[Tifosi]

strange because Stasis is something offered by Audi and supported by a warranty. I highly doubt Audi would offer the upgrades if it made their vehicles fail prematurely.

FYI: Audi does not endorse anything from Stasis and will not warranty anything from Stasis.

Follow the link to this thread for clarification: An interesting comment from AoA Pres Johan De Nysschen regarding Stasis

 

[PhantoM A5]

s5 for sure

 

[tboooe]

FYI: Audi does not endorse anything from Stasis and will not warranty anything from Stasis.

Follow the link to this thread for clarification: An interesting comment from AoA Pres Johan De Nysschen regarding Stasis

Thank you for the clarification. That thread really helped my understanding.

 

[mmaturo]

Not sure the Audizine link clears up anything for me...i am assuming my dealer will have me covered as that is the relationship. I already had the Megatronic whatever you call it module that controls shifting go and I think it is directly related (too much hp and hesitates/bogs down on upshift...my RS6 did this too as was getting too much torque) but anyway it was covered. I have the tune and I think the dealer has represented to me that anything goes they have my back...whether not Audi does is another question but i do not care if I do not end up with a bill at the end of the day.

 

[Tifosi]

Not sure the Audizine link clears up anything for me...i am assuming my dealer will have me covered as that is the relationship. I already had the Megatronic whatever you call it module that controls shifting go and I think it is directly related (too much hp and hesitates/bogs down on upshift...my RS6 did this too as was getting too much torque) but anyway it was covered. I have the tune and I think the dealer has represented to me that anything goes they have my back...whether not Audi does is another question but i do not care if I do not end up with a bill at the end of the day.

You are right, it really comes down to the dealership and their understanding of how the Stasis warranty works, but unfortunately, we all know how well informed the sales staff and service staff are when it comes to these type of things. IMO, the key thing is that the buyer being prepared should AoA and Stasis gets into a finger pointing situation with no resolution in sight.

 

[mmaturo]

You are right, it really comes down to the dealership and their understanding of how the Stasis warranty works, but unfortunately, we all know how well informed the sales staff and service staff are when it comes to these type of things. IMO, the key thing is that the buyer being prepared should AoA and Stasis gets into a finger pointing situation with no resolution in sight.

Agree. Its buyer beware. If my dealer wants to sell me Audi number 6, 7 and 8 that I plan to buy in the next few years and they know it, I feel somewhat secure. I'm rolling my dice but i feel its still a stronger position than Revo or Apr tuning being found on the car and fighting that battle with a major failure. I skipped tuning my RS6 for that reason as the stakes were just too high. My TT though I am on my second one running Revo which is transparent to the dealer and never had any issues even way back when under warranty as the product is good and the engine is known to be strong and take it. We will see with the V6 if it can take the abuse long term but its feels great now. I plan to trade in mine later this year or next so I will never know.

 

[gaggan82]

S5 cab vs MB E550

Hi,
This thread is old but still wanted to reply to the thread as lot of people search for the same question looking for some insight( I was one of them) and now I would like to share my experience.

I am a 30 yr old- love good cars(who doesn't?? right...)
I had a '08 BMW 335i convertible- absolutely loved the car.
When time came to change- I looked into 2 convertible options(performance being top priority)-2013 Audi S5 and 2013 E550.

I got biased by online reviews and wasn't considering E550 in beginning- went straight to Audi dealership. Tried the S5. My impression- interiors:good, looks:good ( not as pretty as BMW) and most importantly the drive/performance:good. The way I put it- it came pretty close to 335i. But for a $70+K car, I was expecting better.

And then I thought, let me try E550. Looks- better than audi(I still think BMW is the prettiest- I may be biased though). Interiors: better than audi.
Performance: On regular/Eco mode- it sounds powerful and controlled, but you switch to Sports mode and it's a beast.For such a heavy car, I was surprised it felt lot different and faster than the 335.

Handling: none of the cars come even close to BMW.

Also, one of the things what I like in my cars is at what RPM does the torque kicks in- it makes all the difference in driving. For eg. if u try a 420 HP Camaro SS with a 0-60 time better than 335i(300HP), the torque kicks in @ more than 3200 RPM(I do not know the exact no.).What does that mean- if you drive on a dragstrip- it might be fun, but on a day to day driving, a lower RPM torque of BMW( @ 1800RPM) is much more fun !!

S5's torque kicks in @ 2800 RPM whereas E550 kicks in @ 1600RPM.
So as soon as you press on the accelerator, you feel the 'kick'. That was a huge factor for me to choose the benz over audi.

In conclusion, E550 cab is way better option than S5 if performance is high on your priority.Looks are subjective though !

 

[rackingman]

welcome gaggan, interesting post............now if you like your torque in buckets and low down the rev range, this side of the pond we would be getting you an A5 3.0 diesel which comes in RGB spec, black, quattro, coupe.

it is about 20lb/ft down on the torque for 15k of our english pounds less..........and way prettier.

 

[IZlondon]

Just to let you know the e Merc is going to be reworked early next year and they are doing deals on the current e class in all platforms..but they will take a big hit when the new one is launched..I also looked at the e cab...but the 55 year old tanned, dyed blond hair, we've retired early with a bit of money in the bank image didn't do it for me...same could also be said of the SL..may not be all over the country but here in London seems to be the case.

 

[wreck111]

If your clear bar is done right you should not ever see the edge. I had mine tucked under the hood and tucked into the creases on the bumper. You can't even feel or see the edge. It all depends on the installer. I will only Shy @ Custom Clear Tech, for those in the MD or DC area, stay away from Cliff from Auto Armor or Capital Auto Shield if you care for your car.

 

[wreck111]

Hi,
This thread is old but still wanted to reply to the thread as lot of people search for the same question looking for some insight( I was one of them) and now I would like to share my experience.

I am a 30 yr old- love good cars(who doesn't?? right...)
I had a '08 BMW 335i convertible- absolutely loved the car.
When time came to change- I looked into 2 convertible options(performance being top priority)-2013 Audi S5 and 2013 E550.

I got biased by online reviews and wasn't considering E550 in beginning- went straight to Audi dealership. Tried the S5. My impression- interiors:good, looks:good ( not as pretty as BMW) and most importantly the drive/performance:good. The way I put it- it came pretty close to 335i. But for a $70+K car, I was expecting better.

And then I thought, let me try E550. Looks- better than audi(I still think BMW is the prettiest- I may be biased though). Interiors: better than audi.
Performance: On regular/Eco mode- it sounds powerful and controlled, but you switch to Sports mode and it's a beast.For such a heavy car, I was surprised it felt lot different and faster than the 335.

Handling: none of the cars come even close to BMW.

Also, one of the things what I like in my cars is at what RPM does the torque kicks in- it makes all the difference in driving. For eg. if u try a 420 HP Camaro SS with a 0-60 time better than 335i(300HP), the torque kicks in @ more than 3200 RPM(I do not know the exact no.).What does that mean- if you drive on a dragstrip- it might be fun, but on a day to day driving, a lower RPM torque of BMW( @ 1800RPM) is much more fun !!

S5's torque kicks in @ 2800 RPM whereas E550 kicks in @ 1600RPM.
So as soon as you press on the accelerator, you feel the 'kick'. That was a huge factor for me to choose the benz over audi.

In conclusion, E550 cab is way better option than S5 if performance is high on your priority.Looks are subjective though !

Look at the fit and finish on the inside roof of the Benz(terrible) also no rear view via the small window in the back. We drove both a few years ago and for my wife to say no way on the Benz welllllllllll.

 

[gaggan82]

Look at the fit and finish on the inside roof of the Benz(terrible) also no rear view via the small window in the back. We drove both a few years ago and for my wife to say no way on the Benz welllllllllll.

As far as 2013 E550, I found the roof and the rear window impressive, as I was coming from a hard top convertible, and I really did not want a soft top because of the same reasons. But both Audi and MB are good.

 

[gaggan82]

Just to let you know the e Merc is going to be reworked early next year and they are doing deals on the current e class in all platforms..but they will take a big hit when the new one is launched..I also looked at the e cab...but the 55 year old tanned, dyed blond hair, we've retired early with a bit of money in the bank image didn't do it for me...same could also be said of the SL..may not be all over the country but here in London seems to be the case.

I leased it, so a drastic change won't bother me.
Also, this model got revamped not so long ago, so it's kind of in the middle of the cycle- I think !

 

[gaggan82]

welcome gaggan, interesting post............now if you like your torque in buckets and low down the rev range, this side of the pond we would be getting you an A5 3.0 diesel which comes in RGB spec, black, quattro, coupe.

it is about 20lb/ft down on the torque for 15k of our english pounds less..........and way prettier.

Thanks, I don't think Audi has any Diesel engine options in the US

 

[Toronto S5]

Hi,
This thread is old but still wanted to reply to the thread as lot of people search for the same question looking for some insight( I was one of them) and now I would like to share my experience.

I am a 30 yr old- love good cars(who doesn't?? right...)
I had a '08 BMW 335i convertible- absolutely loved the car.
When time came to change- I looked into 2 convertible options(performance being top priority)-2013 Audi S5 and 2013 E550.

I got biased by online reviews and wasn't considering E550 in beginning- went straight to Audi dealership. Tried the S5. My impression- interiors:good, looks:good ( not as pretty as BMW) and most importantly the drive/performance:good. The way I put it- it came pretty close to 335i. But for a $70+K car, I was expecting better.

And then I thought, let me try E550. Looks- better than audi(I still think BMW is the prettiest- I may be biased though). Interiors: better than audi.
Performance: On regular/Eco mode- it sounds powerful and controlled, but you switch to Sports mode and it's a beast.For such a heavy car, I was surprised it felt lot different and faster than the 335.

Handling: none of the cars come even close to BMW.

Also, one of the things what I like in my cars is at what RPM does the torque kicks in- it makes all the difference in driving. For eg. if u try a 420 HP Camaro SS with a 0-60 time better than 335i(300HP), the torque kicks in @ more than 3200 RPM(I do not know the exact no.).What does that mean- if you drive on a dragstrip- it might be fun, but on a day to day driving, a lower RPM torque of BMW( @ 1800RPM) is much more fun !!

S5's torque kicks in @ 2800 RPM whereas E550 kicks in @ 1600RPM.
So as soon as you press on the accelerator, you feel the 'kick'. That was a huge factor for me to choose the benz over audi.

In conclusion, E550 cab is way better option than S5 if performance is high on your priority.Looks are subjective though !

I have a few (biased) responses to this...

1) The E550 is not really a competitor to the S5. In Canada, the E550 cab is $11k more than the S5. It also has 70 more hp. The E350 is priced the same as the S5 and has 30 less hp. So it's the E350 you need to compare to the S5, not the E550. The E550 obviously has a better engine and hence is more expensive. From my understanding the S5 handily beats the E350 at the same price point.

2) I dispute the looks argument, which we all agree are subjective. There are 10 bimmers for every Audi on the road. While the new F30 BMW definitely looks way better (fiancee just got a 2013 328 xDrive which looks great), I still think the Audi during the daytime with those LEDs crushes the others lookswise. I'm also 30 and I didn't feel comfortable with the MB as I feel BMW and Audi just feel like younger cars.

I can't argue the handling, that's clearly a well-tested argument and most enthusiasts would probably agree with you on the BMW edge there.

At the end of the day though, there are so many factors that should guide a purchase. On the looks thing for instance, I would throw out there that when you put the E550, 335 and S5 cabs all in front of the average non-car enthusiast, the only one that will elicit a "damn" or "wow" is the S5. The other two look nice but now "wow" nice, just because you see so many on the road.

 

[gaggan82]

I have a few (biased) responses to this...

1) The E550 is not really a competitor to the S5. In Canada, the E550 cab is $11k more than the S5. It also has 70 more hp. The E350 is priced the same as the S5 and has 30 less hp. So it's the E350 you need to compare to the S5, not the E550. The E550 obviously has a better engine and hence is more expensive. From my understanding the S5 handily beats the E350 at the same price point.

2) I dispute the looks argument, which we all agree are subjective. There are 10 bimmers for every Audi on the road. While the new F30 BMW definitely looks way better (fiancee just got a 2013 328 xDrive which looks great), I still think the Audi during the daytime with those LEDs crushes the others lookswise. I'm also 30 and I didn't feel comfortable with the MB as I feel BMW and Audi just feel like younger cars.

I can't argue the handling, that's clearly a well-tested argument and most enthusiasts would probably agree with you on the BMW edge there.

At the end of the day though, there are so many factors that should guide a purchase. On the looks thing for instance, I would throw out there that when you put the E550, 335 and S5 cabs all in front of the average non-car enthusiast, the only one that will elicit a "damn" or "wow" is the S5. The other two look nice but now "wow" nice, just because you see so many on the road.

Well, I would not compare E350 to S5 as s5 is definitely better.
I understand that Merc has an image not very pleasing to younger ppl, but I guess that's the E350, but not the 550 though.
Also, I personally don't think just because a certain car is more common, it makes it less appealing. In my case, in Az I get to see more Audi n BMW cabs than merc E cab. I still think the BMW convertible is the prettiest !!