Anyone own/owned an Audi S5/RS5 sportback?

[rich_r]

Strange as this might sound, I keep coming back to these vehicles as a "counterpoint" to getting a Taycan CT4. I know, completely different "class" and of course not EV, but I love the combination of looks, practicality, performance, and build quality that they seem to offer as well. Am just curious to hear any perspectives from people here who have owned (or still own) any of these Audis.

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[IBZman]

I had an S5, but that was 11 years ago!

Awesome car. V8, raw power. Quality feel, well built and got lots of compliments. Drank fuel like a fish though!

I’m sure the newer ones are even better, but having now enjoyed four wonderful days with a demonstrator Taycan (mine is on its way soon), it’s like you say, a completely different class of car. The Taycan is something special.

 

[chrisk]

Strange as this might sound, I keep coming back to these vehicles as a "counterpoint" to getting a Taycan CT4. I know, completely different "class" and of course not EV, but I love the combination of looks, practicality, performance, and build quality that they seem to offer as well. Am just curious to hear any perspectives from people here who have owned (or still own) any of these Audis.

I used to own an S4.
The S4's steering is lifeless and disconnected, not even close to the feeling of the Porsche. In sport mode I remember Audi's steering was unnecessarily too heavy. Audi's definition of sport steering is to make it heavy...
The Audi was maybe a bit nibbler around the corners since it was 1000lbs lighter. Taycan is pretty close though. However you could definitely tell the Audi was nose heavy, while the taycan is heavy but the weight is well balanced.
Taycan's air suspension is definitely better and can manage comfort and sport very well.
Taycan has definite more power and the instant electric torque is nice. However, sometimes I miss the exhaust and engine sound.

In terms of interior space, if you compare the Taycan secan with sportback they are about the same but the CT will have more rear headroom and easier trunk access.

In terms of technology, Audi's infotainment was working as expected (for its generation) without bugs, the Taycan has several bugs. The safety assist systems of the Audi were probably working slightly better as well, again the Taycan is a bit behind in my opinion. Take a look at the distorted surround camera image and you will understand.

Overall Taycan is a better car, more fun to drive, but I am not sure if it 2x better (given it costs 2x more).

 

[rich_r]

I used to own an S4.
The S4's steering is lifeless and disconnected, not even close to the feeling of the Porsche. In sport mode I remember Audi's steering was unnecessarily too heavy. Audi's definition of sport steering is to make it heavy...
The Audi was maybe a bit nibbler around the corners since it was 1000lbs lighter. Taycan is pretty close though. However you could definitely tell the Audi was nose heavy, while the taycan is heavy but the weight is well balanced.
Taycan's air suspension is definitely better and can manage comfort and sport very well.
Taycan has definite more power and the instant electric torque is nice. However, sometimes I miss the exhaust and engine sound.

In terms of interior space, if you compare the Taycan secan with sportback they are about the same but the CT will have more rear headroom and easier trunk access.

In terms of technology, Audi's infotainment was working as expected (for its generation) without bugs, the Taycan has several bugs. The safety assist systems of the Audi were probably working slightly better as well, again the Taycan is a bit behind in my opinion. Take a look at the distorted surround camera image and you will understand.

Overall Taycan is a better car, more fun to drive, but I am not sure if it 2x better (given it costs 2x more).

Thanks! Yeah that confirms the list i had in my head of pros/cons about each car. Have rented A4s before and totally agree on the steering. I did notice the crappy cameras (but better steering) in my Taycan 4s test drive a couple months ago as well as the great ride quality. I gave the infotainment a pass since that takes time to get used to but remember thinking "why dont they just use Audis system". Like you said, it's the nearly 2x cost difference(vs S5) that I keep coming back to. The regular S5 sb checks all the boxes for me as a daily driver but I have an ongoing fascination w/ the Taycan that I can't seem to shake. Other than these, there aren't any sub 100k 4 door cars on the market that grab me. Hoping to take advantage of the PEC's car rental program on my next visit to LA (they rent the Taycan by the day). I think a full day w/ one would help me decide if it's right for me/ worth the extra $$$ to me.

 

[oalsaker]

If you like turbo lag, the RS5 is for you. I don't expect the S5 to do any better.

 

[rich_r]

If you like turbo lag, the RS5 is for you. I don't expect the S5 to do any better.

Possibly. I know they use different turbo setups (RS5 uses twin monoscroll while S5 uses a twin scroll). Often with higher output turbo motors you get more lag since they have to use larger turbos. But yeah, turbo lag is annoying. On the higher end Audis (and Porsches), I believe they now pair both V6s with a mild hybrid system which in theory helps "torque fill" at lower RPMs.

 

[chrisk]

Possibly. I know they use different turbo setups (RS5 uses twin monoscroll while S5 uses a twin scroll). Often with higher output turbo motors you get more lag since they have to use larger turbos. But yeah, turbo lag is annoying. On the higher end Audis (and Porsches), I believe they now pair both V6s with a mild hybrid system which in theory helps "torque fill" at lower RPMs.

Audi and Porsce share the 2.9 turbo engine which is a great engine but as far as I know the Porsches do not have the 48Voldt mild hybrid assist system yet on the Macan Turbo or the Panamera 4S like the Audi S6/S7/RS5.

I find that the "lag" problem is mostly due to the transmission always looking for the highest gear and not the engine itself. When you drive in Sport+ (or Audi's Dynamic) then you have less lag because the engine is revving higher.

 

[rich_r]

Audi and Porsce share the 2.9 turbo engine which is a great engine but as far as I know the Porsches do not have the 48Voldt mild hybrid assist system yet on the Macan Turbo or the Panamera 4S like the Audi S6/S7/RS5

I stand corrected! Looks like BMW is pariing their mild hybrid system w/ their turbo 6 even on the 3 series now. Surprised Audi didn't follow suit. I have a similar system on our current Range ROver Sport and it really does work. Start/Stop is no longer annoying (its instant) and you almost never feel turbo lag. It could be that trying to return to a regular turbo engine might prove too annoying for me after experiencing a mild hybrid system.

 

[Mysta]

Funny enough I have been cross shopping A6 Allroad but they don't seem to be available in any good colors. E-Tron is another. I would consider the Etron GT but they did like Taycan sedan and did a trunk instead of hatch.

 

[rich_r]

Funny enough I have been cross shopping A6 Allroad but they don't seem to be available in any good colors. E-Tron is another. I would consider the Etron GT but they did like Taycan sedan and did a trunk instead of hatch.

Yeah... you'd think that Audi (who seem to specialize in performance wagons) would offer their own version of the cross turismo. Maybe they will in a year or 2... Wish they could've just added a hatch onto the regular taycan/etron but I suspect it would've made the low roofline they were going for impossible.

 

[manitou202]

I had a 2019 RS5 Sportback.

Great looking car, top notch fit and finish, bland driving experience, boring engine sound, relatively quick but nothing compared to an EV. Interior space was just okay, back seats were tight for three kids, and the hatch area is actually quite small. A Taycan CT would be miles ahead in my opinion for both driver engagement, performance, and space. I would even say a new Model S LR would be more enjoyable (Gasp!).

The RS5 just feels like the end of ICE sports sedans before EV's take over. The days of the high revving V8 / Flat 6's with a manual transmission is over. Now everything is Turbo charged and shifts extremely smooth. They feel relatively boring.

 

[Mysta]

I had a 2019 RS5 Sportback.

Great looking car, top notch fit and finish, bland driving experience, boring engine sound, relatively quick but nothing compared to an EV. Interior space was just okay, back seats were tight for three kids, and the hatch area is actually quite small. A Taycan CT would be miles ahead in my opinion for both driver engagement, performance, and space. I would even say a new Model S LR would be more enjoyable (Gasp!).

The RS5 just feels like the end of ICE sports sedans before EV's take over. The days of the high revving V8 / Flat 6's with a manual transmission is over. Now everything is Turbo charged and shifts extremely smooth. They feel relatively boring.

I guess it depends on how sport vs regular mode goes. In normal my supra shifts real smooth and feels like a great daily, quiet. In Sport mode there's a threshold where you go from slowly accelerating(most cars leaving you at redlight) to spinning tires and screaming away from people, there is no in between.(Which is fun)

 

[rich_r]

I had a 2019 RS5 Sportback.

Great looking car, top notch fit and finish, bland driving experience, boring engine sound, relatively quick but nothing compared to an EV. Interior space was just okay, back seats were tight for three kids, and the hatch area is actually quite small. A Taycan CT would be miles ahead in my opinion for both driver engagement, performance, and space. I would even say a new Model S LR would be more enjoyable (Gasp!).

The RS5 just feels like the end of ICE sports sedans before EV's take over. The days of the high revving V8 / Flat 6's with a manual transmission is over. Now everything is Turbo charged and shifts extremely smooth. They feel relatively boring.

That is a gorgeous car! Yeah... I think if I did go the AUdi sportback route it probably wont make sense to pony up for an RS5. At that point, I think i'm better off just getting a Taycan CT. In my brief drive of an S4 last year, and watching various videos on the RS5 I thought they did a pretty good job of making those cars sound good. But yeah, it's certainly no NA flat 6 or V8. And it's funny- with the way they tune these turbo engines (plus adding mild hybrid systems in some cases) they seem to be trying to be like EVs anyway (smooth power, instant torque). It will be interesting to see what the next gen Audi S4/5 are like. Rumor is that they'll be based on the VW groups PPE platform (same as the upcoming Macan EV). In theory i'd consider the upcoming i4 but it is just too ugly.

Speaking of the Model S, it reminds me that I've been on-again off-again about EVs since the introduction of that car and test driving several over the years. It was a great car on paper but with a bunch of "if only it "... (latest of which is the yoke steering wheel, etc). Then Porsche came out w/ the Taycan and I thought "if only it had a hatch".. Then the CT arrived and it seems like a great car... but I"m getting my head around whether i want to spend ~100k on it or not. Watched a youtube review by someone named "motoman" the other day where he's driving a regular Ct4 through the LA canyons and actually laughing w/ how much he's enjoying it. That was great to see.

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