How much performance lost in convertible?

[Winners Eat Pho]

Hey all -

I'm looking to retire my faithful chariot of 10 years to backup duty. I was so close to pulling the trigger on an A6, but considering it's my daily with rarely other people in the car, I don't need a bigger more bloated car as nice as it is. So, I want to take a hard look at the S5. What turned me off initially was: there are so many A5 and S5's around my area. And, I actually like the look of the convertible a little better - something about how it makes the quarter panels look. I don't think I'd drive top down THAT much, but certainly would. My question:

1) how much performance is lost (handling and speed)?
2) how troublesome are the tops mechanically, and to maintain? Will be 100% garaged.
3) any other tips/pointers on the S5 for me to consider?

Thanks in advance!

[hahnmgh63]

The Audi brochure says for the 3.0t S5 that 0 to 60 (both S-tronic) is 4.9 for the coupe and 5.3 for the convertible. A5 Tiptronics are 6.1 coupe / 6.6 convertible. Around 300lbs plus or minus heavier for the convertible so a bit of weight. Chasis stiffening is down low so that won't hurt handling much but overall weight increase will take a little hit on handling and of course more weight to accelerate and longer stopping distances.
Can't say for reliability as I have a RS5 & S5 coupe but also a tt convertible which has been a reliable top but obviously different mechanism from the A5/S5, but the same engineering should be there. Garaging is a plus and still treat the top occasionally with such as Wolfsteins Raggtop.

[Jafa]

We have had our 2015 RS5 Cabriolet for 2 years.
I found water in the trunk and I knew it was the top, a service writer at Stratham audi looked at it quickly and said "it is normal to get some water".
I pushed that I wanted it looked at again, the tech found that the seal was leaking. $1,500 but was under warranty, they had sealant mess all over the car, I drove out and cleaned it myself.
I check the hydraulic fluid once a month, keep the top clean and use 303 products. No issues with clothe or back window. Recently I did notice very little moisture getting under the glass where the two windows meet, I cleaned and treated the seal. I can see in the next year or two having to replace those seals but we put the top down a lot too. The top does take up room in the trunk.

[Winners Eat Pho]

Great to know - so performance not so much of an issue as I thought. Thank you.

How about daily driving with the top closed? Is it noticeably louder than the coupe?

[Jafa]

I've never been in a coupe but my RS5 has good insulation from exterior noise, thick materials.

[Magowin]

When I got my 2012 S5 Cab with launch control my lowest time to 60 was 4.96 seconds recorded with Torque pro app on my tablet. Times with no launch control are 5.4-5.6 seconds. I only did launch control 3 times in testing because it's limited to 200 and not sure how much if any the previous owner used it. Haven't had any issues yet with it but only had it a month. As for handling I'm coming from a 2017 STI so plan on getting all 034 handling upgrades for it to try to get close to what my STI was.

[dcchristopher]

I previously owned a 2011 S5 Prestige coupe, V8, manual. I now own a 2015 S5 Prestige convertible, fully loaded. Although I do miss the V8 and the manual transmission, that combo is long gone. Although the convertible is about 3-400 pounds heavier, it's still amazingly nimble. I think it's even more nimble than the old V8 (which was very front-heavy and would dive into corners). Make sure to get the rear sport diff and ideally adaptive suspension as well. I can't think of a better car. In fact, I get propositioned to sell it every month and I just wouldn't know what to get next.

I love driving with the top down and I wish I lived somewhere I could enjoy it more often. I think you'd love it as well. I haven't had any issues with the top and I don't even see anything brewing, after 4 years and 50k miles. A coworker did tell me about his early model year B8 that had top issues (glass separated from the roof) that were resolved within the warranty period. Let's hope that was an old production issue.

Mine is APR tuned (Stage 2) and performance is amazing. Handling is superb (even before any modifications). It drives like a rocket-propelled tank on rails. Good luck on your search!

[Neil F]

I had my S5 Cab for 2 1/2 years and LOVE IT. It was all I considered. Mine is a fully loaded Prestige. I love the way it rides and I absolutely drive it with the top down as much possible. If it is cool/cold, windows up and windblocker, seat heater and heat on, keeps the cabin nice. Opposite in really hot days, windows up and windblocker and AC circulating can keep the cabin cooler. The windblocker does reduce a lot of the blow through from the rear. If it is missing from the one you buy, you can usually get used ones in the 100-140 range.

I have been regular on the forums for 3 years and there are not a lot of common problems with the top. They do get heavy wrinkles ad some slight wear spots in the rear top corners but I have not heard of holes developing. I have seen a few posts regarding the rear window coming unglued but it seems more common on older A4's and maybe older A/S5's. Mine is garaged and I do not know if there are really any leak issues. It has been out for short terms when stuff was going on in the garage and it has rained heavily. I have found some moisture in the trunk and I THINK the car smelled musty BUT I have not attempted to investigate or research. I think it is very quit. It is a thick top. My previous daily driver was a Jeep TJ with a soft top. A lot of flapping going on.

[Winners Eat Pho]

You guys are an amazing help, thank you. It's odd to me that the convertibles are less expensive then the coupes in the used car market? Didn't it used to be the other way around and the convertible was a premium, or am I making that up?

[Neil F]

You guys are an amazing help, thank you. It's odd to me that the convertibles are less expensive then the coupes in the used car market? Didn't it used to be the other way around and the convertible was a premium, or am I making that up?

I did not price non cabs but prices can vary greatly in the used market. Sellers are not apples to apples. With regards to options and prices, you have to try to get educated as much as possible, in particular if there are specific options you want. You can google and download the brochures for each year and the Premium plus/Prestige standard equipment and options. Note many used dealers may not list the options or even know what the car has. I learned to look for particular things in the pictures for a clue as to options/packages. You may find a fully loaded model price similar to a basic.

[Magowin]

The reason why it seems that way is because the Cabriolets have the 3.0 and the 2010-2012 coupes have the V8's and alot of enthusiasts like the V8 growl so they are more in demand unless you are shopping strictly for the 2013 and up models which prices will probably start to change.

[snocat17]

I only shopped for convertibles two years ago when I was buying. I wanted a GT car with AWD and all the bells, whistles, cake, and to eat it too!

I decided on the Audi for the looks, driving experience, and reviews.

If I had to do it all over again, I would probably buy a coupe. I don't regret getting the convertible, but it loses its luster after a few years. Here are the main reasons:
-My GF doesn't like driving with the top down, so that is a big reason.
-It is pretty noisy (although other rag top owners say the Audi is the most quiet) with the top up.
-I don't like how it looks with the top up.
-It is VERY hot and humid in the summer in Missouri, and I only find myself wanting to put the top down when the temp is 60-85.
-I know eventually the top will fail, and I've been quoted $3400-4000 for a new top, depending on quality.
-Extra weight and loss of trunk space
-It can be hard to find certain options in cabs. Most are either fully loaded or don't have all the options. It is difficult to find Adaptive Cruise and Sport Diff, so normally you'll need to pay for comfort seating which means black or brown interior. The comfort seats aren't necessary with a cab IMO.
-Aftermarket exhaust systems are different (exhaust for a coupe won't fit a cab) and can be more expensive.

All that said, I still love my car. The extra weight doesn't bother me. It is still really fast and handles extremely well. There are plenty of aftermarket stabilization bars to help if you don't think it's stiff enough. It does great in the snow and is plenty warm inside during the winter.