mrubin

I have a 2017 A4. I have driven several A5 Sportback loaner cars from the dealer. I love how the A5 Sportback drives compared to my A4 - why is there such a difference when the powertrain is supposedly fairly identical?

• Engine noise on the A5 Sportback is much more muted. On my A4 it seems louder / more strained.
• In dynamic mode (transmission on 'S' mode), the A5 downshifts much more aggressively/crisply. My A4 seems to hang out at the higher rev range for a second or two before downshifting.

When I'm driving an A5 it feels like such an upgrade - even though I understand that it's largely the same engine/transmission/etc. The differences must be in how everything is tuned. Do others have the same experience? Is there anything the dealer (or aftermarket OBD-II devices) can do to alter the tuning to be more like A5?

mplsbrian

I haven't tried the A5/S5 but I've extensively driven the A4 on loan and/or rental (Silvercar in Denver, use it pretty much every time I travel there to ski because it's a great way to get AWD for the mountains) and they all feel the same save for noticeable differences in wheel size (17" vs. 18" vs 19" -- I've tried them all) and sport pkg suspension vs. non (affects ride hide and thus handling). I find it hard to believe there'd be any difference whatsoever just by going to the 5. Even the wheelbases and stance widths are nearly identical.

Are you sure your A4 isn't experiencing some kind of problem? Have you ever had another A4 as a loaner? Maybe you should do that.

mrubin

I have driven loaner A4s (and other A4s before buying) and I don't believe there is anything unusual about my A4 vs other A4s. Thank you for the reply, but if you have not driven an A5 you may not have experienced the difference that I am talking about. I agree that on paper the two drivetrains seem nearly identical. That is why I am disappointed that the A5 drives so much better - perhaps it is a matter of personal preference which one is better, but in either case there is a very noticeable difference and I love the A5 tuning. It's much more sporty.

minmet

I test sitting multiple times and also drove an A5 SB loaner for a week. I found the A5 driving position is better for me. The loaner has sport suspension and feel much more planted (same as an A4 Sport suspension I drove few weeks ago). As for the transmission, I found all other A4 or A5 after 2017 has better response than my 17 A4.

mrubin

Maybe this is the difference I'm experiencing - 2017 vs after-2017. Glad someone else has noticed it too, thank you.

Eli McCraig

Historically, Audi coupes and fastbacks are tuned a little more sporty, while the sedans tuned more for comfort.

DeXel

Does your A4 have sport suspension? That makes the biggest difference as the base A4 suspension is too soft for my liking. A5's default suspension is stiffer, and A5's sport is more stiff than on A4 sport.

rookie10

Was provided a 19 A5 loaner (40 miles in the odometer) while my 17 A4 was serviced. I had the car for a few days so I was able to get a good impression of the car. Here are some of the differences I noticed. Right of the bat the exhaust noise was addicting. Nice rumble with deep tones vs the quiet interior of the A4 and minimal amount of outside noise. The A5 felt more planted but heavier in a way, perhaps due to the sport suspension. It didn't seem to handle the bumps as gracefully as my non sport A4 but the handling and overall feel was better but stiffer. The suspension also felt heavy and didn't feel light and agile on it's feet. One thing that took me by surprise is that I felt my A4 to be faster, with better acceleration than the A5. Both comparing from a standstill and at highway speeds. The A5 personally looks better but I am happy with my A4.

MRA5SB

The A5 sport suspension can be pretty harsh, I personally think the damping on the car is not properly calibrated. Most moderate bumps would cause serious head toss in the A5, which would have been a non-event in my prior car. Heck, I feel like my RS5 absorbs bumps better with the suspension in Auto setting than the A5 did.

Bolero410

I had the opposite impression. I had an A 5 sport back loaner with standard suspension and couldn’t wait to get my A4 MT6 with sport suspension back. My A4 felt much better planted, the seats I found to be more comfortable for me and good as the dual clutch is, and it is really good, I wanted my clutch pedal back. So to get a good comparison the two cars should be set up the same way. Honestly I would have gone with an A5 coupe if one could have been found with my specific requirements, just because it looks so cool. That said, the A 4 is a great stealth car!