That's one of the questions you wanted answered, so here's my take.
Is the ability to dial in different suspension, steering and throttle settings nice to have? Sure, without a doubt.
Is it $3,000 nice? Nope.
As I said after my drive to Colorado in May, there's no real need to adjust the steering. Give me the quickest, more accurate setting 100% of the time and leave it alone. Same goes for the throttle. If it's dialed in correctly to begin with there should be no need to back it off or quicken it up.
I'm guessing most buyers will make the decision based on the adjustable dampers alone. You know, go soft in the city and highway and then crank it up for a twisty backroad. Sure, it's nice to have and all, and the various settings do make a noticeable difference.
But you know, I rarely find myself wishing for adjustable dampers in our M3 sedan. Yeah, it has them along with an adjustable throttle, but I don't even bother with that half the time either.
So save your $3000, or if you really want to spend it, buy the optional navigation and audio systems, you'll get way more for your money.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 5,244 miles
joeeatsbabies says:
10:24 AM, 07/ 8/09
I never understood steering and throttle settings. Why would people want it more unresponsive and sluggish? Could someone help me with this idea?
pyo_s65 says:
10:48 AM, 07/ 8/09
I can only speak on my M3 experience, but I find steering and suspension adjustments are necessary for my car.
Steering: Tightening up the steering makes spirited driving more enjoyable because it gets affected less by too much steering input. It almost feels like an old Atari joystick; tough to push around. And of course under comfort, it is easier for parking or slow driving around the city.
Throttle: I can agree that there needs to be only one setting that would best mimic a direct cable connection.
Suspension: Absolutely worth it in my book. I find myself using all three: Comfort, Normal, and Sport depending on the road quality, passengers I have, and my mood. Indispensable.
clarkma5 says:
12:29 PM, 07/ 8/09
My understanding with the S5 is that drive select was "worth it" so to speak because only the most aggressive ADS settings are worth driving, and you can't access those without ADS.
audibmwfan99 says:
12:57 PM, 07/ 8/09
Is it worth 3k? Good lord, ABSOLUTELY.
I live in a large city with more than its share of potholes. Test drove two S5's without it, then tested one with it, and knew instantly it was a must. Now that I've owned my S5 for a couple of months, I find I enjoy Comfort or Auto mode when commuting to/from work, and Dynamic on the Highway. Sometimes I feel like relaxed cruising, other times like sporty driving. My old E46 w/sport package became tiring, b/c it was always on edge. My driving is a little calmer now that I hit 30, and I enjoy the fact this car can play boulevardier as well as sports car.
My only gripe...I wish Audi would let me keep it on my Individual setting (it resets to Auto when each time you start the car).
PS: (I've found the Tech pkg, Audi Drive Select, B&O, and carbon fiber to be worth the $$; Nav is nominal and I usually just use my iPhone)
kingkhalas says:
02:30 PM, 07/ 8/09
Good information Ed.
These are the answers you could not find elsewhere on any other car review website.
hondacura4 says:
05:01 PM, 07/ 8/09
Although the electronic settings of suspensions are pretty interesting and modern I much prefer simple, good old fashioned mechanicals if the ride and handling are equally balanced. All these electronics just add more weight and complexity to a vehicle.
powell_jr says:
05:15 PM, 07/ 8/09
I think it would be worth it when driving an automatic. You're probably right about it not being necessary in a manual.
billt9 says:
06:10 PM, 07/ 8/09
It's worth it. There are sporty days, and days where you have passengers with those coffee shop coffees and ice cream shop frozen yogurts riding in your car. And they're hot chicks.
So you don't want them to spill all that liquid and ice cream on themselves.
Or do you...
carfreak8394 says:
12:58 AM, 07/ 9/09
"PS: (I've found the Tech pkg, Audi Drive Select, B&O, and carbon fiber to be worth the $$; Nav is nominal and I usually just use my iPhone)"
audibmwfan99,
It's very nice to hear from an owner of an S5 with the Audi Drive select, so thanks for the input. By the way, you mentioned most of the major options that you had on your S5, except for the adpative cruise control. Did you purchase that on your car?
teamoncerider says:
07:41 AM, 07/ 9/09
I just picked up my S5 last night and I must say that this car is a true marvel. I chose to get the Audi Drive option and it's definitely a fun and practical tool to have(thanks audibmwfan). $3000 is a little high, but heck, why not?
I also wish it didn't reset to Auto each time.
audibmwfan99 says:
09:33 AM, 07/ 9/09
That's awesome teamoncerider! Very happy for you! I'm betting you love it as much as I love mine. Quick question...how many times did you go out to your garage to stare at it last night? Ha ha! 4 times for me the first night. What all did you get on it?
To carfreak: Sorry, I didn't get ACC, just those options I listed above. Maybe someone else can weigh in here?
teamoncerider says:
10:28 PM, 07/ 9/09
audibmwfan: I'd say about 4 times also, each session lasting at least 10 minutes. It's just so pleasant to look at. I think mine is configured exactly like yours. Navi, tech, AudiDrive, Carbon Fiber and B&O. Respect from other drivers comes standard by the way.
impres5ion says:
04:41 AM, 05/10/10
@audibmwfan99 and teamoncerider - agree that setting to "auto" by default is annoying and doesn't that just prove that this feature is worth it - why else would so many 2009 S5 owners keep switching it to "individual" every time they start the car?
I bought a VAG-COM cable and set the S5 to use "individual" permanently and stop the LED lights turning off when you indicate. See http://a6retrofit.tripod.com/articles/a5vagcodes.html
Personally, I set "individual" to dynamic for steering and comfort for suspension (I don't think the "engine" setting has any effect on a manual transmission).
The steering response is dramatically sharper and tighter in Dynamic - so switching to Auto or Comfort feels horrible. Net result is I use this to switch between "Comfort suspension" that is ideal for regular driving and highway cruising, and a click of the button to firm it up for the twisties.
It's one of the features I like most. You would feel cheated if you bought the car without it and then experienced it.