looking@audi

I finally got a chance to test drive the A5 yesterday (still have not driven the S5). I feel like the guy who finally got a date with the super hot girl - and she wasn't what he expected.

The A5 was black with S line trim - very sexy looking. The car handled great and the 2.0T is surprisingly quick. I liked the seats, paddle shifters and B&O audio.

What I didn't like was the harsh ride over bumps or anything less than perfect pavement. I think the reason was due to the performance 19" Y-spoke 255/35 tires (very little sidewall). The supersion itself seemed nice and not overly firm.

I am average height, and when I set the drivers seat in a comfortable position, there is extremely limited legroom in the back. Additionally you need to wait what seems like an enternity for the power seat to move forward to gain access to the back seat.

Another nit was the cupholder - I stop by DD on the way to the golf course and there is only room for one normal coffee.

The final straw seems to be the tires. I was looking for a sporty car that could handle year round New England weather - but you need to swap out the rims and skins for the white stuff. I would much rather have all-season tires because around here the need is for 5 months of the year. I would hate to deal with the less attractive rims for 40% of the time.

So it looks like the sexy A5/S5 does not suit my current lifestyle. Now I am back to square one in my new car search.

Omeletpants

Valid observations. I have an A5 and bought a set of S5 wheels for the summer. The car felt jittery and rougher. Even with the summer 18s it's not a plush ride but that what you get with sports cars. It's amazing some of the comments I read on forums. Guys are claiming the A5/S% series has a luxurious ride no matter what tires or suspension. Guess it's what you are used to and willing to accept.

ezzonguard

it seems part of the problem is the sports package. if you skip the sport package you get 18" all seasons. In the pot hole infested road of Minneapolis, the 18" where not harsh. try again another A5 without the sports package ( you do lose the paddle shifters though).

looking@audi

The S-Line sport package and 19" Y-spoke wheels are what makes this car sexy.

JGA5Cab

I found that my car came in with tire pressure set for a fully loaded vehicle with 41 lbs in the back and 38 in the front. The book said that with one or two people, the pressure can be brought down to 35 and 32. I felt the ride improve quite a bit. I have the standard 18" rims and think the ride is firm but comfortable.

I test drove an A5 at a dealer and thought the ride was terrible. it could have been a tire pressure thing. I could hear the tires go over the bumps too. They thought I was nuts when I said the S5 rode better. That may have had lower pressure in it.

I am glad I read some of this because I keep drooling over S5 and A5 sport package rims. I need to be reminded that the ride will suffer greatly. Cleveland roads suck over all.