Costasz

I was merely stating facts. Why are you getting all defensive? I think Audis are awesome cars. But, I don't think you are being fair to the xDrive. The newer generation is vastly superior to the previous incarnation and my experience in really slippery conditions confirms (at least to me) that the xDrive performs at least as good as the A6's system which I still consider as the benchmark for any AWD system. As far as the performance of the engine, the 3.2 in the A6 is what you will get in an A5, right? Before I drove the 335, I thought my wife's A6 was plenty powerful. Now it feels anemic but like you said, the 335 is a different class and it should be compared to the S5. Personally, I wouldn't fault anyone for picking any current Audi. From the current BMW stable, only the 335i/335xi appeal to me. Perhaps the X6 will be good as well, the rest look kind of fugly.

strider41

I agree. Good advice. Drive both and compare against the objective and subjective criteria that are important to you and you'll pick the car that's right for you. I'm involved in that selection and decisionmaking process right now but haven't completed all of my research and made a final choice.

As Troy H said, you can't go wrong with either car.

AudiGoddess

I am heading out to buy an S-5 and desperately want to see the diff in the S-line to the regular... mainly external appearance.

AudiGoddess

PS - I love my A8 and hate to sell it because it's perfect but hey, it's 9 years old now!