Audi S5 B8 TFSI
Discussion
I've had a few cars over the past few years, a good mix of sensible, practical and sporty. I bought a lovely BMW M4 Comp in January last year with a plan to keep it through the summer and swap it out for a cheaper estate car at around sept/Oct. Well September and October flew past and I didn't want to get rid of the M4. I didn't get on with the car to start with, it was wet and cold and the car wanted to go sideways at most opportunities. Didn't help it had Michelin supersport tyres, they were great when it was warmer though. When the weather got better there wasn't much that was quicker, it handled well although struggled to be as nimble as an V8 Vantage through the twisty roads from the peak district up to the Scottish borders. But all in all a decent car. Winter came round last year and I was willing to give it another chance through the colder months. A new set of Michelin PS4S tyres all round made a substantial difference, however something a bit more practical would've been better.
April came round and I had made up my mind. Sell the M4 and find a high spec Audi S4 B8.5 Avant. I missed out on the highest spec S4 I had ever come across, every possible extra with a very comprehensive service history. It took a while to shift the M4, ended up going to a trader. Not able to find the right spec S4 I borrowed a 595 Abarth and started using that. Car shopping was put on hold until September at the earliest.
I'm sure I'm not alone when it comes to regularly looking at Auto Trader, the classifieds on here and other places to see what's about. It didn't take long but one search led to another and I started looking at the Audi S5. The shape is a bit marmite, not as practical as an Avant and to be honest not a car I have ever looked at. Anyway, one came up for sale about 10 miles away. I had to go and take a look!
The car had been parked since an MOT is March, which it passed with advisories for rear brakes and tyres. Previous MOT history was decent, had some service history. Checked the car over and it needed a few bits. Plugged in the diagnostic scanner and about 10 codes came up. I suspected many due to a weak battery. Was taken out for a short test drive and all seemed ok.
I went away to get an idea of what the cost for all the bits and pieces would be to get it in better shape. A few hours later, an offer made and accepted.
I was the 8th owner of an Audi S5 B8 TFSI
April came round and I had made up my mind. Sell the M4 and find a high spec Audi S4 B8.5 Avant. I missed out on the highest spec S4 I had ever come across, every possible extra with a very comprehensive service history. It took a while to shift the M4, ended up going to a trader. Not able to find the right spec S4 I borrowed a 595 Abarth and started using that. Car shopping was put on hold until September at the earliest.
I'm sure I'm not alone when it comes to regularly looking at Auto Trader, the classifieds on here and other places to see what's about. It didn't take long but one search led to another and I started looking at the Audi S5. The shape is a bit marmite, not as practical as an Avant and to be honest not a car I have ever looked at. Anyway, one came up for sale about 10 miles away. I had to go and take a look!
The car had been parked since an MOT is March, which it passed with advisories for rear brakes and tyres. Previous MOT history was decent, had some service history. Checked the car over and it needed a few bits. Plugged in the diagnostic scanner and about 10 codes came up. I suspected many due to a weak battery. Was taken out for a short test drive and all seemed ok.
I went away to get an idea of what the cost for all the bits and pieces would be to get it in better shape. A few hours later, an offer made and accepted.
I was the 8th owner of an Audi S5 B8 TFSI
macron said:
8 owners? Or is that some plate swaps obscuring things?
Be interested in some interior shots and your general impression. Oh and how it is for rear space!
Not sure what happened with the owners. The guy I bought it from was the 7th. 2 owners over the first 8 years, then not far from yearly since then. Be interested in some interior shots and your general impression. Oh and how it is for rear space!
General impression is great so far. It's a big car, feels bigger than the A4 which it shares nearly everything with. Plenty of space in the front and decent space in the back for 2, maybe 3 kids. The size of the boot is sufficient, it's not an Avant but plenty of space. The split parcel shelf idea takes a bit of getting use to. With the parcel shelf fixed to the bootlid it's slightly more spacious than an A4, take that off and it opens up.
This is the only interior picture I have at the moment. More on that later
Hol said:
I had a brand new B8.5 S4 for three years.
Its a very underrated car as the supercharged engine is very tunable and its often said that Audi kept the power down to create a noticeable gap to the RS4/5 V8.
More than once I regretted my decision not to buy an older one and tune it.
They are very tunable, lots of options between remaps and pulleys. Everything that I have owned since 2001 has had a turbo, my first supercharged car. It's a different power delivery.Its a very underrated car as the supercharged engine is very tunable and its often said that Audi kept the power down to create a noticeable gap to the RS4/5 V8.
More than once I regretted my decision not to buy an older one and tune it.
Back to the story so far. The car was one of the cheapest in the UK. With no major codes and nothing visibly wrong or broken, the refurb project started. New tyres fitted on the rear, Michelin PS5 to match the front.
First up was maintenance. The car came a load of paperwork, serviced every year etc etc. There was a rattle coming from the engine, dual mass flywheel rattle and then just felt a little bit rough when accelerating and driving. A quick trip to my local specialist AKS Tuning and a sack full of service parts collected. Millers Nano 5w40, genuine filters all round to start with. The engine oil was sludge, filter was way past being effective. Both air filter and pollen filter were date stamped 2019. Not sure what the last 3 service invoices were for. The lift came in handy once again.
Next up was cleaning. As the car had been sat for a few months and probably not been cleaned for a decent amount of time, everything was green. All of the rubber seals, door surrounds and gaps around the windows needed a scrub before any washing took place. Only took one picture at this stage. Just wanted to get it done.
Last bit of maintenance were the rear discs and pads and gearbox service. Order was put in with Autodoc, Brembo brakes and a Meyle service kit ordered along with new wipers and an extra oil filter as I'll change that again in another 500 miles.
Gearbox oil needed changing as well, there was a slight hesitation through the gears which has now gone.
Finally round to the interior. Cheap Android screen to replace dated original screen, replacement centre console and a replacement B8.5 gearknob
Once the servicing was complete and a few miles on the road, everything seems to be running smoothly and much quieter.
First up was maintenance. The car came a load of paperwork, serviced every year etc etc. There was a rattle coming from the engine, dual mass flywheel rattle and then just felt a little bit rough when accelerating and driving. A quick trip to my local specialist AKS Tuning and a sack full of service parts collected. Millers Nano 5w40, genuine filters all round to start with. The engine oil was sludge, filter was way past being effective. Both air filter and pollen filter were date stamped 2019. Not sure what the last 3 service invoices were for. The lift came in handy once again.
Next up was cleaning. As the car had been sat for a few months and probably not been cleaned for a decent amount of time, everything was green. All of the rubber seals, door surrounds and gaps around the windows needed a scrub before any washing took place. Only took one picture at this stage. Just wanted to get it done.
Last bit of maintenance were the rear discs and pads and gearbox service. Order was put in with Autodoc, Brembo brakes and a Meyle service kit ordered along with new wipers and an extra oil filter as I'll change that again in another 500 miles.
Gearbox oil needed changing as well, there was a slight hesitation through the gears which has now gone.
Finally round to the interior. Cheap Android screen to replace dated original screen, replacement centre console and a replacement B8.5 gearknob
Once the servicing was complete and a few miles on the road, everything seems to be running smoothly and much quieter.
Edited by JasGhuman on Wednesday 26th June 21:32
Good effort on maintenance catch up, assume at the cheaper end of the market people buy, rag it for a year skip maintenance, get bored and move it on....this era of Audi are so well built hopefully u caught it in the nick of time. Looking fwd to updates and as a fraction of the cost of M4 comp how does it compare??
Following with interest as I looked at a couple of S5 Sportback’s over the past few weeks which would have replaced an old 2010 A6 Avant, but both were overpriced I felt, and neither owner would budge on price, so I ended up going for another big estate car in the shape of a 535i Touring. Good luck with the much-needed maintenance and I hope it’s a good one. It certainly looks good.
Nice S5!
I spent a while myself looking for a B8 S4 Avant. However the stories of timing chain rattle put me off somewhat - apparently it’s about a £4k engine out job to change the chains and tensioners!
I’ve ended up with a Golf R estate which im generally happy with but I’d take that supercharged V6 over my 4 pot any day!
Good luck with it
I spent a while myself looking for a B8 S4 Avant. However the stories of timing chain rattle put me off somewhat - apparently it’s about a £4k engine out job to change the chains and tensioners!
I’ve ended up with a Golf R estate which im generally happy with but I’d take that supercharged V6 over my 4 pot any day!
Good luck with it
v8notbrave said:
Good effort on maintenance catch up, assume at the cheaper end of the market people buy, rag it for a year skip maintenance, get bored and move it on....this era of Audi are so well built hopefully u caught it in the nick of time. Looking fwd to updates and as a fraction of the cost of M4 comp how does it compare??
I was thinking about folks buying the car and flipping it without spending much to maintain. Also unusual to see a car with high owners completely standard. The M4 was a lot newer and much sharper. The steering was heavier and much more precise on the M4 and with endless torque from about 1800rpm, never short of power. The S5 steering is very light and has taken some getting use to. All suspension is 14 years old and could do with replacing. It's all just over 100bhp down, which is only a remap away. The S5 isn't short on power and the quattro system lets you get the power down in pretty much any situation.
Edited by JasGhuman on Thursday 27th June 21:28
Pablo16v said:
Following with interest as I looked at a couple of S5 Sportback’s over the past few weeks which would have replaced an old 2010 A6 Avant, but both were overpriced I felt, and neither owner would budge on price, so I ended up going for another big estate car in the shape of a 535i Touring. Good luck with the much-needed maintenance and I hope it’s a good one. It certainly looks good.
I saw your post on the F11, I was looking at those at one point. Not many 535i out there, good luck with it. The prices seem either on the really low side or on the higher side. You've made a good choice with the F11
SpaceshipEarth said:
Nice S5!
I spent a while myself looking for a B8 S4 Avant. However the stories of timing chain rattle put me off somewhat - apparently it’s about a £4k engine out job to change the chains and tensioners!
I’ve ended up with a Golf R estate which im generally happy with but I’d take that supercharged V6 over my 4 pot any day!
Good luck with it
The chain and tensioner has given me something to think about as well. It's a big job. Fingers crossed all is ok. Lots of videos on YouTube, but I was willing to take a risk. I spent a while myself looking for a B8 S4 Avant. However the stories of timing chain rattle put me off somewhat - apparently it’s about a £4k engine out job to change the chains and tensioners!
I’ve ended up with a Golf R estate which im generally happy with but I’d take that supercharged V6 over my 4 pot any day!
Good luck with it
JasGhuman said:
I saw your post on the F11, I was looking at those at one point. Not many 535i out there, good luck with it. The prices seem either on the really low side or on the higher side.
You've made a good choice with the F11
Cheers Jas really pleased with it so far and not regretting my choice yet!You've made a good choice with the F11
Lovely car, I keep looking at these and the s4, as I think they represent pretty good value at the moment!
I also hear those 3.0 supercharged motors take a remap well… apparently they are quite detuned from the factory. I think just a ecu remap will bring it to over 400bhp.. which I imagine must make them rather quick!
I also hear those 3.0 supercharged motors take a remap well… apparently they are quite detuned from the factory. I think just a ecu remap will bring it to over 400bhp.. which I imagine must make them rather quick!
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff