On roads, the chassis has its work cut between the performance of the supercharged 3.0L and the overall weight, 1832kg on our scales, with a 54.9%/45.1% split between front and rear. The dominant impression when corners are thrown at the S5 Sportback is a mix of composure and detachment. No surprise, permanent Quattro all-wheel-drive means that traction is never an issue and allows to power out from corner apexes without concern. Grip is very good, balance neutral and lines can be drawn with precision, but the Sportback feels like it is executing conjugal duties rather than take any pleasure in the process, let alone communicate one. The ingredients are there, the energy of the engine, the metallic exhaust note, the quick gearbox, but their enumeration is more of a grocery list than the recipe of a gourmet meal. Steering feel is numb, and the front suspension arms seem to be too softly attached to the body, painting a clear picture: the Audi S5 Sportback is a fast grand tourer, not a sports car. I doubt that the Quattro Sport differential would have changed much to the matter. Besides, the word “Sport” does not appear anywhere inside the car or the Drive Select settings, traded for “Dynamic”. That detail tells it all.

Reliability & Maintenance

Maintenance has been zero to date. Thanks to the Long Life program, first service is foreseen shortly before 30’000km. The 3.0 TFSI is even more frugal on oil than gasoline, I have not had to add any since driving out of the dealership. The only defect to date is a noisy passenger window motor, which will be replaced under warranty at the first service. Otherwise, nothing, strictly nothing, just what you expect from that brand. I expect the next wear and tear invoices to come from the summer tires. The Continental Sport Contact 3 in 265/30R20 should set me bacl 400 CHF a piece plus fitting. No maintenance, no consumables, it is therefore too early to  compute pertinent running costs. Amortization has been completely offset by an opportunistic purchase on the other side of the Rhine at very attractive conditions, landing me a fully loaded car for the equivalent of swiss base list price.

With a blown engine, the opportunities afforded by chip tuning abound, and the 3.0 TFSI of the B8 S4 & S5 are no exception. A few thousand francs will buy you a nice and simple stage 1 upgrade with a respectable 520 Nm and 400hp. I still consider the pertinence and coherence of such an undertaking largely questionable, both in terms of my personal usage pattern and the meaningfulness of the outcome. The largest gap in sportiness does not reside under the hood of the S5, a meatier engine is not going to make up for it.

The A5 range is selling well in Switzerland, and the share of the Sportback keeps climbing since its launch in 2009, catching up with the Coupe whose sales started two years earlier. The brand is a safe bet and the undisputed leader of the premium segment in the country, and the Sportback complements the A4 range with an elegant and distinctive product, less predictable but also less practical. After a year in its company, I appreciate the S5 for all it does not remarkably well, and am happy to turn towards other cars in my stable for the rest. Versatility is a compromise.