markcincinnati

My long-time dealer (since 1977) keeps me in the loop whenever possible regarding "all things Audi." So, when I received a call this morning that a 2018 Prestige A5 would be at the dealership all day for a training session and that I could drive it to experience the "Adaptive" suspension and the Adaptive Cruise Control, I jumped at the chance.

I am the guy that actually wants more options to be available not just more packages.

I know I'm good with paying for the red brake calipers (but can't get them stand alone in the US). I know I'm very likely good with paying for the sport differential. I'm not sure on an S4 that the adaptive sport suspension is really something that I would be willing to pay for.

The chance to experience this suspension presenting itself was a chance to actually see if I felt the feature was worth the price (which is unknown at this point).

Here's the experience. I get behind the wheel and set the ACC at "auto" and the suspension at dynamic. I get out on the highway -- and find myself in a 35MPH zone so I set the ACC at 40 and took off.

Eerie -- that is the best way to describe the ACC. I turned on the cruise control, set the speed at 40 and press the button on the end of the turn signal and saw the indication that it was active in the head's up display.

Note: I was so pleased with my decision to order NEW sunglasses UNPOLARIZED, since I had previously test driven a Q7 with my old polarized sunglasses and couldn't see anything on the windshield -- I had no problem with these sunglasses (other than the optician at LensCrafter's wondering if I knew what I would be missing.)

OK, so I'm coming upon a traffic light and there is a panel van in front of me -- I DO NOT touch the brake pedal (which feels, like I said, eerie). Nothing happens, except the new 2018 A5 continues as if the road is clear. Then, I feel a subtle brake force being applied (but not by my foot). The A5 slows, slows, slows gets to 2MPH and slows, but does not stop, then it is at 1MPH and it is attempting to slow even further, until there is no distance remaining and the car comes to a full (smooth) stop. The light turns green and nothing happens -- a super light tap of my right foot on the accelerator pedal and the car wakes up and accelerates to 40MPH. Another traffic light, repeat the process but this time when I reach 1MPH the light changes and the panel van accelerates -- since the A5 had NOT come to a full stop, it "automatically" woke up and took me back to 40MPH.

I entered the freeway -- accelerated by pressing my foot down and reached about 65 and set the ACC again, changing the ACC to dynamic. Now, the A5 closed the gap with the car in front of me such that it is unlikely another person would have attempted to get between the car ahead and me.

This is a very nice technology -- probably would be awesome in heavy traffic (downtown Chicago for instance). It isn't THAT smart, though -- it did not attempt to slow me down as I took a cloverleaf exit (requiring a scrubbing of about 35MPH off of my speed), I still had to have the presence of mind to do that slowing of my own accord.

While I was on I-71S in northern Cincinnati, I switched the suspension setting between dynamic and comfort. The difference was quite noticeable.

In dynamic mode, every expansion joint was audible and also resulted in a bit of a "hop" coinciding with the "increased" tire thump over the joints. In comfort mode, every expansion joint was still audible -- but just barely and was virtually unable to be felt at all.

The car had the standard suspension -- not the sport suspension; plus it had Adaptive Suspension.

My dealer suggested that I keep in mind that a new S4 would already have a stiffer suspension and that having the adaptive suspension set up on top of the S4's suspension would probably feel different, especially in comfort mode, since the S4 is already a lower and more dynamic suspension to begin with.

OK, so I can tell the difference and the difference is likely to be able to be detected with ease.

The car I was driving had the 18" tires/wheels (aspect ratio 40). Maybe this suspension would be more valuable on an S4 with the 35 series tires and 19" wheels.

What I want is the sport diff and the red brake calipers -- I would accept the adaptive suspension if it was a zero cost option. I see it having very little applicability for me generally. Certainly not enough applicability to justify any expense over $500 -- but that is a personal preference.

The ACC, however, waaay cool.

Drive it like you live.

DeepOvertone

Thanks for the report on the ACC. I'm not sure its something I'd be desperate to have but nice to know its useful if I ended up being able to afford it. I think I've read that the adaptive suspension in the S4 will indeed be sportier feeling than that of the A4/5 models. I'd personally love it if the comfort setting would be as soft as the "A" models and the dynamic be firmer/sportier than the "A" models. To me the S4 is not a pure sports model and as such should still have the option of being a really comfortable car if one pleases. Thats just my .02