S5 review
07-30-2007, 12:22 PM
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S5 review
My very nice Audi sales chappie kindly booked me their S5 out last weekend, Saturday morning to Sunday 4pm.
Phantom Black, red leather seats, advanced key, B&O. Very nice looking car indeed:
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1653.jpg">
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1660.jpg">
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1665.jpg">
First impressions are good. The key fits in a slot to the right of the steering column, and you press it to switch the ignition on. With the clutch pressed in, a push on the key results in an almost apologetic cough, a quick staccato bark and the V8 fires up with a lovely deep, rounded burble. A few seconds later, the engine management settles it down to a steady 600 rpm tickover, which is just low enough that there's the odd little half-stutter that you can only just hear and feel through the fabric of the car.
The clutch initially seems quite firmly weighted, especially to a regular tip driver of several years, but it's action is smooth and progressive. The gear lever snicks neatly through the gate, and gear selection seems smooth and uncluttered.
With some trepidation and excitment, I ease the clutch up in 1st gear and find biting point. The S5 trundles down the road and the bass note from the rear end deepens slightly. Being unused to the car, it seems a little easy to jerk and ****** in 1st gear, and second seems like a good idea, quite quickly. The S5 agrees, with a little white 1 in the dashboard that has a little green arrow pointing to a green number 2, the S5's hint that changing up will result in more economical driving. I comply.
In short order, the S5 wants me to shift up again and agin, all the way to 5th gear at a mere 30 mph, at which point, I see if it will complain if I decide to try out 6th gear at this town speed, which the S5 seems perfectly content to do. The gear action is tidy, and the clutch is growing on me rapidly.
Then I find myself leaving the 30 mph speed limit, with a chance to stretch the S5's legs a little.
Oh. My. Word!
Dropping down into 2nd gear and booting the action pedal results in a savage outburst of noise and motion, the S5's blunt nose (which for some reason reminds me of a manta ray) points towards the horizon like a missile, which is appropriate given how rocket-propelled the acceleration feels. The rev counter dashes madly for it's 7000 rpm redline, surprising me enough to nearly catch me out on the gear change, only the insistence of the banshee wail indicating the impending limit and reminding me that I need feet and hands in coordinated action here. The hairs on my arms stand on end.
Snicking neatly into 3rd gear, the S5 continues it's headlong dash, the rather uneven tarmac of a country minor road barely registering through the flat but compliant suspension.
There just isn't time to get into 4th gear before an approaching corner makes me think twice about keeping up the acceleration. The S5 smoothly and deftly slinks round the bend, and gives me it's last two thousand rpms as we rush out of the apex and hit 4th gear and shriek down the road, the greenery either side rapidly becoming a blur.
This is one fast car.
Overtaking is effortless, and could be acheived in quite high gear, but the S5's incredible engine encourages you to cog down and feel the fat 255 tyres trying their hardest to peel the tarmac back behind the rapidly dissapearing sleek coupe with the four ringed badge.
Handling is very impressive, with the stereotypical Audi understeer and lifeless behaviour gone. Some might consider the steering a little uncommunicative, but I found it subtle and complex, but perfectly able to communicate what the car is doing, even when I only had ten miles under my belt with it.
Inspired by my previous experience with fast Audi hardware, and the fantastic balance of the S5, I turn the ESP off. Properly off. The button performs two functions - a short press disables the ESR anti-slip, where a long press disables ESP fully, with a suitable yellow warning in the Drivers Information System display. Without the benefit of the sophisticated electronics keeping the car pointing the right way and shiny side up, I begin to explore the mechanical prowess.
I'm not dissapointed, not by a long way. In fact, I'm soon giggling like a schoolboy with a glamour magazine. The S5 is nothing short of tenacious round tight corners, and where my previous Audi experience would lead me to expect understeer behaviour barreling into a corner on the overrun, the S5 just glides round like it's bolted to the road. Where I'd expect to be able to break the rear end out with a violent turn in and a dose of heavy low-gear, high-rev full throttle, the S5 just clings to the road and gets on with it. Being new to the car, I hadn't found the S5's limits by the time it found mine, and I stopped pushing.
It's a sedate drive round town as well. The clutch didn't bother me as I had thought it might, me being in my sixth car with Tip. The automatic hill-hold feature works a treat, applying the parking brake as soon as the car comes to a halt and releasing it as soon as you reach biting point to pull away.
The S5 attracts eyeballs, tugged round by the viewer's ears towards the direction of the rumbling V8 and held there by it's mesmerising LED running lights. This is not a car for those who desire a low profile.
The front seats were comfortable and nicely adjustable (although the rear seats are not designed for anyone over 5 and a half feet tall really), the MMI system was a treat to use as always, and the B&O sound system is a joy all the way from gentle background to in-car concert levels.
The S5 blew me away. I've driven many a fast Audi before, but I think this car even stands a good chance of knocking it's bigger sibling, the awesome S8, off it's pedestal, depending on where you place the value line between driving dynamics and comfort. Given the substantial cost differential between them, if you can live without air suspension, adult back seats and a chunk of luggage space, the S5 is far better value as a luxury smile-maker.
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1669.jpg">
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1670.jpg">
Phantom Black, red leather seats, advanced key, B&O. Very nice looking car indeed:
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1653.jpg">
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1660.jpg">
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1665.jpg">
First impressions are good. The key fits in a slot to the right of the steering column, and you press it to switch the ignition on. With the clutch pressed in, a push on the key results in an almost apologetic cough, a quick staccato bark and the V8 fires up with a lovely deep, rounded burble. A few seconds later, the engine management settles it down to a steady 600 rpm tickover, which is just low enough that there's the odd little half-stutter that you can only just hear and feel through the fabric of the car.
The clutch initially seems quite firmly weighted, especially to a regular tip driver of several years, but it's action is smooth and progressive. The gear lever snicks neatly through the gate, and gear selection seems smooth and uncluttered.
With some trepidation and excitment, I ease the clutch up in 1st gear and find biting point. The S5 trundles down the road and the bass note from the rear end deepens slightly. Being unused to the car, it seems a little easy to jerk and ****** in 1st gear, and second seems like a good idea, quite quickly. The S5 agrees, with a little white 1 in the dashboard that has a little green arrow pointing to a green number 2, the S5's hint that changing up will result in more economical driving. I comply.
In short order, the S5 wants me to shift up again and agin, all the way to 5th gear at a mere 30 mph, at which point, I see if it will complain if I decide to try out 6th gear at this town speed, which the S5 seems perfectly content to do. The gear action is tidy, and the clutch is growing on me rapidly.
Then I find myself leaving the 30 mph speed limit, with a chance to stretch the S5's legs a little.
Oh. My. Word!
Dropping down into 2nd gear and booting the action pedal results in a savage outburst of noise and motion, the S5's blunt nose (which for some reason reminds me of a manta ray) points towards the horizon like a missile, which is appropriate given how rocket-propelled the acceleration feels. The rev counter dashes madly for it's 7000 rpm redline, surprising me enough to nearly catch me out on the gear change, only the insistence of the banshee wail indicating the impending limit and reminding me that I need feet and hands in coordinated action here. The hairs on my arms stand on end.
Snicking neatly into 3rd gear, the S5 continues it's headlong dash, the rather uneven tarmac of a country minor road barely registering through the flat but compliant suspension.
There just isn't time to get into 4th gear before an approaching corner makes me think twice about keeping up the acceleration. The S5 smoothly and deftly slinks round the bend, and gives me it's last two thousand rpms as we rush out of the apex and hit 4th gear and shriek down the road, the greenery either side rapidly becoming a blur.
This is one fast car.
Overtaking is effortless, and could be acheived in quite high gear, but the S5's incredible engine encourages you to cog down and feel the fat 255 tyres trying their hardest to peel the tarmac back behind the rapidly dissapearing sleek coupe with the four ringed badge.
Handling is very impressive, with the stereotypical Audi understeer and lifeless behaviour gone. Some might consider the steering a little uncommunicative, but I found it subtle and complex, but perfectly able to communicate what the car is doing, even when I only had ten miles under my belt with it.
Inspired by my previous experience with fast Audi hardware, and the fantastic balance of the S5, I turn the ESP off. Properly off. The button performs two functions - a short press disables the ESR anti-slip, where a long press disables ESP fully, with a suitable yellow warning in the Drivers Information System display. Without the benefit of the sophisticated electronics keeping the car pointing the right way and shiny side up, I begin to explore the mechanical prowess.
I'm not dissapointed, not by a long way. In fact, I'm soon giggling like a schoolboy with a glamour magazine. The S5 is nothing short of tenacious round tight corners, and where my previous Audi experience would lead me to expect understeer behaviour barreling into a corner on the overrun, the S5 just glides round like it's bolted to the road. Where I'd expect to be able to break the rear end out with a violent turn in and a dose of heavy low-gear, high-rev full throttle, the S5 just clings to the road and gets on with it. Being new to the car, I hadn't found the S5's limits by the time it found mine, and I stopped pushing.
It's a sedate drive round town as well. The clutch didn't bother me as I had thought it might, me being in my sixth car with Tip. The automatic hill-hold feature works a treat, applying the parking brake as soon as the car comes to a halt and releasing it as soon as you reach biting point to pull away.
The S5 attracts eyeballs, tugged round by the viewer's ears towards the direction of the rumbling V8 and held there by it's mesmerising LED running lights. This is not a car for those who desire a low profile.
The front seats were comfortable and nicely adjustable (although the rear seats are not designed for anyone over 5 and a half feet tall really), the MMI system was a treat to use as always, and the B&O sound system is a joy all the way from gentle background to in-car concert levels.
The S5 blew me away. I've driven many a fast Audi before, but I think this car even stands a good chance of knocking it's bigger sibling, the awesome S8, off it's pedestal, depending on where you place the value line between driving dynamics and comfort. Given the substantial cost differential between them, if you can live without air suspension, adult back seats and a chunk of luggage space, the S5 is far better value as a luxury smile-maker.
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1669.jpg">
<img src="http://www.dlinternet.co.uk/chris/img/IMG_1670.jpg">
07-30-2007, 01:30 PM
#7
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damn you Chris! (and thanks for the awesome -as always- write up)
as I just bought a B5 S4 Avant........oh well, maybe the bonus for this year will be big enough to accomplish an S5 purchase
<sub>(yeah, keep on dreaming Goldie...)</sub>
<sub>(yeah, keep on dreaming Goldie...)</sub>
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07-30-2007, 01:36 PM
#8
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...and see this is why I wait for my test drive before selling my S. Fast is such an
interpretive thing. It will be a step back for me to go into an S5 as far as performance. I'm hoping the total package does it for me, no other Audi has come close yet. Can't wait until we get some demos here...
07-30-2007, 01:59 PM
#9
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Re: S5 review
Excellent review. I found the combinationof tongue in cheek descriptions, blended with an indepth understanding of what cars are supposed to be a very refreshing and thorough way of describing a weekend jaunt in a new car.
You experimented with just about everything, and did a nice job of reporting back to us that are not as fortunate yet.
Thanks again for taking the time to write this up, and for sharing your thoughts.
Well done
You experimented with just about everything, and did a nice job of reporting back to us that are not as fortunate yet.
Thanks again for taking the time to write this up, and for sharing your thoughts.
Well done