Audi S5 Part 3: Performance Review

If Bo and Luke Duke could have driven an Audi S5 around Hazzard County instead of a '69 Dodge Charger, Roscoe P. Coltrane and his fellow crooked sheriffs wouldn't have had a chance of catching the Duke boys. Of course, they would have had to come up with a different name for their car than The General Lee…

Regardless of what you call it, the new Audi S5 and its Quattro all-wheel-drive system provide such a traction advantage over rear drive cars on low-friction surfaces that it's almost unfair. But you don't need a dirt road to feel the advantages of the S5's Quattro system, any road will do.

The Quattro system is rear biased to the tune of 60 percent drive to the rear axle and 40 percent to the front axle. That's in a perfect world at a constant speed with no crosswinds or other variables. The minute you turn the wheel though, the system goes variable, adjusting the drive on the fly. The system makes you look like a hero and allows you to get out of situations that would spell trouble in other cars.

The electric power-assisted steering in the S5 has decent feel, but the upcoming Audi Drive Select, which will feature an active steering system, promises to be even better.

The direct injected 4.2-liter V8 makes 354 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. It will accelerate the S5 to 60 mph in just under 5 seconds, but curiously, it doesn't feel that fast. Credit a flat torque curve as well as the stout chassis that is composed at all times thanks to Audi's Quattro system.

So it doesn't feel as fast as it is, but the S5 will still annihilate distance with ease. The V8 does its part with loads of character. Everything from the sound it makes, to the immediate throttle response, to the constant surge of power it delivers through the smooth shifting six-speed manual gearbox will have you enjoying every mile.

On the braking front, the Quattro system comes into play once again. Most people only think of the traction advantages of all wheel drive system in terms of acceleration. But there is also a big advantage to Quattro when decelerating. Just as there is drive to both front and rear axles, there is also drag at both axles when you're off the throttle.

In a rear drive car, a sudden lift off of the throttle will immediately upset the balance of the car as the drive is suddenly disrupted to the rear axle while the front axle is still free-wheeling. In an all-wheel-drive car, both axles go from drive to drag and the disruption is minimized giving the car greater stability. So the car remains well balanced while you're on the very effective brakes.

The S5 is based on the B8 chassis and is the first car to employ Audi’s MLP - which stands for Modular Longitudinal Platform. Essentially, MLP moves the front axle forward, thereby improving the cars weight distribution by 5-6 percent toward the rear, according to Audi. This helps immensely in ridding the car of the nose-heavy handling that has afflicted past Audis.

This results in a car that is more responsive to your inputs. You can even adjust the S5's cornering attitude by rotating the car into the corner, and that's something that hasn't been on Audi's handling menu in the past.

In fact, excluding the rock star R8, the S5 is by far the best handling production Audi. And yes, it's even better than the RS4 - by a wide margin.

So maybe instead of The General Lee we could call it, The General Rommel. Now, if I could only find a sophisticated, Teutonic Daisy Duke…

Watch the video
Read Part 1: Design
Read Part 2: Interior & User Experience

Audi S5

Performance
- Acceleration: Difficult to launch due to all that grip - pulls strongly from anywhere on the tach
- Handling: THE best handling Audi (excluding the R8) by a mile - finally more options than just understeer
- Braking: Excellent feel, stability, and effectiveness

Design
- Exterior: A candidate for world's most beautiful coupe, just stunning
- Interior: Typical Audi levels of quality now, with great design as well

Utility
- Comfort: Good ride/handling compromise - solid, vault-like structure
- Space: Great in the front, not so much in the rear

Safety
- Dynamics: Definitely leans toward safety with its moves, but still fun and adjustable
- Technology: All the airbags - excellent stability control that can be defeated - and of course, Quattro

Value
- Price: Sits in an interesting valley between 335i and M3 in both performance and price - a lot of car for the money
- Mileage: Direct injection does its part to keep the thirst of the V8 at acceptable levels given its performance

Emotional Appeal
- Heart thumpin' factor: Just looking at it gets your pulse racing, driving it is a bonus - stunning car
- Fun to spank: It's reluctant to rotate, and with Quattro, it's difficult to break traction, so not the most fun car to spank

SPECIFICATIONS

Layout: Front engine / all-wheel drive
Engine: 4.2 liter, DOHC V8
Power (SAE): 354 hp @ 6800 rpm
Torque: 325 lbs-ft @ 3500 rpm
Redline: 7000 rpm
Gearbox: 6 speed manual
Curb Weight: 3891 lbs.
0-60 mph: 4.9 sec.
1/4 mile: 13.3 sec.
Top Speed: 155 mph (electronically limited)
Mileage: 14 city / 21 highway
Base Price: $50,500
Competitors: BMW 335i, Mercedes-Benz CLK550