The S5 is eager and more engaging to drive than the A5.
Jonathan Gitlin
Like the Q5 last week, the A5 and S5 use a new electronic architecture called E3 1.2. This is a clean-sheet approach to the various electronic subsystems in the car, replacing decades of legacy cruft and more than a hundred individual electronic control units with five powerful high-performance computers, each with responsibility for a different domain: ride and handling, infotainment, driver assists, and convenience functions, all overseen by a master computer.
On the road
Sadly, those looking for driver engagement will not find much in the A5. Despite the improvements to the front suspension, there’s still very little in the way of feedback, and in comfort mode, the steering was too light, at least for me. In Dynamic mode, on the other hand, the car felt extremely sure-footed in bad weather. The A5 makes do with conventional springs, so the ride doesn’t change between drive modes, but Audi has tuned it well, and the car is not too firm. I noted a fair amount of wind noise, despite the acoustic front glass that comes with the ($6,450) Prestige package.
