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Consumer Reviews for the Audi RS 5
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Great everyday performance car
McGregor, 12/20/2019
2019 Audi RS 5 quattro 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.9L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
I traded my 2017 S6 in for the RS5 Sportback as I wanted something more sporty. The S6 was great but a little two big and unwieldy for sporty driving. Overall I am happy with the RS5. It is a good size, looks fantastic and has excellent performance and handling. The AWD makes it a year round daily drive in the Northeast, something the M4/C63/Giulia Quadrifolglio do not offer at least for … now. The AWD is not the only feature that makes it more practical as a daily; the hatchback (sorry, sportback) makes it easy to load and unload large items. Also the ride comfort is significantly more tolerable than the competitors. With 19" wheels the ride is just as comfortable as an A4. I went with the base 19" wheels for a few reasons; cost, better ride, less weight, better looks (subjective), less likelihood of a /bent wheel, and better traction when equipped with winter tires. The ride/handling tradeoff is perfect with the 19s and Dynamic Package (DRC suspension). I leave the suspension is auto as it is not as bouncy as comfort but not as stiff as dynamic. The drivetrain is great as well but the engine could use a bit more character. It pulls hard and there is good power everywhere. Turbo lag is not bad but you do feel it for a split second when flooring it. The engine sound is not terrible but it is one of the few negative points about the driving experience. The C63 sounds much better, while the M4 sounds only slightly better. The 8 speed automatic is a great transmission. It upshifts and downshifts quickly and smoothly in comfort and auto while dynamic makes the shifts even quicker and more forceful.Having said that a dual clutch transmission would be even better and make the car more special as everyone seems to be using the same ZF 8 speed automatic now. Coincidentally Porsche uses this same engine in the Macan turbo with a dual clutch (PDK) so it's a shame Audi doesn't do the same. Gas mileage is unsurprisingly poor but the worst part is the range. With the small gas tank I am getting around 240 miles per tankful which is awful. The car desperately needs a larger tank.
The interior quality and design are excellent as you would expect from Audi. Fit and finish is perfect and the material quality is outstanding. The seats are comfortable all day. The massage feature is a bit lame as it uses deflating/inflating air bladders instead of actual motors like it the A8. Instead they should offer comfort seats for people that want really comfortable seats with real massage. The virtual cockpit is cool but I would be fine with a traditional gauge cluster. The infotainment/nav screen is just stuck on the dash, not integrated like newer designs, and it doesn't even retract. I wish the moon roof was optional. It adds weight and comes with a retractable perforated screen that blocks most but not all of the sun. Plus when open the glass roof retracts outside of the car. I would have paid $1000 to delete the moon roof. Audi: make the moon roof an option. Another gripe about the interior is the glaring lack of storage compartments. There is very little space to store small items. Another storage issue: the owner's manual get stowed in the hatchback area, and the jack get strapped to the floor of the cargo area instead of in a cubby. Weird.
Other than the few minor gripes I still feel it is the best vehicle in it's segment. Yes the others have slightly better track times and acceleration numbers but in the real world the RS5 is right there with them. Throw is wet or slippery roads and you can't even use 1/4 of the performance of the others. Even if the others had AWD I will still take the Audi. The M4 styling looks ridiculous, designed by a Fast and Furious attitude in mind. Plus the ride is harsh. The Alfa can be dismissed due to its abysmal reliability and poor interior quality. The C63 is nice but it rides firms and looks too similar to a C300/C43; not acceptable when paying $80k. Also the MCT transmission shifts very harsh. In summary, if you are looking for a practical everyday performance sedan/hatchback that delivers the goods, and does not beat you up, the RS5 is the only choice.
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