Test drove a RS5 SB (former owner of a S5 SB)
#1
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Test drove a RS5 SB (former owner of a S5 SB)
Curious if others who have either purchased or test driven a RS5 SB found the drive to be a bit harsh. Please don't think I am knocking on the vehicle. It is gorgeous in every way but I was surprised the drive felt harsh. What are your honest thoughts, any buyer's remorse. Are you happy with the drive. I truly welcome your feedback.
#2
AudiWorld Senior Member
It's a higher performance car. It wouldn't surprise me if its tuned a bit more for a harsher ride for better dynamics. Curious, why did you give up your S5?
#3
AudiWorld Super User
You have to be more specific. How was it configured? The RS5 can be had with two different suspensions. The standard suspension is a fixed suspension, meaning it doesn't change between the modes. The optional Dynamic Ride Control suspension, which is part of the Dynamic package, can be adjust from Comfort to Auto to Dynamic, so the question is what suspension did you test drive and if it had the DRC, what mode did you drive in? On top of all this is the tire pressure, which unfortunately can be all over the place. Incorrect tire pressure will mess up the ride and in my experience, dealerships are not great at inflating the tires properly. I can tell you this, I took an RS5 Coupe on one of my favorite 200+ miles canyon loop and yes in Dynamic mode, the DRC suspension is pretty harsh and bouncy on less than perfect roads, but in Comfort mode for a performance car it's quite comfortable. I have no experience with the fixed suspension in the B9 RS5, but I suspect it's somewhere between Comfort and Dynamic of the DRC suspension. But expect the ride of cars at this level to be on the firm side of comfortable.
#4
AudiWorld Senior Member
Like mentioned by others, you probably had the suspension in Dynamic setting, which I personally won't ever use on public roads. Auto mode is the perfect setting for the RS5 SB, I feel the ride is much better than even the fixed sport suspension in my A5 SB S-line
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Air suspensions on the other hand change the spring rate and the damping rate, so they are capable of a wider range between the comfort and most sporty settings, and then there is the suspension that McLaren puts in their higher end series, which doesn't have a sway bar and instead has active components at each corner that control body roll, squat and dive and can make the ride super comfortable in comfort mode. They are the most comfortable riding sports cars that you can currently get for when you are not trying to channel Nico Rosberg, but it's all a matter of complexity and cost.
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#8
No buyers remorse for me, almost 5 months in. Very stiff on public roads in dynamic settings. It’s a no go in most of New England.
I use auto or comfort for suspension. When in those modes its not as smooth of a ride as my E500 was with air suspension but its pretty close.
I use auto or comfort for suspension. When in those modes its not as smooth of a ride as my E500 was with air suspension but its pretty close.
#9
AudiWorld Member
Very nice commentary superswiss.
#10
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter