1st Purchase Questions

[PeregrineNYC]

Greetings – 1st post here. I am about to pull the trigger on an RS5 this weekend from my local Audi dealer. Have done a bit of research and have a couple of questions that I’m hoping other drivers can share their experience on:

1) Spare Tire: Has anyone invented any creative solutions for this? I live in NYC and some streets are so bad that even my Acura SUV has difficulty with them. I read one post about someone using an A5 space saver wheel and a 15mm spacer with long bolts (whatever that is) to solve the issue. Others just throw an extra tire into the trunk and deal with the loss of space. Any thoughts welcome, other than my sales guy’s suggestion to give me an extra can of foam. When it doesn’t work the first time after a blow-out, I’ll be sure to use the 2nd can so it doesn’t work again lol.
2) Tires: This is somewhat related to #1. I know runflats are discouraged by many, but maybe? My dealer said to just get an all season tire, this would give the tires a slightly higher profile and be better for the city.
3) Wheels: 19 or 20 inch? The 20s do look nice. Which one is the most durable?
4) Comfort Seats: This will be my only car, which means my wife rides in it. Will comfort seats (although they don’t look quite right in the car imo) solve, or mostly solve the stiffer ride with the fixed suspension?
5) Options: Sports exhaust for sure. What else? Tech package?

Thanks – apologies, as many of these are covered in other posts. Trying to get it right for when I meet with the dealer and drop off my deposit.

[sshah]

If your ordering get the titanium packages changed the complexion of the car a ton. If not then I think sport exhaust is a stand alone option and it's pointless. Getting an aftermarket exhaust like awe will run you 2k and is miles better.

[Ace22]

Summer tires for summer and winter for winter...this car screams summer tires for performance. I purchased hartmann wheels at a reasonable cost for my winters. All Seasons don't belong on this car. Also, I agree, save the money on sport's exhaust and get a good AWE, Capristo, Akro system..well worth it.

[PeregrineNYC]

Thanks for the responses so far. If anyone has any thoughts on some of the other issues (Spare, Comfort Seats and Wheels), great appreciated.

[Johnhanson]

Spare won't fit with battery, exhaust vacuum lines, etc. Just use goo, compressor, roadside, and some horseshoes.

Comfort seats look ghey in RS5. My wife hates the sport seats but I love them. If you lived in Europe I would get the Euro racing seats. So awesome.

Wheels go 20" for sure. Even if only for the aesthetics - they make the RS5. If you are very cautious get 19's for winter, but I use 20" winters with zero problems and far better performance than the original 19" winters I had. 2 years and no blowouts, scrapes or punctures and the car is driven hard for 4 seasons.

"Sport" exhaust was the biggest waste of money. Imperceptible difference from non-sport. Plus I think the stainless exhaust surround looks better than the black. It's now a nice aluminum piece of art leaning against the wall in my garage. See above and you will be happy with ANY aftermarket exhaust - but Capristo is well worth the $$. Especially if you save $1500 by not getting sport exhaust.

Finally - correct me if I'm wrong - but I thought they stopped production on new RS5's. Or are you looking at used ones?

[PeregrineNYC]

Thanks for comments. I'm looking at leftover 2015s that are still new. Not sure what that guy was talking about when he said he sorted it with the A5 space saver wheel. I like the black optics package which comes with the gloss black trim, carbon fiber engine cover, 10" titanium wheels and body colored side mirrors, but it also has the sports exhaust as part of that package.

[bknewtype]

1- cant help with that, but I just want to note that im from nyc as well, and my car is pretty low, and I NEVER had any issues with my tires or wheels. I think most importantly is just don't be a cab driver and plunge into potholes/raised manholes/ etc. go over it at a slow speed, avoid if possible, etc. and ull be fine.
2- im currently running all seasons (DWS ) and I love them. im not a "performance" driver, so this tires does very well for me in all weathers. I know a lot would say get dedicated summer and winter tires as the RS NEEDS summer tires to take its full potential, which I can respect
3- the stock 19's are forged, so I would say those are more durable. however, I like the looks of the 20's
4- comfort seats are horrible looking, but some like them if they want a "comfier" ride, but I don't think it has anything to do with suspension. its just easier on your back for long drives. the regular/sport seats are much better looking imo and I love em
5- don't get a sports exhaust if you are planning to get an aftermarket :). def yes on the tech.

[iBleedOrange]

just out of curiosity, are you looking at the panther black one in brooklyn as i was there a few weeks ago and notice that that one had the comfort seats.

1 - i driven in the landmine roads in nyc and the worst road hazard i ever got was a bubble on a tire. nothing that left me stranded, however you do need to be careful like bknewtype said. sure some are unavoidable and when the time comes, file a claim with the city. shockingly i was able to get money back for a tire replacement.
2 - i had all seasons dws on my s4 for a bit before switching to pss and those were fine for the city. never had any problems getting around and was even able to navigate the winter wonderland in syracuse with them when i visited. since the rs comes with factory summer, i would just invest in a winter tire set up since you're sort of half way there.
3 - also reiterate what bknewtype said about the 19 being forged. they will be able to take the beating that the roads here will give it. one option that i wish i had at the time was get the 19 and use that as a winter set up and go aftermarket for summer 20's.
4 - the comfort seats wont have any relationship to the suspension, but just a comfier seating orientation i would assume. i would opt for the sports seats since those look better and i never had any issues with those even on long drives.
5 - save the money from the sports exhaust option and dump that on a aftermarket and the technology package is a must imo.

however with all this said, if you're unable to build a new one it will be hard to pick and choose. just hoping this info will help with narrowing your search if that is the case.

[PeregrineNYC]

Truly appreciate the feedback!

[PeregrineNYC]

Sorry ibleed, didn't see your question. No, I'm not looking at that one. Working with Beiner Audi in L.I. Thanks

[bknewtype]

just out of curiosity, are you looking at the panther black one in brooklyn as i was there a few weeks ago and notice that that one had the comfort seats.

1 - i driven in the landmine roads in nyc and the worst road hazard i ever got was a bubble on a tire. nothing that left me stranded, however you do need to be careful like bknewtype said. sure some are unavoidable and when the time comes, file a claim with the city. shockingly i was able to get money back for a tire replacement.
2 - i had all seasons dws on my s4 for a bit before switching to pss and those were fine for the city. never had any problems getting around and was even able to navigate the winter wonderland in syracuse with them when i visited. since the rs comes with factory summer, i would just invest in a winter tire set up since you're sort of half way there.
3 - also reiterate what bknewtype said about the 19 being forged. they will be able to take the beating that the roads here will give it. one option that i wish i had at the time was get the 19 and use that as a winter set up and go aftermarket for summer 20's.
4 - the comfort seats wont have any relationship to the suspension, but just a comfier seating orientation i would assume. i would opt for the sports seats since those look better and i never had any issues with those even on long drives.
5 - save the money from the sports exhaust option and dump that on a aftermarket and the technology package is a must imo.

however with all this said, if you're unable to build a new one it will be hard to pick and choose. just hoping this info will help with narrowing your search if that is the case.

lmao u pretty much said the same thing as I [up]

[Jimmy ny]

Get sport exhaust. Even if you change it. You need the factory vacumn lines. Comfort seats are no good. Get Pirelli all season. Make dealer switch and buy your old ones.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PeregrineNYC]

Thanks Jimmy

[jkownz]

Def tech package. Sport exhaust for the note is garbage. But like jimmy ny said, want it for vaccum lines if you so choose for a aftermarket exhaust with a valves system. Tbh I own capristo and love the option to go quiet in long drives and have that amazing V8 roar on a tap of a button. I would stick with 20s for a RS. I have 20s on mine and keep em wrapped in PSS. And use my stock wheels for beater/winter tires on them to switch.

[shonseb]

1. Get them to throw in the wheel and tire warranty. If The only way the A5/S5 spare would work is if you have 19's on your other wheels and you have a spacer. I haven't had a complete blow out but I replaced a couple of tires because of bubbles. I buy used good condition tires on ebay and store them for when I may need one. I went through 3 so far.....

Worse comes to worse, Audi roadside can always come to your help.

2. Like everyone said get dedicated summers and winters. Your dropping a shit load of money on a performance car, don't you want to get the most out of it? Don't half ass it with average tires. Getting the RS all seasons is like asking an runner to run in any rubber sole shoes instead of sneakers. It'll get you where you need to go, but your performance will be limited.

3. I would go for the forged 19's and get dedicated winters on those. NYC roads are at there worse in the winter. Get a nice set of aftermarket wheels for the summer. The stock 20 inch rotors look great but are really heavy. You can feel the difference in performance with lighter aftermarket wheels. Of course another dilemma here is you need storage space for your wheels and in NYC that can be a limiting factor.

4. As far as the seats go, that's a decision on your own. I would never go comfort seats because they look like crap, but I am envious of the people who have them just because of the vented seat option. I think if I got the comfort seat option I would have regretted it. I don't regret having these sport seats. I have taken my car on 12 hour+ roads trips and they didn't bother me, but I've seen other people complaining about them being too stiff. If most of your driving with your wife is just in and around NYC, I'd say stick with the sports seats because the short trips.

5. I thought the sport exhaust wasn't too bad. Then I sat in an RS5 that had an aftermarket exhaust and realized how shitty the stock exhaust really is. That being said I think it would be hard to find an RS5 without one.

[PeregrineNYC]

Thanks for the suggestions - turns out it might be slim pickings and I might not be able to be so choosey about options because there just aren't a lot of RS5s around. My dealer is going to search and we'll talk next week. If I can't get one I might have to settle for an S5 which I really don't want. Drove one today and they're peppy but not very interesting (at least in my opinion).

[Jimmy ny]

If no rs5. Save your money and buy something else. I had a s5. Not worth it. If your that in love with the body style then get the a5. Save the money.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rasetsu]

I would not automatically go for the black optics package as you lose the alu-mirrors. I was all set on black optics as well until I saw the aluminum on my color. It really depends on the color. IMO, red, white, gray needs black optics. Blue and black can go either way depending on whether you want a more luxurious flashy look or aggressive sporty look. Of course the carbon engine cover alone might be worth it as that is $800 by itself.

Sport exhaust is kind of a waste.

Jealous of comfy seats because of the venting but they are ugly in the RS5. Give and take choice.

19" wheels are actually made by Quattro if I'm not mistaken. They are forged which means they are lighter and stronger. But 20" rotors fit the style and size of the fender much better.

[PsYkHoTiK]

You do get the vacuum lines with a non-sport exhaust ("regular" exhaust has valves too). I'd save the money and put it towards something aftermarket instead.

I had the continental DWS on my old car and I loved them. The sidewalls aren't as stiff so that should give you a bit more ride comfort/quietness too.

[teky929rr]

Working with Beiner Audi in L.I. Thanks

DO NOT BUY FROM THOSE AHOLES! I went there back in 2009 to look for a S5, would not give me a time or day even when I asked to see a sales man. Contact tommy@nemesisautosport on the forum or email him @ [email protected] Yes he's in Wilmington, DE but if this can save you a few grand would you do it? Excellent service hands down, I bought my R8 from him. Mops is picking up his SQ5 this Friday and Nick just picked up his 2016 S5 2 weeks ago all from Tommy.

Pirelli (PZero) sucks and that's from my experience.

We're a close group we won't steer you wrong! Any mods small to large contact mops@supremepower he will hook you up. IF you want to meat him you can skype him @ imodforsex@skype lol j/k on the skype.

[shonseb]

^^ this. Tommy knows his Audi

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

[Jimmy ny]

I agree 1/2. Biener does suck. I went there in 2010. Same thing. Looking for S5. Like you said ignored. But, I like my Pirelli A/S.

[PeregrineNYC]

Really appreciate all the feedback and suggestions. Only reason I'm going with Beiner is I have a close mutual friend with one of the guys who works there, who probably is the only guy there who cares about what he's doing. if that doesn't work out for any reason I will absolutely call Tommy. Thanks again.

[teky929rr]

Really appreciate all the feedback and suggestions. Only reason I'm going with Beiner is I have a close mutual friend with one of the guys who works there, who probably is the only guy there who cares about what he's doing. if that doesn't work out for any reason I will absolutely call Tommy. Thanks again.

NP, it's your money you spend it the way you want. Unless your friend is THE manager, you're not getting the best deal...even then you would want to question it. If you're not getting at least 6% off invoice, walk. Best of Luck with your purchase I know this is an exciting time!

[sshah]

NP, it's your money you spend it the way you want. Unless your friend is THE manager, you're not getting the best deal...even then you would want to question it. If you're not getting at least 6% off invoice, walk. Best of Luck with your purchase I know this is an exciting time!

6% off on rs5 may be tough

[teky929rr]

6% off on rs5 may be tough

Anything is possible [emoji41]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[PeregrineNYC]

I communicated with Tommy - I think Sshah is right, the RS5 are kind of few and far between right now so the margins are going to be slimmer.

[Jimmy ny]

6% of invoice. So the dealer will sell a really rare car for no profit? I don't think so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sshah]

Buy 1-3k miles used if you can find with the right options - I got 78.5k MSRP car for 68.5 with 2.2k miles and Audi care on it for a 2015. Pretty solid deal and about 13% off.

[PeregrineNYC]

Turns out Beiner is a no-go. Unfortunately so is Audi Wilmington. I got a line on a Mythos Black with Black Optics and Tech in a place called Town Audi in Englewood NJ, supposed to check it out tomorrow. I know nothing about these guys but they seem to have OK reviews.

[Skywagon]

Save your exhaust money and do a center muffler delete.

[PeregrineNYC]

Unfortunately I do not have the luxury to pick and choose. If I want the car I have to get what I get.