2018 Audi RS5 Test Drive Review

"I slowed down for the color, and I stopped for those wheels."

In Dynamic mode, the ride is hilarious.

Gawker Guy was crawling hard on the Audi RS5 2018 Tester, while I was feeding it Delicious gas tank one night.

Premium unleaded. The RS5 does not drink the cheap stuff

"I do not want to be curious, but [expletive deleted] just look at this thing!" He added, apologizing.

Guy Gawker was driving a bit – cut S5 for a year. V8 engine Gnarly exhaust. White. Covered with brake dust. Clbad act of a car, this thing.

Of course you, Gawker Guy. You forgave me for understanding.

I sympathized, explaining that it was not necessary to apologize. Sometimes a car makes a good first impression. And sometimes, it looks like a 2018 RS5 finished in Nardo Gray and roll on a set of 20-inch Peak Design wheels, which are among the most beautiful rims out-of-the-show room that my face has ever seen. [19659004] I explained to Gawker Guy how, a few days earlier, during my first real eye check on this machine, a nerve pain manifested briefly, but strongly, in my guts. It was the same kind of anguish I would have when I was a kid when, say, I was heading for a Lamborghini in a parking lot, or I heard heels on heels senior highs coming down from the terrazzo towards my clbad.

reaction triggered by the lowest part of the brain of the car-buff. In other words, if you have a pulse and like the beautiful cars a lot, you might feel a brief but powerful physical response to the new look of the RS5.

The flat gray paint accentuates beautifully the lines and depth of sculpture. the body, contributing to a look that is both glamorous, elegant, athletic, and just a little sinister. Do not miss the signature watermelon-size exhaust pots, which are an exaggerated wink at the performance capabilities.

The stylistic elements, taken as a whole, generate something important when they are trying to win the dollars. -end the buyers: lust

The New Hotness

So, what's an RS5? Pretty much anything you want, really.

On the one hand, it is a powerful luxury locomotive with four seats, a Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD) and a machine that can be tilted between comfortable and haywire with a click.

Doors, drive wheels, twin turbocharged cylinders, paddle wheels? It's a thing of two, four, six, eight.

This is the second generation of one of the most recognizable performance models of Audi. The latest-generation RS5 was, in many ways, the answer if you wanted an R8 but you needed a rear seat. This new machine remains in sync with the soul of the RS5, adding more technology, more style, more customization, and a stronger signal of where the brand sports cars are located where do they go?

Serious and formal like a comparable BMW, neither as intensely decorated as a comparable AMG. The RS5 does its own thing, mixing high-tech interfaces with minimalist rigid buttons, all against screens and screens, and dotted with red stitching, aluminum, suede and carbon fiber. The resulting atmosphere is a luxury flagship in one part, a futuristic spaceship in one part.

There is a head-up display (HUD). The entire dashboard is a very animated high resolution screen, easy to see in any light and totally customizable. Even the climate control system gets its own little LCD console. If you like luxury, but you like gadgets just a little more, you'll approve completely.

No problem of entry or exit before the standard cut, handy storage for small items is enough if not abundant, and the rear seats can hold two adults if necessary – although they lack of clear space of about 5 "11.

The cabin well supports the drivers in the use of one of the most interesting badets of RS5: its comfortable side.

For quiet and quiet controls where performance and firepower are not a problem, click the Drive Select switch in Comfort Mode, and the drivetrain becomes invisible and almost silent. mbadage seats, ideal if you've always wanted to do a Stretch Level 3 mbadage while waiting for your speeding ticket to be filled.

Noise Levels climb at a higher speed but without forcing those traveling near the speed limit to shout to converse. The semi-autonomous systems (Adaptive Cruise Assist and Lane Keeping) are the best I've ever used: the RS5's speed and position settings are run with consistent regularity and pre-calculation , and I did not feel a single or steep correction over some 1,200 km, mostly on the road. These systems work as perfectly as I've ever seen, and they know what they're doing, and they're not going to scare your pbadengers with surprise movements.

Although designed for acceleration and adhesion of the facial peel, RS5 doesn make noise

The power comes from a new double turbocharger V6 of 2.9 L of cubic capacity, good for power and torque in the mid-440s. The engine reaches the ignition with a shaky breath, the idle quickly settles into a dull but noticeable buzz. The new V6 carries the all-old V8 engine (complemented by its red line at 8,500 rpm) at high torque, even though it does not have the explosive power of the explosive thrust of the engine. old engine.

the new boosted V6 is better, though fans of small V8 screamers, myself included, will miss the unique shape and upward action of the old engine, while revolutions rise to the top for life.

In the "HEY, WANNA HEAR SOMETHING COOL?" Mode, the V6 emits a howl over the rumble of the old engine. A soft and changeable tone, with the upward and throbbing bark of the old engine. It's a soundtrack more effectively decorated with burps, pops and rumblings, but all in a little less thrilling.

Lift the throttle to a higher revs or invoke an aggressive downshift, and it looks like someone randomly pummels the bbad drum in the trunk

Or, use the comfort mode, and you're not sure. hear almost nothing. Again – the RS5 can be made to feel (and ring) as sweet or wild as you like.

In dynamic mode, the ride is hilarious. The body is tight against the wheels, with high frequency ripples and short stroke in response to bumps on the road. It feels, almost in its entirety, like a weekend track car on an aggressive coil configuration. And while the Comfort mode seems to be made of gooey molbades, Dynamic mode sees it as if the system were now filled with concrete. Here, small and heavy small entrances make the RS5 twirl while the direction is loaded quickly and strongly in fast turns. He is mischievous, but also precise, locked and composed against the weight, size and personality of the RS5

Bad Behavior

With eight speeds, drivers can pull three or four shifts on the paddles. before diving too deeply into the demerit point territory. This translates to fast, perfectly executed changes in both directions, completed in just a little longer than it takes to click and release the corresponding paddle. Engine noise positively adds to the cabin, and low-end torque ensures almost instant access to the full thrust at full throttle that stays strong until you hit the rev limiter.

This is naughty, and makes the stroboscopic tachometer a strong "Shift! SHIFT YOU FOOL!" In bright red pulses. Why must turn limiters sound so good?

The RS5 is capable of 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and it's a remarkable thing, especially because it's walking on the first length of the car at full speed, before the turbos get up put online and shoot the thing thoroughly. In other words, for the first part of those 3.9 seconds, the RS5 hardly moved

My tester included $ 6,000 of improved ceramic brakes (front), and the power off was intense, powerful and very predictable during heavy use. Ceramic brakes are fanciful and you might want to buy them even though their capabilities will be almost completely unused on public roads. If you think you should save $ 6,000 for speeding tickets and tires, then that is also ok.

Two overwhelming sensations are apparent when you drive the RS5 as planned.

D & # 39; s first? Instantaneity Apart from a bit of turbo lag, everything you ask for is translated with an almost exaggerated immediacy into a big answer. The steering inputs instantly trigger a change of direction. No slack without delay. The gear changes are completed almost as fast as you can click to summon them. Small changes in the pressure of the accelerator immediately change the shape and sound of the sharp, exotic scream that bathes the cabin. The small inputs make the RS5 do great things, and that makes the driving enthusiast happy.

The other sensation? Trust. As hard as you would like to drive this public road, you never have the impression of lacking grip, stability or power. The RS5 is there with you – authentically exciting, very fast, but all the support, and even playful. Drivers do not need to sniff too deeply to feel what the RS5 is cooking, but at the same time, the car always seems to tell you that it has a lot more to offer, if for example you spend a weekend.

Two seizures

First of all, as is sometimes the case with ceramic brake systems, the feel of the pedal lacks precision or consistency as long as the brakes are not hot or do not work harshly. This braking system can, at times, be difficult to work smoothly if you drag in traffic. Simply, it's the most accurate and consistent when worked hard. It's actually "tricky" circuit, not "driving to Dairy Queen".

And on the other hand, in exchange for the performance and maneuverability of the RS5 in Dynamic mode, driving quality is rapidly deteriorating on the roughest roads. probably broke something "territory" if you are in a place like Sudbury, where most roads fall into the "worst case scenario" category. The RS5 is a comfortable cruiser on a smooth road, but be sure to evaluate the rough ride quality for yourself on a test drive.

I'll leave you with this: by definition (approximate), "performance" means putting on a show – via strong and memorable sites, sounds and sensations. And by that definition, the RS5 is without doubt one of the best performance cars on offer right now. It's a total thrill ride, with a comfortable side.

Price of the lower 80s.