Buying an S5 - advice please

[MikeS4]

Hello,

I'm currently looking at aquiring a used S5 auto & wanted to ask a few questions & get some feedback from other owners.

I would be looking at a 2007/8 but the current brochure states that the S5 comes with tiptronic as opposed to s-tronic (DSG), other web searches talk about s-tronic. Can anyone clarify what a 2007/8 would have?

I'm drawn to an auto due to much improved mpg figures over the manual (combined is 26.2 for auto & 22.7 for manual), is this figure realistic?

What's servicing costs like on S5's? Any big bills to watch for like cam belt or ATF?

Any other pointers or advice would be appreciated..

Cheers.

 

[BahnStormer77]

An older S5 will be the V8 version: so pretty sure that's a chain cam.<br><br>The fuel economy figures for an auto can be "massaged" quite a lot by a clever ECU: when driven at fuel economy test rates of accelleration, the auto is allowed to rattle up through the gears VERY quickly, but for a manual it is stipulated that the change-ups have to occur at specific speeds, regardless of the gearbox gearings. You really need to get real-world driving ratings, not the artificial models for testing. If you drive moderately enthusiastically and change gear conservatively (i.e. high gears when you're just trundling along), then manual will still normally outperform the auto. The newer Merc 7G-tronics are one of the few examples where people claim that they can't beat the auto-box's manual rating if they put it in manual mode.<br><br>As with all Audi's: Audi servicing is steep, but if you find a good Audi dealership, they give you a really good all-round service and know what they're doing with the car.

 

[fabeaton]

bahnstormer
i ran a 6 speed S5 for 3 years, in that time it was only due one service which cost around £400, most of that was the cost of the oil as the sump holds around 8 litres of expensive synthetic long life.(£100)
if you potter around on B roads at the speed limits yes 25-26 mpg is possible, but on motorways/dual carraigeways at crusing speeds 23-24 mpg was my average, short overtaking burts over the ton will drop it to around 21mpg.

The engine has so much torque that really only 2/4/6 gears are required.
the manual is a dog to drive in heavy traffic, so if you are planing to use it for that purpose, buy the auto, but for blasts over the mountains in scotland i prefered the 6 speed.

no need to worry about timming belts, the V8 is chain driven.