With Audi's amped-up RS 5, the brand finally has a strong competitor against the likes of the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, says Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder. The 4.2-liter V-8 engine sounds and feels exhilarating, but there's something missing — a manual transmission. This saps some of the fun out of the RS 5, as does the steep sticker price, Wiesenfelder says.
Audi is working with cities and parking providers across the nation as they increasingly offer real-time, online status on parking rates, space availability and location. The automaker this month began offering as many as 100,000 current Audi owners a new feature that helps guide them to the perfect parking spot.
The real-time navigation service, INRIX Park, is now available to new and existing Audi connect subscribers as part of an options package that includes Bluetooth connectivity as well as real-time gas-price, news, traffic and weather info. The service was demonstrated for the first time earlier this week at the Telematics Detroit 2013 conference in Novi, Mich. Using the service, customers gain the ability to compare rates, gauge proximity to their destination and receive turn-by-turn directions to the entrances of more than 18,000 participating parking locations in the U.S., the automaker said in a statement.
From Land Rover's posh Range Rover to the redesigned Toyota RAV4, SUVs took 10 of the top 16 spots on May’s fastest-sellers list. Expectedly, redesigns ranked high on the list. The 2014 Subaru Forester is selling so fast Subaru dealers can't keep up inventory, and the Range Rover, Hyundai Santa Fe and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class — all redesigned — have repeat appearances among the fastest sellers.
The updated Mercedes E-Class demonstrates shoppers also respond well to a refresh as they do to a full redesign. And the new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid continues to sell, adding steam to the redesign's slow start. It worked well for Ford's struggling luxury brand: The MKZ had its best-ever May in the nameplate's more than seven years, Ford said Monday.
Then you have the old-timers. The 2013 Toyota RAV4 had its fifth month among the fastest-selling cars. The 2013 Ford Fusion, in hybrid or regular form, has made its seventh appearance in eight months. So did Audi's Q5 SUV, despite being in its fifth model year.
Cars in May averaged 56 days to sell. That's a little slower than April 2013's 51 days and a few ticks slower than May 2012's 50 days. Here are May's fastest and slowest sellers:
Cars.com's test cars are parked amid a vast sea of vehicles in a multistory parking tower; Audi's RS 5 was easy to spot with its unmistakable LED headlights, aggressive grille, carbon fiber accents and Sepang Blue pearl paint. Likewise, its throaty exhaust note is hard to miss.
The performance-oriented RS 5 slots above the already amped up S5 and regular A5 in price and power. It's equipped with a 4.2-liter V-8 good for 450 horsepower and 317 pounds-feet of torque.
Our test RS 5 coupe Quattro started at $68,900 but had an as-tested price of $77,320, including destination, thanks to goodies like the pearly paint, MMI Navigation Package, Titanium Package and sport exhaust system. Even without the options, it commands a hefty premium over the S5's $51,795 starting price and makes the A5, which bases at, $38,745, look like a bargain.
Check out Cars.com photographer Evan Sears' photos below.
Luxury cars have moved past the days of the ignition-challenged Jaguars in AMC's "Mad Men," but many still have faults. The Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Buick LaCrosse rate below average in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys; the Lincoln MKX, BMW X3, BMW 7 Series and Buick Verano rate even worse. Then there's Jaguar, which earned low marks in J.D. Power and Associates' predicted reliability ratings for its entire 2012 crop. Sibling brand Land Rover fared little better.
Does it matter? Not as much as you think.
It seems luxury-car shoppers care for reliability as much as Don Draper cares for self-restraint. Through April, Jaguar and Land Rover sales are up 12.7%. The Verano outsold Buick's Regal and Encore combined. M-Class sales are down, but it's still Mercedes' best-selling SUV. The MKX is Lincoln's best-selling car. Period.
Are luxury cars unreliable on the whole? The jury's still out. Luxury brands took top honors in J.D. Power's latest Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability studies, but they spanned the gamut in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys. That's why Jake Fisher, the magazine's director of auto testing, sees little correlation between luxury and reliability.
By now you, and 1.8 million other people, have seen the humorous Audi S7 commercial on YouTube featuring past and present "Star Trek" Spock actors Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto.
It's a great ad that cleverly shows the rivalry between automakers. But we've got a problem with the depiction of poor Leonard Nimoy not being able to fit his clubs in the CLS' trunk.
Why?
Well, because we fit a set of clubs in there just fine. Actually, it was two sets and an overnight bag.
Leather-clad luxury cars may seem the domain of an affluent few. After all, this year's best-selling luxury car through March — the Mercedes-Benz C-Class — ranked 51st among all cars. But the group may be poised for a comeback. Total sales improved 12.3% in the first three months of 2013, outpacing the industry's 6.4% gain. By year's end, one in every 7.5 new cars sold in 2013 could be a luxury model.
That would buck a trend several years in the making. Luxury cars, including Buick, hovered around 13% of the new-car market from 2005 to 2010. In 2011 that share slid to 12.9%, and in 2012 it tumbled to 12.6%.
It seemed counterintuitive, given the wealthy are alive and well.
Joining automakers such as GM and Ford, whose respective infotainment systems — Chevrolet MyLink and MyFord Touch — offer drivers the ability to find the nearest station with the cheapest gas, Audi has added an app to its lineup helping folks find where to fill 'er up frugally. The German automaker announced this week that, beginning in May, members of its A3 family of hatchbacks equipped with Audi connect will have access to Refuelling Stop, a new online service that provides information about where to find the cheapest gas.
According to Audi, the service consults an online database of gas stations and prices and matches the list to the driver's current location or destination. The driver can sort search results by price or distance, and simply click on the station and set it as the navigation destination. The system will even consider the type of fuel required by the A3, which can be premium or diesel depending on the engine.
The "Iron Man" movies have an uncanny ability to make you wish you could walk in another man's shoes — or fly in the super suit of "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" Tony Stark. While it's unlikely Iron Man suits will be available at Men's Wearhouse anytime soon, you can at least drive the same car as Robert Downey Jr.'s Stark. The all-new 2014 Audi R8 went on sale April 11 and will be prominently featured in the upcoming "Iron Man 3."
You don't have to have billions to get your hands on this high-performance luxury sports car, but you will have to have an abundance of disposable income. With Audi's seven-speed optional S tronic transmission, the V-8 coupe starts at $125,250, the V-10 at $161,550 and the V-10 Plus at $180,895. The Audi R8 Spyder roadster with the V-8 and S tronic transmission starts at $138,750 and the V-10 at $175,050. All prices include a $1,250 destination fee but exclude a $3,000 gas guzzler tax.
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