2009 Audi S5
- Used Audi S5
Audi S5 - What the Auto Press Says
The 2009 Audi S5 leaves critics impressed with its top-notch handling dynamics.
Model Overview
The S5 is a performance-tuned variant of the Audi A5 -- which garners praise for its elegant exterior design and comfortable cabin, but suffers in its ranking against other luxury sports cars because its performance abilities can't match those of class leaders, namely the Porsche Boxster and Cayman and Chevrolet Corvette.
Equipped with significantly more power and sports-tuning, the S5 behaves like an entirely different vehicle. In fact, Left Lane News writes: "Like an Olympian, the S5 is pure athlete, but in a sexy body. A four-seater based on Audi's equally attractive A5 coupe, it is the high-performance version of the vehicle that was introduced as a 2008 model. Using the platform of its sibling, the Audi A4 as the basis for its DNA was a good start, but the good looks push it into an entirely different realm."
Though the S5 carries into the 2009 model year virtually unchanged, new optional features are made available -- including Audi Drive Select, which allow drivers to alter the S5's drive quality by choosing among various mechanical settings.
The 2009 S5 is available in both coupe and cabriolet (convertible) body styles.
- "The alluring 2009 Audi S5 may seem a bit overpriced when compared to the cheaper and equally capable BMW 335xi coupe. But once you lay eyes on the S5's bodacious bodywork and hear the sweet sounds of its V8, you might decide it's worth every penny." -- Edmunds
- "As M is to BMW and AMG to Mercedes, Audi's 'S' cars are high performance versions of existing models. While the S5 is no exception to the rule, it is our experience is that it is not as uncompromisingly geared toward performance as BMW's M3, or as luxury oriented as the Mercedes-Benz CLK 550." -- Kelley Blue Book
The Bottom Line
The 2009 Audi S5 is a good choice for car shoppers looking to buy a performance-tuned vehicle that's as luxurious as it is sporty, but not wanting to break the $60K mark. It's attractive and elegant, and with a 354-horsepower V8 engine and Quattro permanent all-wheel drive, it's capable too.
However, those willing to forgo all-wheel drive for more horsepower and sportier handling dynamics will find a better choice in the BMW M3 -- the S5's primary competitor and, according to some auto critics, the benchmark in its class. Even though it's roughly $6,500 more than the S5, the M3 is definitely worth a test drive.
Performance Dynamics
The 2009 Audi S5 is equipped with a 4.2-liter V8 engine that produces 354-horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 3,500 rpm. Drivers may choose between a standard six-speed manual transmission and optional Tiptronic automatic. Audi reports that the S5 has a top speed of 155 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. According to the EPA, the S5 nets a city/highway fuel economy of 14/22 mpg with the manual transmission and 16/24 mpg with the automatic.
Standard, enhanced handling components include a Servotronic speed-dependent power steering, sport suspension and Quattro permanent all-wheel drive. Stopping the S5 is a four-wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.
Also standard on the S5 is Audi's Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP), which uses the vehicles ABS, EBD, Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), and traction control systems to brake individual brakes in such a way that the vehicle safely stays on its intended route.
Optional features include Audi Drive Select, which allows drivers to select between three modes- comfort, auto, and dynamic - that alter drive quality. A fourth mode, individual, is optional and only available for vehicles featuring a navigation system.
Also optional is a dynamic steering system. It ensures safety and comfort by altering the ration of the steering's gear system according to speed and Audi Drive Select mode.
While some test drivers take issue with the S5's standard and optional steering wheel systems, most are left satisfied by its state of the art mechanical components and sporty road prowess.
- "The 2009 Audi S5 is a sharp-handling coupe, with nicely controlled body roll and tenacious AWD traction. However, you'll certainly feel the S5's ample poundage when you're hustling it along a winding road. We also aren't fans of the S5's standard speed-sensitive power steering system -- it's artificially light at parking-lot speeds and artificially heavy on the highway. The optional variable-ratio steering system that comes with the Audi Drive Select package provides a similarly contrived feel, though at least it's adjustable according to driver preference." -- Edmunds
- +"Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system allows more traction than most drivers will ever need to call upon during hard acceleration, and a revised torque split in all models sends 60 percent of torque rearward, allowing a neutral feel that mimics rear-wheel-drive cars. As we've come to expect of cars competing in this segment, the brakes are excellent and powerful." -- Kelley Blue Book
- +"Throwing the six-speed into first gear makes you appreciate the precision of the S5's manual gearbox. It's just one of those ‘snick, snick, snick' affairs where you think where you want it to go next, and it does so, almost effortlessly. Banging through the gears brings up the vehicle's 'soundtrack,' which is pure music in a high performance sort of way." -- Left Lane News
