10 Things You Should Know About The Audi A5
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The second Audi A5 is very much the modern equivalent of what the first one was when it was introduced in 2007: a close relative of the A4 designed for people who would rather have a coupe than a saloon car.
Mechanically, it’s just the same as the A4, with arguably sleeker styling at the expense of some practicality. Buyers won’t mind that trade-off any more than they will be concerned about the pricing.
As an Audi spokesman said at the UK press launch, “This is not a price-sensitive car.”
1. About that pricing
The cheapest A5 costs £30,700, but Audi isn’t expecting many people to buy it because it’s in the lowest SE trim. There’s likely to be more interest in the mid-range Sport, priced from £32,600, and more still in the S line, which costs anything between £34,250 and £41,375 depending on which engine you choose.
There are three of these, two of them diesels (2.0 TDI and 3.0 TDI) and the other a 2.0 TFSI petrol which is the most powerful of the lot in the regular A5 range. The excellent S tronic seven-speed semi-automatic transmission, known as DSG elsewhere in the Volkswagen empire, is available on all three, while the TFSI and the less powerful diesel model can also be ordered with a six-speed manual.
The price also depends, of course, on which of the three trim levels you pick, and how free and easy you are with the options list which, following normal Audi practice, is extensive.
2. Equipment levels
The most humble version of the A5 is the SE, and it’s not exactly poverty spec. It comes as standard with three-zone air-conditioning, part-leather upholstery, heated front seats, heated door mirrors, DAB digital radio, smartphone interface, a space-saver spare wheel, lots of safety equipment and the Drive Select system, which gives you a choice of settings for the throttle response, gear selection, steering assistance, cruise control, air-conditioning and exhaust note, depending on model.
That would be enough for most people, but Audi isn’t expecting UK customers to show much enthusiasm for the SE. The mid-range Sport is predicted to be more popular, but less so than the S line. Both have the satellite navigation that the SE lacks, along with more supportive and adjustable seats, while the S line is the most visually dramatic of the three.
3. It's more practical than you might think
Boot space may not be the first priority for a coupe buyer, but in fact the A5 has quite a reasonable amount of it. With the rear seats up the luggage capacity is 465 litres, compared with 445 for the BMW M4 and just 400 for the Mercedes C-Class Coupe. You can release even more space by folding down the rear seats, or you could keep them upright and use them as a well-upholstered parcel shelf.
With a fixed rear window and a relatively narrow boot opening, access to the luggage area is nothing like as good as it would be in a hatchback, but it’s quite acceptable for a coupe.
4. There's room for two
The driver and front passenger of an A5 would have to be very large indeed before they started to complain about feeling cramped. A pair of six-footers will have no problem at all getting comfortable.
In the back, it’s a different story. The roofline is low, legroom is extremely limited and getting in at all requires some effort as there are no rear side doors. Don’t expect to see any full-grown adults sitting in the back of an A5.
5. If you want more space there's always the Sportback
The A5 Sportback, on sale in the UK from early 2017, still has the coupe-style roof line, but it’s longer and has more headroom for both front and rear passengers. It also has five doors rather than the A5’s three, so access to the rear is considerably easier.
You can carry more luggage, too. With the seats up, the luggage volume is 480 litres, the same as the A4 saloon.
6. There is no such thing as a slow A5
The 2.0 TDI engine is the least powerful in the range, but it can still produce up to 187bhp, which is good enough for a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds. The 3.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI models are quicker again, accelerating to 62mph in 6.2 or 5.8 seconds respectively if you drive them as hard as they will go.
The lowest top speed is 130mph for the 2.0 TDI ultra. Following the gentleman’s agreement among most German manufacturers, the 3.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI are limited to a maximum of 155mph.
7. If you want more performance there's always the S5
The really quick A5 derivative is the S5, which has a 349bhp 3.0 TFSI six-cylinder petrol engine driving all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Although it’s heavier than all the regular A5s, it’s also much quicker, with a potential 0-62mph time of just 4.7 seconds. The top speed is once again limited to 155mph.
The S5 is priced from £47,500, and as with the A5 it will become available in roomier Sportback form in early 2017.
8. It may not cost much to run
Diesel A5s have far better “green” figures than petrol ones, as you might expect, and the car known as the 2.0 TDI ultra is the best of all. With the S tronic gearbox, it has combined fuel economy of 70.6mpg and offical CO2 emissions of 105g/km. The first figure might be difficult to achieve in real life, but the second one puts the ultra into the lowest Vehicle Excise Duty band of any A5, and means annual payments will be just £20.
There is, however, no specific model called ultra. It’s just a name used for any A5 2.0 TDI S tronic running on the standard 17-inch wheels. Larger wheels are available as optional extras, but if you fit them the fuel economy will come down and the CO2 emissions and VED payments will go up.
9. It's pleasant to drive (usually)
Uprated suspension, giving a lower ride height, is standard on the S line (though it can be deleted at no cost) and a £325 option on the Sport. It sharpens up the car’s responses but doesn’t feel dramatically different from the more comfort-oriented set-up. The steering, brake and clutch actions are smooth, Well weighted and generally delightful.
19-inch wheels with 35-section tyres are available as an option, but although they make the A5 look more purposeful they have a terrible effect on the ride quality.
10. The graphics are beautiful
Like the current TT and every new Audi launched after it, the A5 is available with the digital instrument display known as Virtual Cockpit. The graphics on this are among the best you’ll find in any car these days.
There are several driver-selectable displays to choose from. Perhaps the most attractive is the one shown here, with Google Earth providing satellite navigation information while the engine and road speeds are shown on small dials in the lower corners.