2013 Audi S5: All-around tech car (pictures)
With its Google Earth navigation system, Bang & Olufsen sound, and adjustable sport settings, the Audi S5 delivers satisfying performance on the daily commute and weekend road trips.
Audi's S5, the sport version of the A5, may not be a supreme track car, but it drives very well on winding roads and during weekly commutes. For 2013, Audi updates the cabin electronics and makes some exterior changes.
Both the S5 and A5 are sport coupes, with one of the best-looking exterior designs in the business. The subtle roofline runs gracefully toward the rear pillar and the grille is surrounded by an unbroken frame extending through the bumper line.
Audi runs an LED light pipe across the top of the headlight, giving the car a unique look at night.
The S5 gets a supercharged, direct-injection 3-liter V-6, good for 333 horsepower. Fuel economy is not bad for the car, with an EPA highway number all the way up at 28 mpg.
As a coupe, the roofline drops over the rear seats, but not enough to seriously compromise headroom.
Audi puts the S5 logo on the brake calipers.
Quattro all-wheel drive comes standard on the S5, and an active sport differential is an option. Likewise, the car is also available with an adaptive suspension.
The rear seats fold down, making for a clear cargo area between trunk and cabin.
The S5 gets comfortable, power adjustable sport seats.
A well between the rear seats limits the S5 to four passengers.
Audi has been developing very cutting-edge cabin tech over the last few years, making its cars some of the most advanced on the road.
The S5 uses electric steering boost, but the wheel turns too easily even at its most aggressive setting.
Voice command is excellent in the S5, letting you enter addresses for route guidance as a single string. Paddles behind the wheel control the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
The center LCD in the instrument cluster shows useful information, from route guidance to the currently playing music track to a digital readout of the car's speed.
The console holds the shift lever and Audi's MMI controller, buttons, and a dial used to control everything on the LCD. This car lacks the touch pad Audi has begun to roll out in its newest models.
The Drive Select feature lets you choose different performance profiles for the car. The Individual profile lets you program in such things as steering, suspension, and engine response.
The rear-view camera includes trajectory and distance lines.
Audi's latest menu screens use this elliptical format, which lets you use the dial on the console to select an icon.
Audi integrated Google Earth with its navigation system, giving you satellite views of the car's location.
Route guidance overlays the satellite imagery.
One of the most useful destination entry features is Google online search, which can be accessed through the MMI or voice command.
Audi also uses the car's data connection to bring in gas prices and weather.
The Travel Information feature shows all the nearby locations from Wikipedia, complete with photos and a write-up.
The S5 uses traffic data to dynamically program congestion-free routes.
The phone system works very easily, pairing with your Bluetooth phone to show contacts on the LCD and let you access them through voice command.
Among its media sources, the S5 includes Bluetooth audio streaming and an onboard hard drive for music storage.
Audi's Bluetooth audio streaming implementation shows full track information on the play screen.
Audi's iPod integration screen lets you browse by artist, album, and genre.
The Bang & Olufsen audio option in the S5 is not as robust as the A7's, but it still sounds extremely good.
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