markcincinnati

My wife's car (2018 SQ5) was the victim of a parking lot "incident". There is a crease above the rear wheel that seems to be a magnet for inconsiderate people opening their doors. That little crease if struck by another's car door cannot be PDR'd -- there is bodywork, painting and so on and so forth. The dimple/dent is about a $1,000 deal. We have $1,000 deductible and even if we had $500 deductible, the almost certain premium rate increase would offset the $500 claim -- so, we suck it up.

Audi dealer, says 4 days (plus the weekend). So we get a 2018 P+ A5 with a couple of options (nav+Bose, e.g.). The 4-cylinder in this application (and with the DSG) is quite peppy and a little bit more frugal than her 3.0T V6. The car was delivered with less than 2K miles on it. Very nice way to spend a "vacation" from the SQ5 (being that we really didn't have a choice, other than not fixing the fender ding). OK, now you know WHY we have the use of a new A5 for about a week. We have driven it as we would the SQ5 -- no more, no less. My wife, in fact, has driven it every time (save one) over the past 5 days.

She doesn't like the "lower" ride height but otherwise likes the vehicle.

We took it to Columbus (from Cincinnati about 100 miles, one-way).

The seats are pretty good but not as good as the S4's.

Being a P+ it is not as quiet as either her or my Prestige versions.

I'm thinking, other than the fact that I would probably get an S5 SB (assuming it came with the nicer seats), "I could learn to enjoy this". The additional "trunk space" is quite nice.

Then we take a curve just a tiny bit aggressively and I reach for the roof OMG handle -- there isn't one. There also isn't one for the driver, but the back seat passengers get them (even though the roof slopes a bit). I use the OMG handles both as a driver and as a passenger regularly, I count on them being there. I could see NOT having them in the back seat area, I don't get not having them in the front seat. The S5 SB is, now, officially off my "for consideration" short list.

I am exactly 6' tall -- hell, since I'm in my 60's, I've probably shrunk to 5'11.75" -- so I would hardly say I'm either too tall or too short to appreciate these overhead assists or grab handles. OMG indeed.

Oh well, the fact that the S4 is probably one of the least popular cars in the line-up (as are most sedans these days), maybe that bodes well for getting a very good deal on them as time goes by.

I'll just conclude: "Who in the wide-wide world of sports, would think that omitting the grab handles is a good thing?"

carkarl

The idea of a driver using a grab handle rather than putting both hands on the wheel in a sharp turn makes me pretty nervous...

I'm a little taller, and honestly I've never used the ceiling grab handles in a car while it was in motion, except in an off-road vehicle where my intent was to avoid bumping my head into the ceiling when things got really bouncy. In regular cars, I would always brace myself with my knees and shins or at most reach for the door handle in a car that had really flat seats. I always thought of those upper grab handles as coat hangers, and could see why they shouldn't be in a front window.

Glisse

My S5 Sportback has a grab handle above each door. But then I don't get a free sunroof. Strange, but then I don't see these mentioned anywhere in the model specifications. Which of course gives Audi some licence to start omitting them. Which would be appropriate as they transition from "Vorsprung durch Technik" to "Vorsprung durch Kosteneinsparungen" under Dr. Diess.

Certainly never used the driver's side grab handle whilst driving. Stunt driving on two wheels, perhaps?

markcincinnati

I use the grab handle as a passenger whilst the car is in motion AND sometimes as an aid in exiting the vehicle. I use the driver grab handle while I'm behind the wheel as an aid (sometimes) in exiting the vehicle -- rarely, in s-l-o-w moving (virtual standstill) traffic, will I grab the handle since the top of the door is a bit too high for me to rest my elbow upon. I keep both hands on the wheel virtually at all times whilst the car is moving, of course. I was a passenger in our trip to Columbus and back in the A5 and found the lack of a grab handle particularly annoying. For several years (and over the span of 33 Audis), there were 3 grab handles only (none for the driver).

To each his/her own -- knowing, now, that the sunroof delete will return the handles could change things a bit. I rarely use my S4's sunroof and probably wouldn't miss it.

ghostrider990

I drove an A5 for a while as well (nice ride!) and I concur, I just couldn't deal with the lack of four doors and extra space.

I too noticed no "oh ****" handles, and it annoyed me.

I REGULARLY prop my elbow on the driver window sill, and hold onto the grab handle with my fingertips as a way to be comfortable while driving.

To each his own, but I equate this to omitting grocery bag holders, rear fog lamps, "s" brake caliper covers, and trunk led lamps. CHEAP.
I got STUFFED at time of purchase for port add-ons of things I didn't REALLY need or want (all season floor mats, USB cables, wheel locks, etc) that were too expensive, and really unnecessary.
Yes, I bought from inventory -- and that's how that goes.

If you're gonna stuff me with these silly add-on items, why not give me the OPTION to add on things that I want?
Its silly that the dealership gets to add these marginally useful, and LARGELY overpriced items, and that Audi AG chooses to Omit useful items from the entire lineup.
If it costs so much, why not make it an OPTION to order??

I know I know.....quit making SENSE.

gr

markcincinnati

I never thought I'd want, let alone miss, the second grocery bag hanger. The car was marketed as coming with 2 -- the legalese does say there are running changes to the cars, bla, bla, bla.

And, frankly, I'm fine with Audi's decision to cut the bag holders from two to one. What I'm not OK with is not being able to say to the company (any company) take my money. I'd probably bitch about being "nickeled and dimed" -- but within reason, I'd pay for a second bag holder. Seems like $25 would cover it, so, perhaps I'd go a few bucks above that. The thing is the choices keep being eliminated.

I look on the websites for these cars (from other countries) and I see that there are "several" or "many" a la carte options that can be ordered. Here, everything is in a GD "package" -- I don't mind bundling, but I do mind not being able to buy "individual" package components.

markcincinnati

I never thought I'd want, let alone miss, the second grocery bag hanger. The car was marketed as coming with 2 -- the legalese does say there are running changes to the cars, bla, bla, bla.

And, frankly, I'm fine with Audi's decision to cut the bag holders from two to one. What I'm not OK with is not being able to say to the company (any company) take my money. I'd probably bitch about being "nickeled and dimed" -- but within reason, I'd pay for a second bag holder. Seems like $25 would cover it, so, perhaps I'd go a few bucks above that. The thing is the choices keep being eliminated.

I look on the websites for these cars (from other countries) and I see that there are "several" or "many" a la carte options that can be ordered. Here, everything is in a GD "package" -- I don't mind bundling, but I do mind not being able to buy "individual" package components.

Dealers say "packages" sell cars -- what I say is "take my money, please."

One last example: My wife loved the heated and cooled cupholder in her 2014 SQ5 Prestige -- she also like the articulating headlights. She said, "how much extra for the heated/cooled cupholder?" The response, "it's not available in this market anymore."

Something about "certifying the car with the heated/cooled cupholders for the US market."

Suck it up.