S5, The Story So Far
01-07-2009, 04:56 PM
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S5, The Story So Far
Almost 2 months out and past the break in mileage point...
Ok, so how did an old Porsche knuckle buster end up here? Seduced in the showroom, I tell ya! Clean lines, superb details, great presence, lux interior, mighty spec, tons of storage, perfect colors, slick shifting and alert ride. I never got excited about the sedans (though the RS6 is just sick), but a GT car is right up my alley. So until the A5/S5, I had no cause to look at Audis, but I'm starting to understand what you all have known for years.
Just tooling around, people are still rubber necking and pointing at the car. I am embarrassed to admit I cracked a window once to overhear comments from pedestrians while driving by, such as "that's so cool!" I once stopped at a light and noticed in the rearview a fellow gearhead giving me the slow head nod of approval. I've never cared what others thought about a car of mine, but still, this is fun! It's also nice not to see yourself on every street corner. Here in Socal, I've seen many more Lambo Gallardos than A5/S5s.
I love the lines, love 'em. Being a big car styling geek/fan, it is important for me to enjoy the styling of the car. I am discovering more joy in the details, the more I look at it. I love how the flattened edges of some of the openings taper away and join other surfaces. The bottom of the trunk lid is a perfect surface to pull/push down on when closing so you don't have to reach over the top of the opened lid. I just noticed today that with the trunk open, you still have a perfect view out the back window (no, I was not in motion at the time). Gorgeous and genius. There is no bad angle on this car.
Now that I'm past the break in, I headed out for some twisties, specifically, Glendora Mountain Road here in Socal, one of CA's best (although short) driving roads. The grip is massive and the car could not be upset. I'm not pushing the hell out of it yet, but enough to keep the hyperbikes close and there was no drama anywhere. Steering feel is fine, the effort firms up nicely. I find the wheel is communicative, so I don't know what the magazines are complaining about - I guess they like the wheel kicking back in their hands?
After the recent storms here, I also headed up to the Frazier Park area and Cerro Noroeste (another of CA's truly great roads - should I list all my favorites for you?) until I was well up above snow level. I've never driven in snow and was not about to start, but got as far into the junk as I dared with summer tires and again - no drama anywhere. The little snowflake symbol came on, I turned on the seat heater and the car just pulled and pulled. Days earlier a friend of mine was conquering Tahoe in his A6 and he says the cars were made for the stuff. I wouldn't take a shiny new Cayenne GTS out on the Baja 1000, but its nice to know the capability is well in hand.
There is still a pronounced "dip" in the going when accelerating through 2600-2800 RPM in 1st and 2nd gears when cold. I haven't figured that out, but will mention it come service time. I was concerned about the short gearing for longer trips where I need to turn 3KRPM to maintain 80 mph. However, the engine is so smooth, it's not an issue at all.
I highly recommend the rubber floor mats to simplify cleanup. They look great and you can just hose 'em off during a wash, dry and done. Nice.
More later. Gotta go take the long way home now...
db
'09 S5, ice silver
options aplenty
Ok, so how did an old Porsche knuckle buster end up here? Seduced in the showroom, I tell ya! Clean lines, superb details, great presence, lux interior, mighty spec, tons of storage, perfect colors, slick shifting and alert ride. I never got excited about the sedans (though the RS6 is just sick), but a GT car is right up my alley. So until the A5/S5, I had no cause to look at Audis, but I'm starting to understand what you all have known for years.
Just tooling around, people are still rubber necking and pointing at the car. I am embarrassed to admit I cracked a window once to overhear comments from pedestrians while driving by, such as "that's so cool!" I once stopped at a light and noticed in the rearview a fellow gearhead giving me the slow head nod of approval. I've never cared what others thought about a car of mine, but still, this is fun! It's also nice not to see yourself on every street corner. Here in Socal, I've seen many more Lambo Gallardos than A5/S5s.
I love the lines, love 'em. Being a big car styling geek/fan, it is important for me to enjoy the styling of the car. I am discovering more joy in the details, the more I look at it. I love how the flattened edges of some of the openings taper away and join other surfaces. The bottom of the trunk lid is a perfect surface to pull/push down on when closing so you don't have to reach over the top of the opened lid. I just noticed today that with the trunk open, you still have a perfect view out the back window (no, I was not in motion at the time). Gorgeous and genius. There is no bad angle on this car.
Now that I'm past the break in, I headed out for some twisties, specifically, Glendora Mountain Road here in Socal, one of CA's best (although short) driving roads. The grip is massive and the car could not be upset. I'm not pushing the hell out of it yet, but enough to keep the hyperbikes close and there was no drama anywhere. Steering feel is fine, the effort firms up nicely. I find the wheel is communicative, so I don't know what the magazines are complaining about - I guess they like the wheel kicking back in their hands?
After the recent storms here, I also headed up to the Frazier Park area and Cerro Noroeste (another of CA's truly great roads - should I list all my favorites for you?) until I was well up above snow level. I've never driven in snow and was not about to start, but got as far into the junk as I dared with summer tires and again - no drama anywhere. The little snowflake symbol came on, I turned on the seat heater and the car just pulled and pulled. Days earlier a friend of mine was conquering Tahoe in his A6 and he says the cars were made for the stuff. I wouldn't take a shiny new Cayenne GTS out on the Baja 1000, but its nice to know the capability is well in hand.
There is still a pronounced "dip" in the going when accelerating through 2600-2800 RPM in 1st and 2nd gears when cold. I haven't figured that out, but will mention it come service time. I was concerned about the short gearing for longer trips where I need to turn 3KRPM to maintain 80 mph. However, the engine is so smooth, it's not an issue at all.
I highly recommend the rubber floor mats to simplify cleanup. They look great and you can just hose 'em off during a wash, dry and done. Nice.
More later. Gotta go take the long way home now...
db
'09 S5, ice silver
options aplenty
01-07-2009, 08:48 PM
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agreed on the steering and dip during cold startup
I love the steering of my S5 and I think early reviewers did not "get" what audi did. Super easy in parking lots, slow speed, etc. but firms up perfectly at faster speeds.
And I also get the slight balk in second gear when accelerating during the first drive of the morning. It's odd but not a huge deal to me.
I'm approaching a year of ownership and I still absolutely love this car like I just got it.
And I also get the slight balk in second gear when accelerating during the first drive of the morning. It's odd but not a huge deal to me.
I'm approaching a year of ownership and I still absolutely love this car like I just got it.
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