Audi's new S5 is a real head-turner, says Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor, but its high price puts a damper on its prospects
If cars were judged simply on public reaction, then Audi's new S5 would win hands down in any contest this year. With new cars under test every week, we're used to a bit of head-turning as we drive past. Nothing personal, it's the metal they're admiring.
However, the reaction last week to the S5 took even us by surprise. We had people hanging out of passenger windows, pedestrians taking photos of the car in traffic with their mobile phones, bikers pulling alongside and giving the thumbs up.
Popularity, however, is no real judge of character or ability, as the results of all those You're a Star competitions will attest. Public adulation is fickle, and to buy a car simply because it turns heads would be a rather shortsighted and costly exercise. The last time we received these sort of looks was when we were driving the Chrysler Crossfire. And that's not a car you'd want to have sitting in your driveway these days, depreciating by the minute.
Thankfully, there is a little more substance to the S5. Powered by Audi's well-regarded 4.2-litre V8, the S version of the German firm's new coupé offers 354bhp in this format, while a more powerful RS version is due out next year.
While the regular versions feature the higher-end engines already on offer in the A6 range and the upper ranks of the A4 model, the S version captures the essence of what a premium coupé should be about: a mix of power and everyday user friendliness. That's where the likes of Mercedes CLK and BMW's 335i coupé comes in. This is Audi's attempt to get a slice of the action.
First to the looks: and from the side, it's not your typical German coupé. The rear c-pillar in particular has hints of US influences. It's not as low-cut as you'd expect, and that's partly an attempt to increase rear headroom.
The tapered side windows adopt the same format of many coupés these days, and the smaller glass area on the side gives the car a muscular presence, as if it has been chiselled from a single block of metal.
But that's only part of the story. Designers regularly claim that light clusters are the jewellery to their car designs, but Audi is one of the first to turn marketing spin into reality.
The S5's new daytime running lights are a dramatic feature consisting of a strip of eight light-emitting diodes running along the lower edge of the headlights and rising to the outside. Borrowed from Audi's R8 sports car, it makes the new coupé really distinctive in every rearview mirror.
In summary, while some cynics have dismissed the look as nothing more than an A4 without any back doors, the public's reaction last week certainly suggests otherwise. None of those admirers would have looked twice at an A4, or even an RS4.
The running gear on the S5 is Quattro four-wheel-drive that's balanced to provide 60 per cent of the power to the back wheels, keeping it well balanced on twisting stretches of road.
Thanks to its wide track - over 1.5 metres wheel-to-wheel - the car feels incredibly well grounded and the rear preference means there is little sign of understeer.
Several features on the new A5 range will feature on the new A4 model due out later this year.
Indeed this A5 platform is the basis for the next generation A4, and one of the strongest features has been the repositioning of the engine further towards the centre of the car.
Previously Audi engines hung over the front axle or even out in front, creating problems with weight distribution, which then impacted on handling.
With this new platform the engine has moved further towards the centre, and the resulting improvements in handling are evident.
Along with changes to the platform, the A5 also features a new steering rack. It's light and nimble: perhaps a little too light for our taste and not as pinpoint accurate as on the RS4. It proved one of the most disappointing features of the car.
The suspension, however, is really impressive and even with the sports settings on the S5 - featuring stiffer dampers and springs - it was well able to munch miles of motorway and back road. In comparison to its direct Bavarian rival, it's a magic carpet ride, without sacrificing too much in terms of handling.
The latter trait is where Audi is finally starting to close the gap on the holy grail of BMW: its driving ability. The Munich firm still has an edge over rivals, but when it comes to living with a premium coupé for a mix of everyday driving and the odd motorway blast, the A5 would seem more amenable to Irish roads.
Even on the optional 19-inch alloys the ride was nowhere near as harsh as you would expect from such a car, and it coped impressively well with the worst excesses of our potholed roads and back-breaking speed ramps.
Of course the S-version does have its foibles. For a start the clutch can be heavy when crawling in traffic, and the engine does seem eager to be let loose on the nearest empty straight.
The S5 can meekly potter around town at 30km/h but the slightest flick of the right foot sets off the two large exhaust silencers on the back tuned to emit gorgeous gravelly tones. It's aural intoxication and you can't resist the odd blip of the throttle just to hear the burble.
And although the balance is well set for a car of its size - the A5/S5 measures in at over 4.6 metres in length - you don't feel as completely in control with the tail as you do in a 3-Series coupé.
In terms of space, rear seat legroom is no different from the rest of the coupé clan in that the back seats are really only for small children or extra luggage. While headroom is not really a problem, legroom in the rear is a real issue and there's also a danger of catching your head on the low roof every time you try to climb into the back. There is an ample boot at 455 litres, but that's on a par with rivals.
As with all these premium coupés, you can't expect much change from €100,000 by the time you start adding the necessary extras that make the car a decent resale proposition.
THERE WERE, HOWEVER, a couple of impressive optional features on the test car, including the upgraded Bang and Olufsen stereo system that came in at €1,089 extra and was worth every cent. It's a far better investment than the €4,434 extra for the MMI control system with screen and satellite navigation. One other optional feature that worked well was the voice control system.
Thise operates via a button on the steering wheel which you press before dictating a command to the car. The range of commands varies from radio settings to air conditioning controls, but for once we found a system that could decipher our mumbled west of Ireland twang.
Overall the interior is on a par with what we've come to expect from Audi: a really well-built, quality package.
The downside, however, was that all these extras pushed our test car from its €85,500 starting price to €102,641. Even for BMW, whose list of options can never be considered cheap, it leaves a significant price gap between it and an equivalent 3-Series coupé.
The S5 seems to have it all: it's gorgeous, surprisingly comfortable on Irish roads and powerful.
Sadly the pricing structure is not as enticing. Audi is firmly a premium player these days. The RS4 is clipping the heels of BMW's legendary M3, while the R8 shows it can build credible supercars. The A5/S5 reveals yet more styling nuances on offer.
In the rest of the engine range in the regular A5 guises, it doesn't quite come up to the standards of its main German rival BMW, but its striking looks and amenable suspension should win it favour with Irish buyers. A better price would have swung it for us.
Factfile
ENGINE: 4163cc V8-cylinder petrol engine with direct fuel injection putting out 354bhp @ 7,000rpm and 440Nm of torque @ 3,500rpm. Manual six-speed transmission
SPECIFICATION: Dual front, side and curtain airbags; ABS; Electronic Stability Control (ESP); 18" alloys as standard; auto air conditioning; Audi 10-speaker stereo with MP3 function; cruise control; leather three-spoke steering wheel; Xenon lights; LED daytime driving lights; parking sensors.
Options include: 19" alloys (€1,830); Sat Nav with DVD incl. MMI system (€4,434); voice control system (€484); Bang and Olufsen sound system (€1,089)
L/100km (mpg):
Urban: 17.8 (15.9)
Extra-urban: 9.2 (30.7)
Combined: 12.4 (22.8)
CO2 emissions: 298g/km
Annual motor tax: €1,343
Price: S5 starts at €85,500
(A5 starts at €49,900 for the 1.8 TFSI 170bhp version)