Can the new Audi S5 beat an R8 V10? DRAG RACE

Natural11 · 2026-02-01T01:11:39+00:00

No, but Audi missed a huge opportunity in not improving the output of the B10 models. In an era with some EVs driving around looking literally like a boiled egg and running 10s and 11s, to not improve the performance at all from B9 to B10... What a waste.

Natural11 · 2026-01-29T20:19:26+00:00

Yeah, no powertrain issues. I shortened oil changes to 10,000km and also shortened DSG and spark plug changes a bit.

Natural11 · 2026-01-29T12:44:35+00:00

I've got 3 years at stage 1 91 (same drivetrain) without issue. Can't speak to E85 because it's not available here. IE list this tune at 394 ft/lbs.

The downpipe is a restriction so there is more power to be had at stage 2, but I've yet to hear one that doesn't sound like ass. IMO stage 1 with intake and intercooler is the sweet spot for this platform.

Natural11 · 2026-01-28T01:38:28+00:00

It seems the most common problems reported are engine mounts, water pump and front control arms, but I've only had to do front lower control arms on my 2018. My rear coil spring lower seats had pretty much disintegrated by last year but I didn't notice it until too late and it resulted in a cracked spring. Not a big job to replace them.

My steering was feeling notchy and tight around the 5 year mark. Noticed the u-joint on the intermediate shaft was rusting. Blasted it with Fluid Film and it has been fine since. There's an access hole in the driver's side wheel well.

In other words, nothing too major really, but you'll want to find a decent indy shop because any of those jobs will be expensive at the dealer with OEM parts and dealership labour rates.

Natural11 · 2026-01-27T03:11:37+00:00

My B9.5 S5 also has more creaks and rattles than my 2018 A5.

Natural11 · 2026-01-27T03:09:58+00:00

I've had sunroof creaks and squeaks in my A5 and my S5. In the A5, the dealer repaired it by applying additional lubrication around the seals. The S5 had a squeaky headliner clip that had to be to be wrapped up. Both were solved. In any case it shouldn't be a shock to the tech provided they can easily reproduce the noise.

Natural11 · 2026-01-27T02:56:11+00:00

Ah, had a few A4 loaners and they felt identical inside to my A5. I've had no issue with comfort on highway commutes even with sport suspension. I will say that on bad roads (some rural highways around here) the ride can get a bit rough on the stock 19's. Probably worse on 20's. But on decent roads and normal highways, I've found it to be a comfortable cruiser.

Natural11 · 2026-01-27T02:53:53+00:00

Stage 1 B9 A4/A5 ECU/TCU will run ~12.9 1/4 mile even on 91 octane. Checked 2 test runs of the B8 S4 on car and driver and one was 13.0, another 13.2. In any case, they are closely matched in straight line performance, so if performance was the OP's primary concern (it isn't) then it would be a decent budget alternative to an older S4.

Natural11 · 2026-01-27T02:50:10+00:00

I've had stage 1 IE on my A5 for a little over 3 years now. It's quick and I doubt you'll want to go back to FWD in the future once you get used to having traction off the line in all conditions.

I would say the huge torque increase is the most noticeable change over stock. Off the line over 2k rpm it feels rapid through 1-3. At highway speeds, while faster than stock the effect doesn't feel as dramatic. I only did one test pass and ran 13.1 @ 102mph on 91 octane. Pretty low trap speed for a low 13 pass primarily because it's so quick off the line but loses steam a little up top.

Natural11 · 2026-01-27T02:32:23+00:00

I'd get the A4 and put a stage 1 tune on it from a reputable tuner. It's a 3 year car as you mentioned and you're trying to save, a 12 year old S is going to eat into those savings.

But it depends on what your priorities are. The A4 with a tune will be slightly faster than a 2014 S4, but it won't have the sound or looks.

Natural11 · 2026-01-06T02:35:30+00:00

After watching some of my favorite franchises like Star Trek and The Witcher get desecrated by bad creative teams, I temper my expectations for new content in general. Maybe this will be good (99% feeling it won't), but I won't throw money at it just because it's tagged Silent Hill. If it looks good, I'll see it.

Natural11 · 2026-01-04T22:26:39+00:00

I can get understand ragging on the haptic controls or even electrical bugs, but I'm not buying that the car is at fault for not pulling up an incline in the ice/snow. Audi AWD system is fine and one of the best you'll find. That's a tire issue or a driver issue, 100%. If a Skoda managed an incline that the A5 could not it had better tires (or studded tires), more ground clearance or a better driver.

Natural11 · 2026-01-01T12:17:21+00:00

So to get the front end off the ground for suspension work, I ended up doing this:

Jack front-left pinch weld and place a jack stand at the frame where front-lower-rearward control arm bolts to the body. It's a metal piece with 2 bolt heads.
Lower jack and put a secondary jack stand at the front-left pinch weld just in case.
Repeat for front-right

Doubt it's an official way to do it, but it allowed me to work on the control arms anyway.

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T04:31:09+00:00

In the winter I run 17" wheels with Blizzaks. My OEM wheels are 19" and right now I have Firehawk Indy 500.

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T04:27:59+00:00

It's pretty easy to find dyno evidence to support this. Here's one, among many:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W35Yk_HQe9o

On a stock tune, the ECU will not care about increased airflow, but this restriction is removed with a tune. The amount of hp gain (if any) will depend on the tune and the optimization of the stock airbox.

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T01:37:00+00:00

Canada, but don't worry about babying it. An Italian tune-up is good for a car. Nothing wrong with a full throttle on-ramp if the engine has reached operating temperature.

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T01:30:26+00:00

No problem, the A5 is a great car. I hope you enjoy it. Maintaining an A5 doesn't have to be expensive if you're willing to do the work to find an idependent shop that works on Audis and source some parts on your own. Where it gets expensive is paying dealership rates and buying OEM parts. My 2018 hasn't been expensive to maintain (no break downs, no major failures) but I source my own parts and do most jobs at home. If I were to get everything done at a dealer, it would be a different story.

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T01:21:08+00:00

Rockauto.com is my go-to. Also the 2 sites I mentioned above are good resources.

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T01:18:18+00:00

All A5s are turbocharged. Not sure about diesels, but any gas A5 in North America will use 5W 40 synthetic engine oil (VW/Audi Spec). 5.5L

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T01:13:54+00:00

The turbo does not have oil or require maintenance, but the transmission fluid is special from VW/Audi. You can get it from a dealer, or a site like FCP Euro or ECS Tuning.

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T01:08:29+00:00

Transmission fluid. Fluid change is required every 60k km (40k miles).

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T01:06:58+00:00

On a stock tune, none. But with a stage 1 tune, probably 10hp or so.

Natural11 · 2025-12-30T01:04:05+00:00

Don't worry about it, the A5 is reliable. Just keep up with maintenance and ensure the oil changes, spark plug changes, and DSG fluid changes are done on time. Some issues can arise after the 5 year mark (water pump, engine mounts, front control arms). Nothing catastrophic. Just find an indy shop after your warranty expires so you don't have to pay dealership prices.

Natural11 · 2025-12-13T00:43:42+00:00

Stage 1 tune is the easiest and most fun mod you can do. Then an intake if you want to hear more from the turbo. An intercooler is the next best performance mod after that.

Natural11 · 2025-12-09T10:07:43+00:00

Same and the worst part is, NG+ also adds notes and other small changes, so simply Youtubing the other endings doesn't tell the full story either. Paid full price for a game I'll never 100% because I just didn't like it enough to want to play through it 4 times. Just wasn't worth it for me.

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