WillieFlo

I have my wife convinced that we are going to buy our first Audi with the release of the S5 Sportback, but WTH, no Black Optic pkg?!?!

We almost bought her a car last year, but instead decided to go with an SUV first before replacing car, so we added a 2016 Yukon Denali 4x4 for the time being. Now, it is getting time to replace my Nissan Titan 4x4 with an S5.

When shopping last year, we were both really impressed by the S4 sporty interior and I've always liked sport Audis, but the rear legroom of the S4 discouraged her big time, with our tall 10 yr old son. She loved everything else about it. She was really looking hard at the BMW 435i Gran Coupe hatchback because of the versatility, but was extremely disappointed with the interior and "old" tech it came with for the price, and no cooled"ventilated" seats........seriously!......
Well, the S5 Sportback checks ALL the boxes for both of us, EXCEPT the Black Optic pkg.........so, we wait......I don't plan on putting Black vinyl on my Audi to cover up the Chrome and Matte Silver.....

plat27265

How about the new VW Arteon? Thomas of Autogefuehl sat in the back seat of the floor model in the 2017 Geneva Auto Show (currently running). He did this after moving from the front to the back seat. He is around 6-ft tall and adjusted the front seats to his liking. Then, moved to the back seat and found the rear leg and head room to be quite generous. In my opinion, the legroom is more generous than that of the Audi A5 or S5 Sportback.

Here is the link to the Autogefuehl Video of the new VW Arteon at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show. He hops into the back seat starting at 5:28 minutes into the video.

WillieFlo

Hmm, never seen that car before, but then again I've never really paid much attention to Volkswagen's either. Looks interesting. Thanks for posting!

plat27265

It is brand new, VW's replacement for their CC model. It is obviously based on the same platform as the A5/S5.

WillieFlo

If it has the same platform as the A5/S5, shouldn't it have the same amount of interior room? It's a nice car, but I'm not crazy about the front end, and the interior looks pretty plain compared to an S5. However, I'm sure the price tag won't compare either.

plat27265

Not necessarily. It depends on whether VW sacrificed a bit of trunk room to gain some rear leg room. There will be some differences despite the common platform.

One thing is for sure, it is priced below that of the A5. Most likely very close to the current price of the VW CC.

Glisse

It is not the same platform. It is MQB, same as A3, not MLB Evo.

plat27265

You are correct. I am wrong. The VW Arteon is based on the MQB platform (for transverse oriented engines) while the Audi B9 A5 is based on the MLB platform (for longitudinal oriented engine). This may explain why the VW Arteon has more interior legroom compared to the B9 A5.

Glisse

The Arteon is between the A5 and A7 Sportback in size

Wheelbase: Arteon 2841mm, A5 SB 2824mm
Length: Arteon 4862mm, A5 SB 4733mm
Width: Arteon 1871mm, 1843mm
Height: Arteon 1427mm, 1386mm

I don't find the legroom and headroom in the rear of my S5 Sportback to be any less than my A7. I'm around the same size as Thomas, more grey hair though. Haven't sat in the rear of an Arteon yet.

I think in either car, headroom would become an issue for taller passengers before legroom (assuming Lurch isn't the driver). The roof on the Arteon drops very quickly at the rear. Thomas never leaned back in the seat. Other reviewers have said they are touching the roof at 5'11 when against the rear headrest. This doesn't happen in the Audi.

Very nice design. But I'd take the Audi