The Audi S5 coupe and convertible are two-door counterparts to the more practical but dowdier S4 sedan, and they offer impressive performance in a slinky uniform. (The new, high-style S5 Sportback is reviewed separately.) All S5s are motivated by Audi?s new turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine, which makes a comfortable 354 horsepower and provides the S5 with plenty of get-up-and-haul. The previously available manual transmission is no more, and power is now routed to all four wheels exclusively through a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. Both the coupe and convertible?Audi calls it a cabriolet?exhibit driving characteristics similar to those of their four-door siblings: they are surprisingly detached for such powerful, sporting cars. In day-to-day driving, the S5?s comfortable cabins and great-looking exteriors are enough to push their vacant personae to the wayside. However, when back roads beckon, the S5 twins fail to communicate well with the road; a number of their competitors are much better at truly engaging the driver. READ MORE ??
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