Smith837

Drove both cars, but with different setups. The 2013 S4 had sports diff; the S5, sports diff and dynamic steering. I have a slight sense that the S4 might have be a bit more nimble and stable, but this could simply be the result of the change in steering feel for the S5 with the dynamic steering (may have felt softer at speed). Does anyone have thoughts or theories? Anyone driven the cars comparably equipped? Love my S4. Considering a switch to an S5, but don't want to give up anything in the handling department.

Appreciate any advice...

waffles

differences are negligible

throwaway1

I have never driven dynamic steering, but I would imagine it would suck and would feel fake, which probably what you felt.

With regards to nimbleness, the S5 is a fundamentally lighter car. The weight specs are very confusing because different countries use different standards. If you go by the German website which adheres to strict guidelines of all the liquids, 68kg passenger, 7kg of luggage, and 90% fuel tank, than the S5 is 30kg lighter than the S4.

If you go the UK website the S5 is 100kg lighter, but they don't specify how they are measuring anything.

Smith837

Gotcha. And if differences are "negligible" as waffles suggests, does this mean that the S5 should have a slight edge in handling? Or the S4? One dealer suggested that the S4 might be very slightly more nimble, but I believe he might have been comparing it to the 2012/V8. Just wondering if 1 car is better balanced than the other...

Smith837

By the way, the steering didn't necessarily feel fake IMHO, but overall the car just felt less tight during sudden maneuvers (e.g., quick lane change). I wanna say that it just seemed like the steering was looser, or that there was less of a direct connection between the steering and the wheels -- more "play" and kinda squishy, with just a hint of "Lexus" if that makes sense. If this is what you mean by "fake", then perhaps it was. The feel of the wheel was definitely not as heavy/firm as the S4 w/o dynamic steering (in Dynamic mode), and the handling just didn't seem as tight. These were subtle, but noticeable difference, and only felt when driving hard.

All this being said, guessing the S5 without the dynamic steering should feel and handle just like the S4?

waffles

handling is relative. some people think bmws handle better because they're more "attached" to the road, and because it's RWD and they know how to handle a RWD car. some people prefer audi because it's AWD. so what constitutes good handling is also a bit subjective.

the cars are roughly the same, even same engine now, just 2dr vs 4dr and slight difference in weight. that difference can be made up for or offset just in terms of a passenger in the car or some stuff in the trunk. so at a level of driving that is not 3 Fast 3 Furious drift king, the difference in handling between the two cars probably doesn't matter and i bet most people wouldn't even notice.

dynamic steering is garbage though, stay away from it

Smith837

Thanks. Definitely staying away from dynamic steering. But I did notice something different, and while I find the 2013 S5 very seductive, I thought the two 2013 S4s I drove (which were both much less well equipped than the S5), handled slightly better. It's unclear still whether dynamic steering was the culprit for this, or whether it's a basic difference between the 2 platforms that won't go away regardless of which options are selected. Admittedly, the difference I felt was subtle.

My dealer said that dynamic steering would feel different, but a car with it "should handle slightly better" than a car without it. So I need to figure out whether what I was feeling during my test drive was a difference in the steering feel alone, the handling, or both. If my dealer was correct, than a car without dynamic steering might have better steering feel, but should not handle as well. Does this sound right?

My dealer also said that other customers felt too that the S4 had a slight edge in handling (this based on MY2012) -- that the S5 was a looker, but a bit more "lumbering", more body roll, etc. Do you agree? Or do you think that 2013 will make those differences very hard to discern because of changes in weight/distribution for the 2013 S5? If the dealer is correct, then it would seem to me that the 2013 sedan should feel, and does feel, tighter in the twists than the 2013 coupe.

Ultimately, what I'm driving at is, to get the "sex appeal" of the coupe, should I expect to give up "at the limit" handling prowess (along with 2 doors and the retractable sunroof)???

waffles

it's probably just the dynamic steering effect dude. your impression of handing is relative, meaning that it's your own personal assessment to how the car responds to what you want it to do. dynamic steering makes it worse, since it's not just getting used to the turning but to different turning at different speeds. just imagine if you had a different mouse sensitivity every time you turn on your computer. i'd flip my ****.

Smith837

Makes perfect sense. Just don't know what the car would have felt like without the dynamic steering mucking things up. My hope is that the 2 cars would handle the same. Trying to decide between the S4 and S5 (loaded except for Driver Assist/dynamic steering). For the S5, don't want to give up anything in the handling department, esp. since I'll be paying more for it. No need for 4 doors, but still loving every minute in my 2010 S4. Can't decide. Thinking of changing my name to "waffles" at this point.

waffles

same engine, very similar cars. go with the one that you like better or think looks better. any difference in handling between the two cars would probably be as noticeable as the "difference" in handling when you're giving your fat friend a ride