We had this year's Storm of the Century this past weekend in Los Angeles.
I had our long-term 2009 Audi S5 and it handled the rainy weekend quite well.
Of course, that was nothing compared to most of the country which has gotten pummeled with actual winter.
Already tired of the cold?
Let's fantasize and escape to a warm, sunny day in Sonoma, CA -- that's Wine Country neighboring the Napa Valley.
What vehicle shall we tool around in? Hit the jump to find out.
Let's go for a preview spin in the 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet, with a 333 hp supercharged 3.0L V6 mated to a dual-clutch transmission -- that's the same powertrain package that's on the new S4 (which is also available with a 6MT.)
Happy Holidays! Remember that Spring and your new S5 Cabriolet are only five months away.
Albert Austria, Senior Engineer @ 13, 370 miles
wasaabi92 says:
07:48 AM, 12/15/09
I'm sorry, but were residents of SoCal really complaining that it dropped into the 50s?? Spend a week up here in Boston, then you'll know what cold really feels like. A high of 9 Fahrenheit? Ugh, awful.
nealibob says:
08:13 AM, 12/15/09
Gross, a soft top for that kind of money.
hybris says:
08:35 AM, 12/15/09
I'm with wasaabi92 its about 7-10F in KCK and you all are complaining about 50's?
Also 60K for a soft top with a smaller engine than the S4 what is the point of it all?
good_2_go says:
09:39 AM, 12/15/09
James Riswick was on Canadian TV (CTV News Channel) this past Friday telling us what we should do to prepare for winter driving.
bkochuk says:
09:43 AM, 12/15/09
thank god you guys in So Cal have heated seats!
redliner says:
10:47 AM, 12/15/09
I love the cold weather! Then I can go skiing!
brn says:
10:58 AM, 12/15/09
Cold and Snow in December? Imagine that!
worthyofed says:
11:29 AM, 12/15/09
Try -20F or -30F. With wind chills well below -40F.
Go through a week of that, then you can talk.
sabastian says:
11:31 AM, 12/15/09
"We had this year's Storm of the Century this past weekend in Los Angeles."
Hilarious. I love how when it rains in SoCal everyone just throws their arms up in the air and yells "We're all gonna die!" I wonder what would happen if it actually snowed in LA.
questionlp says:
11:55 AM, 12/15/09
@nealibob,
I would prefer a soft top over a hard top to keep the added weight of a convertible down, not to mention that some of the soft tops can be opened or closed quicker and/or while driving at a faster speed than some hard tops. That's important for living and driving in the Pacific NW.
adavis2493 says:
12:51 PM, 12/15/09
nealibob:
I, like a lot of people prefer the soft-top over the hardtop, without regards to how much money I'm spending. The soft-top expands this car's practicality by leaving plenty of trunk space, a lower weight, and quite honestly, it looks better on the A5/S5. The 3-Series Convertible looks plain awkward with the angling of the roof when up.
And if you're saying a soft-top shouldn't be for a car of that price, look at the new E-Class Convertible, and the ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM DROPHEAD COUPE.
dpf52273 says:
10:36 PM, 12/17/09
winter is here in Los Gatos too. highs only reaching mid-50s forces me to crank the seat heaters to "6".