rmorin1249

I'm also a longtime BMW driver, since the mid '80s. I recently decided to give Audi a shot. I needed a car for my 60 mile RT commute to work but wanted something that was fun to drive, decent mileage and practical enough to use for road trips with 3 people. After a lot of research I decided on an A4 but with the manual tranny and the sport package. To me, this makes the A4 more of a sport sedan and less of a ho hum family sedan, can you say Camry, Accord, etc? The power of the 2.0 turbo engine is more than adequate, the manual tranny is very nice and with the sport package the seats are awesome. The sport suspension and 18" wheels/tires also help the car handle very well well. An A5 similarly equipped would also be nice but for me 4 doors was a must. That said, the A5 is one of the nicest looking cars on the road if 2 doors meet your need.

prolific

Yeah, wow, that'd definitely impact me as well.

I've heard and seen a several posts about this carbon issues, seems it's a majority of Audi's? Can anyone speak on this in greater detail?

Muhammad

I'm a life-long Audi driver. Have never owned anything else.

Went to a S5 from an A4 3.2 (B7). 126k miles on the 3.2 and the only issues there were oil leaks. But find me an Audi over 100k that isn't leaking. No carbon build-up. Just a dirty throttle body at 60k.

A5 2.0T is going to be your most economical choice. Find a nice CPO 2010-2011 in the $30s and enjoy the amazing looks and the economy of the 2.0T. S-line models are the best looking but so hard to find. A non s-line with sport package, nav, b&o, etc, will be a nice car and look pretty sweet too. I've driven the 2.0Ts and they are adequate in the acceleration department. Get a stasis chip if you want more speed. Engine note isn't as good as a 3.2 or V8, but it has its advantage and that is economy.

S5 is the way to go if you make the financially irresponsible mistake of test driving one. Because after you test drive an S5, the A5 is not going to cut it. You're going to want the S5. The seats, the subtle styling differences (front end, mirrors, exhaust, badging, wheels) in addition to the performance difference (power, suspension, brakes) make it worth the difference in my book. But don't kid yourself, it's not a car to buy if you're on any kind of automotive budget.

The S5 is my daily driver and it's totally fine for that... but I'd be lying if I said it were the easiest car to drive. It's not. You have to DRIVE this car. But that's why you buy it... because it's such a fantastic car TO drive.

As for economy, I get 17mpg average on the S5 with V8. But my car is a stick, I am not light footed, and my work commute is very hilly. On the freeway it gets 22-24 mpg which is pretty good.

I am not a believer in owning a late model Audi for any extended period of time without warranty coverage. If you buy a 2010, find a CPO car or get an extended warranty that will cover it late into your ownership. These cars are too expensive to fix out of pocket now. Maintenance is bad enough.

And on that note, consider not just the cost of fuel with the S5 but the cost of maintenance, brakes, tires, etc. Tires alone are about $1500 a pop and you'll only get 10-20k out of them depending on the tire. (A5s have the same issue though).

hugojack

+1 Truer words have never been spoken. I drive both these cars daily and the S5 is a beast compared to the A5. Of course a higher price tag comes with the S5, but it's WORTH it!

lmariorod

Lots of good points. If going with the A5 2.0T its known issue is oil consumption. At least that's what 2.0T Q5 owners are mentioning. Our Q5 with NA 3.2 V6 has been great but will eventually have the carbon issue build-up as well as the NA 4.2 V8 in some S5's.

Either A5 or S5 will get lots of looks, not only from other drivers but also from local and state police. A must for me was a pricey radar detector...Passport Escort or Valentine 1. If it saves you just once, it'll pay for itself. Also make sure to check insurance rates beforehand if the S5 is a consideration. It's higher price and powertrain will make insurance a bit more pricey.

prolific

Thanks for all the replies, honestly much appreciated.

Going to check out another S and A5 that are at a local dealership. Any other thoughts or opinions are much appreciated, thanks!

ayap

Prolific .. don't ever buy the 2.0. Best to buy a 2nd had V8 S5. The MPG is NOT a problem.

I have driven an A4 Loaner 4-cylinder engine before and the full tank range I get was 380 - 390 miles. Guess what full tank range I'm getting on my V8 S5 = 420 miles. Check it out below (400 miles remaining + have driven 18.8 miles). I have driven my S5 for 365 miles straight without refilling gas.

Yes, that's right, if you drive the S5 cruising the highway, the MPG is not much different from the 4-cylinder engine. Of course, if you drive the S5 harder than the A4 and A5, it will eat more gas. But I get 24-25 MPG (actual MPG not computer) on the highway and 19 MPG city driving, and have hit above 95 MPH on many occasions.

prolific

Took a trip down to an Audi dealership about ~40 minutes or so away as they have a very, very large inventory. My main reason for taking the trip down was this S5 they had on the lot, or so I thought: a 2010, with ~28k miles, they were looking for $38.9 for it (could've gotten it for $36 or less I'd figure). Turns out it was sold that morning, wasn't meant to be I guess. They have another S5 on the lot, also a 2010 (Prestige) with ~40k miles for $43.1 or so (bit pricey). Don't know if I should make a move, it has about double the miles I'd ideally look for in a car and I don't know, just feels like I'm settling; hearts broken after I found out that first S5 was gone as of today though haha.

Got in an A5 today (again). Didn't want to test drive the S5 (yet) because I know once I do, the A5 is going to be completely out of the question.

Any thoughts on that 2nd 2010 though? Worth negotiating or is ~40k miles far too many?

DoubleA4

Any thoughts on that 2nd 2010 though? Worth negotiating or is ~40k miles far too many?[/QUOTE]

Is it or will they Certify it? If so, I would strongly consider it. If they will not, I would walk. You will find another one (probably tomorrow). I am picky and it took me almost 8 weeks to find the exact car, at that I had to fly 1000 miles to get it. All worth it. Expand your search. Autotrader is your friend.

My opinion would be if its a one owner, clean car fax, no accident, non-smoker, with a CPO I would be pulling the trigger.

prolific

It's certified. I'm hung-up on the fact that there's "already 40k miles on it" - whether or not that is truly a lot, can't say I suppose. I guess I'm just so focused on the fact that I've been looking for the absolute lowest mileage used S5 as possible (13k, 20k, etc. seen a couple come and go).

I definitely don't want to settle, as you eluded too.

Thanks for the thoughts and opinions - keep em coming!