Performance
Comfort
Fuel Economy
Fun To Drive
Interior Design
Exterior Design
Build Quality
Reliability
Review
I wanted a nice car that was fun to drive that could be a daily driver and was a convertible. The Audi S5 is that, and more!
After test driving BMW, Audi, and Jaguar, I was on the fence between BMW and Audi. The Audi just “felt” more fun to drive. The BMW had a better entertainment system and better fuel economy. Also, the Audi was slightly more expensive; telling me it had better resale. The other thing that made me choose Audi was the Adaptive Cruise Control option. BMW doesn’t have this option on many of their convertibles, and it was easier to find an Audi with one. I am so glad I did! What a great feature to have if you drive highways frequently.
After 7 weeks with this car, it is more than perfect, if you can say that. It is a high performance speed demon if you want, with a great exhaust sound and rally inspired handling. If you want a leisurely cruise with the top down, you can have that too. It does drink a little more gas than I was expecting, but the smiles per mile more than make up for it. Traction hasn’t been an issue, and I can’t wait to try it in snow.
The main issues I’ve had are with the entertainment system. The Homelink garage door opener has not worked a few times. (I literally jumped in the OTHER car I have with it, pushed the button, and door went down on the first try. After returning home, the Audi Homelink worked fine.) The “MMI” Nav screen has become “stuck” on a screen before after using the reverse camera. I had to push the Media or Nav button to get it un-stuck, so not too bad of an issue. One morning after putting the top down, a window kept going to 25% closed while the rest were 100%. I had to manually use the window button on that door to get it to stay up. The cord to connect your phone or iPod to the Nav system is a pain, as it is in the glove box. Instead, I bought a 16GB SD card for $10 on Amazon and play all my music that way with one of two SD slots. The Bluetooth for answering calls and playing music is flawless, however. I very much prefer the non-touch screen in the Audi vs the touch screen in the BMW. UPDATE: I have not had any issues with any of these systems since the dealer updated the MMI 6 months ago.
Driving with the top up, it feels like a normal car. The road noise can be elevated at times, which is because it is a cloth top. A Mustang driver rode in my car and noted that the road noise was much less than theirs. The AC cools very fast, creating a cool atmosphere on a hot day (95F) with the setting at 76F. The ventilated seats cool quite quickly, but I am beginning to think they are more of a gimmick than worth the extra money.
If you are buying strictly for performance, you might be a little disappointed with the vehicle stability and throttle response. You can feel a lot of vehicle sway when cornering on a rough road, and many people install a rigid bar across the engine bay to reduce body sway. The throttle is not responsive unless in sport mode, which is quite punchy and hurts drivability a bit.
In addition, the looks of this car are unique and stylish. Not too aggressive or over the top, but smooth lines and well-designed features. Even with the release of the redesigned 2018 model, this one doesn’t look out of date.
Overall, this car is a pleasure to drive and look at. You won’t be disappointed in buying, although maintenance is slightly more expensive when items fail, the reliability has been fantastic. If you came to this page to find the perfect car, this is the ONE!
UPDATE: After driving this car for 14 months, I like it even more. I've put almost 32K miles on it with no mechanical issues. Even changed the tires and it didn't need an alignment. I think the performance is better than I originally thought. Keeping the car in Dynamic mode helps the stability in cornering quite a bit. I drove it on slick and icy roads without any issues. The entertainment system had a few sporadic problems, but an update to the system by the dealer took care of them. I found out gas mileage can drastically improve with driving habits, haha. Overall, still very happy with my purchase.