2015 Audi RS5 Reviews

Who wouldn't love to own an Audi R8 supercar? They look sensational - nearly as good as they perform. But, reality check time, it's really only dreamworthy. Back a few rungs on the ladder to a more accessible level is possibly Audi's best looking mainstream model, the RS5 coupe.VALUEIt has nearly as much road presence as the R8 and isn't far behind in performance or handling and it's a mere $161,500 plus (a lot) extra for various packages you are going to want. Achoo, you say. Yes, I know, also dreamworthy at that sort of dosh but hey, you've gotta have dreams.Mine came true when I wangled a drive in the new RS5, one of my favourite cars at this point in time. There's more high-tech stuff throughout every aspect of the car including the chassis with drive select and torque vectoring to the rear wheels.Spend more and you start accessing two optional dynamic sports packages (one of which was fitted to the drive car) and bigger 20-inch wheels, as well as other cool stuff. All it takes is money. But the net effect is awesome.DESIGNIt's even better than before with revised styling, more chromework on the front end. Inside is typically Audi classy with soft leather, carbon inlays and chic, modern styling along with a killer audio, the latest navigation system and luxury equipment levels. It's got some serious competition out there but the looks carry it for me.TECHNOLOGYIt gets a revised powertrain featuring a brilliant 4.2-litre, direct injection, naturally aspirated V8 that runs with the pack of larger capacity and forced induction V8s. Following Audi's philosophy of downsizing engines to cut emissions and fuel use, the new RS5 still manages to edge closer to the magic 500 horsepower mark (about 375kW).So the 331kW/430Nm output of this "small block" high-tech, alloy V8 is quite amazing. Mind you it revs to 8250rpm to achieve this output but on the way, sings one of the sweetest songs you'll hear from a road registered car.DRIVINGIn full dynamic mode with the ESP of, this car delivers sensational handling aided and abetted by the quattro all wheel drive. It has large powerful brakes clamped at the front by eight piston calipers. The seven speed S-tronic dual clutch transmission fires through gear changes in micro-seconds blipping the throttle on down changes if so instructed through the drive select system.VERDICTAny downside, no, not even fuel consumption which is an achievable 10.5-litres/100km Yep, better tub those kids in preparation for selling.

You don’t need to be a trainspotter to twig straight away that the Audi RS5 is worlds away from the A5 Coupe that seeds it.You could skip right over the small RS (race sport) badging, but the mesh grille, extra bodykit and sport exhausts betray the car’s performance focus. With our test car adding the optional 20” wheels and harness-ready seats, it may as well stake out its claim on track-day territory with fluoro surveyors tape and flashing neon signage.For transparency, I have to disclose that the soon-returning Audi RS4 in Avant form is an all-time favourite for its brilliant welding of performance and practicality. It’s a compact station wagon that reasonably justifies the need for a lap timer, and when it comes to being multi-faceted, few cars shine brighter.So its A5-based cousin was welcomed with respect for what Audi adds when it builds an RS model. But it was waved goodbye with the realisation that more is sometimes less.VALUEAlthough Audi dropped the price by more than $13,000 over the previous model, at $161,400, the RS5 isn’t cheap, and ours was optioned about $25,000 beyond that with dynamic steering, sports package with tweaked suspension, dynamic ride control and 20” wheels, aluminium trim and red-accented racing seats. Add in on-roads and you’re nearly eye-level with the $200,000 notch.So what other performances coupes is it up against for that kind of money? Audi has compared it to the BMW M5, but most people will shop it against the smaller M3 at $162,300 for the auto.Likewise, Mercedes-Benz’s closest contender is the $154,800 C63 AMG, which wins the on the bang:buck ratio with a larger engine and higher outputs. The Beemer’s capacity and outputs are slightly below the Audi’s, but all three sit within a whisker of each other in the mid 4-sec range for 0-100km/h acceleration.But the monkey in the room is a cheeky Japanese macaque: the lively Toyota 86 that -- twinned with the Subaru BRZ -- won the 2012 Carsguide Car of the Year. It can’t touch the Audi for technology, quality fit-out and style, but in manual form the Toyota is priced from $29,990. That's nearly one for each day of the week against the price of our test RS5.DESIGNThe RS treatment adds purpose to the potential of the A5 Coupe design. The nose seems to snort wider and lower with the massive single-frame honeycombe grille, larger wheels complement the bolder swell of arches, and a front splitter and rear diffuser -- along with sizeable twin elliptical exhausts -- signal it's ready to do business.Audi interiors are faultless, and the RS5 touches and options raise them to sublime. A flat-bottomed wheel, one of the best-judged integrations of aluminium and carbon-fibre accents, and the huggy love of the powered sports-seat side bolsters all reinforce the message that you're sitting in something special.The cabin seats four, and access to the rear row isn't easy but those who make it will find well-shaped buckets. Tall passengers will feel the pinch for realistic legroom, and head space under the sloping roofline can be tight.TECHNOLOGYA tickled revision of the high-revving 4.2-litre V8 gives you 331kW and 430Nm, a smooth seven-speed dual-clutch auto delivering torque to all four wheels, with the rear-biased quattro system able to feed up to 85 per cent to the back and a sport diff varying what each of those wheels gets.Throttle, steering and suspension settings can be adjusted in pre-set modes or individually starting from Audi's stoic notion of 'Comfort' and slightly hardening and tightening everything up to swifter response, gloriously stubborn refusal to budge from a selected gear, and bedrock ride quality.Just the figures? Hit 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and the speedo wall at 250km/h -- although you can have the limiter wall moved another 30km/h up the dial. And if doing that, don't expect to see the other official figure: fuel economy of 10.5L/100km.We managed that number in highway cruising, but around town it shot up to a wallet-wracking 19L. The final figure was in the high 13s, but that took in a far higher ratio of time outside the city limits than most cars would do.SAFETYFull five-star crash rating, with six airbags, switchable stability control, anti-skid brakes with assist technology for panic stops and force distribution to counter uneven loads. There’s a reversing camera and parking sensors, and a spare tyre – albeit a space saver.DRIVINGThis is what the RS5 is about, and the test car was kitted out to post the goods. The optional dynamic steering delivers the feedback absent from Audi's signature cloaked steering feel, and the slick seven-speed dual-clutch auto gives hair-trigger changes.Power pours from the engine in an immediate and smooth stream, and few would find there's not enough on tap to suit their tastes or tasks.This chimes in with brilliant handling to see the car come alive once you can get it on the right road to give it its head, with the quattro all-wheel drive making it an incredibly sure-hoofed beast and the massive brakes giving a deft progression to calm or halt over-excitement.You'd have to do something supremely moronic to make it misbehave -- and even then, it would probably be able to counter most stupidity.But the ideal roads on which it shows at its best are far from the ones most of us drive everyday, and this is where all the RS5's morishness becomes less.Even on the most forgiving setting, the ride is too harsh for everyday city driving -- and sentencing the RS5 to that job is akin to yoking Black Caviar to a tourist carriage.VERDICTThis one to fill the second spot in the garage, with an eye to days spent lashing the track. It's an aggresssive and beautifully appointed performance toy, but as an everyday drive it doesn’t match up to the BMW and Merc. And even the cavernous boot isn't enough to round it out with the practical potential that added extra lustre to the RS4 Avant’s halo.Audi RS5 CoupePrice: from $161,400Warranty: 3yr/unlimited kmResale: 56 per centService interval: 12 months/15,000kmSafety features: six airbags, ABS, BA, EBD, TCCrash rating: 5 starsEngine: 4.2-litre V8, 331kW/430NmTransmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto; AWDThirst: 10.5L/100km, 270g/km CO2Weight: 1753kg

Late last year the Australian motoring media were let loose in a range of upcoming new Audi models, including a special Limited Edition of the RS 5 coupe. The standard variation of the Audi RS 5 has been our review car all week and like its ‘Limited’ brother is a high-performance German machine that is guaranteed to bring a big smile to the face of any keen driver.VALUEAt $161,400 plus on-roads the new Audi RS5 coupe is not cheap. Two new Audi packages are available to RS 5 buyers, with Valcona leather coming with a choice of diamond quilting ($14,990) and contrasting red leather inserts (from $9400) to add even more exclusivity.Just 25 cars get the ‘special’ treatment that includes 20-inch alloy wheels, sports exhaust with dual modes and black tailpipes, panoramic sunroof and Bang & Olufsen surround sound system, all for the same price – $161,400 – as the standard RS 5 Coupe.TECHNOLOGYA worked version of Audi’s 4.2-litre V8 engine produces a stirring 331 kW of power and the RS 5 takes advantage of Audi’s seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive with self-locking centre differential and torque sharing on all four wheels. In addition there’s a sport differential for variable distribution of power between the rear wheels.All of this geared technology is enough to get the Audi RS 5 to 100 kilometres an hour from rest in just 4.5 seconds, no mean feat for a vehicle weighing on the high side of two tonnes if a couple of big Aussie blokes are on board.Top speed is normally electronically limited to 250 kilometres an hour. We are told that 280 km/h is available on request to Audi if the engineers there are confident in your driving ability. Top-speed is irrelevant off the race track in Australia but the smooth and instant power delivery adds driver confidence when overtaking on country roads or merging onto motorways. Perhaps even for the pleasure some of us enjoy in accelerating away from traffic lights to get clear of the pack.Audi has officially measured the latest RS 5 at an average of just 10.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. Reduced fuel consumption is, in part, due to a new electromechanical power steering. Instant response, positive feedback and sharp cornering are also welcome improvements.DESIGNThe tall single-piece radiator looks as though it takes in more cool air than the Vienna Boys Choir in an Alpine concert; the 19 or 20-inch wheels would not look out of place on a Ben Hur chariot; twin elliptical exhaust ports look about the size of a ship’s funnels and create a stirring a fanfare from the booming V8.Brakes feature internally ventilated discs. Callipers are painted high-gloss black, the front units having eight pistons each and sporting RS logos. Modifications have been made to the layout of instruments and controls with the three-spoke, multifunction steering wheel dressed in perforated leather featuring new, more intuitive, buttons and rollers.The centre console has been reworked with the optional multimedia interface hard keys for menu functions reduced from eight to six. The ignition key and the steering column stalks have also been updated. Contrasting against the predominantly black cabin décor, pedals, footrest, air vents, shift paddles on the steering wheel, the MMI buttons and other controls are finished in an aluminium look.The two-door coupe character of the car can be a chore for passengers getting in and out of the two rear seats – it’s a four-seater only – and not recommended for the less agile. The wide doors don’t help in limited parking space. However, when ensconced in the back there is room for few complaints from occupants, the body-hugging sports seats providing plenty of thigh and side support even during the most spirited driving.SAFETYBrakes are hooked up to the usual active safety systems such as ABS with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist.DRIVINGAudi Drive Select is standard and allows the driver to select between three modes – Comfort, Auto and Dynamic – changing the characteristics of steering, the S tronic transmission, throttle valves and exhaust sound valves.The electronic stability program with Sport mode can be deactivated, while an optional sport suspension-plus with dynamic ride control makes use of variable suspension damping, while high-performance brakes, with front carbon fibre ceramic discs are also available as an optionDuring our time with the ultra-hot Audi RS 5 fuel consumption ranged from 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres in highway cruising to 18-plus litres per 100 kilometres in stop/start city traffic. While high in their own right these figures aren’t bad for a car with this sort of performance and indicate the efficiency of the big V8 powerplant.Stability is also improved by a spoiler in the rear hatch which deploys electronically at 120 km/h or at the push of a button by the driver. A flat-bottomed steering wheel, now standard, adds a further sporting feel to the RS 5.VERDICTAudi RS 5 is a stunner of a coupe both in looks and actions, displaying all that Audi stands for in style and automotive technology.Audi RS5Price: from $161,400Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kmCrash rating: n/aEngine: 4.2-litre 8-cyl petrol, 331kw/430NmTransmission: 7-speed auto; AWDThirst: 14.4L/100km, 246g/km CO2Dimensions: 4649mm (L), 1860mm (W), 1366mm (H)Weight: 1715-1790kg

Two sports coupes released within weeks of each other represent unprecedentedly polar extremes of two-door fun. One you see on this page. The other wouldn't normally be mentioned in a review of a prestige car. Having just returned from as legal a fang as it's possible to have on public roads, I'm wondering whether Audi - and its uber-sophisticated rivals - might not learn something from Subaru's BRZ?Chalk and cheese, you say? Industrial beer to Dom Perignon? Ignoring the $130,000 disparity, the game-changing Soob shows us that less can be, if not more, then enough.Autobahn-stormingstyle acceleration means little unless you've regular recourse to a track. Certainly I can't claim to have had any less fun in the much “lesser'” car. Rather more, actually.That said, the RS5 is, of course, clinically excellent, a rousing muscle car with naturally aspirated V8 stonk and sound to deliver on its aggressive and now mildly enhanced lines. “Muscle car”' is the motif. In a sense, the A4/A5 range hero car doesn't have a direct competitor. Sure, it's always slapped up against BMW's M3, but lack of imagination doesn't make a comparison valid.The Renn (Racing) Sport 5 is more an uber-HSV, more American in its visual and dynamic execution - a kilometre-crushing grand tourer and ballsy boulevard cruiser. Despite being a midlife remake rather than a new model per se, it is discernibly improved.Purveyor of the least satisfying steering feel of any car maker to call itself "sporty", Audi's new electro-mechanical set-up flouts convention of bettering the old hydraulic system. But you will want to tick the $2400 dynamic steering option that imbues the tiller with a sense of feedback.Our tester was optioned up to $176,140, with $6300 bucket seats and a package including 20-inch alloy wheels. Take these if you must, but don't whine about getting a numb bum from the unforgiving pews and the terse ride.Also newish, despite the familiar 4.2-litre displacement, is the naturally aspirated V8 that revs to a sky-high 8500rpm, a bit more powerful and markedly cleaner than the previous motor. That's driven through a seven-speed twin-clutch auto that's been successfully recalibrated for smooth delivery at low speed. No DSG-like stuttering here.Hard to complain of the newest quattro all-wheel-drive transmission, which can send 70 per cent of torque to the front wheels and 85 to the rear, enhanced by a sports diff. Again, it's clinically excellent but not the most visceral or engaging get-up.Even ignoring the naughty launch control trick (one warning from the constabulary in a day is enough for me), the RS5 gets from zero to licence-shredding velocity in less than 5.0 seconds with the gear lever in Sport, triggering all the aural response you could want.This is two distinct cars or three or even four, depending on what combination you dial up via the drive select modes, now selected via a dash button rather than by distracting knob-twiddling. Most are redundant. Auto leaves the various suspension, throttle, steering settings to the car's mighty brain; Dynamic engages sport and loosens the leash, but never to any eye-widening degree.Traction is cat-on-curtain adhesive. The bulky two-door isn't easily shifted from any well-chosen line, carrying highly impressive speed with next to no body roll through the tightest bends with a wide open window before the stability control sticks its nose in. After years of absurdly touchy brakes, these mighty stoppers have real feel through the pedal.VERDICTThe RS5 is an inherently well-balanced, hugely capable and deeply forgiving device. It's also one that - ignoring the scandalous Subaru comparison - doesn't offer much more than the $30K cheaper S5. Nor, for that matter does it crease the corners of the mouth in the same way as previous RS gambits. As we say, that's, well...clinically excellent.Audi RS5 CoupePrice: $161,400Warranty: 3yr/unlimited kmResale: 56 per centService interval: 12 months/15,000kmSafety features: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.Crash rating: 5 starsEngine: 4.2-litre V8 petrol, 331kW/430NmTransmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto; AWDThirst: 10.5L/100km, 270g/km COf2Dimensions: 4.6m (L), 1.9m (W), 1.4m (H)Weight: 1753kg

Audi has stunned with a massive $13,500 reduction in its hot-headed RS 5 Coupe.

Audi and several other brands all use varying incarnations of the RS logo - and generally none of them deserve the rudest definition involving "Rat."It was the RS4 sedan that for me marked a prominent turning point for the four-ringed brand, in terms of a more involving drive experience than some of its forebears.With that in mind, we were expecting even greater things from the RS5, but it seems to have taken a more subtle path.VALUEFor not much change out of $200,000 by the time you tick a couple of options boxes, the RS5 is no bargain-basement machine, but it looks and feels like a quality machine.The four-seater coupe's equipment list is comprehensive but it needs to be for the asking price - full keyless entry and start, an alarm, front and rear parking sensors (the upgraded sensor system and rear camera are an $1165 option), heated and power-adjustable exterior mirrors, an auto-dimming centre mirror, Bluetooth phone link, satnav, tri-zone climate control, cruise control (with an adaptive cruise control system on the options list for $2945).The standard sound system is a sub-woofer equipped 10-speaker 180 watt system, which can be upgraded for $1700 to a Bang & Olufsen surround-sound 14-speaker 505 watt system.TECHNOLOGYThe RS 5 has all-wheel drive but takes it to a new level, thanks to a new centre differential - regally entitled the crown-gear centre differential - which can vary the drive between the front and rear axles up to 70 per cent forward or 85 per cent aft, depending on the conditions.The distribution system, which defaults to 40 front/60 rear, works with a torque-vectoring system and the sport rear differential (already seen on several sporty Audis) to best apportion power to the rear wheels that can use it.The RS5 has three driving modes for the suspension, throttle, steering and exhaust - comfort, auto and dynamic - which gives the coupe road manners to suit a broad range of driving environments.The engine, a 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8, revs to just over 8000rpm and is teamed with a seven-speed DSG that - thankfully - has a genuine manual paddleshift mode that will hold gears in dynamic mode.DESIGNLonger, lower and a little wider than the standard - and already elegant - A5, the RS variant has definite road presence thanks to the re-sculpted tarmac-tickling snout that has larger air intakes.The muscular stance of the RS4 hasn't transferred to the 5, with more demure flaring of the guards front and rear - the rump's exhaust pipes have been hidden within the rear bodywork but the S5's exposed pipes look better.The RS5 also hasn't inherited the racy flat-bottomed steering wheel of the RS4, which is a shame, but it does have Xenon and LED lighting to ensure it stands out at night.There's a rear spoiler - which extends automatically at 120km/h, but of course it needed the manual over-ride button pressed before it rose during our time in the car.SAFETYBeyond the considerable active safety provided by the clever all-wheel drive system, the RS5 has dual front and side airbags (although the latter depart if the optional RS bucket seats are selected), as well as curtain airbags.Stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with brakeforce distribution, an electronic diff lock and emergency brake assist are also standard.The coupe also has a tyre pressure monitoring system, adaptive headlights and the automatic high beam system as standard and the option of front ceramic brakes - for an extra $15,000 - but the standard stoppers seem up to the task.DRIVINGAlthough the RS5 hasn't inherited some of the overt nature of its RS4 ancestor, there's no arguing about the pace and quality.The 4.2 V8 has quiet rumble, which gets a whole baritone sub-plot when dynamic mode is selected.Firing it into life and sweeping through the suburbs is best done in comfort mode, although the ride difference between the three modes could have been made a little more distinct, as comfort mode is that in name only.Straightline mumbo was never going to be questioned, with 331kW and 430Nm coming from the V8 - slot the transmission into D (for Departure, I think, more than just Drive) and the coupe bolts away.The take-off can be completed swiftly and quietly, or more raucously if desired.Getting away from the suburbs and onto a sweeping open road (of good quality) and the RS5 dispenses with distance in short order - press-on motoring at legal road speeds doesn't go near the limit of this car's considerable abilities.Throw it at a few corners (using a nice but no-longer flat-bottomed sports steering wheel) and the clever drivetrain works nonchalantly to provide unfussed - but somewhat uninvolved - cornering.It's better for the driver than its predecessors but still short of its opposition - the M3 gives more back to the driver, but the catch is the M3 does it even when the driver doesn't want to hear it.The seven-speed DSG is typical of the breed in terms of quick slick gearchanges, although sometimes prone to a rough downchange, but the saving grace is its full manual mode.With the gearshifter pushed across for manual changes and the dynamic mode selected, the driver can pick their own gears and the gearbox complies - as should be the case in other models that wrongly boast of a manual shift mode.Seat comfort is good from the soft leather sports seats - which offer ample lateral support as well - and there's room for two adults and two kids - or four small adults.The back seat dwellers felt a little hemmed in and have no open-window option, suggesting it's a better DINK car.The optional panoramic tilt-only glass sunroof is expensive (for a tilt-only) at $2860 and not great for Australian climate with a see-through shade.VERDICTPowerful and sleek, the RS5 delivers astounding performance with panache, but doesn't beat the M3 coupe (although it gets very close) or knock the RS4 from its perch as our favourite four-ringed machine.AUDI RS5Price: from $175,300.Engine: 4.2-litre variable 32-valve DOHC direct-injection V8.Transmission: seven-speed double-clutch automated manual, all-wheel drive with self-locking centre differential and torque vectoring.Power: 331kW @ 8250rpm.Torque: 430Nm @ 4000-6000rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h 4.6 seconds. Top speed 250km/h (governed).Fuel consumption: 10.8 litres/100km, on test 16.2; tank 64 litres.CO2 Emission: 252g/km.Suspension: Five-link suspension with upper and lower wishbones, tubular anti-roll bar (front); trapezoidal-link rear suspension, resiliently mounted sub-frame, anti-roll bar (rear).Brakes: four-wheel ventilated discs, eight piston front/single-piston rearDimensions: length 4649mm, width 1860mm, height 1366mm, wheelbase 2751mm, track fr/rr 1586/1582mmCargo volume: 455 litresWeight: 1725kg.Wheels: 19in alloys.