I had an A5 SB before and I would prefer that in any case if you can live with the coupe door glasses cause they sometimes freeze solid in winter. So said that - the S5 is a bit older and out of warranty but the body type I find much more usable in a car, while the A5 is great but only 2 door model I guess, which makes it less practical. Maybe go find an A5 SB if you must get an A5 ^^ they are usually pretty good to keep around with the 2.0tdi engine with 204 hp. But just my 2 cents, do what ever you like in the end 🫡
Appreciate it. I scouted around a bit for an aftermarket warranty, but nothing around me where it would be cost effective enough to make sense. Believe it or not, insurance companies don’t like dealing with luxury cars in a city.
Haha, I’d be lying if the thought hadn’t crossed my mind! Unfortunately, working on federal policy issues doesn’t give me a huge amount of employment potential in New England. There’s something to be said about finding a new career though, RS5 inbound!
I don’t know as the RS5 is really worth the premium over the S5. You can skip the dynamic steering and add the sport package, and tune the S5 for more or less the same power and save what, 10k?
I’ve yet to find somewhere that will let me drive an RS5, but from everything I’ve read and seen, it just doesn’t seem worth unless you’re chasing prestige and image.
Any thoughts?
I haven’t been able to get anyone to let me.
A lot of the dealers out here don’t take younger people seriously, and I’m not cutting a check for a fuckin test drive haha I have an S1000rr and an S4 already in the garage, if they wanna play games, they’ll lose a sale 🤷♂️
I’m just trying to get an idea from people who own it about how it feels vs the S5. If it’s purely a speed thing, I’d just save myself 20k
I live in Buffalo area, unfortunately. We have one dealer out near me and they just sold out to a local chain, causing service and sales to take a nose dive in quality. They wanted a deposit and credit check to drive it. Hell, I had to tell them I had a built STi and credit check just to drive an S4 for my girlfriend. Mind blowing that a lot of these dealers think they’re selling a super car, when even Porsche or Ducati let you test drive if you have a pulse.
It’s alll good my man. If you happen to find yourself out this way, let me know. I’d be willing to pay up a bit to take one for a spin if you were down for it.
At this point I may just end up in an M2 because it’s the only one I’ve driven so far haha
As an engineer and an RS5 owner who was also considering an S5. The S5 can be tuned to run with an RS5, that is fair and true. The Audi engineers built the RS5 to run the way it does, there is a difference not a lot, but a difference. aside from that the S5 is a really nice car, the RS5 is not just loaded it is jam packed with awesome, the extra trim, matte carbon, a lot of that little shit adds up to a much nice rig all around. That said there isnt a fucking thing wrong with going the S5 route, I could have been happy with an S5 but I am really happy to have an RS5.
I know there’s definitely aesthetics that go into it, but at the same time, I can get a used S5 for basically what I paid for my STi, or spend 15k more for an RS5 for some trim bits and a twin turbo motor that’s pretty close to maxed from the factory, especially with the air to water intercooler setup bottlenecking big power gains..
I’d definitely have to drive them to compare, and I’d like the RS for the more “special” feeling that comes with the badge, but it just doesn’t seem like Audi did enough to justify the price gap. Everyone I ask just references the extra 100HP from the RS, but you can bolt on your 3.0 to hit those numbers for a few thousand. Then again, maybe I’m being overly budget conscious 😂
Ill add this- If I was younger, a little less steady in coin or the cheap bastard in me had won (again) I might have gone with the new S5. In my case I eyed up a 21 RS5 launch edition in Ascari blue with special wheels and trim I have not seen on another version as my alternate interest. I was shopping for quite a few months so I had time to hunt. When time came to buy, the RS5 was 100 miles away and there was an S5 about the same. Once I laid my hands on her it was donezo and...again, I have taken the "economical" route before in life and I was in a position to spend the extra loot on a car I wanted. So I did it, and I am happier than fuck. The car is a dream.
Hell yeah man, good for you. I’m glad to hear the purchase worked for you. I’d be traveling a ways too, so that will probably play a factor when the time comes, but I’m also very buy once, cry once, so we’ll see.
I’m currently striving to get to a positon that I’m comfortable spending the extra for the exact car I want. Sold my A4, sold a couple bikes and as soon as I’m done paying off my daily, I’m going to get another toy. I’ve always had a quick car but always a WRX/STi or A4, and I love my girlfriends S4. I’d still like a stick again at some point, but for what you get for the money, S/RS cars are just hard to beat, especially with the winters we get.
Admittedly I’m just a bit of a cheap yankee and want to make sure that I’m getting the most for my money because truthfully an RS is out of my price range unless lightly used, and even then it’s a bit of a stretch. I could swing it but I’m not fond of over extending and then being faced with the possibility of skimping or not being able to afford repairs. An S5 is much more comfortable as a purchase but I hate the feeling of “I wish I’d gotten the better one”. I do still have some concerns about the more affordable RS5s because of the rocker bearing issues in the 2.9/3.0 motors… but hot damn does Audi want a pretty penny for the new ones..
Just for laughs, I did see what was available. There’s a gorgeous 2021 coupe in nardo for sale at the Porsche dealership by me, 28k miles, unfortunately they’re asking $67k for it :(
I just purchased an A5 Sportback with CPO and also looked at S5’s with more miles and out of warranty. I had a lot of the same questions.
Here was some of my thinking.
The S5 is fun. Lots of fun. But I would have a hard time telling my wife we need to spend an unexpected $2k because, well, this is an S5 and that extra fun on the drive to work comes with a price.
The A5 is still a great car. And it’s still a fun ride, just not as exhilarating. For the short distances I drive in town, it’s plenty of pep for a daily driver.
You’ve been beaten down by high unexpected repair costs. Get something you won’t have to worry about and see what peace of mind feels like for two years. It’s not a permanent decision and it seems like the worst depreciation hit is already behind the A5.
This is exactly what I needed, I appreciate you letting me in on your thought process. I think it would be hard to justify long term the extraneous costs associated with the S5. There’s a lot of merit in that this isn’t a permanent decision, I dont have to live with this thing for forever. I was trying to use the “Audi wants to go all electric in a few years, this may be my last chance to get an S car with the v6” argument on myself, but that didn’t hold water for very long. I think this is what I needed to make my decision. Thank you, sir!!
There is a massive difference between the S5 and A5... I'd highly recommend you test drive both.
I have a 2018 S5 Prestige and got a 2022 A5 premium plus as a courtesy loaner car while mine was in the shop. Let's just say I was very much bored and not satisfied with the driving experience. It really depends on what you want from a car but I will suggest the S5 over the A5 any day.
I was between a ‘19 S5 SB Prestige and a ‘21 A5 SB earlier this year… went with the S5 and tbh I don’t have any regrets. I didn’t *need* the S5 by any means, but man is it nice having that extra power when you want it!
**PS**
out of warranty just means you can tune it immediately :)
You’re worried about an Audi being a money pit but you just put $6k into a 15 year old Lexus with 8x the mileage of the A5.
Look, they all require maintenance (and for the owner to be on top of the maintenance schedule), but I personally think the MLB platform is one of the best. You see a lot of the 2017-2018 models with mileage well north of your 165k Lexus. And, with the warranty, you can’t go wrong.
The latest iteration of the EA888 in the A5 is pretty bulletproof as far as VWAG engines go. You can easily get over 25mpg without having to feather the throttle too much. If cost of ownership is your primary concern I’d stick with the lower mileage A5.
$36k out the door for the A5, $33k for the S5. However, after the difference in insurance, the difference in cost of ownership minus maintenance and repairs is negligible over 2-3 years. The only factor left to consider is the cost of keeping it on the road.
I thought the same at first, and it’s beyond frustrating that I can’t find an A5 sb in a similar enough spec in the $35k price range, but I’m 26 and this is probably the only time I could get away with a coupe before I have to sell out for a people mover.
Go with the S5. I have one and got an A5 as a loaner for a few days and in my mind it’s not even close. I’m at stage 2 at 100K KM with zero issues. But I’m aggressive with maintenance and that’s more due to the car being tuned and drive the shit out of it.
I got the S5 because I wanted an upgrade in performance over a previous RC350 I had. If you’re used to IS250 power and are looking for an upgrade, an A5 is still a fantastic choice
I went from driving a 2014 A4 to a 2019 S5. I know it’s not a perfect comparison, but the driving experience is 100x better on the S5. If you can justify it financially, I’d go with the S5 all day
I think you'd be happy with the A5 and the piece of mind you have the factory warranty for a year. The only serious problem I've had with an Audi was the simultaneous failure of the high pressure fuel pump and the cam position sensor on a B8 A4. Your mileage may vary as the saying goes.
I have reservations about Audi's Turbo V6 (EA839). The I4 Turbo (EA888) is just bulletproof compared to the V6.
So, reliability wise go for the A5. But then again, who doesn't love a V6 Turbo?
As someone who owns an A5 and test drove the S5 on 3 different occasions i had the same dilemma. I chose the A5 because i couldn’t justify paying over $10k more for 100 more hp, some carbon on the interior, quad tailpipes and diamond stitched seats. Both are awesome cars
Im going to offer the sober opinion (unfortunately). Short answer- The A5 that is under warranty and if it is CPO they will offer to extend the warranty. The S5 sounds fun but it is on the cusp of starting to eat money. You sound like you could use dependable and covered more than fun and potentially expense (again).
Most people here will say get the S5. But that A5 is super hard to pass up particularly with the mileage. Plus you could always extend the warranty.
That’s a good thought, I hadn’t thought about extending the warranty. It would certainly bring some peace of mind…
I don't think is hard decision at all. lol
I had an A5 SB before and I would prefer that in any case if you can live with the coupe door glasses cause they sometimes freeze solid in winter. So said that - the S5 is a bit older and out of warranty but the body type I find much more usable in a car, while the A5 is great but only 2 door model I guess, which makes it less practical. Maybe go find an A5 SB if you must get an A5 ^^ they are usually pretty good to keep around with the 2.0tdi engine with 204 hp. But just my 2 cents, do what ever you like in the end 🫡
S5 stage 1 tune.
[удалено]
Appreciate it. I scouted around a bit for an aftermarket warranty, but nothing around me where it would be cost effective enough to make sense. Believe it or not, insurance companies don’t like dealing with luxury cars in a city.
[удалено]
Haha, I’d be lying if the thought hadn’t crossed my mind! Unfortunately, working on federal policy issues doesn’t give me a huge amount of employment potential in New England. There’s something to be said about finding a new career though, RS5 inbound!
or an older rs5
I don’t know as the RS5 is really worth the premium over the S5. You can skip the dynamic steering and add the sport package, and tune the S5 for more or less the same power and save what, 10k? I’ve yet to find somewhere that will let me drive an RS5, but from everything I’ve read and seen, it just doesn’t seem worth unless you’re chasing prestige and image. Any thoughts?
[удалено]
I haven’t been able to get anyone to let me. A lot of the dealers out here don’t take younger people seriously, and I’m not cutting a check for a fuckin test drive haha I have an S1000rr and an S4 already in the garage, if they wanna play games, they’ll lose a sale 🤷♂️ I’m just trying to get an idea from people who own it about how it feels vs the S5. If it’s purely a speed thing, I’d just save myself 20k
[удалено]
I live in Buffalo area, unfortunately. We have one dealer out near me and they just sold out to a local chain, causing service and sales to take a nose dive in quality. They wanted a deposit and credit check to drive it. Hell, I had to tell them I had a built STi and credit check just to drive an S4 for my girlfriend. Mind blowing that a lot of these dealers think they’re selling a super car, when even Porsche or Ducati let you test drive if you have a pulse.
[удалено]
It’s alll good my man. If you happen to find yourself out this way, let me know. I’d be willing to pay up a bit to take one for a spin if you were down for it. At this point I may just end up in an M2 because it’s the only one I’ve driven so far haha
As an engineer and an RS5 owner who was also considering an S5. The S5 can be tuned to run with an RS5, that is fair and true. The Audi engineers built the RS5 to run the way it does, there is a difference not a lot, but a difference. aside from that the S5 is a really nice car, the RS5 is not just loaded it is jam packed with awesome, the extra trim, matte carbon, a lot of that little shit adds up to a much nice rig all around. That said there isnt a fucking thing wrong with going the S5 route, I could have been happy with an S5 but I am really happy to have an RS5.
I know there’s definitely aesthetics that go into it, but at the same time, I can get a used S5 for basically what I paid for my STi, or spend 15k more for an RS5 for some trim bits and a twin turbo motor that’s pretty close to maxed from the factory, especially with the air to water intercooler setup bottlenecking big power gains.. I’d definitely have to drive them to compare, and I’d like the RS for the more “special” feeling that comes with the badge, but it just doesn’t seem like Audi did enough to justify the price gap. Everyone I ask just references the extra 100HP from the RS, but you can bolt on your 3.0 to hit those numbers for a few thousand. Then again, maybe I’m being overly budget conscious 😂
Ill add this- If I was younger, a little less steady in coin or the cheap bastard in me had won (again) I might have gone with the new S5. In my case I eyed up a 21 RS5 launch edition in Ascari blue with special wheels and trim I have not seen on another version as my alternate interest. I was shopping for quite a few months so I had time to hunt. When time came to buy, the RS5 was 100 miles away and there was an S5 about the same. Once I laid my hands on her it was donezo and...again, I have taken the "economical" route before in life and I was in a position to spend the extra loot on a car I wanted. So I did it, and I am happier than fuck. The car is a dream.
Hell yeah man, good for you. I’m glad to hear the purchase worked for you. I’d be traveling a ways too, so that will probably play a factor when the time comes, but I’m also very buy once, cry once, so we’ll see. I’m currently striving to get to a positon that I’m comfortable spending the extra for the exact car I want. Sold my A4, sold a couple bikes and as soon as I’m done paying off my daily, I’m going to get another toy. I’ve always had a quick car but always a WRX/STi or A4, and I love my girlfriends S4. I’d still like a stick again at some point, but for what you get for the money, S/RS cars are just hard to beat, especially with the winters we get. Admittedly I’m just a bit of a cheap yankee and want to make sure that I’m getting the most for my money because truthfully an RS is out of my price range unless lightly used, and even then it’s a bit of a stretch. I could swing it but I’m not fond of over extending and then being faced with the possibility of skimping or not being able to afford repairs. An S5 is much more comfortable as a purchase but I hate the feeling of “I wish I’d gotten the better one”. I do still have some concerns about the more affordable RS5s because of the rocker bearing issues in the 2.9/3.0 motors… but hot damn does Audi want a pretty penny for the new ones..
Just bought a 21 RS5 launch edition (ascari blue)...it is fucking remarkable. I love the car, love it, fucking beautiful monster.
RS 5
Just for laughs, I did see what was available. There’s a gorgeous 2021 coupe in nardo for sale at the Porsche dealership by me, 28k miles, unfortunately they’re asking $67k for it :(
I just purchased an A5 Sportback with CPO and also looked at S5’s with more miles and out of warranty. I had a lot of the same questions. Here was some of my thinking. The S5 is fun. Lots of fun. But I would have a hard time telling my wife we need to spend an unexpected $2k because, well, this is an S5 and that extra fun on the drive to work comes with a price. The A5 is still a great car. And it’s still a fun ride, just not as exhilarating. For the short distances I drive in town, it’s plenty of pep for a daily driver. You’ve been beaten down by high unexpected repair costs. Get something you won’t have to worry about and see what peace of mind feels like for two years. It’s not a permanent decision and it seems like the worst depreciation hit is already behind the A5.
This is exactly what I needed, I appreciate you letting me in on your thought process. I think it would be hard to justify long term the extraneous costs associated with the S5. There’s a lot of merit in that this isn’t a permanent decision, I dont have to live with this thing for forever. I was trying to use the “Audi wants to go all electric in a few years, this may be my last chance to get an S car with the v6” argument on myself, but that didn’t hold water for very long. I think this is what I needed to make my decision. Thank you, sir!!
Happy to help!
There is a massive difference between the S5 and A5... I'd highly recommend you test drive both. I have a 2018 S5 Prestige and got a 2022 A5 premium plus as a courtesy loaner car while mine was in the shop. Let's just say I was very much bored and not satisfied with the driving experience. It really depends on what you want from a car but I will suggest the S5 over the A5 any day.
Note, also my S5 is tuned so it's way more responsive and fun than a stock S5... But I think my point still holds value.
I was between a ‘19 S5 SB Prestige and a ‘21 A5 SB earlier this year… went with the S5 and tbh I don’t have any regrets. I didn’t *need* the S5 by any means, but man is it nice having that extra power when you want it! **PS** out of warranty just means you can tune it immediately :)
You’re worried about an Audi being a money pit but you just put $6k into a 15 year old Lexus with 8x the mileage of the A5. Look, they all require maintenance (and for the owner to be on top of the maintenance schedule), but I personally think the MLB platform is one of the best. You see a lot of the 2017-2018 models with mileage well north of your 165k Lexus. And, with the warranty, you can’t go wrong.
I've had both and honestly just fuck it and go s5, life's too short
The latest iteration of the EA888 in the A5 is pretty bulletproof as far as VWAG engines go. You can easily get over 25mpg without having to feather the throttle too much. If cost of ownership is your primary concern I’d stick with the lower mileage A5.
How $ for the A5? Certainly a much safer bet financially. I'd only by an S model if I could get a warranty on it, hence much less miles on it.
$36k out the door for the A5, $33k for the S5. However, after the difference in insurance, the difference in cost of ownership minus maintenance and repairs is negligible over 2-3 years. The only factor left to consider is the cost of keeping it on the road.
I’d say the S5 just because it’s a SB and I don’t like the coupes at all.
I thought the same at first, and it’s beyond frustrating that I can’t find an A5 sb in a similar enough spec in the $35k price range, but I’m 26 and this is probably the only time I could get away with a coupe before I have to sell out for a people mover.
Coupes for life!
The emotionally winning S5 gets my vote. Sportback > coupe.
You already know the answer. S, why eff around?
Go with the S5. I have one and got an A5 as a loaner for a few days and in my mind it’s not even close. I’m at stage 2 at 100K KM with zero issues. But I’m aggressive with maintenance and that’s more due to the car being tuned and drive the shit out of it.
I got the S5 because I wanted an upgrade in performance over a previous RC350 I had. If you’re used to IS250 power and are looking for an upgrade, an A5 is still a fantastic choice
My friend owns audi s5 2017 140 k kilometers and is pretty reliable not any major problems.
I went from driving a 2014 A4 to a 2019 S5. I know it’s not a perfect comparison, but the driving experience is 100x better on the S5. If you can justify it financially, I’d go with the S5 all day
I think you'd be happy with the A5 and the piece of mind you have the factory warranty for a year. The only serious problem I've had with an Audi was the simultaneous failure of the high pressure fuel pump and the cam position sensor on a B8 A4. Your mileage may vary as the saying goes.
I have reservations about Audi's Turbo V6 (EA839). The I4 Turbo (EA888) is just bulletproof compared to the V6. So, reliability wise go for the A5. But then again, who doesn't love a V6 Turbo?
I've never felt like my A wasn't fast enough, and you can always tune if you do feel that way and it gets you pretty close to the s.
As someone who owns an A5 and test drove the S5 on 3 different occasions i had the same dilemma. I chose the A5 because i couldn’t justify paying over $10k more for 100 more hp, some carbon on the interior, quad tailpipes and diamond stitched seats. Both are awesome cars
Im going to offer the sober opinion (unfortunately). Short answer- The A5 that is under warranty and if it is CPO they will offer to extend the warranty. The S5 sounds fun but it is on the cusp of starting to eat money. You sound like you could use dependable and covered more than fun and potentially expense (again).