Audi A5 review
by David Ross (23 July 2007)
The comparisons were inevitable with the motor mags begging the big question: could Audi's new A5 coupé square up to - and maybe even beat - BMW's 3-Series Coupé and the Mercedes-Benz CLK? But what they should have been asking was, who cares? After all, what is a coupé but a saloon for which you pay a lot more for and, with form compromising function, end up with a less spacious and less practical car.
Coupés are for the style-conscious – or style victims if you are a down-to-earth type convinced function is more important than form. But these days, style matters a lot to a lot of people and, not only that, so do badges. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have long had followers totally devoted to their brands. And that's now the way with Audi, a marque that claims to be the fastest growing prestige brand in the UK.
Having 10bhp more than the other two isn't likely to alter your allegience. But having alluring lines might. So, with beauty in the eye of the beholder, it's likely the styling will win the day. But there is another factor. Audi has a great coupé heritage what with snarling, vastly overpowered turbo rally quattros and all.
It's surprising when you think about it. Audi, despite its great success with coupés, hasn't had one to offer since the 80-based version of 1989. So we waited and waited and now along come two at once. Both look much the same but, underneath, they are very different as one, the S5, has a 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine and the other, the A5, has a boosted version of the Volkswagen Group's three-litre V6 turbo diesel unit.
Launched this month, the order books opened for the two cars back in March with the A5 at £33,430 and the S5 at £39,825. Both feature the latest Audi suspension and the platform for the next A4, and both have the latest generation quattro four-wheel drive system with a torque split bias of 40% front, 60% rear.
It would be natural to assume the S5 would blow the A5 into the weeds, and it probably would on a race track. But few if any of these cars will be put to track use. They're road cars, designed for everyday driving and ideal as trans-continental cruisers, so the diesel is likely to win in the showroom and out on the open road where its torque, at 369lb/ft (that's 44lb/ft more than in the petrol), gets the car up to cruising speed with effortless disdain.
The S5 has the bigger power figure, 349bhp against the diesel's 237bhp, but it's difficult to see where that can be exploited on the public highway. Torque always can.
And then there's the old Hare and Tortoise analogy. The S5 may be the more sporting but it's also, by some margin, the more thirsty. So while the S5 is at the pumps, the A5 just keeps going. It's not only in Grand Prix racing that overtaking is done off-track.
The A5 is unquestionably going to be the big seller. And, as Audi is in the ascendancy, I firmly believe this big, handsome coupé will win a few converts from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, regardless of whether it's faster, more spacious or more economical.
It's a great drive. The new chassis and steering system get together with a superb driving position, pleasant clutch action and "slip-neatly-through-the-ratios" six-speed manual gearbox to make you want to take the long way home. I use to ride motorcycles regularly across France; now I'd happily go by Audi A5, and not just because I'd stay dry.
There are a few neat tricks, just as you might imagine, such as a button on the top outer corner of the front seats that, once pressed, sends the seat forward to ease entry to the rear. And there's the option of a new, even more intuitive version of the Multi Media Interface, in conjunction with DVD satellite navigation, and a new intelligent key that communicates with the car without the need for a conventional key bit. This new key can also store important servicing information to expedite the maintenance process.
I don't know if that sort of advanced technology will add any buyers. I'd be afraid the key might spy on me and tell the dealer to reprimand me for speeding. But then, not in an Audi, surely.
Being a prestige coupé, the A5 has a long list of standard equipment including Concert audio, Milano leather upholstery, a split-folding rear seat, light and rain sensors, rear acoustic parking system, multifunction steering wheel and goodness knows what else. Suffice to say, you should not feel cheated if you pay the £33,430 asking price. Residual values will be typically Audi too, so running costs will not turn out to be too bad.
And, with the diesel, they'll be helped greatly by a fuel return of a whisker less than 40mpg. Marvellous for a big, well-built coupé able to crack 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds and go on to 150mph. Personally, I would avoid the sports setup and leave it to younger buyers. I also preferred the ride on the smaller wheels. They still look fine and sporty.
There will be a few more A5s along shortly, including two-wheel drive and auto ones, but the manual three-litre feels so right. I admit that, at first, I wasn't sure why Audi had bothered with this one but, when I saw it and then drove it, I came away seriously wanting one. I'm convinced it's exactly what Audi needs, and an ideal addition to the four-ringed range.
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