My daughters rocked their year-end report cards, bringing home straight A's. So we loaded them into the 2009 Audi S5 and headed for their favorite restaurant. (That's them running for the door just above the mirror.)
They were able to make their rapid exit from the backseat of the 2-door S5 because they had access to easy-to-use front seat controls to let themselves out. The above rocker switch powers the seat fore and aft, and the lever releases the seatback.
My wife asked the girls if we should this car to Oregon. "No," came the reply, "There isn't quite enough room." Oh, they fit OK, but a trip to Oregon requires space for a lot of stuff, and they'd prefer a large window to look out of. They like it OK around town, though.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 3,837 miles
bimmerjay says:
10:57 PM, 06/11/09
Ha! Audi clearly copied BMW here, the 3-Coupe has a seat back release lever and a power rake button on the top outboard side of the front seats just like that.
tryan says:
03:21 AM, 06/12/09
bimmerjay - Are you serious? "Ha!"?
Dan - This reminds me of sitting in the back of my uncle's 928. Even when I was 10 years old, it was cramped back there, almost a cruel joke to call it a 2+2. The A5/S5 is obviously roomier, but I can empathize with your daughters. However, methinks if they were of driving age, they'd be a lot more enthusiastic about taking a car like the S5 anywhere you let them...=)
sgude says:
04:55 AM, 06/12/09
Yep -- I think if they were in the front seats, their perspective would obviously be different!
Do you guys get many comments about the S5's styling?
altimadude00 says:
05:20 AM, 06/12/09
"Do you guys get many comments about the S5's styling?"
Yes....It's much better looking than the Grand Am Dan parked next to.
dougtheeng says:
05:45 AM, 06/12/09
No adjustable headrests eh?
actualsize says:
07:01 AM, 06/12/09
Now that you mention it, I hadn't noticed the non-adjustable headrests. They're certainly unobtrusive.
The Flex headrests jut too far forward and don't tilt back. They force me into a slump.
I never actually rest my head on headrests (while driving, at least). It's quite enough for me to know that they're back there somewhere, ready to catch and support my head in the event of a rear-end collision.
They ought to be called headmitts or headstops.
bimmerjay says:
07:44 AM, 06/12/09
"bimmerjay - Are you serious? "Ha!"?"
That was tongue-in-cheek. A bit of Bayern rivalry.
tcd223 says:
09:04 AM, 06/12/09
People are still confused about how to work the seats in my E92. I wish the controls were actually visible from the backseat, not placed on the side of the seat out of sight. Kudos to Audi.
mlh says:
12:35 PM, 06/12/09
tryan -- Are you really complaining about sitting in the back of 928 when you were 10? That would have been one of my fondest memories!
billt9 says:
11:27 PM, 06/12/09
I think this is crappy. I hated this particular setup.
To get out of backseat:
1. pull lever to release seatback.
2. hold seat forward button for 8 seconds until seat moves forward enough.
3. get out.
To get back in:
1. pull lever to release seatback.
2. get in.
3. hold seat reverse button for 8 seconds until seat moves into place.
4. front seat guy can get in.
An alternate power seat setup on other models:
-seat is powered, but the seat will slide forward in one manual fling along with the seatback up, when the lever is pulled. Essentially operates like a manual seat for getting in and out. Much faster. Instant, in fact.
I think the Infiniti G37 might have it like that. I forget which car had it. Powered seat, but flings forward instantly as if it's manual.
cwc1 says:
07:11 PM, 06/15/09
^I agree, the one step manual seat back release and cushion raise up is pretty slick and easy. The BMW E46 coupe has it -not sure if they continued it on the E92. Sometimes, simplicity is better.