is the Audi RS 5 more improved than the BMW M4? In-depth review

does the Audi RS 5 beat the BMW M4…? In-depth review

overview 00:00
background 00:45
driving experience 03:22
design and build 11:54
market and model range 23:04
cost of ownership 39:20
summary 46:37

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Jonathan Crouch writes an in-depth Audi RS 5 review. If you want to watch more reviews on vehicles like this Audi RS 5, make sure to SUBSCRIBE to our channel and comment what YOU want us to review next.

Audi’s improved RS 5 performance coupe targets BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 buyers. Jonathan Crouch checks out the latest version.

Ten Second Review
With a 450PS 2.9 TFSI V6 biturbo engine under the bonnet, Audi’s RS 5 has plenty of firepower, plus quattro 4WD to give it an advantage over similarly quick BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 rivals. The spec of this revised version looks impressive, including an RS sport exhaust system and a sport differential. It all adds up to a fearsome performance car.

Background
The German brand’s RS models are highly specialised versions of its mainstream production cars, this RS 5 based on the second generation A5 coupe and drawing on a heritage that goes all the way back to the original Audi Quattro coupe of thirty five years ago.

Early RS efforts from the mid-Nineties onwards were big on grip and power but short on feel and fun factor. But Ingolstadt kept trying, finally nailing it in 2006 with an R8 supercar you could reasonably buy over a Ferrari and an RS 4 super-saloon that could take on and beat a BMW M3. That RS 4 model’s 4.4-litre V8 engine was also used in the original version of this car, the RS 5 coupe, launched in 2010 and then improved in 2012. Five years later, we got a second generation RS 5 with a far more credible 2.9-litre biturbo engine beneath the bonnet. That’s the model that’s been improved to create the car we’re going to look at here.

Comment your opinions down below…

Writer – Jonathan Crouch

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In second generation form Audi’s RS5 moves from V8 to biturbo V6 power as part of a significantly more sophisticated package that edges this Engle stat Contender closer to the standards being set by top BMW and Mercedes Rivals the key RS5 Advantage remains in its provision of four-wheel

Drive but there are also now plenty of other reasons why you might choose one over an M4 or a C63 in short it’s now a far more credible Contender can a more efficient high performance sports car also be a more rewarding one well Audi says it can and confirms its intentions to deliver just that with this model the fearsomely fast second generation RS5 Coupe now the word efficient always has to be used with a degree of Relativity

When you’re talking about a contender that fronts up with as much as 450 PS but it is certainly applicable here this Mark I model up to 25% more efficient than its predecessor yet everybody is quick now the credit for that lies with the two fundamental changes made this

Time around the introduction of an allnew stiffer and lighter MLB platform and the replacement of the previous versions 4. 2 L V8 with a Cutting Edge 2.9 L twin turbo V6 that last change is the one that made the headlines when this car was launched

In the summer of 2017 after all that old V8 was in many ways the engine that really established Audi RS products as Top Flight performance contenders back in 2005 that was the power plant used to launch the Glorious R8 sports car and the one that at last put inats RS4 model

On an equal footing with its BMW M3 arch rival now whether it was the right unit to power the first generation version of this car which was launched back in 2011 was more debatable that old RS5 Coupe was already much heavier than direct Rivals from BMW and Mercedes and

Plugging in such an enormous engine up front hobbled it further when it came to trying to provide the kind of engaging driving dynamics that buyers in the high performance Coupe segment crave so the engineers at Audi sports started again working with Porsche to create a lighter more responsive 2.9 L twin turbo

V6 able to equal the total output of the previous model and vastly improve on its pulling power they then M that engine not only to those more agile underpinnings but also to a more responsive 8-speed Tiptronic paddles shift Auto gearbox in addition Audi’s traditional advantage over direct Rivals

Like the Mercedes AMG C63 Coupe and the BMW M4 its Quattro four-wheel drive system has been retained and improved and there’s a standard rear sport differential to further help get the Tor to tarmac through those turns that sounds rather promising doesn’t it well let’s put this car to the Test so what’s it like well your perspective here will depend a great deal on whether you come to this car with a fresh perspective on Audi RS products or whether you’re one of those who Harbor fond memories of that old 4.2 L V8 that sustained this English nut sub

Brand for most of the last two decades now with that unit fitted to the old version of this car the hour of fireworks delivered on Startup were well they were pretty memorable with this second generation models uh by Turbo 2.9 e V6 well the metod is inevitably a bit

Less addictive although it can be improved if as here your car has been optioned up with the extra cost RS sport Exhaust at least on the Move there’s absolutely no doubting that the engine switch has delivered significantly more speed this time around uh forget the fact that 450 PS the total power output is pretty much the same as delivered by the old V8 the stat that really matters

Here is that of pulling power and those twin turbos deliver far more of it to be specific uh the torque figure Rises 170 new M to 600 NM uh which equates to an astonishing 44% power to weight ratio Improvement the result is a very different kind of car to the next model

Down in the A5 coupe performance hierarchy the 354 PS 3 l twin turbo S5 that variant merely feels like what it is a very very rapid A5 in contrast with an RS5 the feeling you get is very much that of a bona a junior superc car to be

Specific rest to 62 m now occupies just 3.9 seconds which is 6 of a second quicker than the previous generation model and also a fraction quicker than you’ll go in this model’s two closest Rivals BMW’s M4 and the Mercedes AMG C63 just as well then that the brakes are

Devastatingly effective uh as usual with fast Audi the maximum speed is rather pointlessly capped at 155 mph although in this case you can pay englishat an obscene amount of money to get that restrictor lifted in which case your RS5 will Top out at 174 mph in normal point-to-point motoring uh torque builds

From just under 2,000 RPM and from then on providing you have a straight away that’s long enough the sensation of power is oh it’s akin to that of being in a 747 firing down the runway Heath row as let’s startup the um creamy the rather digitalized soundtrack as the

Revs rise isn’t a match for that of the old V8 but it’s got its own theatrical Fizz and you’re rather warm to it after you’ve lived with it for a bit it’s certainly hard not to be impressed by the way this RS5 tackles the turns this

Time around part of that is down to the redeveloped Quattro system which usually directs 60% of torque to the back wheels but if conditions demand it it can send up to 85% of power to the back or if necessary as much as 70% to the front this setup’s been designed to work with

A torque vectoring system that applies minimal brake interventions to The Wheels on the inside of any given curve before they start to spin uh so maximizing traction and making handling more precise more agile and stable true the whole package isn’t necessarily what you’d want if you were Tire smoking on

An Airfield but it’s absolutely what you you’ll need in the far more likely scenario after all of wanting an astonishingly rapid point-to-point performance car for super quick progress on secondary roads in poor conditions also playing its part here is the standard Fit sport differential which at speed through tight Corners can

Constantly vary the amount of torque that’s distributed to each of the rear wheels now rather than subtly breaking an individual wheel to transfer traction to one with more grip in the way that an ordinary torque vectoring system would uh the sport differential instead sends additional wheel speed to each rear

Wheel in a way that uh pushes you around the corner so the effect is uh smoother quicker and less obtrusive way of exiting a Bend our only reservation really is a problem that Audi Engineers have traditionally struggled with and that’s that of steering feedback it’s an

Issue that affects this car just as much as it does the RS4 for a vant model that shares virtually all of this RS5 mechanical specification uh when you’re pressing on through corners at speed you just don’t feel as connected to what’s going on beneath you as you would be at

The helm of uh say arrival BMW M4 this makes quite a lot of difference to the sheer engagement factor that you’d maybe hope for from a high performance model like this without that extra nth of steering response you’re never really invited to push that little bit further

Or as one writers put it this RS5 doesn’t question your willpower every time you get behind the wheel disappointingly specifying the extra cost Dynamic steering option doesn’t really help in this regard either varying the rate at which the front wheel’s turn to suit different circumstances without necessarily

Telling you very much about what it’s doing while it’s doing it your Audi Center salesperson will point out that one of the functions of the standard Drive select driving Dynamics system is to vary steering weight but steering feel is different from steering weight now Porsche knows this and as the brand

Gets more involved in the development of future Audi RS models uh they already co-designed the engine in this one uh you would hope that uh things will change in that regard we mentioned Drive select well that’s the same setup as you get in any ordinary A5 with selectable Comfort Dynamic Auto and individual

Drive modes uh that as well as dealing with the steering also tweak the throttle response the stability control thresholds and the impact of that sport differential system plus of course the drive select settings also alter the response of the transmission an 8-speed Tiptronic paddle shift setup um as ever

On a Top Sporting Audi there is no manual gearbox option this is a supposedly old Tech torque converter self shifting setup but doesn’t feel old Tech to use uh in our experience is one of the fastest reacting automatics out there uh the computer software also throws in a lovely exhaust cackle on

Full Throttle upshifts while downshifts are aggressive when you’re in Dynamic uh but otherwise they’re seamlessly smooth the other thing that the drive select modes can influence is ride quality but only if rather annoyingly you spend extra on the DRC Dynamic ride control system a really well-tuned suspension system doesn’t necessarily

Need adaptive damping and at first glance you’d think that this Audi setup ought to fall into that category it’s a sophisticated five link Arrangement on the front and rear axles that precisely separates uh longitudinal and transverse forces in the case of this RS5 though the package has been hobbled by the

Non-negotiable fitment of load RS sport suspension and that drops the car by 7 mm and robs it of a crucial degree of wheel travel especially at the front that means that a standard RS5 will crash through poth holes and over speed humps that even a performance orientated

Family model ought to really to deal with in its stride things are slightly better with the DRC adaptive damping fitted and the drive select system set to comfort but it is a bit irritating to have to keep doing that when ideally you just want to leave the car in its

Dynamic mode and enjoy a few more of the engine’s allall fireworks so where does all that leave us with the ultimate premium branded performance model available in the seg of the market well probably not but we can still totally understand why Target buyers might like this car very much indeed if you’ve

Tried and enjoyed a previous generation RS5 then this one will probably be exactly what you’re looking for and if you haven’t well it might be exactly what you Need this RS branded A5 Coupe isn’t quite as stylistically subtle as its lesser S5 stablemate nor would you want it to be appropriate enough aesthetic inspiration came from a competition model Audi’s 90 Quattro imsa GTO racer hence the blistered wheel arches the lacerated air intakes and the huge oval

Exhaust pipes it’s certainly a slightly larger car than its predecessor uh thank the new MLB Evo platform for a 74 mm increase in length and the more purposeful stance is a touched lower too time to get up close and personal here at the front where the look is far more

Distinct from humbler A5 Coupe models and is the case with the S5 now the main difference here lies with this High Sheen black honeycomb Grill which lacks the bright aluminum crossbars that feature on other A5 variants and which gets Quattro lettering along its lower Edge these lower corner air intakes also

Get a meaner look thanks to a reduction in Chrome adornment and further up are the full LED headlights and these can optionally feature the intelligent Matrix technology that we have here and which either way um have these extra lateral air inlets they make the car look wider more

Aggressive move to the side and the most obvious point of RS5 differentiation lies with Quattro blisters on the flanks that emphasize wheel arches widened by 15 mimet to accommodate the huge Alloys 19 in are supplied to standard but most owners are likely to want to trade up to

These bigger 20in five arm trapezoid Design rims they’re here embellished with optional red brake calipers uh the door Sills are wider too than they would be on an S5 and they feature these black inserts which can optionally be specified with carbon trimming at the rear the subtle silvered

Lower fuser you get on an S5 is replaced by this far more overt RS panel featuring at either Corner the huge oval tail pipes mentioned earlier also unique are the vertical air inlets that you get on the outer edges of the LED rear lamp clusters and these feature scrolling

Indicators and a multifaceted 3D design that uses no fewer than 48 LEDs to create a PR distinctive nighttime signature this black boot top spoiler rounds things off time to open the long wide driver’s door and take a seat inside well you’ll find yourself in a cabin

Which we think will really sell you this car now Audi has coped the belt buckler system offered by rival Mercedes and BMW models that graciously hands you your belt buckle as you take a seat but in every other regard the competition is playing catchup here um there’s surprising headr room there’s a

Wraparound design there’s a really premium feeling of space and safety as for the elements that set this RS5 model apart well of course the flat bottomed RS sport leather steering wheel with the uh contrast stitching is bespoke so are the stainless steel pedals and these lovely Nappa leather trimmed honeycomb

Stitched winged RS Super Sports seats otherwise apart from the leather fashion door armrests and knee pads uh the uh Ambiance here is exactly as it would be in any plushly specified A5 model so an almost unbroken line of air vents stretch from one side of the faure to

The other sitting above a 3D trim inlay panel that comes as standard with a brushed aluminium race finish but can optionally be ordered in piano black anthros site or carbon fiber uh to your left the center console area has been visually separated away to give the

Upper area of the dash more of a floating feel and small details add to the feeling of quality like the RS specific gear lever that uh also acts as a hand rest to the infotainment System Controller uh the touch switch is for the three Zone climate control and the

Way that the temperature displays have been incorporated into these uh ventilation system rotary dials in fact wherever you look touch or feel there are treats buttons click nicely the colum stalks feel good the low rent Plastics you’d find further down in most premium Rivals they’re noticeable by their absence only storage

Space could be better uh the glove box is small and it’s not lockable as standard uh the door bins are Slim and the console box between the seats is rather shallow we really like the seats though anatomically shaped and perfectly positioned in front of this steering wheel through which you view the All

Digital Audi virtual cockpit now you may be familiar with this setup from some of the Brand’s other models uh here it’s standard uh 12.3 in LCD color monitor that replaces the usual instrument binacle does with a layout that’s fully digital and customizable using smart 3D graphics and highly detailed effects now

It can be viewed in three ways uh the classic display shows usual speedometer rev counter and gear indicator readouts uh alternatively the progressive display reduces the size of those items and brings functions like the navigation map or your media settings to the floor instead RS5 buyers also get a third RS

Display which prioritizes the rev counter you can then configure the other elements around it such as readouts for torque and new meters uh Power in percent uh temperature in degrees C tire pressures and G forces uh if the gearbox is in manual mode uh then green orange and red segments will be illuminated

Sequentially as the revs Rise And just before the rev limiter Cuts in the entire scale will flash red now you might be seeing a lot of that if you’re using this on a track and using the provided lap timer lap times and shift light info can also feature on the optional head-up display

Anything the virtual cockpit setup can’t tell you will almost certainly be covered by the Slimline MMI entertainment display that really dominates the top of this dashboard uh now appropriately this Flagship model includes Audi’s top MMI navigation plus with MMI touch package and it has a 8.3 in monitor featuring crisp 3D maps and

Responsive Nvidia Graphics now a little disappointingly it doesn’t rise out of the facia in the way that the screen does on the cheaper a the RS3 but in compensation the thin tablet style display is touch sensitive and it has neat pinch and swipe functionality and it comes presented in a classy silver

Colored magnesium frame now if you don’t want to cover this thing with sticky fingerprints there’s voice activation uh steering wheel buttons and of course the usual Chrome Edge rotary controller in front of the gear stick which with this premium MMI package comes with a surface on which you can trace commands with

Your finger tips uh the useful Audi smartphone interface is of course Incorporated with Apple carplay and Android auto smartphone connectivity and that allows everything that you access on your handset to be duplicated onto the dashboard screen and the impressive Audi connect system is also included uh

Via which you’ll be able to use a whole raft of 4G online wi-fi options all powered by a super fast LTE module will’ll give you download speeds of up to 100 megab per second right let’s take a seat in the rear now as with most Coupes the door

Here is very long so when you’re opening wide enough to access the back seat it’s really easy to inadvertently bash it against some sort of solid object uh getting into the back is as potentially awkward as it would be in rival Mercedes AMG C63 and BMW M4 Coupe models and it’s

Not held by the fact that the front seat base doesn’t automatic ially slide forwards as you pull the back wrist forward in the way that it does incidentally on the Rival Mercedes you can use these uh seat shoulder buttons to manually deliver that functionality though once inside though the news is

Better this being the part of the car where you most appreciate this second generation designs 13 mm of extra wheelbase now that has freed up an extra 23 Ms of nim back here that’s further aided by these scalloped cutouts in the front seat backs now it isn’t enough to

Make uh things feel in any way spacious back here but what’s provided should be sufficient for the needs of most likely customers buyers in search of a twodo design tend to transport adults in the back very infrequently but when the need does arise this RS5 Coupe can improve a

Little on the claustrophobic quarters provided by some of its closest Rivals these recessed side panels give you decent room for your elbows and this second generation model provides a few added millimeters for your head too although that won’t be enough to prevent six Footers from having having to slouch

A little bit um nice touches include individual cup holders down here by the seat bases uh digital climate control buttons and a center armrest with a neat lided compartment uh small side bins offer somewhere to keep small it from rattling around too finally let’s take a look in the

Boot now it opens automatically via a button on the key fob and it can optionally be ordered with a sensor control so you can activate it with a wave of your foot beneath the bumper uh that’s if you find yourself approaching the RS5 key in Pocket Laden down with

Bags now this trunk area has gained 10 L in size with it second generation models longer design and it’s now the largest in the segment at 465 L uh that’s 20 L more room than you get in a BMW M4 Coupe and 65 L more than you get in the

Mercedes AMG C63 Coupe useful touches include this uh pull down overhead hook uh plus you get uh an underfloor compartment although that is taken up with a space saver spare wheel that laudably Audi supplies a standard uh this right hand netted side compartment that’s good to have too and the optional

Storage pack gives you this floor net which when it’s attached to the four Chrome tie down points will stop smaller items from rolling around round Audi offers a 40/20 40 split fold arrangement for the rear seat back as a standard feature which means you can push through longer items like skis

Without disturbing rear seated occupants uh we like the fact that the retracting seat backs are lockable too uh so use these overhead latches to completely push forward both outer sides of the rear backrest and you’ll free up a nearly flat area that gives this car a surprising amount of practicality You’ll need a £63,000 budget for this RS5 Coupe which isn’t actually much more than Alie was asking for the first generation version of this model when it was launched back in 2011 this figure does though represent quite a step up from the figure that englad asked for

The Lesser 354 PS S5 model which costs around £48,000 in Coupe form so is the £ 15,000 premium justified by this 450ps contenders extra Power and bespoke Equipment package well only you can decide that on to the RS5 value proposition in comparison to rival Brands now three rival Brands to be specific virtually

All potential buyers will also be considering this car’s three closest Rivals there’s BMW’s M4 which costs virtually the same if you order it in comparable competition pack Auto form with 456 PS and the Mercedes AMG C63 which also costs around about the same if you order it in Coupe form with a

Standard 483 PS engine offering the same output in a slightly more left field package is the Lexus RCF Coupe which costs around ,700 less than this Audi and which could be tempting if you want to return to the days of having a throbbing V8 beneath the

Bonnet when it comes to Coupes with this sort of capability and power there aren’t really any other credible options uh Porsche 718 Cayman S only offers 355 PS a Ford Mustang Fastback V8 doesn’t have the class to compete and the nisson GTR is too pricey and too powerful if

You were happy to have a saloon though then we would suggest you take a look at Alpha Romero’s desirable Julia quatri folio which costs a fraction less than an RS5 and which offers a potent Ferrari sourced 3 l V6 that puts out 517 PS if having considered all of that you

Conclude that it is an RS5 that you really want then you’re going to need to know just how generous Audi has been with the standard specification so let’s take a look at that now obviously the paddle shift 8-speed Tiptronic Auto gearbox and Quattro setup come as standard as do other mechanical

Fundamentals in the RS5 package including a firm lowered RS sport suspension and rs exhaust system and an RS model enhanced braking system with branded brake calipers uh there’s also an RS version of the Brand’s Drive select vehicle dynamic system that allows you to tweak the throttle the

Steering and the gear shift timings to suit the way that you want to drive also standard is a feature that S5 buyers have to pay extra for uh the Quattro with sport differential package that distributes variable amounts of driving force to each rear wheel improving stability and Agility when you

Take tight Corners at speed Additionally you get aluminium pedals acoustic glazing an alarm a split folding rear bench and full LED for the headlights and the tail lights plus of course there are lots of uh subtle RS model styling features the radiator Grill the rear diffuser the rear spoiler even the tail

Pipes and the wheel archers all of these things like the 19in 10 spoke star alloy wheels they’re all RS5 specific as of course is much of the Interior trim uh the embossed front RS Super Sport seats for example which can be specified as standard in three ways

Uh the Nappa leather can be black with rock gray stitching or you can also have Crescendo red stitching here though we’ve opted for the leather with a lighter Luna silver finish either way uh these chairs come electrically powered and heated plus they also feature a Pneumatic massage function

Um to complete the classy feeli there are aluminium race interior inlays plus there’s full leather trim for the door armrest and the knee pads uh the gear lever is bespoke too as is the three-spoke leather RS Sports steering wheel through which you view a set of All Digital Audi virtual cockpit

Instrument dials that here include an RS specific menu also standard is top level media connectivity and that’s courtesy of A’s MMI navigation plus with MMI touch setup and that works via an 8.3 in center dash screen and it includes integrated 3D navigation a 10 GB jukebox a DVD player

And voice recognition you also get three years of access to the suite of Audi connect infotainment Services now Audi connect is something we really need to tell you a bit more about it gives you an LTE data transmission module that establishes high-speed 4G internet 3

Access and creates in this RS S 5 a Wi-Fi hotspot also allows you to navigate with images from Google Earth access a Google points of interest search function with voice control and use a web Radio setup with stations from all around the world uh through the connect system you can also access

Special incar versions of your Facebook and Twitter pages and it’s also possible to read write and send text messages and emails um the included online media streaming package will give you access to millions of music tracks and there’s also a clever Audi online traffic information system and that uses live

Traffic information to re-root you around jams plus the setup can deliver parking information and display details on parking lots and parking garages almost anywhere you’re likely to go otherwise it’s all much as you would get in any normal high-spec Audi A5 model which means that as with all a5s

You get features like Auto headlamps and wipers rear parking sensors three Zone climate control a keyless go push button starter uh cruise control with a speed limiter and an auto dimming rear viiew mirror as you’d expect from this class of car the infotainment package integrates Bluetooth phone connectivity

Uh access uh to the Apple carplay and Android auto smartphone systems and a 10 speaker 180 W dab Audi sound system all of it controllable either via the MMI controller by Voice through buttons on the multi-function leather Stitch steering wheel or via that center dash color touchcreen enough though on the standard RS5

Specification time to discuss what you can do to embellish it as almost all owners will undoubtedly want to do in fact we go as far as saying that to preserve Prime used values there are a few key features that you probably really need to have in a few years time

Buyers in the secondhand Market are quite possibly going to favor model that are fitted with optional features like the throater uprated RS sport exhaust system and the larger 20in five arm trapezoid design forged alloy wheels go for these bigger rims uh there’s a choice of silver or black finishes and

You’d also do well to uh specify adaptive damping now Audi calls this car’s system RS sport suspension plus with Dynamic ride control we’ve got all three of these key optional items fitted here plus the box has also been tict for the speed restrictor limit to be lifted

So that maximum speed rises from 155 to 174 mil an hour another optional feature fitted here that future buyers would probably also quite like to see is the clever RS Matrix LED headlight system now these Matrix lights are a real nighttime talking point they incorporate sensors and an inbuilt camera that detects other

Road users as well as ambient light in builtup areas now the beam then react by dipping individual LEDs to prevent Dazzle while still fully Illuminating the remainder of the road now they even draw from the vehicle’s navigation data to anticipate Corners adjusting LEDs as you negotiate the bend now other

Desirable features fitted to our test car that RS5 buyers might want to look at include a panoramic glass roof and a head-up display on to less significant extra stuff that you could consider uh it’s worth thinking about the comfort and sound pack now that gives you a high-end

19 speaker 755 wat bang and olivon 3D sound system a rear viiew camera and advanced key keyless entry that includes a rear sensor that allows you to open the boot with a wave of your foot beneath the bumper all three of those items can alternatively be ordered

Separately um what else uh well we wouldn’t really want the dynamic steering option now this varies the steering ratio based in your speed and the Drive select mode that you’ve chosen in our experience this package doesn’t really succeed in offering the kind of uh feel and feedback that you would

Really want more tempting though is the optional parking assistance pack with its 360° camera system and parking assist setup that searches for spaces then steers you into them other key options include the Audi phone box that wirelessly charge your smartphone and will improve its reception quality via

The roof antenna it’s if you want to keep ticking boxes and you could also add in a heated steering wheel uh side and rear privacy glass uh heated rear seats and an extended LED interior multicolored lighting pack plus if you go for the power folding mirrors you can

Additionally add in a memory function for the powered front seats track warriors with a bottomless budget might also want to look at the ceramic brakes too and they’re priced at a cool £6,000 in terms of the Aesthetics of your r R S5 well if budget allows you

Can really go to town uh your Audi Center will talk you through the various optional metallic Pearl effect and Audi exclusive paint colors otherwise the big ticket exterior styling item is the kind of full carbon fiber roof that you can get on a rival BMW M4 uh you can specify

A carbon finish for the door mirrors and even the engine cover too plus red brake calipers would be nice Audi offers uh three optional styling plaques in Black carbon black or carbon matte which adds that chosen color to the radiator Grill uh the front and rear spoilers the

Window trimming uh the dorsal extensions and the rear diffuser moving inside you can alternatively specify interior inlays in carbon anthr site or piano black on to practical touches uh the storage pack gives you Nets in the front seat back rests uh an extra storage compartment below the light switch on

The driver’s side a lockable glove box a cup holder in the rear armor rest and a luggage net a bag hook and a 12volt socket in the boot and as you’d expect there’s also the option of the usual roof bars for luggage boxes skis snowboards and bikes finally let’s look at safety now

Like all A5 models this one gets a collision avoidance system that already calls preens City now this is one of those setups that constantly scans the road ahead in search of potential accident hazards uh if it detects one you’ll be warned uh if you don’t respond

Or perhaps you aren’t able to then the system will automatically break the car and it should be able to avoid a collision at speeds of under 19 mph now if you are going faster than that the presense city system will reduce your speed to soften the impending impact

Also standard is Audi side assist which on the Move works as a blind spot Monitor and warns you if you’re dangerously about to pull out to overtake in the path of another vehicle uh if you do hit something you panic then a standard multicollision brake assist system will automatically take

Over the braking duties and that’s to avoid the possibility of skidding and further collisions as for more common standard safety features uh there’s Hill hold assist that’s the feature that stops you from drifting backwards on uphill Junctions and you can also tick off isopix Char seat fastenings uh

Anti-whiplash head restraints and a tire pressure loss indicator plus twin front side and curtain airbags um now in addition as expected in this segment there’s a complete roster of electronic acronyms including the usual electronic assistance for braking for traction and stability control and there’s also a rest recommendation feature that

Monitors your driving for drowsiness and which will alert you to stop if necessary for a restorative coffee uh it’s always possible to go further though and should you want extra peace of mind then your Audi Center salesperson will doubtless point you towards the choicest elements of the safety technology that’s been developed

For this car so let’s start with the parking assistance pack Advanced package that includes six key features a cross traffic his rear feature alerts you to oncoming cars if you’re reversing out of a space and an exit warning system monitors the rear and side of your RS5

As you get out of it alerting you if vehicles or cyclists are approaching from behind plus there are Audi prens basic and presense rear features that in the event of an inevitable front or rear impact optimally prepare the car to best survive it uh when you’re parking 360°

Camera uses wide angle lenses to cover the close range around the vehicle and as part of the pack Audi also throws in the park assist system that we mentioned earlier and this helps you seek out spaces and then steers you into them the other even more significant combined safety feature option you’ll be

Offered on this car is called the driver assistance pack tour package now this gives you seven key extra electronic safety items that really could make the difference between uh near miss and a very bad day so let’s run through them for you uh we’ll start with a system the

Brand calls pre-sense front now remember that standard preent City setup we just telling you about uh that at low speeds scans the road ahead for collisions and which can automatically break to avoid them well wouldn’t it be good if that setup operated at high speed too more

With prens front it does uh even clever is what we’d see as probably the most sophisticated driver assistance pack tour feature and this is something that Audi calls adaptive cruise control with stop and go and traffic jam assist now this system is there to uh automatically

Keep your RS5 a set distance behind the car in front on the highway and it’ll warn you if you’re too close to another vehicle and it’s also able to automatically stop you and then start you off again if you come across a tail back uh now the traffic jam assist bit

Also frees you up in slow to medium speed cues allowing the car to automatically break accelerate and steer for you at speeds of up to 37 mph yes really haven’t finished either uh an equally clever predictive efficiency assist system works with that setup uh regulating your Audi speed for maximum

Efficiency and also offering driving tips that could create fuel savings up to 10% well if you think that’s neat then uh check out the fourth driver assistance pack tour feature that’s called Turn assist now say you’re turning out of a junction and you haven’t seen an oncoming car or bike

Turn assist will automatically apply the brakes and prevent the accident now if only every car had that feature other more familiar inclusions in the pack uh they run to traffic sign recognition now that can picture road signs as you pass them and then display them for you on

The dash Audi active Lane assist that’s there to gently steer you back into your lane if you inadvertently drift out of it and a so-called collision avoidance assistant um now this uh tweaks the steering to keep the car stable in emergency Maneuvers it’s all very Reassuring it would have been disappointing if Audi had switched this model from V8 to B turbo V6 six PA without a substantial gaining running cost efficiency well quite an improvement in that regard has been delivered here which does go a long way towards compensating for the lack of the

Old engines allal fireworks and to be specific where the old V8 powered Mark 1 model RS5 managed 26.2 MPG on the combined cycle and 252 G per km of CO2 with this car the figures are 32.5 MPG and 197 G per km and that’s regardless of your choice between 19 or 20in Wheels

To save you crunching the numbers these figures see a 21% improvement in combined cycle fuel consumption and 25% gain in CO2 emissions mind you that CO2 figure will still see you needing to pay £450 a year in tax just to keep this car on the road we’ll try and give you some

Perspective on the returns just quoted uh in various different ways now the next model down in the range the 354 PSS 5 manages 38.2 MPG and 170 G per km but perhaps more pertinently let’s tell you that the RS5 models readings are about the same as you get from rival Mercedes

AMG C63 and fractionally better than those you get from a rival BMW M4 the only other comparable competitor in this segment the old school V8 powered Lexus RCF is much pricey to run of course all of this is relative I mean drive any car in this segment as it’s designed to be

Driven and you’ll struggle to see 20 MP Canon on a regular basis Audi points to the fact that the lighter MLB Evo chassis has helped this RS5 model’s cause which is true uh the Mark I model is 60 kilos lighter than its predecessor having said that though it’s still tips

The scales at 1655 kilos which makes it fully 70 kilos heavier than a rival BMW M4 like the Brand’s impressive 2 L tfsi engine this car’s 2.9 L tfsi power plant uses a whole range of clever technology to improve its returns it works in what Audi calls a b cycle to improve partial

Throttle load fuel returns it has a special two stage ABS Audi valve lift system and it uses clever thermal management for more efficient running it startup of course this Audi’s relatively impressive efficiency showing isn’t solely down to reduced weight and the new engine other important factors include a more slippery shape and an

Engine stop starts system that cuts in as you Coast to a halt rather than waiting until you get to a complete stop this means that in traffic the engine is off more often than it would otherwise be it’s also worth mentioning that the automatic transmission has an efficient

Freewheeling mode that cuts in when you come off the accelerator and cruise at speeds between 35 and 100 mph uh this feature disengaging the engine for greater efficiency and then re-engaging it immediately and almost seamlessly when you either accelerate or break going further than that uh requires use of the optional predictive efficiency

Assist setup that Audi says could potentially improve your fuel economy by as much as 10% it works with navigation data and the adaptive cruise control system that comes as part of the extra cost driver assistance pack tour package how well by analyzing any given route once set to decide how the journey could

Be undertaken more efficiently and in doing this the speed limits uh the traffic signs uh the bends and the roundabouts that you’ll be encountering all along the way are all taken into account the setup then offers driving tips that’ll help you achieve better running cost returns um so let’s say

Perhaps for example um a junction is out of sight around the next Bend and you could take your foot off the accelerator just a little bit earlier get on to the motorway and with the adaptive cruise control system activated predictive efficiency assist will automatically make all the Frugal driving adjustments

For you if it knows you’re going to be traveling for a few Junctions it’ll engage that freewheeling mode I just mentioned uh cruising speeds for greater efficiency what else um well what about maintenance now service intervals uh vary between 9,000 and 19,000 mil depending on how hard you drive the car

Uh somewhere in that span uh the need for an impending garage visit will flash up in the instrument binnacle in fact this car can even book its own service appointments via an Audi connect safety and service system app uh now as well as providing emergency calling and online

Roadside assistance this feature can at the appropriate time send a service request direct to your local dealer alternatively you can sign up for Audi service request which uses the onboard Wi-Fi to enable your car to communicate with the dealer as your RS5 nears a time when work will be needed uh the

Diagnostics alert your nominated local Audi Center who will then contact you to book in a convenient time maintenance costs can be kept down if you go for one of the prepaid servicing plans that you’ll be offered at initial purchase another neat service that your dealer can offer you is the so-called Audi cam

System now here technicians carrying out Workshop inspections on your RS5 can focus a handheld Audi cam camera on specific problems and accompany the image with a verbal diagnosis to create footage that can be sent to your computer your smartphone uh that way you’ll know precisely what work you’re

Authorizing on your car so on to the warranty all contenders in this class get three years of cover but whereas you won’t get your mileage Limited in this period if you opt for something made by BMW or Mercedes Audi rather meanly restricts you to 60,000 Mi optional

Extra cost packages uh can extend the warranty to either 4 years and 75,000 Mi or 5 years and 90,000 if the worst happens and the car breaks down there’s free roadside assistance included for the first 36 months of ownership what else uh well insurance is

Rated at group 44e which isn’t too big a jump over the S5 uh which is 42e and as usually residual values are predicted to be satisfyingly strong experts cat monitor reckon that after 3 years and 60,000 Mi your RS5 should still be worth around 44.2% of its original purchase

Price which which is well over 5% better than a comparable BMW M4 that’s provided of course that you haven’t loaded this Audi yet with too many pricey options overall we’re talking class leading levels of load appreciation here it’s the same with Pence per mile running costs which according to cap are set

With this car at 75.9 3 p per mile U Mercedes AMG C63 is rated at 78.7 1 P per mile while a BMW M4 Coupe competition pack Auto is rated at 82.8 P per mile again then the Audi is out in Front this is according to Audi an athlete in a tailor made suit well if that’s the case then as others have pointed out the Sprinter in question must surely be usin bolt now we remarked when we tested Audi’s 354 PS S5 Coupe that you could drive that car for the

Whole all of its motoring life without suspecting the Beast that lay beneath the Bodywork there’s absolutely no chance of that with an RS5 it’s seriously frantically astonishingly fast more impressive still is the ease with which you can travel so rapidly that’s an attribute very uh reminiscent of the iconic Audi model which inspired

This one the original Audi Quattro Coupe of 1980 made going quickly about as straightforward as it could be you didn’t worry about the weather or the roads you’d be using you just got into the thing and went very very fast just as you do in this RS5 critics may see its approach as

Overly clinical but that’s a subjective thing uh the hard facts are that when it comes to rival cars a BMW M4 and a Mercedes AMG C63 Coupe compromise you every time it rains and one of those wild super four-wheel drive hot hatches compromise you every time your boss

Checks out your space in the company car park and tells you to grow up of course if you wanted to follow his lead and get completely sensible then you’d have to admit that an Audi S5 would make more sense on paper but the best decisions aren’t always made on

Paper here’s a car with a brand image built on more tactile things and one that four decades on from that original Quattro continues Eng goat’s performance heritage [Applause] He