From this angle it would appear as though the S5's sunroof is quite large. It is big, but unlike the blacked-out section you see here, the actual opening is not half the size of the car's roof.
From the driver's seat the sunroof opening looks quite normal. Tilt it up and the whole roof panel does raise up a bit, but the effect on the inside is no different.
So basically, Audi uses that big piece of glass for nothing more than a little decoration. Instead of an odd-looking square stuck in the middle of the roof, the designers went the extra mile and made it look like it belongs there. Nice.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 12,510 miles
carguy622 says:
07:59 PM, 11/16/09
Sorry, but I think this has to be the stupidest feature. Basically it's a sunroof that just tilts. So it adds complexity and extra weight up top for no particularly good reason.
yellowmiata says:
08:17 PM, 11/16/09
Ummm, I think putting weight on the top of a sporting car is silly. Maybe it'll give dealers something to fix when the myriad of tiny & expensive motors goes out.
mercedesfan says:
09:58 PM, 11/16/09
I'm sorry, but I don't think that's nice at all. If I'm going to have a chunk cut out of my roof it had better be for more than a simple tilt feature. Giving up structural integrity and concentrating mass high-in the chassis without even having the option to open the darn thing all the way seems like one of the dumbest features offered on any car today. This is a glaring example of form over function, an example of where the designers over-rode the engineers, and that is NEVER a good thing.
ddark13 says:
11:29 PM, 11/16/09
I have a vw cc and it has the same type of sunroof. They're both products of VAG. Would easily trade in my larger "sunroof" for one that actually opens. The tilt function does not let air vent in as well as a normal roof because the sides are sealed up, you're only getting about 1 cm of opening at the rear.
And its not true that the sunroof is too big to open. Look at the new mb E class coupe.
chavis10 says:
06:45 AM, 11/17/09
I believe the BMW 6 series features a similar design. The reason for this design is quite simple, the roof is simple too short to enclose a sliding glass panel. The solution is to make a spoiler type panel that slides up and over the roof as opposed to inside the roof. WHy they chose not to use this common design is beyond me. It seems many GM vehicles use the spoiler type moonroof.
trentor says:
08:01 AM, 11/17/09
If I made a little more money, this car is exactly what I'd be looking at for a fun daily driver. However, if it's not a convertible, a proper sunroof is a pre-requisite for me. So unfortunately, this horrible roof design would have me cross-shopping other cars when a working sunroof would have made the S5 an instant sale.
norsairius says:
09:04 AM, 11/17/09
So you're saying that, at this price point, your "power sun roof" only tilts? I'd honestly expect more. If they wanted it to open fully, they could have at least gone the route that even the Scion tC goes, and that's tilt the roof up and then slide it back. Sure, it doesn't look the best, but if you have a sun roof, people expect to, and want to, be able to open it up all the way. If you're paying money for it, especially at this price point, it should be a fully-functional feature.
Myself, I prefer no run roof at all because they're heavy and since they're mounted up top, they raise the center of gravity for the car. Probably not enough to matter much, but it's still more weight to me. I think Audi should go the route BMW's M cars do and make the roof carbon fiber. Then again, the S4 isn't a competitor to the M3, it's lined up against the 335.
cr_driver says:
09:54 AM, 11/17/09
Wow,another FAIL from Audi.
cheslin says:
12:52 PM, 11/17/09
E550 coupe FTW. Panoramic roof tilts, slides, and has glass in the back too.
chavis10 says:
01:56 PM, 11/17/09
Unless you are racing on a track in a super light car, having a glass roof will not affect performance. In a two ton car like the S5, you will NOT notice the mass. It's such a small percentage of the overall mass that it will not matter. The S5 is not even sporty enough for this to come into play even if it did pose an issue.
I dare anyone to say there's a difference in feel between say an M3 coupe with the standard carbon fiber roof and an identical M3 sedan with steel roof and sunroof option. A lot of this stuff is just for marketing.
bimmerjay says:
12:17 AM, 11/18/09
Agreed that Audi gets a Fail for this lame design.
As for the external-sliding style, you would rarely if ever see a crude, lazy design like that in this price class. There are plenty of luxury coupes large and small on the market with conventional moonroof designs - like the 1- and 3-Series, E-Class/CLK-Class, and G37.