are really soft to me as well fwiw.
Shifter is about 2" too tall and can be a little hard to articulate based on where your seat is located. Throws are short and crisp, has good feel just too tall... have to raise my arm to manipulate... maybe I'm lazy lol.
Steering is quick and predictable, goes where its pointed. I could not distinguish any difference between low and high speed steering fwiw, seemed to work well. It is lighter than the steering in my S4.
Overall the car is impressive for what it is. Its a soft GT coupe and likely very good in daily duties. I think though that its more Executive focused than enthusiast for better/worse. I went in today to possibly put a deposit down now that I could see, touch and drive one and ended up leaving without ordering. Not sure if I'll revisit it or not at this point... much different than I expected based on all the journalism hype. Guess I'll wait and see what becomes of the B8S4.
A few quick pics from the dealership:
<img src="http://web.comporium.net/~hpc3/pics/S5_1.jpg">
<img src="http://web.comporium.net/~hpc3/pics/S5_2.jpg">
<img src="http://web.comporium.net/~hpc3/pics/S5_3.jpg">
<img src="http://web.comporium.net/~hpc3/pics/S5_4.jpg">
10-03-2007, 07:16 PM
#3
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Very nice car Lance. Its missing the edge though for me. Also I'm not sure I can get by with a
coupe for DD use. I drive the TT a lot these days but no one expects me to carry them around with that car.
The console in the car really accentuates the coziness of the cockpit, if that thing wasn't so wide/tall the car would have a bigger feel I think. As-is it is an intimate experience for the front(unexpected) passengers and the rear is actually pretty nice compared to a buddies 645i coupe, which has little/no room at all. The TT feels roomier inside minus headroom areas.
The console in the car really accentuates the coziness of the cockpit, if that thing wasn't so wide/tall the car would have a bigger feel I think. As-is it is an intimate experience for the front(unexpected) passengers and the rear is actually pretty nice compared to a buddies 645i coupe, which has little/no room at all. The TT feels roomier inside minus headroom areas.
10-03-2007, 07:27 PM
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was this the car at Leith auto in Cary NC?
i drove the same car today at Leith
I placed my order about a month ago and couldn't wait to see and drive it.
I was overall impressed.
especially with the interior
I placed my order about a month ago and couldn't wait to see and drive it.
I was overall impressed.
especially with the interior
10-03-2007, 08:32 PM
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thanks for posting pics and honest opinions.
I'm not disagreeing with you per se, but the fact that the S5, like an S4 (I have one too) delivers it's power pretty smoothly and shields you from that more raw sports car experience is what some people really like. I have a mini cooper S that at times feels way faster than it is because of the dynamics. I guess it's what we prioritize the most in a daily car. You'd be happier with a BMW.
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10-04-2007, 07:49 AM
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two things I don't like already...and what's up with the intake...
1. The orange ambers on the head lights need to go. I'll take them out like I did on my other Audi's. 2. The non functional scoops on the front look horrible. Will have to get some inserts for that.
Is it just me, or is that intake really wierd? It's like they forgot to cut out the intake part...I see the holes. but still, what's the point of wrapping it all the way to the fount of the car's molding, if your just gonna block it off.
Other than that beautiful.
Is it just me, or is that intake really wierd? It's like they forgot to cut out the intake part...I see the holes. but still, what's the point of wrapping it all the way to the fount of the car's molding, if your just gonna block it off.
Other than that beautiful.
10-04-2007, 09:22 AM
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I'd be happier in an Audi... still looking for one that will replace my current S4 though.
I've never owned a car more than 3yrs and yet my S4(with a lot of mods honestly) will be 7yrs old next spring... and its still here, dependable, fast, etc... but I've been looking for the next thing for 3yrs now heh.
I didn't go the route of the B6/B7 cars becuase the console bothers my knee, pressure point or something there. I'd be in a B7S4 Avant today were it not for that little nuance... and I'd be losing ~120chp/150ftlbs TQ to do that.
I guess speed is all relative anyways... the only 4.2l Audi that has come close to where I am today is the US RS6 and its not quite as fast tbo. If it had a 6sp I'd be all over it. Also a well tuned K04 2.7l feels just like a big V8 when driven, there is no peakiness to speak of...
I didn't go the route of the B6/B7 cars becuase the console bothers my knee, pressure point or something there. I'd be in a B7S4 Avant today were it not for that little nuance... and I'd be losing ~120chp/150ftlbs TQ to do that.
I guess speed is all relative anyways... the only 4.2l Audi that has come close to where I am today is the US RS6 and its not quite as fast tbo. If it had a 6sp I'd be all over it. Also a well tuned K04 2.7l feels just like a big V8 when driven, there is no peakiness to speak of...