Audi RS5 review: tremendously fast, but is it fun?
Quiet. Not the first thought I was expecting to have about the new Audi RS5. Quite the opposite, in fact: I’d been expecting a thug of a car with a raucous soundtrack to go with the flared nostrils and bulging arches.
The plot thickened as I guided the big, green coupé out of town and on to the motorway, where it was never anything less than perfectly smooth in its drivetrain, amazingly compliant in its suspension and whisper quiet.
Even at motorway speeds along some of the worst concrete the M25 has to offer the Audi bumped softly along with a level of comfort quite at odds with its giant wheels and rubber band-thick tyres. Indeed, it was only the background roar kicked up by the rubber that provided a clue as to how much of it was in contact with the road.
So what was going on? Let’s first address the noise, or rather lack of it, which is the result of the 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 of the previous RS5 making way for a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6. In most circumstances having an engine of this description would be considered a very good thing indeed, especially when, like this one, it’s been co-developed with Porsche.
The exception is if you’re downsizing from one of the great naturally aspirated V8s of the past decade, an engine redlined the far side of 8,000rpm - where, incidentally, it seemed quite happy to spend the majority of its time.
If the noise isn’t quite what it was, at least performance is still there in spades. That’s because despite being smaller the new engine still produces an identical 444bhp. What’s more, those turbochargers boost torque from what was previously 317lb ft at 4,000rpm to 443lb ft from only 1,900rpm, as well as help the RS5 achieve a 17 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions in the NEDC fuel economy cycle.
I’d wager however that RS5 buyers will care less about that and more about the improvement in the previous car’s 4.6 second 0-62mph time to just 3.9 seconds for this new model. That’s a huge improvement and puts the RS5 into some very serious company, as does the 174mph top speed that comes with the optional derestricted upgrade.
There’s also a genuinely lovely interior, with comfortable and supportive sports seats, room for four people, a clean and simple dashboard layout and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital dials fitted as standard. Plus of course a level of perceived quality and attention to detail that’s typical of Audi’s exacting standards.
The performance gains are mostly a result of the additional torque, but also come about because of the quattro all-wheel-drive system and the fact this new RS5 is around 60kg lighter than its predecessor (half of which is the result of the smaller engine).
The improved ride comfort meanwhile can be traced to a new chassis that uses a five-link suspension set-up front and rear, helped in our test car by the addition of Dynamic Ride Control adaptive dampers.
The weight reduction and improved suspension shouldn’t only benefit efficiency and comfort though. They should also make the RS5 more capable and hopefully more fun than ever before.
To find out you’ll need to find a decent and preferably wide stretch of road and switch the Drive Select mode from its Auto setting into Dynamic mode, which tightens up body control, snaps the eight-speed torque converter automatic to attention, and opens some flaps in the exhaust. There are a few things that soon become clear when you drive an RS5 in this setting. For a start, while it definitely gains enough of a voice to entertain, it still doesn’t stir the soul like that old V8, nor have the razor-edged throttle response.
Second, the ride goes from really quite pleasant to race-track ready, which frankly is a bit much for British roads. And third, the chassis, although responsive, doesn’t have anything that sense of balance or playfulness you get with a BMW M car or Mercedes AMG.
What the RS5 does instead is grip like you wouldn’t believe. If you’ve driven a BMW M4 with any enthusiasm, particularly in the wet, you’ll know it can be something of a handful. Not so the Audi, which simply digs in and goes, its nose turning keenly but with no feedback through the wheel. Audi UK’s decision to equip all cars sold here with a limited-slip differential on the rear axle no doubt helps with agility, but if you’re coming to the RS5 expecting any kind of rear-balanced feel you’re going to be disappointed.
No such danger with the gearbox, which is effortlessly effective at jumping up and down through the ratios, even if the reality is that the engine has so much torque that you don’t need to.
As with all RS Audis the Drive Select system also includes an “Individual” mode that lets you pick and choose your ideal configuration. Most useful about this is it lets you have the more aggressive engine and gearbox mode but keep the softer suspension. On track this would certainly cost you time, but on a bumpy road it actually improves things considerably by allowing the dampers room to breathe.
There is still the feeling, however, that the RS5 is a car designed to monster any road in the most efficient, effortless way it can. In that sense it comes across more as an upgraded version of Audi’s already fast S5, whereas a BMW M4 or Mercedes C63 AMG stand proud from the rest of their respective ranges as something very different.
Despite this, the RS5’s level of competence and performance in such a wide number of areas mean it would be unjust for it to be awarded anything less than four stars. As a car to use on a daily basis it would be sublime, if perhaps not quite as thrilling as you might expect.
THE FACTS
Audi RS5
TESTED 2,894cc twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine, eight-speed automatic gearbox, all-wheel drive
PRICE/ON SALE From £62,900 (as tested £80,740)/now
POWER/TORQUE 444bhp @ 5,700-6,700rpm/443lb ft @ 1,900-5,000rpm
ACCELERATION 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds
TOP SPEED 155mph standard or 174mph derestricted
FUEL ECONOMY 24.6mpg/32.5mpg (EU Urban/Combined). On test 28mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS 197g/km
VED £1,200 first year, then £450 for five years, then £140
VERDICT Much more of an all-rounder than you might believe, the RS5 is smooth, comfortable and incredibly fast. But if you want fun a BMW M4 better fits the bill.
TELEGRAPH RATING Four out of five stars
THE RIVALS
BMW M4, from £59,080
Oodles of grunt from BMW’s 425bhp, 406lb ft turbocharged straight-six engine, and in the dry it’s an engaging and very rapid way to travel. You’ll need your wits about you when it rains though - and be prepared to ignore the fact that the cheaper M2 is a more enjoyable car for more of the time.
Mercedes C63 AMG Coupé, from £63,475
Lacks the subtlety of the Audi, but goodness is it fast. For that thank a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 479lb ft of torque to go with the 470bhp. Rear-wheel drive and a balanced chassis add to the fun, but like the Audi the ride in the sportier drive modes is borderline harsh.
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