JWhalen123

Hello,

I'm looking for opinions on the 09 S5 tiptronic transmission. I'm looking at purchasing an S5 with it and wanted to know if I would notice any power loss from it or should I hold out for a 6spd? I'd be upgrading from driving my old 02 mk4 gti vr6 6spd and a 13 v6 tacoma so part of me thinks that the dramatic change will dilute any discrepancies between transmissions. I test drove a 08 S5 with a 6spd this past weekend and it was extremely fun and consistantly would throw me back in the seat. Would the tiptronic take off in similar fashion?

JWhalen123

Nobody has (or has driven) an S5 with the tiptronic and doesn't have an opinion?

dseag2

I have dual clutch, but if you do a search in this forum for "Tiptronic" you may find some useful information. Follow this link...

AudiWorld Forums - Search Results

superswiss

I suspect you won't find many Tiptronic owners around these corners. It's not exactly an enthusiast's transmission. While the Tiptronic in something like the RS7 is great, in most other cars it's more on the sluggish side and isn't exactly associated with performance, but more with comfort and luxury. The S-tronic dual clutch transmission on the other hand has more and more enthusiast followers for its clear performance benefits.

vigilan388

I have an '09 with the tiptronic. I don't know what people are going on about, but it's the standard automatic transmission in the 2008 and 2009 S5 models. The S-tronic transmission didn't come about until later.

It's a perfectly fine transmission. Shifts are fairly quick and smooth. At no point do I ever complain about the performance and capability. It's also quite strong, capable of taking 600 HP at the crank. I drove my friend's S4 with the S-tronic and I'd say it's only marginally better for daily driving. I didn't track these cars, but I felt the tiptronic always found the right gear and delivered power properly.

superswiss

^ Yes, it is the standard automatic transmission for those model years and it is arguably the better transmission for daily driving. The torque converter makes for smoother more comfortable driving in slow speed situations such as traffic. Both manual transmissions and the newer dual-clutch transmissions require skillful throttle operation (and clutch in case of manual) to drive smoothly.

On the other hand since OP was concerned about performance, the fluid coupling in the torque converter does add loss and lag to the powertrain that affects performance. Additionally, most Tiptronic transmissions, and I believe the one in the S5 falls into this category, don't rev match on downshifts which leads to lurching in spirited driving situations when downshifting into corners for example to keep the engine in the powerband, which given the V8 is a naturally aspirated engine, happens to be in the upper part of the rev range, where lurching is more pronounced.

In terms of opinions that OP was looking for, the Tiptronic fits the bill if comfort and luxury in daily driving is paramount and the manual transmission fits the bill for those who are looking for a sporty, raw and more performance oriented experience. The newer dual-clutch transmissions in later model years fill the gap between those two. The S-tronic provides the comfort and convenience of an automatic transmission for daily driving and the no lag, crisp shifting nature of a manual transmission when operated in in manual mode for spirited dynamic driving on your favorite country/mountain road or the track.

eric strauss

I have had a recent "rash" of Audi's with various transmissions: A6/Tiptronic, S5/6 Speed manual, S4 and S5/S-tronic, RS5/S-tronic. All of these transmissions are World's better that what we had just a decade ago. Each has strong points and can be driven aggressively using the right approach. The A6 3.0T required you to think a beat ahead for downshifts, but after a while, you were right in rhythm, even in the most aggressive situations. I loved my 6-speed transmission, as it required the right dance to really sing, but honestly, the extra speed was probably in my head. In addition, after the unintended acceleration debacle that Audi suffered in the late 1980's, the distance between the accelerator pedal and brake have been increased, making it much harder to heel-and-toe smoothly. My wife, who is an ardent performance fan, has long since given up her beloved manuals in favor of her S4 S-tronic. She points out that she can look further down the road and focus on upcoming corners more effectively knowing that the S-tronic will most likely sort it all out for her - especially given the the various interventions that these cars provide.

Either decision is great as long as your are informed...

Happy Motoring

ERic