If you ask us, coupes get a bad rap. When considered in terms of cost versus units sold from the eye of a corporate accountant, the need for a lower-number and less practical two-door almost always comes into question. The more esoteric argument of passion can be made, though a bean-counting bookkeeper typically has a hard time getting his head around passion. For most enthusiasts and even the average automotive consumer, the need for a company to sell a coupe becomes a bit more understood. Inquire just what cars have people talking or are likely to create a classic and the answer is probably a coupe. Fortunately, luxury manufacturers are beginning to wake to this idea and this means svelte and swooping deuces are making a comeback.

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one typo though: "insights" should be "incites"

Viewing it again a couple times I see the 3 series, but I guess I screwed up at first.

Quote, originally posted by CarbonFibre »

Maybe it's just me, but did anyone else think the BMW was a 1 series based on the pic given on the front page? I didn't think that would make much sense in the comparison, but I guess it's just the angle of the photograph. Viewing it again a couple times I see the 3 series, but I guess I screwed up at first.

We used a wide-angle to capture all-three cars in that shot. Given that, you get distortion around the borders. The roof is not as tall as it appears on that shot, but it just goes to show how close the 1er and 3er designs are.

I can haz VR6? I promise I'll watch out for the fents and the crubs.
if you want a Vdub in the south IM me, I'll hook you up.

clearly got its ass kicked in your tests. Based on price

alone, the A5 should've been the car in this comparo.

Although that result would be even more ugly. BMW

really has something special here and they did'nt need

an M badge to prevail over an S.

Quote, originally posted by roccoman82 »

you guys mention that it was without the music interface and Sirius Radio, but you mention it has nav......on the S5, Sirius is Standard and the Music Interface comes packaged with the Navigation. just thought I'd mention that for those who read the article, as it's a bit misleading

Thanks. Ours was an early German market car being used by the PR department. Its ICE setup wasn't full US, but the point remains. Get a basic car with no Satellite and your options are limited.

Again, it depends on your priorities, which is what I tried to spell out and be fair about in the test. If I wanted the best track car out of the bunch as it comes from the factory, I'd go BMW. If I wanted the best bang for the buck or most intensive ICE, then the G37S would be the pick. The Audi, while more expensive, also feels it. Its interior puts the others to shame, its on-road ride is as good as or better, its ergonomics are best of the three. Looks are subjective, but I believe it's still the best looking by a margin and the best-all-round package.

I'm willing to admit that, writing for Fourtitude, I may be a bit more open to an Audi product. However, I believe the article to be fair to all three cars.

The current A4 3.2 S-line is 8 or 9 tenths an S4, and I suspect an A5 S-line with the new 3.2 will be close as well.

My question for you would be, what's your priority? Depending on that, then yes, the S5 might come up short.... but that's why we tried to both define where each car was superior and also why, in the end, we chose the S5. Our sister publication Motive also thought it was a close call, but chose the BMW and one reason for that was its on-track performance.

Let me play a bit of devil's advocate and ask a tough one: for as wonderful as the S5 is, it looks like the average equipped S5 is coming in at around the $55,000 range, which is anywhere from $5,000 - $10,000 more than a nearly similar (sans things like iDrive) 335i Coupe.

Given the relatively big spread on cost - do you think that the premium Audi is charging for the S5 is well justified? I think that the S5 is by far the better looking of the two, but I wonder what decision I would make if I had to plunk down my hard earned dollars for one or the other.

I'm not going to lie - at its price point, the 335i is an extremely *extremely* tempting offering.

A couple of things to consider. First, if you start optioning out the 335i, it jumps quickly. S5s come basically loaded. That said, you're right, it does cost considerably less on the base end.

I personally think the S5 is a bit of a 'tweener. It's competitive with the 6-series and it is the 3-series (though closer to the 3-series). Interestingly, a 2.0T quattro should be priced below the base BMW 3-series coupe and will also be a bargain for what it is... not to mention tunable and more efficient. We can second-guess our car choices all day long when we decide to do these roundups, so in the end we just have to choose competitors and go with it. The common theme here wasn't price as anyone can see they vary widely. The common theme was three of the market's hottest coupes built on three of the most capable entry-luxury platforms in the market. In as much, they square off nicely in my mind.

http://www.motivemagazine.com/...shtml


Modified by roadofmajor at 7:02 PM 1/25/2008

Yeah, I recall reading that article last summer.

I think all three are very different machines within the same category: Infiniti is the best value proposition, the 335i is the defacto standard, the S5 a more fully featured and rarified tourer.

I think Audi is finally getting some traction with the "grand tourer" tag on the A5/S5 and should really push the competition with the 6-series as compared to the 3-series: put in that context, comparison buyers are getting a *major* bargain.

I'm still holding out for an A5 3.0TDI S-Line 6-speed as the "best of both worlds", but until then.....

Quote, originally posted by George@Fourtitude »

A couple of things to consider. First, if you start optioning out the 335i, it jumps quickly. S5s come basically loaded. That said, you're right, it does cost considerably less on the base end. I personally think the S5 is a bit of a 'tweener. It's competitive with the 6-series and it is the 3-series (though closer to the 3-series). Interestingly, a 2.0T quattro should be priced below the base BMW 3-series coupe and will also be a bargain for what it is... not to mention tunable and more efficient. We can second-guess our car choices all day long when we decide to do these roundups, so in the end we just have to choose competitors and go with it. The common theme here wasn't price as anyone can see they vary widely. The common theme was three of the market's hottest coupes built on three of the most capable entry-luxury platforms in the market. In as much, they square off nicely in my mind.

They won't, but that may not be a bad thing. I've driven the S3 (TTS engine) and the new valvelift-equipped 2.0T. Both are sweet engines, but the TTS is actually the older generation motor and will not get valvelift. Valvelift makes up some of the difference, as does less frictional loss on the engine. At the end of the day, the new 2.0T shouldn't leave you wanting.

Well, it covers the same cars. The Motive article was written by my colleague Stu Fowle. Stu and I both have our own takes on the cars and, in the end, Stu chose the BMW. I linked the Motive version at the end of the article so folks could see both takes. I still felt it worth running.

I drove this setup (minus the S-line) in Europe and it'd definitely be my pick if I could have anything. Around town, it's actually more torque-laden than the S5 and only really gives it up to suspension (S-line has that) and highway speed torque.

Read the 3.0 TDI review here...
http://www.fourtitude.com/news...shtml

Like you said in the article: for AoA to bring a diesel A5 to this country would take serious balls - but, like the diesel R8 prototype, it would probably bring some fantastic publicity to Audi. A full diesel fleet would really set them above the fray. You said in the article that a luxo-coupe is a hard sell, a diesel a harder sell and a 6-speed on top of that make it a virtually insane proposition for for the United States.

39 mpg, S5-level performance and those looks are the holy trinity to me. I think the diesel's frugality can trump the lack of two doors and manual tranny (just like, ironically, the S5's thirst is a deal breaker to me).

Ballsy move, yes. Class-leading and game changing move: absolutely.

Quote, originally posted by George@Fourtitude »

I drove this setup (minus the S-line) in Europe and it'd definitely be my pick if I could have anything. Around town, it's actually more torque-laden than the S5 and only really gives it up to suspension (S-line has that) and highway speed torque. Read the 3.0 TDI review here... http://www.fourtitude.com/news...shtml

Class leading? I don't know about that. With BMW show casing their BMW X5 xDrive35d and BMW 335d at NAIAS, they truly have made the first move in the luxury diesel wars in the States.

But I do believe if Audi choose to take a more "European" appoarch to the US market, they could become class leading. More and more Americans are changing their minds about diesel engines. From the ideas of tractors and black smoke trucks to low emissions high performance engines that they are today. I hope that Audi does bring over the 3.0TDI for more than just the A4 and Q7. Looking at the European market where Audi offers a wider variety of engines and transmissions *cough* 6spd MT TT *cough* it seems like Audi doesn't want to gain the market share that it truly wants in the US with it's current selection.

I agree it's a ballsy move, but I also think that the market is ready to respond. Plus I think Audi needs to do something about the price of their cars... personally, everythings seems to be 1 or 2 thousand dollars more than it should. But that's just me.

What color is the S5 in that comparo?

Rest in Peace -- 2006 Audi A3 2.0T DSG

The S5 is much heavier, so is the G37.

The 335 is VERY quick, while the S5 is sort of fast. The G37 is barely fast.

The 335 has a beautiful interior and a sunroof that actually functions, while the Audi also has an interior right on par too. The G37 isn't quite there yet.

The 335 has mod potential that would make it easily spank the rest of the competition. Simply adding a PROcede chip, which is nothing more than a plug and play unit that is placed behind the glove box, the 335 becomes a monster that's faster than it's previous E46 M3.

I know many people don't wanna hear it but it's true.

Lookswise, the S5 has a slight edge over the 335 and the G37.

Overall, the 335 is the best bang for your buck, all things considered.

Second would be the G37, and then the S5.

Once again, I'm making that conclusion based what you get for your money.

That's just my perspective.

The S5 BASE PRICE is almost the same price as the E92(2008-09) M3. There's only a difference of roughly $2,750.

Why the hell is your user name "S5" if you dislike it so much.

I would choose the Audi first, probably the G37 send and the BMW last in this test based on my tastes.