synergize

This is the new RS5 SB wheel, if you look closely it's different then the wheel on the RS5 besides the removal of the black paint. I think this
wheels looks better, just trying to trying to understand what they are trying to achieve. The wheel has an awkward appearance. Any thoughts?

Nikon1

adg44

When you choose the alu and carbon exterior package, you get the silver 20" wheel. If you choose black optic or the black optic carbon package, you get the bi-color black 20" wheel. It's to keep with the theme of the car, that's all.

jamis

Better than the black trapezoid version, but I am still not a fan of any of the RS wheel options.

heymoe

There are similar to the Coupe's 20" wheels except they don't have the extra thin spoke which is completely black on the 2-tone version.

I haven't seen the 2-tone version of the SB wheels yet but I'm going to assume some of the detail lines will pop out more since they will be colored black.

N8!

I like those wheels, very nice.

KCTiger83

I can see one big difference-you would only be cleaning 5 "gaps" on each wheel, as they've filled in the small triangular gaps in the 2018 RS5 Bi-colored trapezoidal wheel. If this style was available with the black coloring, I'd be a fan, and still think these are nice looking wheels. With the silver calipers, you're staying with a mono-colored theme inside of the tire. I know it's a matter of personal preference, but I DO like the black painted portion of my wheel. I like the contrast, and it does hide brake dust/grime better than a pure silver wheel. With the red calipers, I enjoy the look, but certainly understand people's preference for the 5 spoke milled wheels coming with the ceramic brake package-that's a beautiful setup as well.

mhblaw

I actually prefer the standard 10 spoke wheel and stuck with it on my new RS5. Also not a big fan of big wheels and low profile tires.

kctiger1983

Agreed 100% re low profile tires & 20s. We didn't have a choice with our 2018 R5s. I'm thinking of going to 19 inch All-Season tires once I use up the OEM Continentals. Will have to do a search for proper aftermarket wheels. I'm shocked at being able to put almost 5000 miles on mine and no curb rash yet. Our midwest roads are not the best, and I've cringed going through construction zones, but so far, the protective rubber rim has saved the wheels. Really would have liked the option of 18s or 19s as OEM....

markcincinnati

The ultra-low profile tires probably offer handling improvements. If the tires lasted longer than the duration between two oil changes, maybe that would be a good thing.

But the reality of short tread life AND being very vulnerable to pot-holes (due to their very low aspect ratios) plus a slight increase in unsprung weight and increased road noise, really means the low profile tires and extra large wheels are, in practice, "all yak and no shak" -- and I don't care how much money you have in your checkbook or how high the line is on the old Plutonium card -- these large wheels and low profile tires are for show, not go.

It's true in flyover country -- that much is for certain. But, the last few times I've been to Boston, New York, and San Francisco (not flyover cities for sure), their streets and roads were pretty well pock-marked, too. Maybe these wheels are for Germans who may be more likely to have super smooth ribbons of highways stretching hundreds of KMs. Audi (of America) needs a US wheel program. If the LOOK is what they're after, why not go with optional wheels that 40 series (and suitably wide) shoes will be the ones that "fit" properly and bag the 35 and 30 series tires that have life-span shorter than the common house-fly.

I'd pay EXTRA for an 18" wheel that matched the appearance of the optional 19" wheel on my 2018 S4. And, I'm sure my wife would have paid for the look of the 21" wheel but in the 20" size of the OEM SQ5 Prestige wheel. If the goal is financial, this approach would surely serve that purpose. If the goal of the larger wheels is ONLY for performance, well that is another matter but Audi of America needs to survey its owners who probably want "purty wheels" but just are fed up with paying and paying and paying for bent wheels, blown tires and all-wheel alignments over and over.

I went into my dealer last Saturday and I noticed they actually were stocking SQ5s without the 21" wheels -- you know the reasons they gave for not having ordered these wheels for their inventory. The reason my rep gives is "I want repeat customers -- you quickly sour your customers on the brand when they realize they'll be spending thousands on the tires, wheels, alignments that will be associated with the +sized wheels." Customers would like the "fancy" wheels and would pay for them -- they just hate getting new tires everytime the car's birthday comes around.

Too bad no one from Audi reads these things.