superswiss

The dampers are not magnetic. They are valved. Similar to the adjustable dampers of the outgoing model. These things are pretty robust. Haven't heard of any problems with Audi's adjustable suspensions. The only one that was notorious with issues in the past is the Dynamic Ride Control suspension, but that one is only available on select RS models.

To sport differential or not to sport differential is an ongoing debate. It kinda depends on what you have driven before. The sport differential gives the car pronounced RWD dynamics during cornering. Even around town you can feel how the turning radius tightens with increased throttle input. You don't have to go ***** out crazy with the car to notice it. The driving dynamics are very different with the sport differential in comfort mode vs. dynamic mode.

On top of that, the sport differential provides stability control. It acts as an inverse ESP. Stabilizing the car on slippery roads by directing torque to the appropriate wheel often long before you can even notice that there was instability in the first place. This is the very intangible part of the sport differential that can't be felt. It just works and makes the car more stable and more manageable in all situations. I personally wouldn't get another S or RS model w/o it.

The virtual cockpit is a matter of preference I think. I would definitely get it. The configurable views are great in particular the S specific sport view that puts the rpm gauge in the center and shows speed digitally for sporty driving that makes it easier to read the important information such as what gear you are in, the shift blitz and the rpm of the engine. The shift blitz visually flashes the rpm gauge so you know that you are about to hit redline and it's time to shift. On second thought not sure the S has the shift blitz, because as opposed to the upcoming RS5, it automatically upshifts even in manual mode. Obviously this stuff is only of use if you track the car, or do spirited driving on mountain/canyon roads for example.

Coupe vs Sportback, well that comes down to whether you want/need 4 doors or not. Getting in the back of the coupe is a bit of an exercise and you don't look very elegant doing it :-). It's ok for occasional rear seat passengers, but if you do it often, do yourself and your friends/family members a favor and get the two extra doors.

Spartan-S5

Yah I wouldn't be doing much spirited driving since I'm in the city and never plan on doing the track. Sure maybe from time to time but I'm wondering if I'm good with just the quattro & don't need the Sport Package.

How is the stability control in general on the S cars. Since this will be my first Audi, I'm obviously trying to inform myself on things I need/don't need.

I actually took out an A5 tonight that my dealer just got in. It's a great car/beautiful. The one I took out was a prestige that was pretty loaded. It felt great/fast but definitely felt like the 4 cylinder had a bit of turbo lag but it was sure smooth.

They had an S5 on the lot and man that thing is sweet looking. Didn't have a chance to take it out since they were closing but plan on going back this weekend.

Do the cars that don't have the adjustable dampers have the ability to change their ride/drive from auto/comfort/dynamic?

Stankia

You are not suppose to run "all" season tires in winter either. As the old saying goes "what fits for everything fits for nothing". I mean come on man, you're buying a 60k car, get a dedicated set of winter tires. The difference between all seasons and winter tires is HUGE.

Also your question about the magnetic shocks.. By the time they fail you will probably have sold the car.

N8!

I'd say this really depends on where your live and will be driving the car during the winter. If you live in the south/southwest/Cali, I'd say there is no need for winter tires and all-seasons will do just fine.

If you live where it gets snow and ice in the winter, then yeah, winter tires makes sense as does having them mounted on cheap rims for road salt abuse.

I live in Stuttgart, Germany and we dont get much snow but German law requires winter tires from Oktober to ึster (Oct - Easter). Although all-seasons are allowed as long as they have a snow flake icon on them. That's what we run on our MINI Cooper with no issues. However, if we were hitting the Alps for skiing I would for sure use winter tires.

superswiss

That would be "Oktober bis Ostern", ๖ster is Swedish for east/eastward ;-).

superswiss

The V6 in the S5 will have turbo lag, too. They are both single turbo engines. The S5 no longer gets a supercharger. Honestly, if you are not planning on using the additional performance/handling that the S provides over the A, then why are you getting an S? The S certainly feels a bit more premium and has better/nicer sport seats, but you'll be spending money on performance upgrades that you won't take advantage of. The Sport Package sounds like it would be even more overkill for how you plan to use the car.

Stability control is fine in the S. The fundamental difference here is that regular stability control is inherently reactive. The car has to first experience instability before the stability system kicks in. The sport differential on the other hand makes decisions much quicker as it monitors a slew of sensors every 10ms or something like that and proactively controls the flow of torque to avoid instability in the first place and in combination with the optional dynamic steering, the ESP can also make minor steering adjustments to get the car back on track. Regular ESP only has the brakes the work with in order to stabilize the car. All these additional components lead to a much more dynamic driving experience, but again, if you don't take advantage of that, then regular stability control is all you need.

Yes, even without the adjustable dampers, the car still has Drive Select that allows you to select between comfort,auto,dynamic and individual. The latter requires the tech package. But it just adjusts a lot less aspects of the car. W/o adjustable suspension and sport differential it pretty much only adjusts the steering, throttle response and shift programs of the transmission. The more you option out the car with things such as adjustable suspension, sport differential, dynamic steering and driver assistance, the changes between the modes become more pronounced as each of this components adjusts to the current mode.

BTW, here is an older, but still relevant article that describes how these things all come together.

https://www.audiworld.com/articles/q...ism-redefined/

JohnEnglish

Unless you're tracking the car you'll never use the added performance of a S or RS model over the regular A. People buy them because they're marketed as more prestigious, that's nothing new.

N8!

ah - i knew i'd mess it up, thx

superswiss

Yes, that's the general idea. It doesn't have to be the track, though. If you have access to nice canyon/mountain roads you'll benefit easily from the upgrades in an S or RS. I just find it kinda questionable for somebody to buy an S and then leave out options like the sport differential that clearly separate the S from A. If you have to trim the options list to make the car affordable, then perhaps the smarter choice is to just get the A, but we all have our individual priorities.

Just to get back to my first point. These kinds of deserted canyon roads is why I own an RS5 and not an A5.

Spartan-S5

I definitely appreciate the input. For me, I definitely like V6 engines. I think V8s are just too much power that is never used and 4 cylinders just are so bland/without any character.

I like the S4/S5 because of the V6, the extra aggressive look, the dual tailpipes and little extras. Plus as always there is just that taboo of a 4 cylinder.

Things like the VC/Navigation are sorta iffy for me because I use my phone for all navigation, and besides the gauges, isn't the standard set up have all the VC cockpit goodies just on the screen between the analog gauges? Plus what is the lifespan of these screens?

The information on the ADS is interesting..I thought these were magnetic shocks but obviously they are not. Is there a good read up on these? What is the lifespan of these shocks? I usually keep cars for 10 years.

The feedback on the sports differential is interesting also. The more you guys input on it, it sounds like it's just a good thing to have.

Regarding the summer tires, I really wish Audi would make an option to put all seasons on your tires vs summer. I'd prob go with the 18's since I don't feel like dropping an additional $2500 on rims/tires for winter.

Now in regards to tracking, never plan to do that, but there are roads, and places around here with curves like that and I'd like to obviously experiment with the car...