This Manual Audi S5 Is A Handsome V8 Bruiser For The Price Of A Ford Fiesta
Audi has taken plenty of flack over the years for its alleged photocopier styling ethos, but despite all that, I’ve always been a fan of the way the A5 looks. Even in S5 form with big spangly wheels it’s an exercise in classy coupe elegance, and while the new S5 - revealed last week - will set you back well over £45,000, you can pick up a used one for less than a quarter of that price. Oh, and the earlier ones don’t come with a V6: no, they have a V8.
It’s Audi’s 4.2-litre unit, and while it might not be the heroic version in the RS4/5 and first-gen R8 that revs up to a mighty 8000rpm, it still serves up an impressive 349bhp - exactly the same as the new twin-turbo V6. And as I know first hand from the S5 that rumbles past my house every now and then, they sound glorious with a set of aftermarket pipes added.
In terms of performance, we’re looking at 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds, and an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph. It won’t quite match the dynamism of something like an E92 BMW 335i, but if you’re after a fast and capable V8 cruiser, you can’t go far wrong.
Prices of the earliest models have now dipped below the £10,000 mark, so you’re also looking at a hell of a lot of car for the money. This 2007 example has a reasonable 89,000 miles on the clock, and will set you back £11,974. As well as the V8, it has something else you won’t find on the new S5: a six-speed manual gearbox.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
“cruiser” and only cruiser.
Brilliant engine, brilliant drivetrain.
Would be a superb deal if it didn’t suffer from catastrophic understeer.
AWD delete anyone?
How reliable are these cars? and why do they depreciate that much?
I haven’t had an issue with my 2015 s4, but then again I’m only in my first year of ownership
The feeling when you see car prices in UK compared to DK. Cheapest used S5 here is the same price as the new S5… Thats it, I am moving!
k
I really like how the dark blue paint matches the white interior
Nothing a little straight piping can’t solve haha although it may be quite excessive
Tavarish?
You could be in a V10 S6 for a couple of grand more than this… Very interesting.
Too bad whenever it breaks down, which will be often enough, you can’t fix it for Fiesta-prices too.