I've read that Drive Select is a useful feature on the A5 to make it handle better and be more responsive, because according to some the standard setting is more comfort oriented than sport.

But how relevant is it to the performance oriented S5? I'm used to a stiff suspension as it is, and the only reason I'd consider getting Drive Select is if it allowed me to make the handling meaningfully *more* sports oriented than the standard default setting without Drive Select.

TIA for the input.

 

ADS in the s5 provides a noticeably stiffer suspension over the stock suspension imho and the tighter steering sensation at hwy speeds definitely gives an aggressive sport feel. i would get it for the steering sensation alone. overall i am very pleased with it and i have had no problems after 6k mi.

 

Not just a little bit, but a lot. I really feel like the improved handling comes second to the improved steering feel (ratio and boost) and quicker throttle response. Worth the $3K, even if you plan to lower the car.

 

Drive select also sharpens throttle response and increases the weight of the steering.

Big difference between Comfort and Dynamic.

 

Hopefully not too big a deal... I also read where it defaults back every time you turn off the car. Guess if I don't have it, I won't miss it!!

 

The salesman said that it wasn't necessary on the S5, and that most orders he was putting through omitted it.

I'd still like to hear official word from Audi though about which mode the S5's normal, non-ADS configuration would correspond to.

 

...I couldn't believe the difference in feel. If I truly felt the difference was minor, I would say so; however, it makes a significant difference.

Audi really used drive select to put to rest the "disconnected-from-the-road-steering-feel" and the softer suspension that many critics--and many in this Forum had--compared to the likes of the BMW 3-series and M3--with Drive Select.

First, even in the manual car, it is not just about the suspension. The Drive Select--Dynamic setting changes the steering feel, the steering ratio, and the suspension in an integrated fashion and such a dramatic way, it gives the entire feel of the road that some Audi drivers complain was missing.

Second, the body roll is far more noticeable in a non-Drive Select car's suspension than in the 2009 with it in "Dynamic Setting" mode.

The car is still heavy of course, and it doesn't feel as nimble as, say, the Porsche Cayman, which I came very close to buying instead, but it does have a balanced feel, and in Drive Select it feels taut, more responsive, and tighter on turn-in than the non-Drive Select S5 or A5.

As a comparison, the feel of the non-Drive Select S5 sort of between "Comfort" and "Dynamic," but only 'sort of.' IMHO it is really closer to "Comfort." "Comfort" in the Drive Select option is softer than the base suspension of a non-Drive Select S5, but not "Cushy" like a cruisin' Cadillac or something. Hope this helps.

 

Doesn't really correspond to either; I don't think you will ever get an answer on that one.

 

Actually, I was thinking that the logic of having it on an A5 vs an S5 is a little backwards. If you are spending the money on the S5, purportedly because you care about performance, then you will probably care more about drive select and the feel it will give the car. Why leave that added performance on the table?

Seems to me most S5 drivers would appreciate the difference in steering and suspension. (or if you are like me, with the throttle and gear selection, dynamic gives you on the engine - with a Tip)

Make no mistake about it, the steering is very noticable from comfort to dynamic, as is the suspension. (regardless of tranny) For me with the Tip - it's a completely different animal in dynamic mode (which is a big bump to the fun factor of the car)

 

I don't drive my S5 "like I stole it" but the difference between the dynamic mode and normal mode is very noticible. The suspension tightens up considerably as does the steering. I would consider it a must have option.