Photography by ©2017 Toni Avery

While my birthday last year was spent in the training process for my current job as a Porsche Driving Instructor, I thought it would be fun to spend it this year going somewhere I’d never been. The destination was set as Colorado and so I went to Audi to see if they could supply a car to drive there and back. An S5 was offered which I was intrigued to see if it would be as comfortable as the S6 I used for Monterey Car Week the year before.

This Audi is equipped with a 3.0 L TFSI turbocharged V6 engine producing 354 HP and 369 lb-ft of torque mated to a 7-speed S tronic transmission. The S5’s power numbers lacked a bit especially when you got on the gas hard. The transmission also wasn’t as responsive as I would have liked especially in Dynamic mode. But, this press car wasn’t about the performance numbers it was more about how it’d stand up to over 1000 miles of driving.

I for sure thought the gas mileage wouldn’t be impressive but I was proven wrong. The car averaged about 25 MPG while going at constant speeds not legal in California. Driving in Comfort, the interior stayed quiet while the ride quality was smooth. The interior was as expected, gorgeous. Every Audi press car I’ve had has gone beyond expectation in terms of quality for the price point. And to help with the long hours of driving were massage seats, just like in the S8 I reviewed a couple of months ago. And each time the car started I was greeted with a convenient seatbelt extension for easy reach. The Bang and Olufsen stereo produced quality sound for the trip up and back and the Apple Car Play worked as expected with my iPhone. Fitting everything in the trunk wasn’t an issue and even the rear seats provided a bit of extra room for storage.

I overall believe the S5 is a great road trip vehicle, and even a daily driver for someone looking for a nicely appointed, luxurious, and well-designed coupe for the starting price of $54,600.

2018 Audi S5 Coupe:

Base Price: $54,600

Options:

Tango Red Metallic, Navigation Package (Audi MMI Navigation, Audi Connect,

Audi Virtual Cockpit), S Sport Package (Red brake calipers, Sport adaptive

damping suspension), Fine Nappa leather interior, Bang & Olufsen sound

system w/ 3D sound, 19″ Wheel package, Carbon Atlas inlays

Destination Charge: $975

Total Price: $64,750

Fuel Economy: 21 City, 30 Highway, 24 Combined