Frogfoot

The 2018 S5 does look interesting, until you come to the engine. I severely dislike all those 6-cyl. Nothing compares to the normally aspirated V8.

Ycore

FYI, the S5 SB has the same problem as I own one. And the problem in S mode isn't really "lag" per se-- unlike D mode you do get near immediate response when hitting the pedal-- the problem is lethargic and unpredictable acceleration at tip-in and low speeds. The car just feels like a heavy beast at tip-in, with non linear acceleration in regards to pedal travel. For instance, starting off from a stop sign you depress the gas 2 inches and you barely move, then you press it another inch and you rocket forward. This lack of linear acceleration and predictability simply makes you feel really disconnected from the car. I miss my 2014 S4 manual, which felt like a nimble reactive beast compared to this car.

BTW, D mode should stand for "dangerous" and simply be deleted as a drive mode in my opinion. Everything in D mode involves a 2 second lag, and the pedal is basically numb. To see how bad this mode is, all one has to do is rapidly pump the gas while in motion-- the gas will basically do nothing. You can rapidly pump (quickly depress and release the gas a few inches) the pedal and you won't even see your rpm's change.