S5: Finding Motoring Bliss

Motoring bliss: the nirvana-like feeling that a driver gets while cruising under the perfect conditions and surroundings.

I think I achieved motoring bliss this morning while I was cruising down I-205 southbound in my S5. I had the windows down, moonroof cracked open, the engine humming at around 2800 RPM in fifth gear, speedometer floating around 62 MPH, it had just finished drizzling a couple of minutes ago and the sun was peeking through some dark clouds.

The sunlight danced off of the water that beaded up on the hood and the air was crisp and clean. The sound from the driver’s seat was just about right, with the slight rumble sneaking through the quiet spots of one of my favorite songs. I felt the stress and tension built up over the course of the work week just melt away and had a slight smile breaking through. It was almost like I was one with the car… I know, it’s a cliché.

Just one of the many moments that makes me happy that I chose the right car. A grand touring coupé that just happens to have a 4.2-litre 354 horsepower/325 lb-ft V8, a third pedal and six forward gears, quattro all-wheel drive with a sports rear differential, and an amazing Sprint Blue exterior. mmm.

S5: 6000 miles and then some

It has been a while since I posted something about my S5 and I didn’t catch when my car hit the 5000 mile mark. I had brought it in for its 1-year or 5000-mile maintenance (which ever comes first) before it reached 4900 miles. The first scheduled maintenance for my S5 was free (as in, included in the car’s price) and it was a pretty simple one. Outside of the usual fluid checks, oil change and tire rotation, the only other thing done was to update the software for the 3G MMI with Navigation; which, is supposed to fix the issue with the screen not coming back on after short stop. I had experienced the bug a couple of times after getting some petrol on the way home. Thankfully, I did not have to rely on the navigation and could still change tracks or stations using the controls on the wheel. The S5 also got a pretty decent wash, which it really needed.

Since I missed seeing the odometer click over to 5000 miles, I wanted to catch it when it would click over to 6000 miles. Unfortunately, I was about 0.5 miles off when I drove the car home and saw it change to 5999 miles just as I turned into the driveway. Thankfully, I had to run an errand tonight and saw it hit the 6000 mile mark as I rolled to a stop light. It only took just about six months to reach that milestone.

Even with six months of being a newbie at driving stick, which included a good number of pooched shifts, stalling or unintended clutch slipping, I still continue to enjoy the feeling of rowing my own gears and properly making use of engine braking (a concept that seems to be lost on slushbox drivers). The sound of the engine and exhaust is just intoxicating, even if it isn’t as loud as other cars… more on that in a bit.

Those 6000 miles have definitely proven to me that the S5 is first a grand tourer, a performance car second. It is not as fast off the line as an Audi S4 or BMW 335is, but that was not an issue for me. This is one of the times where I wanted a bit more form than function ;)

I am still thinking about swapping the stock exhaust with a Stasis kit, since I think Audi muted the S5′s sound a little bit too much. I have no expectation of any kind of performance boost, as the catalytic converters are still the biggest bottlenecks, but I want a bit more of a growl. My guess is that it will cost about $1600-1700 for the exhaust kit and for the labor to install the kit. If I decide to pull the trigger, it probably won’t happen until the car reaches its first birthday.

There aren’t any plans to chip the car, make changes to the suspension, or to get different wheels. I just don’t see the need nor have I seen any other wheels that look better than the stock wheels that I have. Outside of the unique Sprint Blue color, the S5 is almost a sleeper and I want to keep it that way.

If I had to order my S5 all over again, I would not change a thing.

S5: 3800 miles and a fling with a Carrera S

With almost four months and 3800 miles clocked on my S5, I am getting better at working the clutch and the acceleration pedals and no gremlins have appeared… yet. The one thing that I still struggle with it, is if I am focused on trying to shift smoothly and not upset the car, I get worse at changing gears; whereas, if I don’t really think about shifting smoothly, I can pull off gear changes a lot smoother.

It seems that while I am overly focused at trying to change gears smoothly, I get slower at moving the gear selector and manipulating the clutch and acceleration pedals; which, in turn leads to more a very jerky experience and cranks up the stress levels. The less aware that I am about driving a manual, the less I worry about making every shift butter smooth and it becomes less stressful. Read the rest of this entry »

S5: Pirelli PZero Rosso Tires

When my 2011 Audi S5 was built, a set of four Pirelli PZero Rosso tires (255/35ZR19) were selected and installed as the car rolled through the production line. This is the first time that I have had such tires on any of my cars and I’m thinking it will not be my first choice when it comes time to get new tires.

The tires are great at providing traction when slinging my cars around curves or when trying to blitz off from a dead stop. Unfortunately, those buggers are pretty noisy and high levels of tread wear; granted, these tires are ultra-high performance summer tires and aggressive tread wear is par for the course. The noise gets to be a bit tiresome when driving down a highway or freeway, next to a median divider with the windows down. I have experienced the same tire noise and short tread life on other sets of Pirelli tires that came with my 2004 Audi A4 (which were also included with the car when I purchased it). Read the rest of this entry »

Size matters: S5 shift knob

On the way home tonight, the odometer is showing that I am close to crossing the 2000 mile mark. Those miles have gone by pretty fast and I’m feeling quite comfortable with driving stick. Sure, I have stalled three times in the past two weeks and accidentally shifted from 5th to 2nd rather than to 4th; but, I’m getting much better at blipping the throttle while down-shifting and changing gears is getting smoother.

Something that has made it fun and comfortable at the same time is the size and shape of the shift knob. Before I had a chance to see the shift knob up close over a year ago, the Audi of America pictures made it seem like it was overgrown. In reality, the knob fits quite well in the palm of my hand and the oddly thick stalk adds to the already good ergonomics. The only tarnish is that the throws are a bit too long if I want to ram through the gears like a madman.

Now if only I could find the quarter that I dropped when putting it into the slots to the right of the shifter…

Almost 1300 Miles and Rollin’

After taking some pre-dawn pictures yesterday morning, I noticed that I have almost clocked in 1300 miles on Dalek-5 and started thinking how the S5 has been as a daily driver compared to my old 2004 Audi A4.

Outside of the performance and handling differences (354 HP versus 220 HP, 325 ft-lb of torque versus 221 ft-lb) and loads of additional features and technologies (multiple sources for music, including two SD slots, additional iPod/media interface, HD Radio and Sirius satellite radio compared to a six-disc changer and 20GB PhatNoise jukebox), there are some things included in my A4 that I miss:

• A cargo net for the trunk is not included in the S5, while one was included with my A4. The cargo net accessory for the S5 is a bit too expensive.
• No grocery bag hooks in the trunk of the S5. This feature is included in my A4 and I used it quite a bit as a way to keep loaded bags from rolling around in the trunk.
• When using the one-touch window buttons to roll the windows all the way up or down, turning off the engine stops the opening/closing process and requires me to hold the buttons up or down to complete the process. In the A4, the process completes until I tell it to stop with the buttons or a door is opened.
• Due to the lower-slung roof, lower seats and longer door opening, ingress and egress is a bit less graceful than the four-door A4.
• The fancier, sportier wheels with five dual-spokes each are a bear to clean.

None of the above are enough to cause me to get “buyer’s remorse” or lessen how much I really, really like the car. :)

I am still learning where the front wheels are in relation to the front of the car while driving; in which, has lead me to not pull far up enough in some parking spots or to nick one of the wheels on a curb.

I don’t have any new pictures of the S5 yet, as I’m waiting for a night in which the sky is clear and a nice open spot to take pictures of the lovely LED lights, front and rear.