The Greenback -- My Sonoma Green RS5 Sportback

[Rob O]

Crosspost from AW, and photos already posted to IG ... but figured I'd share across platforms for those who don't venture outside Audizine. :)

****

So, I was originally #1 on the list to order an RS5 Sportback at my dealer. As far back as Feb 2017, when collecting my wife's new SQ5, I requested to be on "the list" if there was one. Then, once the model was formally introduced by Audi, I had my order position secured.

Fast forward to September 2017, when the books opened for customer orders. I had just broken my right foot and been through major surgery, leaving me with a non-weight bearing injury and no driving for at least 3 months. My mind was not on cars at that time. Add to that the fact I'd driven an RS5 Coupe over summer and was left totally unimpressed. Because of those circumstances, combined with the fact my S5 Sportback was all dialed in (and a great car), I passed on ordering an AE Merlin Purple over Lunar Silver RS5 Sportback.

And now I'm glad I did.

About a month ago, while at the dealership for service on my S5 SB, I had my first real look at the RS5 SB in person. It was stunning. As I've said to a number of people now, I can't believe the presence this car has; photos don't do it justice. In fact, it made my beautiful S5 Sportback look pedestrian. I decided 'what the hell' and took one for a test drive. I was impressed. I couldn't believe it was effectively the same car as the Coupe I'd sampled; the SB felt completely different. That drive, and those looks, left me wondering if I'd missed an opportunity by not ordering one at the start. Doing an AE order now was out of the question ... with massive delays already on cars ordered in September, and at least a 6 month wait. So I went home to think about it.

What about color then, if not AE?

I'd already been a fan of Sonoma Green, which Audi had been using on press cars from the beginning. At least in photos. Not being a green car kind a guy though, I hadn't really thought about buying one ... even if I thought it a stunning color. As it turned out, my dealership (Audi Beaverton -- great to work with) had two identical Sonomas in production and about a month out. So I put my name on one of them.

Having never really seen Sonoma in person, and with a few weeks to think about whether green was the right color, I waffled a bit. My dealer had 10 cars on the lot, several with my exact spec, and another 8 or 9 inbound. Plenty to choose from that weren't green. I even searched dealer inventory nationwide to ensure I was getting the right car. In doing that, I found that only about 5% of listed dealer inventory were Sonoma Green (and I probably looked through over 300 units total).

That sort of sealed the deal for me, as I'd wanted something exclusive. Something different. Sonoma Green is exclusive to the RS5 (for now), and would require Audi Exclusive on any other model. That, and the low number of dealer orders so far, make it a pretty special color.

Well ... it arrived on Friday.

Good gawd this color is amazing. Zero regrets, save for thoughts about NOT getting it; I do regret considering other colors. LOL.

Spec:

• Sonoma Green over Black Nappa w/Rock Gray stitching
• Dynamic Pkg
• RS Driver Assist Pkg
• Black Optic Pkg
• Bang & Olufsen

The only major option my car didn't have that I would have ordered was BO + CF Pkg. I *love* the CF with Sonoma, so I'll retro fit it with OE parts. Sadly, that package is a bargain from the factory, at roughly $4k over standard BO ... because it's about $10k to retrofit all the pieces. I have the mirror caps and rear spoiler on the way already, and will do the rest soon.


Anyway ... here are delivery day pics from my Pixel 3 XL


















Home!


And tucked away in the garage.




First couple of proper photos from a shoot I did over the weekend, despite overcast skies. Tons more to come from that morning ...





Then, yesterday the sun popped out for a bit ... so I had to pull off and snap a few. This green is amazing under direct sunlight, and I love how it changes with different conditions.

[TEKNIKA]

Beautiful! Congratulations!

[Jimminez@Nemesis]

Congrats again Rob!

Welcome to The Greenback Mountain RS5.

[Rob O]

Congrats again Rob!

Welcome to The Greenback Mountain RS5.

LOL!

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks!

- - - Updated - - -

Beautiful! Congratulations!

Thanks

[antoff83]

congrats! Beautiful car!

[jpenneck]

Congrats! Nice to see another Non-Nardo car! I think I would need to see Sonoma Green in person to appreciate it.

[Mops@Nemesis]

It's soooo pretty Rob! I bet it's a real neck bender!

I too especially enjoy the carbon exterior with SG. Post up some performance comparison thoughts when you have time. I've heard the lag is much improved compared to the 3.0.

[chi_marketing]

Love the green! Great choice!

[KUbeastmode]

Love the color congrats!

[mikess4]

Congrats! I saw the debut of the RS5 Sportback in Sonoma Green at the NY Auto Show. Absolutely stunning. I came from an S5 Sportback to the RS5 Sportback. The 2.9 vs is the 3.0 are night and day when comparing turbo lag. So much better or almost non existent in the 2.9.


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[antoff83]

Congrats! Nice to see another Non-Nardo car! I think I would need to see Sonoma Green in person to appreciate it.

You should.. it looks awesome! Our dealer has once on the floor now. I saw it two weeks ago and looks better in person!

[heymoe]

If anyone is interested. Here is a break down of the number of each color in the US so far that was posted over at AW. I'm not 100% sure if these are just for the RS5 SB or RS5 in general (Coupe + SB).

Sonoma - 57
Florett - 81
Misano - 88
Navarra - 136
Glacier - 258
Daytona - 295
Mythos - 348
Nardo -349

[TwoSnelz]

Nice car!

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[jpenneck]

You should.. it looks awesome! Our dealer has once on the floor now. I saw it two weeks ago and looks better in person!

I was there last night to see the E-Tron at an event and saw they had 12 RS5 models which really surprised me, 7 of them being SB. 1 Sonoma SB in the very back, then Nardo (yawn - but I will admit it looked nice), Daytona and one Black.

[antoff83]

I was there last night to see the E-Tron at an event and saw they had 12 RS5 models which really surprised me, 7 of them being SB. 1 Sonoma SB in the very back, then Nardo (yawn - but I will admit it looked nice), Daytona and one Black.

They show total of 25... here is the Sonoma one I saw 2 weeks ago. BTW I think the blue one they show “in transit” is yours




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[jpenneck]

They show total of 25... here is the Sonoma one I saw 2 weeks ago. BTW I think the blue one they show “in transit” is yours

They may have more, I just found this bunch all in one corner of their lot. I find it weird when a dealer list cars available because they always include the ones "in transit". It seems to me that the in transit ones should not be included until they are on the lot. Anyway, the couple of Navarra blue ones they list are not mine as I have a different spec. They should never include "sold" orders in the list of available cars...

[evanseric21]

They may have more, I just found this bunch all in one corner of their lot. I find it weird when a dealer list cars available because they always include the ones "in transit". It seems to me that the in transit ones should not be included until they are on the lot. Anyway, the couple of Navarra blue ones they list are not mine as I have a different spec. They should never include "sold" orders in the list of available cars...

The vehicles in transit show in transit on the website.

[RLB6]

Is it me or does this wheel style fit the platform better than the flag arms.

[evanseric21]

Is it me or does this wheel style fit the platform better than the flag arms.

IDK I personally like the 5-arm flag on my RS5 SB.

[Batman0424]

IDK I personally like the 5-arm flag on my RS5 SB.

I agree with you, I like the flag design A LOT. I wish the coupe came with these. I don't mind the trapezoid wheels, but would have preferred the flag design. To me, the peak design isn't worth the added cost. They are nice, but I would rather put the $2,500 towards aftermarket wheels.

[evanseric21]

I agree with you, I like the flag design A LOT. I wish the coupe came with these. I don't mind the trapezoid wheels, but would have preferred the flag design. To me, the peak design isn't worth the added cost. They are nice, but I would rather put the $2,500 towards aftermarket wheels.

Yeah me as well. Debating if I will get my 5-arm finished in gloss black or just buying some gloss black aftermarket wheels.

[DBS]

Congrats! I saw the debut of the RS5 Sportback in Sonoma Green at the NY Auto Show. Absolutely stunning. I came from an S5 Sportback to the RS5 Sportback. The 2.9 vs is the 3.0 are night and day when comparing turbo lag. So much better or almost non existent in the 2.9.


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So your saying the 2.9 vs 3.0 is worth the $30K difference?

[Rob O]

So your saying the 2.9 vs 3.0 is worth the $30K difference?

The RS5 is more than just the motor and more hp. It's not just an S5 with a tune. I found that, in my first 200 miles with it, the RS5 is a more complete package: powertrain, drivetrain, chassis tuning, steering inputs, gering. It's a proper sport sedan, where the S5 is really a luxury car with sporty intentions. Don't get me wrong, the S5 is a great car. When you drive the RS5 after owning an S5 though, you realize how much potential that B9 platform has in this configuration.

And I'm not sure about the $30k difference. My RS5 was almost exactly $20k more, and mine is optioned pretty typically. Still a big price gap, but not as dramatic as making the RS5 out to be 50% more than an S5.

[Rob O]

So far, there hasn't been a single time that I've been out in the RS5 where someone hasn't either pulled alongside me, or stopped in a parking lot, or just come over to me to take a picture of the car. This Sonoma green really is a head turner. I love it.

[tbone323]

Yeah me as well. Debating if I will get my 5-arm finished in gloss black or just buying some gloss black aftermarket wheels.

In photos I hated, hated, hated the flag wheels but when I saw them in person they caught me. In fact since delivery 4 weeks ago, I haven’t found an aftermarket wheel I like better and I want to buy wheels really bad. They either don’t have enough detail or don’t have enough depth when looking at the car at 3/4 perspective.

[Darwin604]

So far, there hasn't been a single time that I've been out in the RS5 where someone hasn't either pulled alongside me, or stopped in a parking lot, or just come over to me to take a picture of the car. This Sonoma green really is a head turner. I love it.

That paint's metallic flake really pops in the sun! I went with mythos black on my coupe but if they had that color locally (got a way better deal than custom ordering) I would have snapped in up in a second. Congrats on the new car. She's a beauty!

[DBS]

The RS5 is more than just the motor and more hp. It's not just an S5 with a tune. I found that, in my first 200 miles with it, the RS5 is a more complete package: powertrain, drivetrain, chassis tuning, steering inputs, gering. It's a proper sport sedan, where the S5 is really a luxury car with sporty intentions. Don't get me wrong, the S5 is a great car. When you drive the RS5 after owning an S5 though, you realize how much potential that B9 platform has in this configuration.

And I'm not sure about the $30k difference. My RS5 was almost exactly $20k more, and mine is optioned pretty typically. Still a big price gap, but not as dramatic as making the RS5 out to be 50% more than an S5.

Your experience and ownership can not be argued for sure. My big disappointment without driving the RS is the nonexclusive interior of the RS. I couldnt find anything different in the RS interior other than the R included on the backs of the front seats.

The reason I say 30K diff is from what I'm seeing a very nice optioned RS is $93-99K sticker. Thats 30K from what I paid the the S....I may be way off.

[heymoe]

Your experience and ownership can not be argued for sure. My big disappointment without driving the RS is the nonexclusive interior of the RS. I couldnt find anything different in the RS interior other than the R included on the backs of the front seats.

The reason I say 30K diff is from what I'm seeing a very nice optioned RS is $93-99K sticker. Thats 30K from what I paid the the S....I may be way off.

I'd argue a nicely loaded RS5 SB would fall between $85k - $88k myself. Carbon fiber is nice but one could easily live without it and I really don't see a need for the Dynamic Plus package unless you plan on tracking the car often. A nicely loaded S5 SB came to $70k so for me spending the extra $15k-$18k before discounts for a nicely loaded RS5 would be a no brainer. Granted the RS5 SB I have on order is around $96k but I plan on keeping it for a while so I splurged with a custom color which most people won't do and went with the carbon package but I would have been fine with the $88k build otherwise.

[evanseric21]

I'd argue a nicely loaded RS5 SB would fall between $85k - $88k myself. Carbon fiber is nice but one could easily live without it and I really don't see a need for the Dynamic Plus package unless you plan on tracking the car often. A nicely loaded S5 SB came to $70k so for me spending the extra $15k-$18k before discounts for a nicely loaded RS5 would be a no brainer. Granted the RS5 SB I have on order is around $96k but I plan on keeping it for a while so I splurged with a custom color which most people won't do and went with the carbon package but I would have been fine with the $88k build otherwise.

Yeah my build was $88,995 before discounts. Only regret I have is not getting the black optic carbon fiber package. The S5 SB I priced out was $72,745. So about $16k more. The carbon fiber black optics isn't available on the S5 so there is not apple to apples comparison there. If it was available you'd add another $4k to the price of the S5.

[LittleDevil]

@Rob O: Really nice color, it is growing on me. I was also thinking to get that color but ended with Nardo Grey

Yeah my build was $88,995 before discounts. Only regret I have is not getting the black optic carbon fiber package. The S5 SB I priced out was $72,745. So about $16k more. The carbon fiber black optics isn't available on the S5 so there is not apple to apples comparison there. If it was available you'd add another $4k to the price of the S5.

You can always get carbon exterior package

Kind Regards

[Rob O]

Yeah my build was $88,995 before discounts. Only regret I have is not getting the black optic carbon fiber package. The S5 SB I priced out was $72,745. So about $16k more. The carbon fiber black optics isn't available on the S5 so there is not apple to apples comparison there. If it was available you'd add another $4k to the price of the S5.

I grabbed a car that was in production with 99% of the spec I'd have selected when ordering, short of an AE color. The one thing I really wanted that wasn't on my car was the BO +CF pkg; mine is just BO. Between europrice and @LittleDevil ... mine will be fully retrofitted with all the OE CF bits it's missing. :)

[Rob O]

My big disappointment without driving the RS is the nonexclusive interior of the RS. I couldnt find anything different in the RS interior other than the R included on the backs of the front seats.

That's fair. Aside from the steering wheel (full aero leather), shift handle (same) and RS embroidered seats with hex pattern in the leather (Nappa pkg; base alcantara still get diamonds) ... it's pretty much the same. Although this is consistent with M and AMG models, which may have higher-spec options available but are generally the same cabin look/feel to their lesser model siblings.

[antoff83]

They may have more, I just found this bunch all in one corner of their lot. I find it weird when a dealer list cars available because they always include the ones "in transit". It seems to me that the in transit ones should not be included until they are on the lot. Anyway, the couple of Navarra blue ones they list are not mine as I have a different spec. They should never include "sold" orders in the list of available cars...

Oh ok, my bad then..cause there is one listed with the exact options you have and especially with those 5-arm-peak wheels I thought that might be yours..

[evanseric21]

I grabbed a car that was in production with 99% of the spec I'd have selected when ordering, short of an AE color. The one thing I really wanted that wasn't on my car was the BO +CF pkg; mine is just BO. Between europrice and @LittleDevil ... mine will be fully retrofitted with all the OE CF bits it's missing. :)

LittleDevil just sent me a message. I may have to do the same. Who would you have install your parts? I'm nervous about that.

[Rob O]

LittleDevil just sent me a message. I may have to do the same. Who would you have install your parts? I'm nervous about that.

I've got a great shop I use for most everything. For this, I might actually use the dealership ... just hate to have any clips broken during the swap. I'm sure it'll require full front and rear bumper removal.

[Rob O]

Is it me or does this wheel style fit the platform better than the flag arms.

I have a set of these, imported from Germany to use as winters on my S5 SB. I love them. However, I think I actually like the look of the flag wheels *on Sonoma* better. I'm going to swap mine shortly -- take off stock flags with summer tires and mount the 5-arm "peak" version with winter tires -- and see how it looks in person. But in photos, compared with what I see in person with my car on the flag wheels, I'm thinking I like what it came with. Maybe they just need spacers, because the offset is perfect for the S5's slender body. ;-)

[antoff83]

I have a set of these, imported from Germany to use as winters on my S5 SB. I love them. However, I think I actually like the look of the flag wheels *on Sonoma* better. I'm going to swap mine shortly -- take off stock flags with summer tires and mount the 5-arm "peak" version with winter tires -- and see how it looks in person. But in photos, compared with what I see in person with my car on the flag wheels, I'm thinking I like what it came with. Maybe they just need spacers, because the offset is perfect for the S5's slender body. ;-)

I like the Flag design ones more too

[Batman0424]

I have a set of these, imported from Germany to use as winters on my S5 SB. I love them. However, I think I actually like the look of the flag wheels *on Sonoma* better. I'm going to swap mine shortly -- take off stock flags with summer tires and mount the 5-arm "peak" version with winter tires -- and see how it looks in person. But in photos, compared with what I see in person with my car on the flag wheels, I'm thinking I like what it came with. Maybe they just need spacers, because the offset is perfect for the S5's slender body. ;-)

I agree with you, the flag design looks better. If the coupe came with the flag design, I would likely forego aftermarket wheels. I liked the trapezoid design when I first took delivery; however, I am getting bored when them and want something a bit different.

[sd761]

Congrats


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[Rob O]

First round of OEM+ mods completed over the past couple weeks: OE euro-spec rear head rests, OE RS5 CF mirror caps, OE RS5 CF engine cover and OE RS5 all-weather mats.

Here's what's coming within the next month:

• Euro headlights and taillights - this week
• OE RS5 CF rear lip spoiler - this week
• XPEL Ultimate Plus PPF + Ceramic Pro Gold + window tint - next week
• OE RS5 blackout badges/rings - should be here next week
• OE RS5 CF rear diffuser - sitting in the garage, will install in a couple weeks
• OE RS5 CF front "blade" and trim - same as above
• OE RS5 CF side skirt inserts - still sourcing
• OE euro-spec Aspherical mirror glass -- still sourcing
• Abt HAS suspension - on it's way, install next week
• Forged wheels - TBD
• Exhaust, leaning toward Milltek Road+ but waiting to see/hear AWE's system once they're done with MOPS's car

Headrest before (top - US) / after (bottom - Euro)


















Engine cover before (top) / after (bottom)