My Somewhat Detailed Experience with Daily Driving in Dynamic...
Hello everyone,
So lately I have been running an experiment with daily driving my car while in Dynamic. Now I am talking about the Audi Drive Select mode 'Dynamic' with S-Tronic transmission, without involving any manual shifting via paddles or gear selector/shifter. That being said, I decided on my last refuel, to drive in Dynamic and see how things go.
Now I have used Dynamic a few times, but never for a long period of time, especially for an entire commute both to and from work. I wanted to see with the specific characteristics and features that Dynamic offers, what would my commute be like. So here it goes...
As you can safely guess, in Dynamic, the car is quicker. I know, I know, it is more responsive, but that to me, translates to how quick it is to respond, especially in traffic. In Dynamic, it takes less throttle input to accelerate quickly, so I found myself often using that characteristic to get around lazy drivers and to quickly pass vehicles that I simply do not want to be in back of.
Along with the car being quicker to respond, the aggressiveness of both the shifts and engine braking really is something special. The aggressiveness takes some getting used to because of the shift points being higher than you are used to. I also found that I would use my brakes less when in Dynamic because of the engine braking. I think that is what it is called. The car required very little brake input when it came to stop signs, traffic lights, and stopping in general.
Being in Dynamic really allows the car to come to life. The exhaust note, with sports exhaust, is beautiful, surprising, and fun to listen to. The engine being at 3,000 plus RPMs makes you feel as if you are on a track racing. Something I have yet to do. And of course it is very easy to find yourself over accelerating to hear the engine and that exhaust note. So how is it commuting with this car in Dynamic every day...?
Well, unless your commute consists of an average speed above 40 MPH, it is not worth it UNLESS you want to refuel often and wave goodbye to your MPG. And when I say often, try 5 days. In 5 days I was below a 1/4 of tank, and I had driven 184 miles. My commute is 26 miles round-trip. It consists of city-like driving (Not actually driving in a city) and a few miles of highway driving. It also consisted of completing my daily routine, which consists of driving to a rock gym, which also includes city-like driving and a very long stretch of highway use. The driving was limited to brief displays of spiritied driving but the majority of the time I was tryimg to be as normal as I could be. So here's the problem...
First, S1/S2/S3/S4/S5/S6 refers to gears 1 through 7, while in Dynamic mode.
Now, unless you can get out of S3, it becomes a nuisance. Let me explain...
To get out of S3, the programming requires the car to be at 41 MPH which forces the transmission to shift to S4. If you are stuck in S3, your engine's RPMs increase from 3,000 to 3,500 plus RPMs which just causes you to waste fuel. And if you cannot get out of S2, simply forget it. I found myself exceeding the posted speed limit by 5 and 10 MPH often to get out of these gears because something about the engine being at a high RPM for a long time is unsettling...
Seriously, it feels quite strange when the engine approaches 3,000 plus RPMs and keeps climbing when the traffic is moving slow. You feel as if you are over revving the engine and drawing unwanted attention at times, especially in parking lots. I found myself becoming frustrated while in traffic and listening to the engines RPM increase to almost 4,000 RPM.
But once in S4, the car can be at a lower speed, say 35 MPH, without the transmission shifting into S3. So, unless you can get out these 2 gears, you are just wasting precious fuel.
Now for some gotchas I did not know about... In Dynamic, the 7th gear (S7), which is overdrive, is not available or is locked out, no matter how fast you try to go. The only time S7 can be used is if you are using cruise control while in Dynamic. (Told you I tried everything in my experiment :)
Also, if you are using Individual, and have the Engine/Transmission set to Dynamic and the car is shut off, when you start the car up again, Individual is selected but the Engine/Transmission is not in Dynamic. It requires you to cycle between modes for Dynamic to be enabled.
All things considered, Dynamic is both fun and exciting. I found myself smiling a lot and marveling at the experience I was witnessing everyday. The transmission in the RS 5, unlike any of the other Audi models, with the exception of the R8, is the most aggressive transmission available. Driving in Dynamic really puts you in control of a very responsive vehicle that comes to life at a moments notice. But in my opinion, it is not for constant use with a daily driving. You will simply find your average MPG taking a serious hit and refueling more. All while listening to the engine whine due to high RPMs with low speed.
As for me, after spending a week in Dynamic, I am looking forward to next week's commute to work in Auto.
Thanks everyone for reading and hope you enjoyed this as much as I have!
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Originally Posted by Agilis
. Yeah, Dynamic mode in the RS5 isn't exactly meant for commuting. Each mode has its sweet spot. I quite enjoy Comfort mode on a long highway journey. For daily driving, I use Individual mode with everything in Auto except the sports differential, which I keep in Dynamic. You can get the responsive powertrain any time by simply pulling back on the shifter and put it in S and then manual mode if you like. That's how I roll if I want more go. For puttering around town at 25/35 mph, D does a pretty good job. If I need to get around somebody I put it in manual. On the highway, I always keep it in manual, unless I have ACC engaged and just following traffic. Full Dynamic mode, I only use on fun back roads and canyons. 
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2013 RS5 Daytona Grey Pearl, X-pipe, 20% tint, Arc Audio/Alpine, interior/backup LED, 034 RSB, H&R sport, V-FF 103, 285/30 DWS06, Girodisc, Hawk
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