Yoshimura

My dealer received my S5 last week but I can't convince myself that I won't regret my 3.0 supercharge. With my SQ5, I can accelerate quickly (mid-throttle) from lights while feeling nice pulls from each gear and with no drama. With the new engine, I have difficulty to appreciate the new engine even after a few more test drives. I also have the impression that the SC sounds much better and that may contribute to the different feeling I have with the new engine. I also have a Magnaflow exhaust which probably doesn't help.

How do you like the new engine compared to the SC at mid-throttle?

By the way, I always drive in S.

Slides

Driving in S mode helps a lot, but the transmission can be weird on the new S5. Look up some other threads on throttle lag or hesitation. If you're not enjoying the test drive, you will likely have regrets.

I've gotten used to it mostly, but this car can be annoying in stop and go traffic as the throttle response is not very linear.

freesole

I have a tuned 2016 Q5 which has the same 3.0 supercharged engine. From my experience, the drive definitely feels different. The super charged engine is more responsive in my view and it does sound better (I also have a AWE Touring exhaust on it). I honestly don't put it into Sport all that often.

With the S5, if you drive it in Sport mode, you will not feel the lag or delay as much. In this setting the drive is very responsive. If you're in slow moving traffic where you have to break away at a moment's notice, I wouldn't recommend driving in any mode other than sport. In Drive, there is a lag to this engine that you will have to account for.

Yoshimura

Everytime I test drive the S5, it was in sport mode and did not really noticed the turbo lag when driving a little more aggressively than normal. But it seems to me that the supercharge pulls better at low/mid rpm. However, the turbocharge engine has about the same torque but at much lower rpm. Shouldn't it pull better? What is the difference that make me dislike the turbocharge engine? Could it be simply the sound?

Slides

It comes down to the transmission programming and unpredictability of the throttle.

ArvX147

Honestly dude just please stop ****ting on the trans programming because you think it has a problem.

@Yoshi - This car has done a great job minimizing the turbo lag by integrating the turbo into the V. The extra power (yes this engine is significantly stronger than the 3.0SC, its just as under rated in power as that engine was) in the B9 more than makes up for the difference in the torque curve linearity from the SC.

Slides

Nah, dude. Stop being defensive about an obvious problem that many others have pointed out. I will continue giving my advice on the poor job the transmission does at low speeds. This is a public forum for sharing both the good and bad about these cars. You don't get to control what others talk about.

ArvX147

You immediately jump to the transmission, even tho the OP says he didn't have an issue with the transmission. It's basically completely off topic to the question yet here you come rolling in with "the trans is bad and has lag problems"

There are no lag problems in S. Full stop.

Slides

Transmission and throttle response are very much related. How is it off-topic lol. Love your statement of there being no lag problems in the S5, when there are people on this very thread saying otherwise.

njspeedfreak

My previous car was a 2012 S4 with the SC and a DSG transmission. I too was concerned that the new engine and transmission combination in the B9 would not live up to what I had become accustomed to in the B8. Since I had both cars for about 2 months before I found a buyer for the S4, I had lots of opportunities for back to back drives and comparisons. I always drove both cars in 'S' mode. I thought the S4 responded quicker to throttle inputs by a small but noticeable margin, however the S5 pulls harder by a significant margin all the way thorough the rev range.

The B9 is much quieter than the B8, even with the exhaust in sport mode, but I attribute a lot of that to how well insulated the cabin is and I actually prefer a quiet exhaust. I loved the sound that my B7 S4 made with the growling V8, but I have never heard a V6 of any kind that sounds good. They are all just *blah* to my ears.

As an aside to the transmission wars that are currently flaming - Yes, the B9 has some transmission lag in 'D' mode, but so did the B8. Both felt like the pedal was dead and unresponsive which is why I always drive in 'S' mode.