Road Trip
05-22-2019, 10:54 AM
#1
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Road Trip
We just completed our first road trip in the D5. Southwest Florida to New England over 2 1/2 days. 1450 miles. It was my first chance to really get to know the new car and compare it our 2016 D4.
How about The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Here goes:
The Good:
The car is the quietest car I have ever experienced in 45 years of driving. It is truly amazing how Audi has been able to keep out noise. The quiet really limits road fatigue on the driver. Well done!
Fuel economy is outstanding. I averaged 28 MPG for the trip, most of which was around 75 MPH. We ran into construction and accident stop and go and some local driving but still averaged 28 using premium fuel. Well done!
The car handles beautifully. I ran it in Auto mode for this trip. I usually use Dynamic mode around town. Great road feel for a car this size.
The GPS depiction with the satellite photo is outstanding. Nicest GPS I've ever had in a car. Works great with route guidance too.
The standard stereo is excellent. I use MP4 files on my iPhone phone and they sounded great. I have no regrets not getting the upgraded stereo system. I can't imagine how the compressed digital files used today would sound any better.
The Bad:
The V6 is under powered for a car this heavy. Merging and passing are degraded by the turbo lag and lack of torque. It isn't a big issue around town but it is very noticeable on a long trip. I had the twin turbo V8 in the 2016 and the performance was dramatically better. If you care about crisp performance and good acceleration wait for the V8. Sport mode helps but that should not be necessary for highway access and highway passing. I would be happy with worse fuel economy as a trade off for better performance. Ford offers on some vehicles a 3.5L V6 that generates 450 HP and 510 foot pounds of torque. Audi could have gotten a lot more out of this engine (why only a single turbo?), especially with the long delay to offer the V8.
There is too much glare from the chrome pieces in the center console. I had to put a towel over the console to keep from being blinded. Everything else is dark colored to eliminate glare, The chrome trim looks great but is annoying when it is sunny on a long trip.
The Ugly:
The electronics in the car are not ready for prime time and are full of bugs. We went through the same thing with the 2018 Honda Odyssey we bought to haul around the grand kids. It took Honda 1 1/2 years and several over the air updates to get the issues fixed. It is fine now but quite frustrating for a long time. Audi will get this fixed but it will take time. One thing for sure, the USA was right not to allow the Level 3 features. This car would not be safe to drive autonomously even at slow speeds with the current issues. It will get there, but not yet. There is wisdom to not buy the first year of a new model (the Honda was also first year). Here is what we have seen so far in no particular order:
1) I have shut off the lane departure system both on the lower center stack screen and in the MMI. All it shuts off is the steering wheel shake warning. The system is otherwise active and steers the car. Off should mean off. I have shut this off on 2 other vehicles we own without an issue.
2) The dynamic cruise control shuts off automatically without warning. There is a loud warning tone when it happens. I turn it back on and it is fine, until the next time it crashes.
3) The dynamic cruise control is too sensitive to objects to the right of the car. It slowed down the car several times when we passed construction signs.. The signs were off the road. It also slowed us down when we were in the left lane and were passing vehicles in the right lane. Both issues occurred when the road made a left turn. I did not notice this issue with vehicles or signs to the left side of us. This did not occur with our 2016. Either the sensors are looking too wide or they are misaligned.
4) The Bluetooth disconnects without warning. I notice it because the music stops playing. You might not notice it if just your phone is connected. I don't use Apple Car Play. The system does let you reconnect through the menu. We had the same issue with the Honda but it has been fixed.
5) I had the tech kid at the dealership turnoff the sign recognition soon after getting the car. When the cruise control is on the system sets the speed to the exact speed limit. That is a good way to get run over as almost everyone is going 5 - 10 MPH over the limit. No big deal, shut it off. About 2 hours into our trip somehow it turned itself back on. You can't do that without going into the menus, and you can't access the menus while driving. Some glitch made it turn back on. I tried every voice command I could think of to shut it off again but nothing worked. When we made our first rest stop I could not figure out how to shut it off again. I checked the manual that evening and was able to shut it off when we got moving the next morning. It is buried in a sub menu. It has not turned itself on again - so far.
6) The dashboard back lighting absolutely sucks. There is no dial to change the brightness like every other car I have driven. The lighting can only be changed by using the menu system. You cannot change it while the car is moving as the menus are not accessible, which is ridiculous. Has anyone had any luck changing it with voice commands? If so what did you say? The dealership told me the brightness will automatically change depending on the outside brightness. Nothing changes when the light changes, at least in my car. The menu only changes the screens in the center stack. The screen behind the steering wheel never changes, and is too bright in total darkness. To me this is truly a safety issue. Was it too expensive in a $104,000 car to include a simple dial to allow the driver to easily change the brightness?
While I am confident most of the software issues will get fixed I will not get another D5 after the 3 year lease unless the V8 is available, the dashboard allows easy driver changes, and the bugs are fixed. This car is terrific in many ways but the flaws are serious. The technology is too dependent on inaccessible menus while driving to allow issues to be resolved while on the move. I get the safety issue, but the inability to deal with flaws like the sign recognition turning on for no reason without stopping is not acceptable.
Fire away. I hope this is helpful both to current owners and those considering this vehicle.
How about The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Here goes:
The Good:
The car is the quietest car I have ever experienced in 45 years of driving. It is truly amazing how Audi has been able to keep out noise. The quiet really limits road fatigue on the driver. Well done!
Fuel economy is outstanding. I averaged 28 MPG for the trip, most of which was around 75 MPH. We ran into construction and accident stop and go and some local driving but still averaged 28 using premium fuel. Well done!
The car handles beautifully. I ran it in Auto mode for this trip. I usually use Dynamic mode around town. Great road feel for a car this size.
The GPS depiction with the satellite photo is outstanding. Nicest GPS I've ever had in a car. Works great with route guidance too.
The standard stereo is excellent. I use MP4 files on my iPhone phone and they sounded great. I have no regrets not getting the upgraded stereo system. I can't imagine how the compressed digital files used today would sound any better.
The Bad:
The V6 is under powered for a car this heavy. Merging and passing are degraded by the turbo lag and lack of torque. It isn't a big issue around town but it is very noticeable on a long trip. I had the twin turbo V8 in the 2016 and the performance was dramatically better. If you care about crisp performance and good acceleration wait for the V8. Sport mode helps but that should not be necessary for highway access and highway passing. I would be happy with worse fuel economy as a trade off for better performance. Ford offers on some vehicles a 3.5L V6 that generates 450 HP and 510 foot pounds of torque. Audi could have gotten a lot more out of this engine (why only a single turbo?), especially with the long delay to offer the V8.
There is too much glare from the chrome pieces in the center console. I had to put a towel over the console to keep from being blinded. Everything else is dark colored to eliminate glare, The chrome trim looks great but is annoying when it is sunny on a long trip.
The Ugly:
The electronics in the car are not ready for prime time and are full of bugs. We went through the same thing with the 2018 Honda Odyssey we bought to haul around the grand kids. It took Honda 1 1/2 years and several over the air updates to get the issues fixed. It is fine now but quite frustrating for a long time. Audi will get this fixed but it will take time. One thing for sure, the USA was right not to allow the Level 3 features. This car would not be safe to drive autonomously even at slow speeds with the current issues. It will get there, but not yet. There is wisdom to not buy the first year of a new model (the Honda was also first year). Here is what we have seen so far in no particular order:
1) I have shut off the lane departure system both on the lower center stack screen and in the MMI. All it shuts off is the steering wheel shake warning. The system is otherwise active and steers the car. Off should mean off. I have shut this off on 2 other vehicles we own without an issue.
2) The dynamic cruise control shuts off automatically without warning. There is a loud warning tone when it happens. I turn it back on and it is fine, until the next time it crashes.
3) The dynamic cruise control is too sensitive to objects to the right of the car. It slowed down the car several times when we passed construction signs.. The signs were off the road. It also slowed us down when we were in the left lane and were passing vehicles in the right lane. Both issues occurred when the road made a left turn. I did not notice this issue with vehicles or signs to the left side of us. This did not occur with our 2016. Either the sensors are looking too wide or they are misaligned.
4) The Bluetooth disconnects without warning. I notice it because the music stops playing. You might not notice it if just your phone is connected. I don't use Apple Car Play. The system does let you reconnect through the menu. We had the same issue with the Honda but it has been fixed.
5) I had the tech kid at the dealership turnoff the sign recognition soon after getting the car. When the cruise control is on the system sets the speed to the exact speed limit. That is a good way to get run over as almost everyone is going 5 - 10 MPH over the limit. No big deal, shut it off. About 2 hours into our trip somehow it turned itself back on. You can't do that without going into the menus, and you can't access the menus while driving. Some glitch made it turn back on. I tried every voice command I could think of to shut it off again but nothing worked. When we made our first rest stop I could not figure out how to shut it off again. I checked the manual that evening and was able to shut it off when we got moving the next morning. It is buried in a sub menu. It has not turned itself on again - so far.
6) The dashboard back lighting absolutely sucks. There is no dial to change the brightness like every other car I have driven. The lighting can only be changed by using the menu system. You cannot change it while the car is moving as the menus are not accessible, which is ridiculous. Has anyone had any luck changing it with voice commands? If so what did you say? The dealership told me the brightness will automatically change depending on the outside brightness. Nothing changes when the light changes, at least in my car. The menu only changes the screens in the center stack. The screen behind the steering wheel never changes, and is too bright in total darkness. To me this is truly a safety issue. Was it too expensive in a $104,000 car to include a simple dial to allow the driver to easily change the brightness?
While I am confident most of the software issues will get fixed I will not get another D5 after the 3 year lease unless the V8 is available, the dashboard allows easy driver changes, and the bugs are fixed. This car is terrific in many ways but the flaws are serious. The technology is too dependent on inaccessible menus while driving to allow issues to be resolved while on the move. I get the safety issue, but the inability to deal with flaws like the sign recognition turning on for no reason without stopping is not acceptable.
Fire away. I hope this is helpful both to current owners and those considering this vehicle.
05-22-2019, 12:20 PM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
Thanks for the detailed insight ArchieStanton! You're certainly getting significantly better fuel mileage than I am, to start 
You're not the first person, and I suspect you will be far from the last person to run into issues with the electronics that come with the driver's assistance package. The Germans (on the German D5 forum) have been complaining about just this for sometime. I suspect the vast majority of the issues are because this is one of the first cars to be using a 904nm lidar scanner, and it bounces that IR beam right back from shiny objects like reflections off of traffic signs. That said, there is a very extensive update coming which requires the addition of several memory cards to the D5 to resolve some of this (if the other German board is to be believed). There have been no confirmed updates for this on our soil yet though. I am glad I didn't buy that package and it was mainly because of the fact that I would not really use it, and if I did, well, I was aware of what you found out, sadly. There is no need to or desire to defend the lack of quality and luckluster performance of the semi autonomous driving on the car. What is worse if that you cannot even use regular cruise control if you have said package - it always goes to active mode! (to be fair, it's like this on every car that has these features, but it's ludicrous to me).
Re: screen brightness. I am aware of this issue from the Q8 forum, and you can do it through VCDS or through the MMI as you mentioned. It does not appear you can do this on the fly. FWIW, I've driven mine in the dark several times and I personally do not find it too bright, but I also do have a blue light filter on my glasses so that cuts out the glare quite a bit from screens.
Re: Bluetooth. If it's disconnecting in another car too, I would suspect it might be a phone issue? All I know is that there are no systemic reports of this issue as there is no TSB issued for this or any other Audi vehicle that I've seen. I would suggest an OS update on your phone, but you could be right, there could be MMI bugs here. I haven't experienced this though.
I have yet to floor my D5, but for me (I like fast cars by the way), the D5 is more than sufficient on the highway/around town. That said, power is a subjective thing. When I need to go like the beans, I pull out the R8 :-)
I hope in time Audi addresses the issues you brought up, most importantly are the issues with the active driving assistance features. That seems ludicrous to me that they haven't sorted that out, and apparently have Audi AI coming which will enable L3 autonomous driving. One step at a time, eh Audi?
You're not the first person, and I suspect you will be far from the last person to run into issues with the electronics that come with the driver's assistance package. The Germans (on the German D5 forum) have been complaining about just this for sometime. I suspect the vast majority of the issues are because this is one of the first cars to be using a 904nm lidar scanner, and it bounces that IR beam right back from shiny objects like reflections off of traffic signs. That said, there is a very extensive update coming which requires the addition of several memory cards to the D5 to resolve some of this (if the other German board is to be believed). There have been no confirmed updates for this on our soil yet though. I am glad I didn't buy that package and it was mainly because of the fact that I would not really use it, and if I did, well, I was aware of what you found out, sadly. There is no need to or desire to defend the lack of quality and luckluster performance of the semi autonomous driving on the car. What is worse if that you cannot even use regular cruise control if you have said package - it always goes to active mode! (to be fair, it's like this on every car that has these features, but it's ludicrous to me).
Re: screen brightness. I am aware of this issue from the Q8 forum, and you can do it through VCDS or through the MMI as you mentioned. It does not appear you can do this on the fly. FWIW, I've driven mine in the dark several times and I personally do not find it too bright, but I also do have a blue light filter on my glasses so that cuts out the glare quite a bit from screens.
Re: Bluetooth. If it's disconnecting in another car too, I would suspect it might be a phone issue? All I know is that there are no systemic reports of this issue as there is no TSB issued for this or any other Audi vehicle that I've seen. I would suggest an OS update on your phone, but you could be right, there could be MMI bugs here. I haven't experienced this though.
I have yet to floor my D5, but for me (I like fast cars by the way), the D5 is more than sufficient on the highway/around town. That said, power is a subjective thing. When I need to go like the beans, I pull out the R8 :-)
I hope in time Audi addresses the issues you brought up, most importantly are the issues with the active driving assistance features. That seems ludicrous to me that they haven't sorted that out, and apparently have Audi AI coming which will enable L3 autonomous driving. One step at a time, eh Audi?
05-22-2019, 05:30 PM
#3
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Thanks. The phone is not the issue with the Bluetooth. It connects fine on our other 3 vehicles as well as on numerous rental cars. It's an Audi issue.
You are smarter than me. The sign recognition system is a 100% waste of money. I like driving my cars and I don't need a built in back seat driver trying to drive it for me. That's why I shut off the lane assist on all my vehicles. Add to that the numerous issues with the system- it was a poor decision on my part.
The engine is disappointing. I have a 2014 Ford F 150 with the smaller Eco boost V6 (not the 450 hp model) and it has no turbo lag. The truck is heavy but the turbo gets it to move. It isn't an R8 but that engine in the D5 would perform better than the Audi V6.
I am considering reporting the dashboard lighting mess to NHTSA. It is dangerous.
There is much to love about the car. I got lots of compliments on it everywhere we stopped. It is exceedingly comfortable. I just wished I had seriously considered the MB and BMW V8 flagships instead of blindly staying with Audi.
You are smarter than me. The sign recognition system is a 100% waste of money. I like driving my cars and I don't need a built in back seat driver trying to drive it for me. That's why I shut off the lane assist on all my vehicles. Add to that the numerous issues with the system- it was a poor decision on my part.
The engine is disappointing. I have a 2014 Ford F 150 with the smaller Eco boost V6 (not the 450 hp model) and it has no turbo lag. The truck is heavy but the turbo gets it to move. It isn't an R8 but that engine in the D5 would perform better than the Audi V6.
I am considering reporting the dashboard lighting mess to NHTSA. It is dangerous.
There is much to love about the car. I got lots of compliments on it everywhere we stopped. It is exceedingly comfortable. I just wished I had seriously considered the MB and BMW V8 flagships instead of blindly staying with Audi.
05-22-2019, 05:38 PM
#4
AudiWorld Super User
That said, I guess I would be amiss if I didn't point out though that the comment above strikes me as a little unfair (if I'm allowed to state that! - and I do so only respectfully!). The S450, as an example, is a twin turbocharged M276 engine that gets to 60mph in the 5 second range, which is precisely in the same range as the D5. The turbo lag is also present on that vehicle, although I will state that it is slightly more present than the D5 actually, mainly because in sport mode with the D5, the belt starter generator system applies something like 16hp and some amount of torque (I don't remember how much) to try and fill in the turbo lag.
That said, it is worth pointing out that the turbo lag complaint/feedback you are sharing is not just a one off here. It carries a lot of merit/weight because this is something I've seen on the B9 S4 forum and the 2019 Q8 forum as well so it's not a one off experience.
Anyhow, I just wanted to state that your comments about the D5s engine are certainly fair, but if I believe it's only fair to compare the upcoming V8 engine in the A8 with the other flagships with the other brands!
Personally, I drive my cars fast, but in the case of the A8, I spend most of my time at the top speed that the local traffic laws allow before the police can seize my vehicle, and I get to spend 99% of my time on that highway at that speed. Maybe I am the odd ball here and maybe I am missing the reported turbo lag concerns! I just don't know.
I think my experiences when I lived in Europe with turbocharged 4 cylinder engines and turbocharged diesels may have skewed my experiences with turbocharged petrol engines in the case of the D5. Perhaps I just have a different expectation of non naturally aspirated engines! That said, it is worth reminding readers in passing that this is still one heavy car tipping the scales at (last I checked) 2.3 tonnes!
Last edited by angrypengu; 05-22-2019 at 05:42 PM.
05-23-2019, 08:11 AM
#5
AudiWorld Super User
Apparently there is a recall for this for the 2019 A6s. I have no idea if this applies to the A8s with this package:
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-...ntrol-2971362/
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-...ntrol-2971362/
05-23-2019, 03:55 PM
#7
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Archie, thanks for all the great observations. I too have taken a long road trip from SC to Miami and back. So got a good chance to wring it out.
First, I agree with all your “good” observations. The car is a rock and really is the best road-trip car I have owned. Drives/rides like a dream.
The bad/ugly. I have not had some of the problems that you have had. I will just address the issues you brought up.
I have never had an issue with reflection from the bright work on the center console. Just never bothered me, but I will be looking for it in the future.
I have had a few minor issues with the cruise control but not as bad as your issues. Two times the pre sense has seen a ghost and the cruise control has kicked itself off. Nothing was around, just kicked cruise off.
Never had a problem with objects on the right side. As you know, passed many many road construction signs/cones on I-95.
I don’t recall ever having dynamic cruise control just shutting off, but have used dynamic cruise without lane assistance on back roads and in curves it will slow the car dramatically like slowing to 45 on a 55 mph road. The algorithm must say curve is too tight and this idiot is going too fast so i will slow him down. Very annoying, so just have to be aware that that happens.
I have had the same problem you pointed out with using cruise and road sign recognition. The cruise control changes the speed automatically to the road sign speed AND quick, so I will be taking your advice and turning off road sign. Thanks for that.
I have never had a problem with Bluetooth dropping off. I listen to books on audible and Pandora so I am always using the phone through Bluetooth and would be aware of the drop off.
I would like to have a bit more instantaneous pickup but I do think the engine is certainly adequate if not more than adequate on the road. I feel/experience the turbo lag a lot more with in town driving.
I agree that that there ought to be a reinstate for the instruments, but I have monkeyed around with my settings and have it set so that it is fine both in daylight and low light. It does adjust as darkness grows. I received with all lights on full bright
I read Angry’s post that the Germans are getting a software update. Hope we get one soon. Thanks again.
First, I agree with all your “good” observations. The car is a rock and really is the best road-trip car I have owned. Drives/rides like a dream.
The bad/ugly. I have not had some of the problems that you have had. I will just address the issues you brought up.
I have never had an issue with reflection from the bright work on the center console. Just never bothered me, but I will be looking for it in the future.
I have had a few minor issues with the cruise control but not as bad as your issues. Two times the pre sense has seen a ghost and the cruise control has kicked itself off. Nothing was around, just kicked cruise off.
Never had a problem with objects on the right side. As you know, passed many many road construction signs/cones on I-95.
I don’t recall ever having dynamic cruise control just shutting off, but have used dynamic cruise without lane assistance on back roads and in curves it will slow the car dramatically like slowing to 45 on a 55 mph road. The algorithm must say curve is too tight and this idiot is going too fast so i will slow him down. Very annoying, so just have to be aware that that happens.
I have had the same problem you pointed out with using cruise and road sign recognition. The cruise control changes the speed automatically to the road sign speed AND quick, so I will be taking your advice and turning off road sign. Thanks for that.
I have never had a problem with Bluetooth dropping off. I listen to books on audible and Pandora so I am always using the phone through Bluetooth and would be aware of the drop off.
I would like to have a bit more instantaneous pickup but I do think the engine is certainly adequate if not more than adequate on the road. I feel/experience the turbo lag a lot more with in town driving.
I agree that that there ought to be a reinstate for the instruments, but I have monkeyed around with my settings and have it set so that it is fine both in daylight and low light. It does adjust as darkness grows. I received with all lights on full bright
I read Angry’s post that the Germans are getting a software update. Hope we get one soon. Thanks again.
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05-24-2019, 08:10 AM
#8
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Also, Archie, when I turn off lane assist on center stack it turns off auto steering. The only way I get auto steer with center stack is commanding it by turning on left hand turn signal stalk that turns lane assist on and off.
05-24-2019, 04:59 PM
#9
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
One other feature I love is the 4 wheel steering. The turning radius of the car is amazing for its size! It make parking a breeze. Even at highway speeds I notice the quicker turns. I'm not happy I wasted my money on the sign recognition system but the 4 wheel steering system is a bargain!
I just received the Audi's post sale survey today. I'm surprised it took over 3 months from the sale. They are usually faster. I had some fun filling it out. It will be interesting to see if they follow up.
I am taking it on a shorter road trip next weekend. I'll keep playing with features and see if I feel any differently. I am confident Audi will be releasing patches to fix the many software issues. That will make a big difference. I hope!
05-28-2019, 09:36 AM
#10
AudiWorld Junior Member
Thread Starter
Eagle you were right. I turned it off on the stem this morning. I got the notice on the dash that it turned off the lane keeping when the cruise control is on. I don't know why it doesn't shut off when it says it is off on the lower screen or in the MMI but I'm glad it is resolved. Thank you for your help!