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2008 Audi A5
Audi A5 - Nimble & Quick
Frank Washington
The first time we came in contact with Audi's A5 we were actually driving the more powerful S5. It had a 354 horsepower V8 that gave the coupe an impressive punch. But given the price of gasoline and sticker reality today the A5 may be the better deal.
It was powered by a 3.2-liter V6 engine with direct fuel injection. Mated to a six speed manual transmission, a six speed automatic is also available; this engine had an EPA rating of 16 mpg in the city and a respectable 27 mpg on the highway.
The coupe was nimble and pretty quick, especially for those who are adept at down shift acceleration. The A5 handled really well as we had to make one of those in the intersection U-turns to head back to the house and get something we had forgotten. We had turning room to spare.
The car looked great. It had Audi's conservative yet slick and distinctive taunt surfaces and the familial single frame grille. Wheel arches conveyed a since of force and the car's shoulder's gave it an air of muscularity. We particularly liked the eight LEDs under each headlamp that functioned as running lights. They almost force bystanders
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inside the A5
to look at the car.
For those looking for an even stronger sporty looking intent, this A5 had Audi's S line body package. It featured distinctive front bumpers and rear sports seats, steering wheel and gear lever in perforated leather, black headlining, and special inlays. The 18-inch alloy wheels and exclusive paint finishes underscored the look of the S line sports package.
Although Audi's A5 was a sporty car, its suspension was not firm enough to make us uncomfortable. The car rode well but not softly. And it was really easy to drive. The A5 was equipped with Quattro, that's Audi-speak for all-wheel-drive. It was rear wheel biased meaning more than 50 percent of its torque drove the rear wheels.
The A5 was very comfortable. Even the back seats, though snug in terms of head room, could hold a pair of not too tall adults. The trunk had a three-foot wide opening and at more than 16 cubic feet, it was equipped with tie downs. Although we didn't use them, the back seat would fold down in two parts creating even more cargo room.
Our test car had a base price $39,900. However, option packages pushed the sticker to $51,340. There were two things we found particularly pleasing. The
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a beautiful engine
first was the rear view camera. It made rearward driving awfully easy. We didn't have to guess our way while backing out of the driveway. And we always appreciate a navigation system. This one of course was DVD-based.
Bi-Xenon headlamps were adaptive. The car was equipped with a Bang & Olufsen premium audio system and there was an electronic parking brake. Unless we had our seatbelt buckled it would not automatically shut itself off. Buckle up or we had to manual turn the brake off to go anywhere.
Our only complaint was the layout of the cockpit. It was ergonomically friendly but some of the lettering around the dual climate controls was a little difficult to see, especially for those of us who are optically challenged. But our real beef was clutter and we don't think it's exclusive to the A5.
There were simply too many buttons. We counted 19 atop the center console alone. In the next generation Audi, which we assume will include the A5; we'd like to see controls that are a little cleaner and less cluttered. After all, great design starts with clean lines, flowing angels and little or no clutter.
But don't get it twisted. We think the Audi A5 is well worth its price tag.
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racing away
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