Six Shifter

As may have been noted in some of my posts, the only real probem I have ever had with the 4G TL is the existence of the rear doors. Back in 2009 (when I was looking to move on from my '03 CL Type-s), there were a few things I absolutely wanted my new car to have: 2 doors, stick, AWD. At the time, the 2.0 Audi A5 was the only vehicle which met all my criteria, but I just couldn't wrap my head around a $50K four-banger. For various reasons, I passed on the G37X and the BMW 3 series ix's because none of them offered a stick. When I reluctantly considered getting a sedan, I considered the MB 300 4Matic (no stick), and the VW CC's (the VR6 4Motion offered no stick and only the base model did) before I checked the Acura website and noted they did offer the 6-speed for MY'10, so my decision was easy. However, I have almost always been a 2-door fan, so I started looking around again. Started out by checking into the possibility of MB offering 4Matics in their C/E350 coupes, but these cars seemed to be having a variety of issues ... and only came with automatics. Then I recalled somewhere reading about the new Audi S5 dropping the underpowered V8 (which along with its gas guzzler tax and better performanced offered for far less in ((ultimately)) my C6 vette) and replacing it with a 330 horse and nearly as much torqe SC'd V6 for MY '13. After test driving one '12 vert, 3 S4's, and 4 S5's with/without a stick, well ... Friday I said farewell to the Acura nameplate and picked up something that Acura doesn't seem to want to offer customers seeking what they labeled the original Legend as ... a Luxury Sport Coupe. Here are some pics:

Just off the truck 10/22:






First mod ... still pre-delivery:




and finally ... picked up this past Friday:






and so ... it is farewell to 6Shifter, and to the Acura nameplate until such time as they decide to cater to those of us who's side of the brain drives us to crave a coupe over the sedan.

docboy

Congratz! And check out that grill!

Keep us updated on your journey with the S5. I would be most curious to know how it compares to the TL 6MT (aside from the difference number of doors) in the departments of real world performance, AWD systems, comfort/utility, and maintenance.

Six Shifter

tks ... it's one of the two variants of the RS5 grill. I like the way it looks as compared to the standard S5 grill - lwhich is like the one on the S4 in the showroom. Completely changes the look of the car in my opinion. Here is a pic of my S5 side-by-side with an RS5



I can already state that the factory B&O audio system in the Audi is much more pleasant to the ears as compared to the ELS system ... far too much (over) emphasis on the mid-range in the TL for my liking ... sounds closer to my MS-8 modded aftermarket system.

Now I'm holding out for the Nor'easter/Hurricane/Armagedon to pass by.

FoxTL

Congratz on your purchase!

Limelight

Very nice! That will be a blast to drive. One of my favs.

Enjoy!

potmilkz

nice pick up!

i have never been a fan of audi's as many of my friends had issue with them.. lets just hope your s5 stays out of the service department.. had many friends with transmission problems the first 30k.

i personally like the stock grill over that chrome looking one.. but thats just personal preference..

love the color.. keep up thread and let us know if there are any mods..

EkSoni

iTrader: (2)

Congrats on the new ride enjoy!

Six Shifter

Well ... since I retired, at least if there is a problem within the first 30K miles it won't be during the first year of ownership for once lol.

The grill isn't chrome, its a titanium trim. Chrome would really look tacky imho. Compared to the stock grill, and the way I think it meshes better with the honeycomb surrounding the fog lights, to me it makes the front end look far less busy and completely changes the appearance of the front. If this were a front plate state, the bumper and plate holder would've broken it up a bit, but as you say its a personal preference.

First mod was the grill, followed by a complete front-end XPEL Ultimate. With Sandy headed this way and winter right around the corner ... added to the Adaptive Damping Suspension which doesn't work very well with aftermarket suspensions (meaning drops), I'll probably wait awhile until the German aftermarket specialists KW create a system that works with the ADS as they are just introducing to the VW's with their variation of that theme. I forsee lowering and 20's in my future!

KarKraze

Really nice pick up,congrats.

Beautiful colour and that grille make the car look unique,first time i have seen one like it .

weather

Six Shifter...Let me add my name to the growing list of Congrats!! That is GORGEOUS vehicle you got there, and let me tell you, it sure makes me envious. I am hoping that you will still come to this forum and provide some input from time to time. If I can ever let my lease reach maturity, I may decide to try something else than an Acura in my driveway but with the TLX coming out next fall, I suspect that the spring of 2014 will be where my current lease will end prematurely *lol*

terdonal

Congrats, nice colour.

Mr Marco

Everything looks hot -cept the chrome mesh grille (little to much bling for me).

Did you sell the rims you were running on the TL?

boss2k

six shifter

congrats , car looks great . How much did you pay for it and is that premium plus or prestige package?

how is the 6MT ? better than TL?

How is the clutch ?

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Stunning S5-enjoy!

Six Shifter

Thanks for the comments. I'd only seen some pics of the RS5 grill on the S5 on the forum, until I pulled into the dealer one day and saw one that had been done locally. Went straight into the Sales Manager and told him I wanted one, and it actually arrived before my car did.

Much appreciated. It would have been soooo easy for Acura to offer a 2-dr TL (they did it with the original Legend), but they don't seem to believe there's a market for a coupe in the marquee. And since I first saw this bodystyle in the A5, I've always wanted one. Hopefully I won't be disappointed.

It's not chrome (except for the trim piece which matches the stock grill). The lights/camera bring out the light on the grill, but chrome it's not.

I still have the rims ... still with the Acura TPMS's ... but when the dealer took off the Conti's and x-ferred them to the OEM rims, they did take out that part of the value which releases air. I have retrieved both those pieces and the chrome caps I had on them.

Its the premium pckg, plus I ordered it with the Adaptive Damping Suspension, Sports Rear Differential, and the 19" peelers which are wearing Michelin PS3's. I test drove both a prestige and a premium with the stick, and everything I found I didn't like when I test drove the '08 or '09 3.2 A5 was still present in this car ... extremely long clutch travel and an equally low engagement point, which did not make for very smooth shifting. I have never, ever owned or even sought out an auto, but this S-Tronic w/paddle shifters is a blast to drive ... and the shifts are soooo much quicker than I could ever manage with a real stick. Plus ... after spending many a winter crawling in the snow and everything that involved because of the clutch ... combined with the fact that since I was originally considering the C/E350 4Matic which is only available with an auto, ... I think I'm finally ready to accept I can live with the S-Tronic. Another benefit (which doesn't make much sense) is a 2 mpg benefit for the auto over the stick.

boss2k

Its the premium pckg, plus I ordered it with the Adaptive Damping Suspension, Sports Rear Differential, and the 19" peelers which are wearing Michelin PS3's. I test drove both a prestige and a premium with the stick, and everything I found I didn't like when I test drove the '08 or '09 3.2 A5 was still present in this car ... extremely long clutch travel and an equally low engagement point, which did not make for very smooth shifting. I have never, ever owned or even sought out an auto, but this S-Tronic w/paddle shifters is a blast to drive ... and the shifts are soooo much quicker than I could ever manage with a real stick. Plus ... after spending many a winter crawling in the snow and everything that involved because of the clutch ... combined with the fact that since I was originally considering the C/E350 4Matic which is only available with an auto, ... I think I'm finally ready to accept I can live with the S-Tronic. Another benefit (which doesn't make much sense) is a 2 mpg benefit for the auto over the stick.[/quote]

Geez , you bought an auto ... am very sure you will get bored pretty soon as s-tronic is a glorified version of an auto and not really a stick

BEAR-AvHistory

Really great choice. Congrats on a very cool car. Coupes forever

Oswald Vater

2-doors are not my cup of tea at this point in time but congrats on your purchase - it's a beautiful car and I really like the design direction Audi has taken lately. Keep us updated on your ownership experience.

Six Shifter

I know ... but as most of my driving for the past 22 year has been 97%+ highway, once in 6th gear theres not much shifting going on anyway. However, as I indicated the S-Tronic is more responsive than the stick (especially the ones being pushed by Audi), and the rev-matching downshifts with the accompanying 'blips' are way too cool. Besides ... since hitting 60 my priorities might have changed just a bit.

boss2k

and i just read that the sunroof is tilt only and does not open fully , is that correct?

Six Shifter

That is correct. The roofline of the S5 does not lend itself to being retractable, and (unlike the Porsche) it doesn't "lift" over the roof ... so the sunroof will be in the same position my TL had been in for the last three years. An issue for some ... not an issue for me.

LawnPro

Congrats Six Shifter, the AUDI coupe is hot. I saw you had your TL for sale on here,

Did you end up trading it in? If so - I hope they gave you decent $ for it. ... enjoy your new car!

Six Shifter

Tks. Only had one pm, but after I contacted him all was silent. As anybody is aware, they have been giving away new ones at thousands below list ... and a high mileage used one doesn't fare very well. Removed the audio, the wheels, the Nexson grills ... will be posting in the for sale section to see if any interest there. The sub enclosure could get the most interest as it will slide right into the rear passenger area as indicated in the for sale thread.

silkysmooth_96

Holy wheel gap batman! I think you could park the TL in the wheel well.

Nice purchase though, grill isn't my taste, but the gobs of torque would likely have me trade mine in too!

Six Shifter

Mis-spoke. It's actually the Prestige package. Considered the premium plus but after ala-carting the costs for those items which comprise the prestge pckg vs the premium plus, thought it worth the extra $. However, have heard from many sources (including two dealers) that if leasing, then the prestige pckg is not the way to go.

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

Nice pickup, congrats, it looks great. A friend is trying to convince me to get an Audi as well (S4), you can easily and cheaply tune an s4/5 to hit 60 and 1/4 quicker than a E92.

Six Shifter

there are many who are doing everything from simple chips to full blown enhancements to these things. unfortunately, AUDI has caught on and now each/every car that comes in for anything (as simple as an oil change) is checked for aftermarket mods/codes which they use as an excuse to void the appropriate warranties.

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

I didn't read into it much but maybe you have, is it possible to get a piggy back tune/chip which allows you to revert back to stock ECU when necessary?

TimbukTL

Nice - One of the best-styled German cars in my opinion. I considered an A5 but needed 5 seats, and I would not have been in the S4 end of the market. Plus, my 2010 SH-AWD was about $15k less than the lightly used A5 2.0Ts that I was finding.

potmilkz

time for a new car prep... take it to a professional detailer to get it nice and clean.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

<--Jealous!

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

^^^ Me too.

jjsC5

I love the S5. I looked at them seriously a couple of years ago, then again earlier this year when I got my BMW 550. Ultimately a few factors kept me from getting one - no ventilated seats, not good leases, and I really am better off with a four door although a two door was not out of the question. But it still is one of my favorite cars. Congrats!

belcom

iTrader: (1)

Nice ride! But I have to say, the original grille in the first pics looks WAY sicker than what was installed. To each his own I guess. Congrats on the new purchase!

boss2k

Teat drove the S5 yesterday and really liked it, car is very fast and handles great and steering feel is tight better than my BMW. Drove a stick and clutch was smooth and transmission was long throw but not too bad, needs short shift kit and the same I had installed for my BMW after which shifting is lot better

The rear seat space is extremely cramped, 2 adults cannot fit there and leg space sucks too . The sunroof does not open And that is a poor design, even with tilt it went up less than an inch

Overall beautiful car and great looking , as expected interior fit and finish is superb

I am trying to drive a S4 as it would have the same engine and more rear space , hope it drives and handles the same way as S5

Exhaust noise was also great

Glashub

I could go either way on the grill. The new grill makes the car uniquely his.

Six Shifter

Try as I might, I just didn't like the shifter in the S5 as I explained before. The S-Tronic allows me to keep the seat further back because the long throw of the clutch forced me to move the seat closer to the steering wheel than I normally prefer. For me, as I have no intention on carrying two rear passengers in the back seat, it is just a place to carry some items while on a trip ... same as was the case in my CL-S. After just two weeks of ownership, the main differences I notice between the S5 and the TL are the quality/tonality of the factory B&O stereo vs the factory ELS system and the comfort of the Alcantara covered seats as compared to the TL's. I've never liked the TL seats ... based on years of loaners when I took the CL in for service ... but the SH-AWD seats were more comfortable than the previous years offerings. Plus ... it's just (to me) a blast to drive. Not saying there is/was anything wrong with the SH-AWD because I did push it and it never faltered. Just something more intimate when driving the coupe. Also, there is the typical solid 'German' sound when you close either door as compared to the Acura which is very satisfying. Open the Audi door and the Acura door and tell me which gives a better sense of security when looking down the inside of the fender ... solid steel (Audi) or the honeycombed filler material (Acura). If you liked the S5, I'm sure the S4 won't disappoint. I drove 3 of them, and one thing you'll appreciate is that there is no front legroom penalty in the 4 door to provide for the rear seating legroom.

Thanks. I think the flash caused the trim to look more 'chrome' than it really is. I'll take some addit pictures without flash which should show how subtle the grill really is. As the grills in my previous two Acuras were 'modified' (either by paint or by mesh replacement of the "A" caliper in the CL), this is just a normal cosmetic change to achieve that very purpose ... to make it uniquely mine.

Ant$

i'm with you, man, about leaving the manual tranny for an auto...ever since i changed my hours at work, i find that my commute to and from work is about 1/3-1/4 stop and go.

I think it's time for a 7 speed dual clutch trans...or something similar...

10-15 years ago, a manual trans costs like $1500+ less than its auto trans version...now if there's a manual trans, the price difference from its auto trans version is negligible.

Six Shifter

except in the Audi its a $1200 premium for the auto over the manual. one of the "pros" of the Acura (no cost option), except the performance of the manual has seemed to slip in the SH-AWD TL's as compared to the CL-S I owned.

SebringSilver

Nice upgrade. Congratulations.