Owner Review: I was looking for a 3.0L 6-Cyl car and this is the best bang for my buck - My Audi S5

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Basic information

2017 Audi S5 B9

RM 290,000

Reasons why I bought this car

Coming from 2.0L cars for the past 8 years, I wanted something more powerful and sexy. I’m the type of person who likes to progress one step at a time so that I have the next good thing to look forward to and to work hard for, so a 3.0L 6cyl is the perfect next step before a monstrous 4.0L V8.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of:  RM 450,000
• Models that I have considered include: BMW 640i GC (F06), BMW M340i (G20), Mercedes Benz C43, BMW X4, Mercedes Benz GLC300 Coupe.

First and foremost, I was looking for a 4-door car only. I test drove all the cars listed above except the M340i which was not launched at the time. Personally, I love how the GLC 300 Coupe looks but I thought the engine and the whole driving experience was very poor. I love how the C43 drives, but I hate how it looks. The C-class shell has been on the road for so long and it felt boring a long time ago. I had the BMW X4 in my shortlist too.

The BMW 640i GC was a car that I loved for a long long time. Even now when it is approaching its 10th birthday it still looks sexy as hell. 300 odd horsepower and a I6? Absolute no brainer! The catch? It still costs Rm 350k for a 4/5 year old car and I couldn’t find a newer one at that time.

I got word on the launching timeline for the M340i but unfortunately, I could not wait any longer. So, I was left with one final choice, the Audi S5 B9.

3.0L? Checked. 6 Cylinder? Checked. Hatchback door? Nice thing to have. Price? Below 300k. I have found my sexy unicorn that is also practical at the same time.

User experience

• I have already done 12,000 km.

This is my first time driving a 3.0L V6 as my daily driver, on the highway the power delivery is something that I’ve never experienced before. I mean it’s logical that because this has 2 extra cylinders, but the excitement is what I want to share with you. If you have the means, please go for the upgrade. From 4 cylinders to 6, then to 8, 10, and 12. You will live your life to the fullest!

The cargo space is also worth mentioning. The hatchback door opens all the way up. The rear seats can be folded down and the space is huge. Put a mattress there and it will be your luxurious camp.

My virtual cockpit is the new one that is all screen. I can display google maps with satellite view on it. Warning though, if you look at it too much it can be quite dizzying.

Until now I’ve only seen 2 A5 sportbacks and no S5s on the road. It does certainly help with not making me feel bored with the looks of it, and I think it will maintain that way in a long time.

In terms of driving pleasure, it can be a tame poodle and at a push of a button, it will turn into a wild horse. At comfort mode, the car accelerates smoothly. It won’t knock you back to your seat even when I step on the accelerator hard. Sometimes you’ll feel that even a Vios has more torque than this. Once you put it to Dynamic S mode, the car starts to growl, everything becomes more agile. The difference is like Harry Maguire turning into Jadon Sancho at the push of a button. The suspension is rather firm. I personally like it as it makes me feel safer at corners. My passengers would beg to differ but who cares, they can drive themselves if they don’t like it.

Audi is famous for its Quattro AWD system. I feel safer driving an AWD car as I don’t have the skills to save myself from all the danger (or excitement) that comes in a RWD car. I’ve driven BMWs before, while I admit that RWDs can be fun, there were some slippery occasions where I almost shat myself.

The S5 is by no means the perfect car, but considering the price I paid for this quality, and the kind of brand-new cars I could’ve gotten with the same budget, I reckon this is a very good buy. Did I regret buying the S5 instead of waiting for a better 640i GC? Before buying the S5 I thought I would. But after that I’m just so glad to have made my purchase.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The fuel consumption is rather good for long distance driving. On average I get about 8.7L/100km whilst travelling at the constant speed of 180km/h. In urban areas I get about 11L/100km, which is about the same as my previous 2.0L cars.
• Bucket seats with Massage function
• Sexy curve lines
• Hatchback
• Sweet sports exhaust sound
• Handling
• Firm suspension
• Flat bottom steering
• Frameless windows
• Rare!

Cons

As this unit is considerably cheaper than the other S5s in the market, it came with a lower spec. No reverse cam, no B&O sound system, no sunroof. To me I’m not really a fan of technology so I can live without these convenient features. I know it sounds like me trying to find an excuse, but anyhow I still think that a premium car like this should have all these convenient technology features as standard. Also, what I’m really gutted is the lack of B&O speakers. I do appreciate some quality me-time in my cabin with top notch audio quality sound system. Personally I think B&O speakers are so much better sounding than Burmester, Harman Kardon, and Bower & Wilkins.

Ratings

Total Score: 4.1
Performance: 4
Quality & Features: 3
Space: 4.5
Ride Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 4
Price & Cost: 5

Summary

TL;DR – I was looking for a 3.0L Cyl and the S5 is the one that offered the best bang for my buck.
I wrote so long, read up there lah please LOL!

Lastly, any interesting event?

Always getting praises about how cool my car is by the hardworking policemen at roadblocks during various MCO phases. Thank you frontliners!
Other than that, nothing else really, it’s still not something as glamorous as a V8 that will catch people’s attention. But still really grateful to be so lucky to drive one.

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