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The 2018 Audi S5 is a step up in technology, luxury, and performance from the already impressive A5. Multiple drive modes change the entire feel of the car, from smooth cruiser to corner-carving missile.
Nick from Queens, N.Y. drives a 2018 Audi S5 Premium Plus & Prestige Coupe. The S5 is a step up in luxury and performance from the A5 it’s based on. This Glacier White Metallic Coupe’s 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 produces 354 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system is standard, as is an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission.
Nick has put 36,000 miles on the car since getting it new two years ago. The A5 and its sportier S5 variant have been around since 2007. Nick’s S5 Coupe is part of the second generation.
The Premium Package is standard on the Audi S5, which includes leather upholstery, sport seats, LED lighting inside and out, and 18-inch wheels. Nick added the Plus Package and picked some things from the Prestige Package. This S5 has Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, adaptive cruise control, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, lane assist, navigation, 360-degree camera system, and a larger 8.3-inch screen.
Nick’s S5 has everything but the head-up display. He later added the factory carbon inlays on the interior and Alcantara lining in the doors.
Nick’s Audi S5 has window tints all around and an ECU reflash. Nick also reprogrammed the computer to disable the seat belt warning chime and add a g-force meter to the digital display.
This Audi S5 has a front plate delete and Nick installed an Escort Max 360 radar detector.
“I had an Audi S4 prior to this. But before I even got into Audi, my dad had been working for BMW for 20-something years so I always had an affection for BMW. I had my BMW 335 and I was going to get a 440, which had just dropped. I was also considering an M3. I went to look at them and they were too expensive. So I went car shopping.
I test drove the Subaru STI. I liked it but I didn’t like the interior, which was flimsy. It’s a great car but it didn’t really fit my style.
“I happened to go into Audi one day and test drive an A5. It looked really nice but I wasn’t impressed with the performance. I saw an S4 and I remembered that a friend from college had one. He had a yellow S4 with a V-8. I always remembered thinking, ‘That car is a monster!’
“So I asked the dealer if I can test drive the S4 and he said it was sold but he could drive me around in it. That car was automatic but I thought it was amazing. So I got a manual S4 and that was my first four-door sedan. After a couple of years I got to thinking how much I always wanted a coupe.
“I test drove the Audi S5 and the handling was amazing. Mind you, my S4 was a six-speed and Audi has stopped making stick-shift cars. And I was thinking I could go back to BMW and get a 440 in stick. But after having the cool interior and display in the Audi, plus the all-wheel drive system, I thought, ‘I’ll just get the automatic.'”
“The day I went to turn my old car in, I looked at the dealer and I said ‘I almost don’t want to do this. I’ve never had an automatic car.’ He replied, ‘Drive the car for 30 seconds and you’re going to forget about your S4.’ I wasn’t sure but I got into the car and hit it off the lot and it was amazing. Amazing.
“The paddle shifters are actually really responsive, which is fantastic. I got the S5 when it was brand new and there were very few on the road.”
“The car has all these different modes. It has Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, and Individual modes. With Individual, you can set everything. You can set your engine sound, your suspension, steering, sport diff, and more. The first day I set it to Dynamic and then realized I can have it in Dynamic Sport mode, the car became a whole different beast. A beast. It felt and sounded completely different.
“There is one kind of cool thing and kind of bad thing. The turbo is very sensitive to reduce turbo lag and spools up so fast. If you’re at a dead stop and you are in Dynamic Sport and you hit the gas and then take your foot off the pedal, it’s still spooling and going, which is crazy.”
You should always do your best to drive safely. For those times you do need legal help, contact The Ramcharitar Law Firm. Nick’s firm serves Nassau, Suffolk, and all five New York City boroughs.
1991 Porsche 944
1996 BMW 328i
2005 Suzuki XL7
2003 Mini Cooper
2004 Mini Cooper S
2012 BMW 335xi
2014 Audi S4
2014 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle
