Used 2018 Audi S5 Hatchback Consumer Reviews
If Only the Windows Work
It's been about 10 years since I last owned a German car and with great trepidation I bought the S5. I had such a terrible time with my Mercedes (every time I drove past the dealership, I got charged $1,000). It had everything I wanted: horsepower, handling, all wheel drive and it looked awesome! My friends said quality and reliability was unbeatable. Well, let's just say that the windows don't really work when it gets cold. It seems that moisture gets into the window mechanism and freezes during the winter. When that happens, the window does not seal properly (it is a frameless window, so it has to come down a little to release pressure for the doors to open easily). This means that road noise is terrible. Took it to the dealership twice. First time, they said it was a software upgrade issue. The second time, they couldn't replicate the issue. It is frustrating to spend $60K for a car and the windows won't work. Waiting for the lease to complete and I can go back to the reliable Acura.
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Love this car!
I love the way this car handles and the quality and technology are excellent. I previously owned a Lexus and this is my first Audi. His car has exceeded my expectations!
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One big problem made me sell after 9 mos
New technology for crash avoidance in this car is flawed. It was extremely intrusive and on three occasions nearly caused me to have an accident when it suddenly stopped in the middle of an intersection. If a car came opposite in a common left turn lane, for example, the Audi would anticipate having a head on collision and stop my car suddenly when I was trying to cross traffic. I had a 2016 S5 and I thought the technology worked just fine. The 2018 update changed this technology dramatically. I hated it.
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I want my old S4 back!
Stay away from this vehicle. It's gorgeous to behold and if you floor the pedal it flies, but in day to day driving it's simply awful. Mine has less than 9K miles on it, and it's been to the shop for no less than six different repairs. Airbag failures, engine thermostat failure, dash electronics failures, and more rattles/squeaks than I can count. It's also been back multiple times for buzzing speaker covers, which appears to be a very difficult problem to fix as the sound system is simply too powerful for the cheap plastic speaker covers which resonate at different bass frequencies. But the absolute worst thing is the laggy throttle response, which is barely even acceptable in the sportiest of modes. Low end throttle response in city navigation is just numb, and you can find countless people on the Audi forums complaining about it. I loved my 2014 S4 and it was superior to this lemming of a vehicle in every way except design/electronics. Oh yeah, and despite the laggy throttle you'll average about 17mpg in 50/50 city/highway driving.
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In a word - WOW
Owned the S5 Sportback for 3 days and absolutely blown away with performance, sound (of both car and B &O Stereo system) appearance and ease of use of infotainment system. Far easier to comprehend than Lexus GS system that I’m still trying to figure out after 3 years.
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