Sensible and sporty
Sep 12 2008 By Edward Stephens
THERE are a lot of keen drivers who would give their right arm to own an Audi TT but can’t because their days of driving two-seater sports cars are long behind them.
Family commitments mean they have to have a four seater.
But for those who have the money the prestige German car maker has the answer – in the shape of the Audi A5.
It’s not designed to be the TT’s bigger brother but its design is certainly as sporting and if anything it’s even more eye-catching. And the bonus is the A5 is sensible four-seater coupe not just a 2+2.
If that’s not enough to sway a family man then the huge boot will, for there is plenty of space for the luggage of mom, dad and two children when it comes to going on holiday.
The drawback is the starting price of the A5 range is more expensive than the TT, but for those who can afford one – what a car.
It’s one of those rare family cars which make other four seaters look positively bland and uninspiring.
Its creation marks a definite departure from recent design trends for Audi. The last time it produced a two-door four seater model was back 1989 with the Audi 80-based coupe.
Despite only being available with two doors the A5 is a big car, which means that all passengers have plenty of leg and shoulder room.
The recessed backs of the front seats give rear seat passengers extra leg room so this is not a car which makes compromises on space, or performance for that matter.
My test car was the 3.0-litre TDI quattro with the upgraded engine and a close ratio manual six speed gearbox, and on full throttle it felt as if it had enough power to pull a house over.
It was not just the torque that was impressive but also the scintillating acceleration and the absolute refinement of the car.
This is one of those cars which whisks you past the legal motorway limit before you know it and you still have three gears to go, so you have to keep a wary eye on the speedometer.
The handling matches the performance thanks to a new sports chassis and a radically different suspension arrangement with a new five link front set up giving exceptional composure at all speeds.
Combine this with the latest quattro system which gives a 40/60 front to rear torque split and you have a car that sticks to road whatever the conditions.
Despite its performance and the size of this car the turbo charged diesel powerplant still allowed me to average around 34 mpg for most of the week I had the car which means you get performance with economy.
My test car was packed with a wide range of optional extras including Y design alloy wheels so stunning that parked in the wrong area you would be lucky not to return to it to find it standing on bricks not wheels.
One of the most useful of the options on the car, however, was the cheapest - the Audi hill hold assist.
The parking brake on the A5 is an electric one engaged by moving a small switch near the gearstick. But adjacent to this is the hill hold switch.
Activate it and you never have to use the manual handbrake as it automatically switches it on when you stop and takes it off as you move away. Not essential but for £45 a feature worth having.
* FAST FACTS
Audi A5 3.0 TDI quattro
Price: £32,600
Mechanical: 240bhp, 2,967cc, 6cyl diesel engine driving all four wheels via 6spd manual gearbox.
Max speed: 155mph
0-62mph: 5.9 secs
Combined mpg: 39.2
Insurance group: 17
CO2 emissions: 191g/km
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles
