SimTide985

Pros:
-The A5 was obviously not an afterthought of a design (I'm looking at you, E-Class coupe!). It has a proper and well-thought out shape to it. It's very wide and sits low and instantly invokes a gratifying appearance of elegant aggression and performance. The A5 is definitely the performance coupe for drivers looking for 2 doors but also needing the practicality of a usable interior and a decent sized back row. What I was absolutely shocked by was the size of the A5's trunk. It's huge, specifically in its inward depth.


-The Audi interior still is probably my favorite of performance car interiors. The sport bolstered seats are very comfortable and snug without digging in. The overall fit and finish is top notch and everything feels solid as a rock. The instrumentation, while might be becoming a little dated, still is easy to read and feel good to the touch. The steering wheel and the overall touch and feel of the buttons and surfaces are all good. The actual cockpit is ergonomically design with a tilted center dash, a high center console, and a large range of motion for the power driver seat.



-It took me just a few seconds to remember how to control the MMI for the menu navigation. However, since everything is **** and button based, there are an abundance of buttons on the center console for the MMI which might take a while to become acclimated to. Then again, they were still positioned and intuitive enough that I quickly figured out what did what and how they should be used.

-Audi's navigation system lives up to the hype indeed. The quality and options available for the screen are incredibly detailed and thorough. The voice-navigation technology and destination entering accuracy is a big favorite of mine. The A5 also has a rear backup camera with detection and trajectory lines, which is a must have these days. Even without it, the A5 actually has very good visibility all around for a 2-door of its dimensions. The 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen system is amazing and offers an awesome, deep, immersive, and crisp sound.




-Due to the AWD system, low stance, and torque-biased engine, the A5 does not waste any time from a stop and the turbo engine kicks in just when you want it to. The 8-speed Tiptronic keeps the car in just the right gear when you need it, giving you a good burst of power at any moment. Some might think 211hp and 258 lb-ft sounds like terrible numbers on paper, but this isn't your ordinary engine. Surprisingly, from what I can tell, the A5 couldn't possibly be any more than .4-.6 seconds slower than my G37. I think what really surprised me the most was how incredibly quiet the A5 was.


-Despite it being slightly slower than what I'm used to, the coupling of the tight sport suspension with that turbo motor, there's still more than enough performance for spirited driving without the fear of getting into trouble with law enforcement. Combining the turbo 2.0 and the torque-biased vectoring engine along with the control of the AWD makes the A5 feel faster than it really is.





Cons:
-Some of the issues with the car stems from the lack of value that the A5 may have in the eyes of those looking for more bang for the buck. On this particular trim level, you don't get adaptive Xenon lights, no power lumbar, no dynamic steering, no drive select, and of course, no bragworthy 0-60 times. Audi also doesn't offer a heated steering wheel, active lane assist, ventilated seats, anti-collision systems, or an around view monitor on the A5. So, despite how friggin gorgeous the A5 is and it is gorgeous, the Premium Plus quattro package may not give the casual or tech-oriented performance buyer enough to justify its price tag.

-I suppose the other cons I have is rather nitpicky and it deals with the MMI. Not in terms of functionality but in terms of function. There's a lot of buttons on the center console along with the MMI **** that you have to interact with the navigate through the various different menu options. The speed and response is great, but I suppose there will be quite the learning curve in order to keep track of all of the different menu buttons and sequences it takes to access certain features. The navigation/multimedia screen itself is a little tuckered and is about the same size as the Lexus' IS350, which means that it's not quite as big as some of its competitors.



-This is a personal preference nitpick of mine, but I'm really gonna miss not having an USB input. There is a iPod cable in the glovebox that will take some getting used to, but other than that, this car is extremely well-rounded in its electronics. Another nitpick is that the paddle shifters are located on the steering wheel and not on the steering column, which means that the paddles will move along with the wheel. This isn't a major deal since I prefer to manually shift using the gear selector--however, if a car is going to have paddle shifters, I would've prefer them to stay in one place.


Summary


Looks: 9.5/10 (Even though I feel it'll start to show its age in a few years, as it stands right now, the A5 is probably the most well defined and well sculpted coupe or car in general you can find under $50k. It looks its price.)

Performance: 8.25/10(The A5 is an excellent middleground of practical and usable everyday power with a roomy and quiet cabin, and well-composed handling and torque management. The transmission is very quick through the gears and it knows where it needs to be to respond to driver input. Although for $50k+, I can't argue against those that probably would want to see a little bit more power.

Personal Practicality and Appeal: 8.5/10 (The A5 gets a ton of credit here for brand recognition and personal appeal as it's not a car that you see every day. Also even though the dimensions of the car are expected for most coupes, it's perhaps a little bit more generous than the competition due to its wheelbase. The car has really good interior dimensions and fuel economy is decent at 20/30. Entry and exit is good and it also has that unbelievably deep-in trunk and an actually decent back row.)

Options/Tech: 7/10 (I absolutely love the Bang & Olufsen audio system. It's a must-have. Outside of the plethora of buttons around the MMI controller, the nav system is great but the screen could be larger. My biggest concern for the Premium Plus is that for $50k, not being able to get certain options is a letdown and I would've liked to have seen more options on the A5 in general to better compete with its competitors.)


Overall: 8.3/10


Bottom Line: If you want an incredibly stylish, premium, and head-turning 2-door performance coupe that won't beat you up at the pump, that won't have worried in the rain or the snow, and when pressed, gives you just enough performance that will keep a big grin on your face in everyday driving, the A5 is a really good option.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

First off welcome to CL! I've noticed your partipation / posts more and more in just the last few days

Secondly, great review. Good input and the summary is a nice wrap up

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Gorgeous car.

SimTide985

My whole thing is, the A5 has enough get up and go and handling along with features and options to make it really worth pursuing,..

However,

A loaded A5 is basically the same price as a loaded S4. Now, interior-wise, the cars look exactly the same. However from the outside, the A5 still looks better than the S4, but the S4 is unquestionably the bigger performer.

I think as soon as my dealer can get some S4's in, I'll definitely want to take a look to see if the S4's beefier engine can outmatch the sexiness of the A5.

I8ABMR

cool review. thanks for sharing. Whats funny is I had a little on ramp race with one of these this morning with the 2.0L turbo, It was very quick off the line but my LS killed it once we hit second gear. Seems odd to drive a high end car with a little motor like that especially when its in so many cheaper lighter cars, but I guess this is the sign of the times. Still felt good to dust him since he was the one to initiate the drag race

I like this model but the Audi lines are little too simple for me in many cases. I like a little flare and design style in my cars

SimTide985

Yeah, that TSFI 2.0T setup is very torque-biased, so you're gonna get some blazing power off the line, but due to the horsepower delta, it tends to drop off like you mentioned around the 2nd or 3rd gear.

I think everyone loves that little engine because of how efficient and powerful it is in everyday driving.

stlgrym3

iTrader: (4)

wow $50k for that? Audi's MMI navigation package is way over priced as a $3000 option. BMW and Lexus all have their standalone navi at around $1700. i'd go after an e92 335i coupe or even a slightly used 335is coupe for that money.

toy4two

its sad my 2002 Audi TT with the 1.8 has more power than the current A5, plus much lighter. I can't believe they offer the 2.0 TFSI in that body.

If you've never owned an Audi, get ready for massive repair bills, poor quality parts. However you get great style and fabulous interiors (ergonomics be dammed).

SimTide985

I don't see what's sad about it. There's a lot of apples and oranges in that comparison...What exactly do you mean by more "power"?

and I'm not gonna have any problems with Audi maintenance--I'm leasing. Well, if I made the decision to go with the A5, I would most likely lease.

Fizzboy7

Excellent review on a great-looking car. There's no question, the A/S5 has been a big hit for the brand. I can only imagine what part 2 will look like. Tough act to follow no doubt.
A few other things worth pointing out. This car has no true sunroof. It tilts only. I'm addicted to sunroofs, so if I were in the market, this could be a deal-breaker. Also, one of the biggest virtues of Audi's 2.0 is the way it delivers power and efficiency. MPG's range from the low to high 20's, which is great for a car this size.

SimTide985

I almost never slide my sunroof on my current car, so the fact that the A5 is tilt only doesn't bother me at all.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Me too.
I even rarely use the tilt up option.
I do love the open slide door glass effect,though.
So the A5 roof set up works for me.

mmarshall

Nice review. I agree that the A5/S5 series ranks among the best-looking coupes on the market. As you yourself (apparantly) noticed, the VW 2.0T does put out a lot of torque for its size.....for years, the factory figures for it were probably underrated, but recently have been adjusted to more accurately reflect its true output. In your "CON" remarks, though, you mentioned "No Bragworthy 0-60 times". I disagree. It may not be as fast as an S5, but that 2.0T definitely gets out of its own way, and will give you at least a mild shove in the back. And, yes, the MMI, like similiar systems, can be a PITA.

SimTide985

I'm referring to how it stacks up to the competition price-wise.

The car is plenty fast for every day driving, but when compared to the other $50k cars out there that can break the 0-60 sub-6.0 second barrier, most enthusiasts agree that the A5 wouldn't stand a chance from that standpoint.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i dislike trim names like "premium plus"

also, dunno if it's just those pics, but it looks pretty bland.

but thanks for the review!!