Audi S Models Are More Fun To Drive Than Most Luxury Cars

A few weeks ago, Audi gave me the chance to spend a day driving the 2013 S6, S7, and S8 around Bear Mountain in upstate New York. A gorgeous autumn day would have been great in just about any car, but behind the wheel of the S models, it was something else altogether. When I drove the Cadillac XTS, I was impressed by the car's performance but disappointed by how separated I felt from the road. That's not the case with these thrilling cars. Audi calls the S line the "dressed up" version of the A models, and by that, they mean more powerful. The S8 provides the most room and raw power. The S7 is the most beautiful of the three, and the compact S6 is for those who do not need a large backseat. With 520 horsepower, the S8 provides more power than you need if you plan on acknowledging speed limits: It goes from 0 to 60 mph in four seconds flat.

The smaller S6 and S7 each get 420 hp, for a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. Each offers different driving modes: Comfort and Auto are meant for highway driving. Dynamic mode lowers the car a few millimeters and makes the steering wheel and throttle more responsive, better for driving on winding roads and hills. With the S models, Audi is competing with the Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar. 90,475, but only produces 470 bhp. 90,795), but does not provide nearly as much power. Like just about every automaker, Audi talks a lot about fuel efficiency. It replaced the 2012 S models' V10 engines with more reasonable twin-turbo V8s that provide more power for their size. Nonetheless, the fuel economy numbers are not especially impressive: The S6 and S7 get a combined 20 mpg; the S8 gets 19 mpg. Project Leader Gerald Bonn called the cars the "logical combination of dynamic and efficient" driving.

That's partly true: The cars offer both, but not at the same time. In Dynamic mode, I averaged a measly 15 mpg. The twin-turbo V8 that powers the S models. Last week, I wrote that trying out the S models' adaptive cruise control (ACC) made me ready for a self-driving car, based on how comfortable I was letting the car do all the work. But out of the nearly six hours I spent driving around Bear Mountain, I spent at most 20 minutes using the ACC. Because these cars are fun to drive. To make sure the other journalists present and I got the most out of the experience, Audi programmed the cars with itineraries packed with winding mountain roads and hills. The S6 stood out in these conditions. A bit smaller than the S7 and miniature in comparison to the S8, its compact body and 420 hp make for a thrilling drive. Even the large S8 performed admirably on hard turns while going downhill. Despite their emphasis on performance, the S models are luxury cars. The S8 is a living room on wheels, with massaging, heated, and ventilated seats. The S6 and S7 are less excessive, but have the same leather interiors and are nearly as comfortable.

The Mercedes-Benz CLS is an executive-size sedan based on the W211 E-Class platform. 2 arrangement, and it offers a smaller selection of engines tending towards high powered of the range, compared to contemporary sedans such as the E-Class. The current iteration of the CLS is internally designated as the C219 and it was first offered for sale in Europe in autumn 2004. It is assembled by Daimler AG in Sindelfingen, Germany and Mercedes-Benz-Valdez in Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico. The CLS name also caused some to confuse it as the four-door version of the CL-Class, the full-sized coupe based on the S-Class. Indeed, the styling cues of the next generation C216 CL have been strongly influenced by the CLS. During its development, Mercedes-Benz executives nicknamed the CLS the "Jag fighter," hoping that it would be the type of vehicle that Jaguar customers would be attracted to. Jaguar, however, has not launched a four-door coupe since production until recently announced as the 2009 Jaguar XF sedan. Due to the popularity of the CLS-Class, other manufacturers are offering similar four-door sedans. The first generation of the CLS, the Mercedes-Benz C219, is based upon the W219 platform, a W211 E-Class spin-off that is six inches (152 mm) longer. The CLS-class was first displayed as the Vision CLS concept at the 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The production version CLS 500 made its debut at the 2004 New York International Auto Show. A new AMG model was introduced at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, the CLS 55 AMG. Only 3,000 CLS 55 AMG cars will be built each year. The CLS was first offered for sale in the United States in January 2005; the CLS 550, CLS 55 AMG and CLS 63 AMG are sold in the United States.