2009 Audi S5 Review

Vehicles come and go in life. Some are remembered fondly, others are simply cast aside after a few years for something different, never to be thought of again. But those rare cars, ones that make people smile when they’re remembered, never leave the mind.

For me, the 2009 Audi S5 will be one of them.

Arriving late to this shindig in 2007, the A4-based two-door comes in two flavors, the A5 comes in V6 “mild” and the more-powerful S5 comes in V8 “wild”. The coupe competes against the perennial segment heavyweights such as the BMW 3-series and Mercedes CLK-class. It may not have the total sharpness of the BMW, nor does it have whatever made the Mercedes as popular as it is.

What the S5 does have is style, panache and power.

Look at it. There are dozens of vehicles that may peak the interest of any car enthusiast, but to me, there are three cars in the past five years which turn me into a drooling buffoon: The Chrysler 300C; the Maserati Quattroporte; and this beauty from Ingolstadt.

For this test, I decided to take the Audi to my home town of Pittsburgh, Penn. It was Father’s Day weekend and I figured why not surprise the family, and the rest of Steeler-nation, with a hot set of wheels.

There are no wrong angles on this car. The S5 is long, at just over 15 feet in length, but it is very well-proportioned. The long hood with the wheels pushed to the corners creating short overhangs and the long, sloping rear windshield make this Audi exceptionally pretty. The front end slopes down to a signature Audi split grill while the headlamps house these elegant high-intensity lights and attention-grabbing LED daytime running lights. The S5 gets a more aggressive chin spoiler up front and chrome-rimmed driving lights.

Moving along the side, eyes will fall first on a set of gorgeous 10-spoke 19-inch wheels wrapped in Dunlop Sport Max SP rubber. Between those wheels are more aggressive side skirts and a subtle body crease. Above the door handle is another subtle crease leading from headlight to taillight and gives the car a lovely line to follow the body. The trunk lid has a small lip on it and quad exhaust tips down below a more aggressive rear bumper. The rear extends beyond where the bumper should be, but it works well in this application.

A Friday night out with a friend led to the South Side section of town, where the younger crowds get together for libations and socializing. It was the perfect area to watch and see if the Audi appealed to anyone. Whether parked or cruising down E. Carson Street, plenty of eyes were fixated on the elegant black coupe slowly thumping down the street. Ladies were drawn in by the LED lights in the headlamps and guys glared in envy as it passed, leaving them with a wonderful rumble from the V8 as we drove by.

The high-style on the outside carries into the inside, where passengers are greeted by a high-quality interior and a driver-oriented cockpit. Slide into the ultra-supportive 10-way sport seats and the car instantly wraps around the driver position. All controls in the dashboard and center console are contoured toward the driver, which make for a user-friendly interior. Don’t worry, if the driver is too busy, it’s easy for the navigator to take over control.

Occupants sit low in the car with the driver holding onto a plump three-spoke steering wheel in front of them. Behind the wheel are twin gauges housing the tachometer and speedometer. I’m not a fan of the gray background, but the white numbering helps make seeing how fast you are breaking the law. Directly next to the gauges is Audi’s Multi-Media Interface screen which houses everything from the audio choices to the optional navigation screen.

The MMI system is simple to use considering it’s not a touch screen system. Four buttons take you to the navigation screen, radio screen, Bluetooth telephone and on-board computer. A few twists of the knob and you can be chatting hands-free with a friend or following the route to your destination. Also, when backing up, an optional rearview camera comes to life to make sure you don’t dent that pretty rear end.

The interior of the S5 is quite spacious. Even with the small backseats, two people can spend time riding semi-comfortably. I wouldn’t suggest a long road trip unless the front occupants relinquish a few inches of legroom. There is plenty of shoulder room and leg room, but headroom is minimal for tall drivers as the Panoramic glass roof takes over valuable head room. The trunk is also roomy at 12 cubic feet, and can hold several golf bags with ease.

Enough of the boring and technical stuff. Time to get to the fun.

On the highway, the S5 has a firm ride, but it was very compliant on the less than stellar road surface making Interstate 70. The Dunlops do produce a bit of drone, but a quick tap on the accelerator brings the V8 alive to cover the noise.
Speaking of the engine, Audi builds a superb little monster. Also found in other Audi vehicles such as the S4 and S6, the S5’s small 4.2 liters (the lesser A5 comes with Audi’s venerable 3.2 liter V6) produces and impressive 354 horsepower and 326 lb. ft of torque putting power down through Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system.

This car is nothing to scoff at, and even though the car is a hair under two tons, the direct-injected engine hustles the car with sensational acceleration blanketed in an subdued Michigan-based exhaust note. And somehow, it gets almost 25 miles per gallon on the highway, three more than the EPA lists.

This particular S5 came with a six-speed manual transmission. It is a slick unit, with direct shifts in all gears but third, which gets hung up usually between gates if rushed. The clutch does have a high engagement point, but it’s deceptively light it is action. What I loved about this combination is I could leave the car in any gear and there’s no bog. The engine will pull from anywhere in the rev range, the manual will happily let you chose the right gear (unless it’s third gear), and you will leave.

And don’t think it’s just a looker. The S5 is a driver too.

Southwest Pennsylvania is a terrific place to test vehicles, with the rolling hills lining the Appalachian Mountains to test acceleration, braking and handling. There are numerous roads in which cars may be rung out on, but my favorite road is the 34 mile stretch of Route 910 from Harmar to Ambridge. A windy piece of automotive heaven north of the city, its rolling topography is the perfect place to really test a vehicle.

The beginning of the trip starts out with a few easy miles of soft curves, long straights and broken pavement. The S5 can handle this very well, with plenty of grip and almost zero body roll. The firm ride does transmit energy into your seat, but it’s muted. The engine just goes, even in a higher gear, and makes mince meat of the varying height changes.

Once the car crosses over Saxonburg Blvd, things become different. The road smooths significantly, however the turns become incredibly tight downhill corners and uphill off-camber thrill rides. This is where Audi’s optional Drive Select system comes into play. With the press of a button, the car can be changed from Comfort to Dynamic mode, and the S5 transforms from a comfortable cruiser to a more hardcore sports car. The suspension damping and Servotronic steering stiffen noticeably, and the throttle response is sharpened.

For the most part, I love the system. The stiffen suspension keeps the car hunkered to the road. Roll is all but extinct. The steering becomes heavier and quicker. The gas pedal is much more apt to pick up on your throttle inputs. The S5 had no problem keeping up with a cherry Chevrolet C6 Corvette with temporary tags trying to lose me outside the Wexford area. (If you are reading this, I am sorry to disappoint you.)

It ate the corners with such a massive amount of grip and power. There seems to be an endless supply of stick. You can tell this is a front-wheel drive vehicle with the 4.2 liter sitting far forward and the understeer popping up in tight turns, but the Quattro system seamlessly passes power front and back to make sure the S5 feels more balanced and sure-footed. Point the car wherever you want and it will follow with great enthusiasm, and if you want to be daring, lift-off oversteer is possible.

It is a very good car, except for a few minor setbacks. I am not a fan of the Dynamic steering setting in the Drive Select system. The setting may make the system more responsive, but it makes it also incredibly overboosted. Think of it as driving a car without power steering. Thankfully the MMI will allow you to custom-tailor the system to your preferences and allows the steering to stay in comfort mode. It may be lighter, but this keeps the car fun to drive without being brutal.

Another big negative for me is the price. Sure, it may start at $51,400 with those leather seats, on-board computer, Bluetooth, CD changer, 19-inch wheels and S5 sport-tuned suspension. Seems loaded, but it’s not.

Start adding luxuries such as the aforementioned navigation system and the Drive Select, and couple those with the gorgeous red leather, Technology package (consisting of parking system with rear camera, adjusting headlights, keyless entry/start and a blind-spot monitoring system), and a Bang & Olufsen sound system, and the price jumps to over $63,000. They are all worth it, especially the wonderful stereo system, but for the entry price, things like the navigation, and parts of the Technology package should be standard. Don’t forget about the $1,300 gas guzzlers tax either.

There is a ton to love about this car. The week I had it, I had a great time no matter what I was doing, whether it was letting family and friends drool over the metallic paint, chasing domestics in the hills of Pennsylvania, or letting onlookers give me the stink eye. Next year, Audi will be releasing a convertible version as well as the new the supercharged 3.0 liter V6 introduced in the A6 earlier this year.

Audi’s got a real winner on its hands, and if the price sounds reasonable enough, I guarantee it will not disappoint. Make sure you get the V8 before they are all gone.

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Base Price: $51,400
As Tested: $63,415
Architecture: Front-engine, all-wheel drive four passenger midsize coupe.
Drivetrain: DOHC, direct-injected, 4.2 liter eight cylinder with six-speed manual transaxle
Length: 182.5 inches
Wheelbase: 108.3 inches
Mileage: 14 mpg city, 22 mpg highway
Weight: 3891 lbs.

Filed Under: Audi • Car Reviews