2009 Audi S5 quattro Road Test Review
S5 Photos
The scene opens with a smoky fog crossing a white pebble strewn lane woven through darkly green tree-shrouded woods. Off the edge of an outside curve Audrey Hepburn is leaning against a tree, staring, down towards a lush meadow, as Humphrey Bogart roars into view with his bold meteor gray pearl Audi S5. The S5 blats as it decelerates. Without a sound Bogart steps around to open the passenger door ~ cut to the Tuscan Brown interior. The wind is rustling through the leafy branches. The pale yellow chiffon dress swept past and with a bank-vault soft click the door is sealed. With a snarling basso resounding off the hills only the upswept leaves and shadows remain. Bogart has his happiness.
Remaking history? Why not? The Audi S5 is the perfect modern foil for a strong but silent Humphrey Bogart. The charcoal gray exterior drapes over the well-toned muscular body like a fine wool suit, perfect creases and sculpted surfaces. Carved rims set off gentle flairs for the fenders emphasizing the understated nature of the beast. Thoughtful touches such as simple heater/air-con/radio controls, fitted seats in burnt orange leather, well matched plastics that feel just right, an electric lumbar-support that is well-padded offering excellent support. If the devil is in the details then Audi has spent the time to get them right as few have. Sloping roofline yields a spacious and comfortable back-seat, accommodating for those 5′8 or shorter.
The back seat is a pain to access. It takes a few seconds to slide the front seat forward in order to provide enough legroom for back-seat access, then another few seconds to readjust the position for the passenger. Fine for those on a leisurely schedule, bit not great if ferrying the kids to school while a parent in a massive SUV unsubtly creeps forward for their turn at the drop-off.
Several years ago Audi breached the wall and broke BMW’s monopoly on smooth and refined behavior. The 4.2-liter V8 offers a deep surplus of addictive power. The six-speed manual asks for a light touch. While easy to flip through the gears, strangely it is no match for the far more intuitive and satisfying paddle-shifter found in other Audis. Hammer the S5 through the esses either on a broken back road or around oblivious soccer mom SUV traffic and there is no sense that the suspension is ever going to break up or flounder. The 19-inch soft summer rubber grips tenaciously without adding harshness.
Toss it down the highway and it is ever eager to silently edge into triple digits with fewer demands than most cars cruising at 60 mph. The S5 is not hobbled by puttering along in sixth gear at 1,000 rpm. Torque aplenty for take-off with a simple tap of the go pedal from the 4.2 liter 354 horsepower engine ~ all the way to the 7,000 rpm redline.
The ride/handling and control are not particularly noticeable. That is until you take the wheel of another car and realize that the other car just does not feel right. A little too much jounce and sloppiness after taking a sharp corner, an out of place shift from an automatic, harder to modulate the pedal for just the perfect level of power to perform a clean shift over to pass, subtleties, only by comparison do you recognize all the details that the Audi executes so well.
An example of this is how the S5 sailed over sequential speed bumps at 30 mph. It handled them with no sense of harshness or the heaving bow riding of a motorboat crashing through standing waves ~ something very irritating in too softly sprung cars. This is also surprising considering that this coupe is a quattro, which means all-wheel drive in Audi-speak. Despite the added weight it’s a drive system that makes many other manufacturers’ vehicles feel bloated and clumsy when pushed hard.
All this silkiness comes at a price. The EPA ratings for the S5 are 14 city and 21 highway on premium juice. That comes out to an average of just under 18 mpg. How do you justify buying a car with a rating so low? Simple. Just admit that you’re worth it, and you deserve to drive a car that is so responsive, comfortable, and satisfying to own. Then go out and punch it every now and then just to replenish the feeling and add a little to that slight upturned curve of a private smile.
Recently Added To Our Network
| 2009 Audi S5 quattro | Roseville, CA | Price: $54,991 | |
| 2009 Audi S5 quattro | Great Neck, NY | Price: $58,779 |