Lookout57

https://www.audiusa.com/newsroom/new...d-s5-sportback

WausauS8

So excited! Already spoke to dealer about getting their first allocation!

AUDIQSS

I'm not particularly liking what I see in the cockpit. Stick on nav screen looks like one small mistake would break it right off. Radio dials and buttons reminds me way too much of a BMW, ugh! Placement of cup holders forward of the gear shifter looks to be a recipe for disaster (catch the bottom of your cup on the shifter and spill/knock it out of you hand, etc. Also, would be a long reach. I understand the Germans don't thnk you should drink/eat in your car, but on this side of the pond........

If the A5/S5 line as a whole looks this way, I'm afraid I'll have to hold onto my 2011 S5 Cab awhile longer or find something else. Maybe Porsche will get around to makng a four seat Cabriolet.

dseag2

I felt exactly the same way when I saw the A4 interior in pics, especially with the stuck-on screen. I also thought it looked like a BMW rip-off. I was determined to stick with my '15 S5 Coupe (and I previously owned an '11 S5 Cab like you). The minute I sat in the A4 the concerns went away. It is actually a very sophisticated, driver-friendly layout and the screen just "works" in the car. BTW, the casing is Magnesium so it will not be affected by heat and there is nothing that would make me think it would break off. Re: the cupholders, they are lighted so they look great. I use them to store my iPhone, etc. Also, the HVAC display/tactile controls are really first-rate, unlike the BMW. Even the vents in the back allow settings for actual temperatures. Don't write it off until you've driven one. The A4 is a fantastic car. It is so impressive that we are probably ordering an A5 Sportback as well.

superswiss

I agree. After having spent quite a bit of time in various A4 loaners, I'm not seeing the concern about the display. It's very elegant. I'm not a fan of everything in the new interior, though. Not too fond of the new electronic shift lever and it's disappointing that the S and probably RS don't get a more sporty shift lever. I also think the new MMI UI is a step backwards in some areas. The labeled four corner design was very intuitive. I'm still trying to figure out which functions are accessible through the left button and which ones through the right button in the new system. Nothing is labeled until you press on it and realize that you ended up in the wrong menu. Also, not a big fan of the controls being in front of the shift lever and kinda small. They are also a bit of a reach. The arrangement in the B8/.5 is more ergonomic IMO.

The good thing about this is that I didn't feel like I was stepping back into the stone age every time I went back to my car. The B8/.5 interior is holding up well against time IMO. Even the MMI to be frank if updated regularly. The hardware and software updates and the switch to AT&T have kept it somewhat fresh for me. Each firmware upgrade had performance improvements. The most recent one I got 3 weeks ago made Audi connect faster, too. I'm not even missing the LTE connection. Unless you are using the Wifi hotspot a lot, the speed improvements are disappointingly marginal compared to what I get with mine on AT&T. The services appear to be limited by the server infrastructure that Audi runs. Google Local voice searches for example are not much faster if at all in the new system compared to mine with the latest firmware and updated modem. Not to mention that I only pay $10/month now vs. the ridiculous pricing of the new plans. For a third of the cost, I'm quite ok with a little bit of a slower system.

There are certainly quite a few things to like about the new interior and technology. The Virtual Cockpit is pretty awesome. A friend and I rented a 2017 TT cab through Audi on demand for a day and I must say the layout of the TT interior is much better. Same goes for the R8. I must say the new 4 and 5 have lost some of the sportiness and cockpit feel that the B8/.5 offered. I'm hopeful that the RS4/5 are getting similar interior treatments as the TT-RS and RS3 borrowed from the R8, such as Audi Drive Select and engine start/stop on the steering wheel instead of in the center console.

dseag2

There was definitely more of a cockpit feel to the B8 A4/S5 and A5/S5, but the new interior just feels more open and spacious to me. Both are great interiors. Hard to go wrong with either. I think the real reason I prefer my A4 to my S5 is that the S5 interior was all black with the carbon atlas trim, so it felt very dark. The A4 has the Nougat Brown interior with Gray Oak, so it feels more cheery, if that makes sense.

I agree with you re: the simplicity of the B8 MMI and the 4 buttons. They did make it a bit more complicated in the B9. The shifter, no big deal after you get used to it.

SYMAWD

Working at a dealer and showing the system to so many people, it seems like previous owners find it more confusing but first time Audi owners find it more intuitive than the 4 corner system.

dseag2

The one thing I will say is that I would rather have the stuck-on screen with the great, clear graphics than the neatly-tucked-into-the-dash 12" screen I had in my Lexus 4GS that had graphics from the 90's. I think the graphics help add to the elegance.

WausauS8

I have spent a lot of time in all of the interiors over the years, most recently putting 15k miles on the new Q7. I can't wait for the new S5 Sportback. As much as I love driving my S6, the tech feels very old compared to the Q7. The UI is very easy to use when used regularly. Switching back and forth between UI's has been a minor pain at times. Mostly its just getting used to the **** turning the opposite direction. I find getting into the sub menus and navigating around the UI is pretty intuitive.

dseag2

I'm going to test drive the A5 and S5 Sportbacks, but for my use the engine/tranny combo in the A4 is great. The S5 will really have to blow me away for me to spend the extra $$$ or need the extra power. And I've had 3 S5's. Also, the way Audi packages I'm guessing the S5 will come with the aluminum or Carbon Atlas, and I prefer the Gray Oak. We'll have to see.