Bruce
Kraftwagen König
Audi S5
A month in with the S5 and its working its charm on Richard Meaden
The Audi S5 didn’t make a great impression on us at the international press launch (evo 105). Actually, David Vivian was distinctly unimpressed, which perhaps explained my uncharacteristic indifference to the impending custodianship of our latest Fast Fleet addition.
Well, I’m pleased to say that, just over a month into our relationship, I’m really warming to the big-hearted S5. No, it doesn’t offer the same thrills as our old RS4 long-termer, but the opportunity to live with the car is revealing the kind of subtleties that are always hard to appreciate in the pressure-cooker environment of a launch.
For a start there’s the way it looks. Never, and I mean never, have I driven a new Fast Fleeter that’s attracted so much attention. Of course, the LED ‘running lights’ have a major part to play, but so it seems does Walter de’Silva’s so-called ‘rhythm of lines’. While there’s nothing tangible to put my finger on, there’s a real Bentley Conti GT presence about the S5, a sense of potency, quality and performance without being too overt or exaggerated. Except for the incongruous ‘V8’ badges on the flanks. And the ruddy colour, which certainly wouldn’t be my first choice, yet still fails to appreciably cheapen the S5’s look.
While we’re on the subject of less than ideal colours, the icy blue/grey hue of the upholstery is also a bit too ‘look-at-me’ for my liking, although at the rate it seems to be turning dirty grey with use it won’t keep its ‘bling’ for long. Colour apart, the interior is a big success. It looks and feels fabulous, with just the right mix of leather, hi-gloss brightwork and satin metal. The only element that jars is the use of wood veneer, although I’m even warming to that with time.
Perhaps it’s a sign of an inexorable advance towards middle age, but I must confess to being initially flummoxed by Audi’s take on BMW’s dreaded iDrive system. Controlling everything from the stereo and satnav to functions such as automatic locking and courtesy lighting, the knurled knob and quartet of switches located just aft of the gearlever seemed a bit fiddly to start with, but I’m pleased to report that I’ve now got the hang of it and can navigate my way around the menus with intuitive ease. Although, as Mrs Meaden will confirm, that doesn’t mean I suddenly know how the washing machine works.
Since the S5 arrived (pre-run-in with 1400 miles on the clock) it has been thrown in at the deep end, doing everything from shopping runs and regular commutes to a charge across Europe to Germany for this month’s tribute to Fangio – complete with a few (wet) laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Suffice to say it has taken everything in its formidable stride, with the softer 349bhp V8 (as opposed to the higher-revving Cosworth-tweaked unit in the RS4) providing ample poke when required yet offering all the refinement and tractability you could wish for. The ride quality is genuinely rounded too (especially for an Audi), and while it’s clearly pitched at a less committed driver than the RS4, the S5 covers ground with assured poise and impressive pace.
Like its damping, the S5’s steering is well judged, providing sufficient feel to judge your turn-in speed accurately but without letting potholes and cambers disturb your smooth progress. Traction is predictably unshakeable and the balance pleasingly neutral. It’s not a livewire, seat-of-the-pants machine, but it more than maximises the grip on offer from its Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres, and from what I’ve experienced so far it’s a ride/handling compromise that only enhances the S5’s all-round desirability.
I’d somehow expected the S5 would be equipped with a Tiptronic auto, so I was slightly perturbed to see an H-pattern stick protruding from the transmission tunnel. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the shift quality of the six-speed ’box. It doesn’t feel as meaty as the RS4’s, but its short throw and positive action engage you just enough, and far from feeling inappropriate in such a smooth-operating coupe, it’s a positive bonus.
Annoyances? Well, pulling smoothly away from a standstill is far harder than it should be. This is a little bemusing, for while it’s possible to make consistently seamless up and downshifts once on the move, the throttle and clutch are horribly jumpy when pulling away in first gear. It seems this unwanted Audi trait isn’t confined to DSG models. Perhaps some subtle electronic tweakery is in order.
Other than that, the S5 and I are getting along just fine. Fast but comfortable, stylish yet subtle, it may not be the most immediately compelling choice in the Audi range, but the more I live with it, the more I’m appreciating the S5’s maturity and slow-burn appeal.
>> http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evolongtermtests/211974/audi_s5.html
