RogueDPS

Let me start by saying that I have come to love my 2016 coupe. That S5 goes off lease in February and I've started the process of looking for a replacement. I briefly flirted with the idea of an M2 but even if I had been blown away by the 2018 model I drove, BMW makes leasing them a virtual impossibility. The lease payment would have been well north of $1,300/month for a build that stickered around $60K (buying is not an option for me due to a very generous "use or lose" lease allowance at work).

I've been anxiously waiting for my local Audi dealer to get a new 2019 S5 in to test. They got in a new S5 Sportback on Friday and I was there on Saturday to test it. Sadly, I was dreadfully disappointed. Two major issues pretty much ensure that I'll be moving on to something else. The first is the driving experience. As you all know, last year Audi ditched the supercharger in favor of a turbo, and the twin clutch in favor of a conventional eight speed automatic. Although the new engine puts out more horsepower and torque, it felt less lively to me. I hated the transmission, and the turbo lag, though mild, was noticeable. The steering was super light until put in dynamic mode, and then it tightened up some. It's hard to describe, and I know this is subjective, but it was simply less engaging than my 2016 that I drove to and from the dealership. I feel my current S5 to be a refined car with just the right edge to it. It seems as though Audi took a file to that edge in order to put more resources into electronic driving aids and gadgets.

All that said I was still ready to put in an order but when we sat down to put together a build, that's when it all went downhill in a hurry. I had a few days earlier configured a build online, and was pretty happy with what I came up with. The car remains gorgeous and I thought it would look great in Gotland Green. Unfortunately, what Audi has up online doesn't yet reflect changes for 2019. Audi has added a third trim level, Premium, to the the S5 line up. The problem isn't so much with the pricing, but rather the packaging. In 2018 you could select major things, like seats and surfaces, a la carte. No more. Want leather seats? You need to go Premium Plus. Okay, I can do that. But wait a minute, I want analog gauges. I really want analog gauges. The Virtual Cockpit is a love it or hate it kind of thing, and I fall very squarely in the "hate it" camp. Sorry, no analog gauges available at the Premium Plus or Prestige levels. Alright, maybe I can live with the Alcantara seats, but I definitely want the S Sport Package for the sport rear diff. Sorry, not available on Premium trim. Incidentally, Audi has also ditched the Gotland Green Metallic color in favor of yet another shade of gray. Because there were not already enough grays in the stable.

So at the end of the day I was looking at a car that I don't like nearly as well as my 2016 and which I can't get configured the way I want without also being saddled with the 'toon dash. I momentarily considered buying the '16 off lease, but I really don't need a fourth car and am not prepared to walk away from the free lease money. Oh well. It was a great run, but it seems time to move on.

Batman0424

What are you considering now?

RogueDPS

Batman0424

Interesting, can you elaborate on why the MB? I ask because I've read a few others are leaning towards MB and I'm curious. For me, I have never enjoyed the driving dynamics of MB (granted I have not driven the latest iterations) and (my opinion and very subjective) I'm not a fan of the styling.

Batman0424

I've never heard the AMG exhaust of the C43 (did on an older C63). How does it compare? Similar to an aftermarket for the B9? Is it valved so you can adjust the volume?

RogueDPS

As you might suspect from my self-pitying rant above, I've become a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to having the car configured precisely the way I want it and MB really excels in that department. If you want a Head Up display, for example, you can buy it as a stand alone without having to buy a package with a pile of things you don't want. I was very pleasantly surprised by MB's flexibility in this regard.

I also have not been a huge fan of the exterior styling on the C43, especially its appearance from the rear. I'm considering it now in part because it has has improved some for 2019 (new headlamps and taillamps, new rear apron/diffuser, new tailpipes), though admittedly to my eye it will never look as good as an S5. I do like the interior quite a bit better than that of the new S5. I have to admit that the increased HP, up to 385 now, drew my eye as well.

It also bears mentioning that there were a couple of cars that I wanted to drive but just couldn't find. The G70 looks intriguing on paper but the closest Genesis dealer is 175 miles away in Southfield, MI. I was curious also about a Jag XE S, but there's not a single one to be found in the greater Cleveland area, nor does the local dealer have any idea at all when they might see one. I briefly flirted with the idea of breaking open the piggy bank and going with a Giulia Quad, but the thought of standing on the side of the interstate in the dead of winter waiting for a tow snapped me back to reality.

lmariorod

Could not agree more with the OP. Have had the '13 S5 now for 6+ years, and nothing out there has my interest. This SC/S-tronic is simply too wonderful to get rid of. Luckily, I don't have lease issues and the car is a garage queen that I own outright. Having also installed the AWE Touring exhaust, just makes the car a keeper for at least 10 years and possibly more. Yes the tech is outdated, but the powertrain is what makes this car. IMO.

Daryl Rybotycki

Your experiences with the new S5 are why I went with a 2014 S5 Coupe with the S tronic Dual Clutch; Immediacy of Power.

That M2 is a great track beast, a bit of a German take on a muscle car - that handles, but it will shorten your spine on the daily commute...

Bill17601

Ycore

I find it ironic that the unavailability of an analog instrument cluster was the tipping point for you, but the horrendously laggy dogsh*t transmission they retrofitted into the 2018+ S4/S5 was not. If you came from a B8 generation S4/S5, the difference is shocking.