Audi A5: 2 years later and turned loose for another trip.

[Stew]

Basically, I got to take my bother's A5 for a few hour highway jaunt to pick him up in Ashland last Wed.  He had driven the rental Charger down and took the train back. 

 

So, I pick the car up at my parents and drop off my truck.  I have my pre-trip pep talk with the A5 and slip into the driver's seat to get comfortable.  After driving my pickups for so long I immediately notice that the footwell seems tight and the pedals far closer to each other than I remember.  No problem though.  I slide the seat into a comfortable position and  adjust the tilt and telescoping wheel and adjust the the lower back lumbar.  Seating position:  Good to go. 

 

Next it is time or an MMI refresher.  Being an 11 it is the older MMi, but still intuitive.  Radio station set and off we go.

 

A quarter tank of gas?  WTF!

 

Back out of the drive and on to the road that leads out to US 119, then 23.  With a few nice curves and turns I settle in and get comfortable with the A5.  Turn in is still sharp with grip for days.  It does take a few stops to get used to the slightly touchy brake, that remind I am in a sport coupe made to eat up the roads and miles of tarmac instead of back roads and strip mines full of rocky trails and huge mudholes.  .

 

Time to hit the onramp:  Acceleration is brisk and as always the 2.0T and 8 speed ZF auto work well together getting the turbo mill right into it's powerban.  The ride is firm, yet not jarring, reminding you of the dual mission of luxury coupe and backroad burner.  The speedo keeps creeping up well above the speed limit.  55 seems like a snails pace.  It is a holiday week though, so let's set the cruise at 60.  Quiet, serene, the stereo sounds fantastic as it pumps out traveling music. 

 

A quick stop and 10 bucks of 93 octane.  We are off again. 

 

Reset the cruise and off through the night.  After roughly an hour and a half I come up to large smoke stacks of the Kentucky power plant around Louisa.  Once billowing with steam from coal power, now running on natural gas as one of the many signs of the lost jobs and missing livelihoods that once helped Eastern Ky families survive.   

 

Next a few miles down the road is the large oil refinery at Catlettsburg.  The huge tanks and mazes of pipes, they haven't really changed in the 30+ years I have traveled through there.

 

Finally, I reach Ashland, Ky.  A train town once made prosperous by it's various rail yards that took care of coal trans and passengers from across the US.  The devastation of the coal industry has taken it's toll and instead of being filled with activity and trains constantly coming and going, the sound of a train whistle now happens at much, MUCH longer intervals.    Now, at 9PM, most businesses are closed down, the streets are empty.  It is a virtual ghost town compared to just years before.  There is something about traveling the all but abandoned roads in the dark with no traffic.  I arrive at the train station......  an hour early (that would turn out to be over 2 due to train delays).  So, where to go?  I head to the mall, but like the grocery stores and the fuel stations, the doors had closed at 9PM.  Still having time to kill I set my phone's navigation for Wal Mart, but what's this?  It takes me through the backroads to get there!  A little fun in he Audi!  A twist here and a curve there, the little AWD with a turbo 4 seems to beg for more, but the trip is short.  I walk through the store, which like much of the town, is pretty empty.  Finally I get out and head back. 

 

I wait at the station for over an hour before the train gets there.  Getting out in the cool air and drizzle that had moved in only a couple times to smoke a cigarette in the quietness.  Finally the train comes in.  A shining silver bullet that drops off my brother.  We load his luggage into the trunk and head out to locate a place to eat.  We have our meal and begin he trip back.  He takes he helm or roughly 30 minutes until it is time for a little more fuel.  We stop and I take back ove and set my cruise again for the drive home.  A serene experience with the cruise again set at 60.  The beautiful and chiseled  coupe shape cutting through the night with a quiet and leisurely tone.  I reach home around 3:30 slightly sad the trip was over, but ready for some sleep at the same time.  Yep, I still love this little Audi!

[Stew]

Sorry if this is a little long winded.

[caddycruiser]

Cool car, still a looker...and fun ride.

[David]

Awesome narrative. Thanks for writing this up.Glad to hear you enjoyed the drive after driving your truck so much.

[cp-the-nerd]

The RS5 is still my favorite car in the class after the ATS-V coupe. They really nailed the styling, I hope the next gen doesn't lose that.

[Stew]

The RS5 is still my favorite car in the class after the ATS-V coupe. They really nailed the styling, I hope the next gen doesn't lose that.

 

Dfelt:  I still love driving sporty cars, just like my trucks oo

 

CP, yes, they are fantastic lookers, been in love with them since they came out.  I really hope they don't mess up the design with the new one, the curent is hard to beat.  Of course i is is Audi and evolution instead of revolution is he name of the name haha.