Audi A5 ticks the right boxes

Make:

Friday, April 09, 2010

I have to say that when the Audi A5 was launched I was a little bit cool about the car; it was easy, I felt, to dismiss it was yet another ill-timed coupe at a time when such machines could easily be regarded as frivolous and surplus to general requirements.

There was no doubting it was a nice car and beautifully put together at that, but its place in the general scheme of things was entirely questionable, it seemed to me.

However, Audi has given the A5 a completely new purpose in life by introducing the Sportback five-door version, which has not alone broadened the potential appeal of the car but given it a whole new character.

This would not be the first time Audi has done this. Many moons ago they did the same with the A3 which was originally introduced as a three door machine, but some time later the five-door Sportback version was introduced and, all of a sudden, the A3 made a whole lot more sense. So too with the A5 and the A5 Sportback.

From the moment I got my hands on this machine I was well and truly smitten. Even given my long-standing liking of all things Audi, I was really taken by this thing.

Not alone is it a stylish and eye-catching car, but it performs to a level which can truly stir the blood of any true driver.
Admittedly I was spoilt by the version of the car I was given to test.

It was the two litre TFSI petrol-engined version with Audi’s legendary quattro 4WD system with the S-Tronic dual clutch seven speed gearbox.

This particular machine costs 51,700 ex. works, as against the 42,000 baseline price.

On top of that there were some 18,931 of added extras on the car, including sat. nav., a Bang and Olufsen sound system and leather seats, so it was no wonder I liked it.

But aside from all the window dressing, I liked this car because I felt that dynamically it was a genuine contender and I also felt that some of the criticism levelled at the car about allegedly ‘rubbery’ handling, was well wide of the mark.

This is a very well sorted machine indeed and with power coming from the well-established 155 kW (211 bhp) two litre turbo unit, there was no shortage of grunt.

Top speed is 241 kph and the 0-100 kph dash is achieved in a very satisfactory 6.6 seconds.

It will even return a reasonably respectable 7.4 l/100 km over the combined cycle.

On the road the car is grippy and the ride is excellent even on choppy surfaces.

There is ample room for four adults within — five is not really an option — and the boot space is nearly as big as that in the A4.

The cabin itself is a model of ergonomic design and is a really pleasing place to be although some might quibble with the off-set pedals for the driver but, in truth, with the automatic version, that is not something which impinges on the driver too much.

There are some niggles in terms of rearward vision and slightly tricky ventilation controls, but believe me, given the overall class of the car, they are things which you can easily live with.

I also noted some criticism of the ‘boomy’ exhaust, but surely that is part and parcel of the character of the car and anyone specifying this engine option, I assume, would be disappointed if it didn’t sound like a performance car.

The standard kit levels are very decent, but as I have already outlined, it can get expensive if you start packing the car with extras.

The level of standard safety measures is also impressive, what with stability control, cornering lights and a plethora of airbags all coming as standard.

The other thing to consider here is that residuals will be very strong and Audi’s reliability levels have strengthened even more in recent times, so this should be a very sound purchasing prospect.

I have to admit that I fell for this car in a big way.

It is divine looking, amazingly versatile and damn quick too.

Whatever minor faults it may have are easily overlooked given the overall quality of the car and its performance potential.

Sure I have a soft spot for Audi, but on this evidence it is very easy to see why.