adamclark

I have an '09 Carrera, but looking for something new with the following goals: fun to drive, four wheel drive, room for a baby seat, not too flashy for visiting clients and reasonable value for money. I was put off the old S5 because of awful fuel efficiency and gas guzzler tax. I was thinking of a 2013 S5, but saw the RS5 in the Manhattan showroom today. I'm wondering if it's worth the extra money for the RS5 for what seems like only marginal performance improvements, minor cosmetic differences and back the bad fuel efficiency. I also read the RS5 needs to be thrashed to really get performance. Any thoughts?

nicoli

We traded our '09 Carrera daily driver for the '13 S5.

One thing: The S5 is definitely not the race-track-ready car you are currently driving. It will not corner, accelerate, or do the extreme jarring movements you can do with aplomb in your 911.

However, it is (in my opinion) a truly excellent alternative if you can let go of generally being the fastest, most manouverable car in sight. My wife is thrilled about the extra room for the baby seat and the much quieter, more refined ride. We like the rolling wi-fi hotspot and google map nav. Going from the stone-age Porsche electronics into the Audi is like stepping onto the bridge of the Enterprise after saving the whales

The S5 does a lot very well..but it is not a Porsche. However, it is very, very nice. In my Carrera, going fast was a noisy, jarring event. This S5 makes it almost too easy..I'm going to have to be careful. We love our S5. I miss the Carrera's brutality a bit, to be honest.


I don't know much about the RS5.

dmbcrew36

The S5 comes in manual and the RS5 doesnt. This is about the only knock I have on the RS5. I'm sure the extra power makes up for it, but automatic is boringgggggggggggggggggggggggg.

KarlFEvans

I have to agree with Nicoli about comparing a Porsche to the S5. I was fortunate that my Porsche while in excellent condition with only 42,000 miles, is not worth much (1987 944 Turbo).

I was going to sell my 944 but kept it for the brutality, as Nicoli puts it.

ayap

If you are put off by the S5's 16/24 MPG or 19-20 MPG average , what makes you think the RS5 won't turn you off in terms in gas mileage ??? You'll be getting 11-12 MPG on the RS5 to drive it hard and see it's full potential.

Get the RS5 if 11-12 MPG is nothing to you, and you like how it looks. Don't get me wrong the RS5 is an awesome car, in the looks and performance division, and have thought about upgrading my S5 to an RS5 as well. However, after careful consideration, I think I'd rather get a slightly used almost brand new 4.2 R8 in the $88K-95K price range than an $75K-$80K RS5 if it's for the looks. But if you need a backseat, the RS5 or S5 would have that functionality.

The S5 is more practical at $60K if you don't track the car and just use it as a daily driver. It's plenty fast to 115-120MPH in a heartbeat. Frankly, I get 24 MPG on the highway for the S5 and I'm driving it at 85-105 MPH on the highway - honestly not bad for the fun vs. MPG balance. I like the Grey S5 since it's not too flashy. If you get a Red RS5 or even the bright Blue one, that's danger for 'cop magnet' and more tickets This is why I thought if I had to go with looks, I'd just go to the top and get an R8 anyway as it screams 'look at me'.

barelyaudible

It will be much different from what you're used to from the Carrera, a much more "sober" driving experience. It has resources if you need it, but it's just not as raw as the Carrera, but I guess the family will appreciate having more space!
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