Road Test: Audi A5 3.2

Review by Feann Torr - 18/June/2008

Executive saloons have for decades been Audi's heartland, but for too long the German marque has been without a full-sized prestige coupe. 

All that has changed with the arrival of the A5.

Creating new rivalries with vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz CLK and BMW 3 Series Coupe, Audi now has a luxury vehicle in almost every segment.

But more than just catching up to its rivals, the German company has introduced more new cars than at any time in its history - including the company's first ever mid-engined sports car.

It has blazed a trail across the luxury car landscape that simply hasn't been matched and there's plenty more to come by the looks of it.

There's a German proverb, Mit den Wölfen muß man heulen, which can be read as meaning "when in Rome, do as the Romans do".

Translated literally, the proverb means "with the wolves one must howl" which sounds far more inspiring and is a maxim that Ingolstadt has not only adhered to, but has extended beyond.

But with this new found creativity and drive, is Audi able to keep its products relevant? 

Or more accurately, is this explosion of new vehicles diluting the quality of Audi's cars? Let's find out:

Drive: 4/5

The rain is bucketing down, visibility isn't ideal and the traffic on the freeway is dense.

Yet the Audi A5 is just cruising along.

I'm involved in a passionate conversation about progressive Australian rock and there's only a slight hum from the 3.2-litre 6-cylinder engine. I can barely even hear the rain drumming down on silver Audi A5.

Sitting in one of Audi's newest models in such inclement weather, it's hard not to be impressed.

While both BMW and Mercedes-Benz still claim that Audi cannot be considered a rival, the sales charts and indeed yours truly sitting here in complete comfort would suggest otherwise. 

First impressions of Audi's new luxury coupe are supremely positive. It feels safe and self-assured and it looks sensational.

It drives smoothly and pushes all the right buttons. Most importantly for a vehicle in the image-conscious luxury coupe market segment, it makes you feel confident.

Powered by a 3.2-litre V6 engine outputting 195kW and 330Nm of torque, the Audi A5 3.2 has a smooth power delivery, but on the road it feels much stronger and more assertive than these figures would suggest, which is in large part due to the multitronic transmission - otherwise called a CVT.

Gently prod the accelerator pedal and the Audi A5 gracefully moves away from a standstill with such tranquility you're almost lulled into thinking it's an electric vehicle.

I've mentioned this previously when reviewing the Audi A6, and it holds true once again: the CVT is a perfect fit for a luxury car because it offers a level of refinement and smoothness that simply cannot be attained with conventional transmissions. 

As such the car motivates with a frictionless ease that instantly impresses upon those sitting in the vehicle a sense of harmony, or mellifluousness if you will.

It's creamy smooth and ultra quiet.

Let's remember that the Audi A5 is, at it's core, a coupe. So at the other end of spectrum, attacking the accelerator pedal thankfully rewards you with more volume from the twin exhaust pipes and a crisp, if somewhat clipped thrum from the V6 engine.

From the the beginning it's clear that there's huge potential in this engine-gearbox coupling.

The only downside to udi's multitronic CVT occurs when you want to explore the car's dynamics.

While the chassis is excellent - strong brakes, firm suspension, responsive steering - the floaty nature of the multitronic transmission leaves you feeling a little disconnected from the engine.

Where a traditional manual gearbox or a twin-clutch semi-automatic locks you into a gear and lets you really connect with the engine, the CVT feels tenuous.

Don't get me wrong, it's remarkably quick - almost too quick at times because the acceleration is constant - but it doesn't involve the driver to the same degree as other gearbox options.

Of course there are tiptronic versions of the A5, so buyers wanting more driver feedback are catered for.

The car has positive handling and it feels very nicely balanced when driven with gusto. It handles corners with ease and won't be upset by mid-corner bumps thanks to the well-sorted suspension. Despite it's front-wheel drive layout (quattro AWD models are available) understeer isn't an issue.

The 320 and 300mm front and rear disc brakes have a strong initial bite and a determined feel and together with the progressive steering, strong acceleration and firm suspension, the car is quite at home on fast twists and turns.

It tracks very cleanly through corners and has a very nice weight distribution with a low centre of gravity and a good overall balance. It weighs 1495kg, roughly the same weight as a Porsche 911 Carrera. The front wheels can lose grip in the wet, but ESP and traction control work well at minimising loss of traction.

It has excellent grip from the 245/40 R18 tyres and good road holding, yet I was surprised with how compliant the ride quality was considering the firm suspension tune and low profile sports tyres.

Around town the Audi A5 is also very easy to control. It's super quiet and driveline refinement is staggering, thanks largely to the CVT.

Though it's relatively long (4.62m), the Audi coupe is fairly easy to park thanks to the parking sensor system with audio and visual output. It is a low car however, and rearward vision is so-so but overall it's effortless to drive and very easy to live with.

With no major drawbacks, the A5 is hard to fault and there's something ineffably satisfying about clambering into a long and very low European coupe, particularly when they're self-assured and just a little bit arrogant like this one.

Sitting inches from the ground, the sensation of speed is intensified and because you're surrounded by luxury, it's more than just the sensation of speed that pleases.

Driving the Audi A5 3.2 is an experience so different from the Audi TT, yet quite possibly more rewarding. All told, it's an excellent drivers car that will have BMW on guard.

Engine: 4/5

This isn't the largest but it is the most powerful V6 engine the Motoring Channel has tested in combination with a CVT, and it's a revelation. 

While the V6 engine has plenty of muscle and pleasant acoustics, it's the gearbox that stands out. Not just silky smooth, it's fairly efficient at getting its power to the front wheels and has more flexibility than a Russian gymnast. While you can just pootle around at low engine speeds - around 1500rpm - which makes it remarkably frugal around town, jab the throttle and the Teutonic coupe surges ahead with surprising ferocity.

It pushes you softly into your seatback when you fully open the throttle from standstill in 'Sports' mode, but such is the power of this V6-CVT combo that even at nominal speeds - and on dry asphalt - determined flexing of the right foot will sometimes cause wheelspin and traction control to chime in.

Outputting 195kW @ 6500rpm and 330Nm @ 3000rpm, the Audi V6 has a muscular mid-range and can sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds. Electronically limited to a top speed of 250km/h, needless to say the Audi A5 3.2 is fast.

While the Audi A5's multitronic transmission has no 'bound' gears per se, there are paddle shifters that when pressed initiate a quasi-manual mode.

Though this 'imitation' 8-speed tiptronic mode is the best system we've yet tested and much more involving that the gearbox's default operating mode, it's not perfect.

Where the multitronic really shines is in its refined and quiet operation, and it's miserly fuel usage. Sipping an average of just 6.6 litres of fuel on the highway, the Audi A5 3.2 multitronic can cover large distances before refuelling, and even in town fuel consumption is quite low.

Exterior: 4/5

The exterior design of the A5 is crucial to its success and as I discovered after collecting the vehicle, it looks far more imposing in the flesh than in photographs. 

It does have a restrained image and so won't attract the attention of all and sundry, but as surely as night follows day the A5 attracts a certain type of attention.

Measuring 1.85 metres wide and just 1.37 metres high, the Audi A5 is wide and low and as is Audi tradition, the front end bears the trademark single frame grille but has a more sporty, dare I say sinister, appeal than previous Audi models.

Low and sleek, the Audi A5's body appears to hug the ground and gives the car a very athletic appearance. It's stretched bonnet makes the A5 coupe look longer than it is (4.62m) which adds to its prestigious demeanour. Meanwhile the less obvious details - headlights, doors, brake lights - have their own unique fascination.

Italian-born Walter de'Silva was the man who shaped the A5 coupe and states: "The Audi A5 is the most beautiful car I have ever designed." 

There may be some Audi TT owners with raised eyebrows right now, but I have to agree with Audi's head of design: it is a gorgeous car, broad and muscular without being a show pony.

While the A5's design is equally elegant and sporty, there's also a number of smaller details that make it hard to ignore. The LED running lights for example give the vehicle a tremendously visible and somewhat technical countenance and the optional ($1350) angular 18-inch alloy wheels suit the car very nicely. 

Sporting a lean profile and a flowing aerodynamic style, the overall design isn't overstated yet still manages to be undeniably appealing.

Interior: 4/5

Like the world's best personal assistant, the Audi A5 is there to make your life easier; you don't even have to take the car keys out of your pocket to unlock or lock the car - it's got sensors that detect your approach and an 'start' button to ignite the engine.

Don't worry about having to wrestle the hand-brake either - it's a button-operated electronic park brake that also has an 'auto hold' function so you needn't keep your foot on the brake while waiting at the traffic lights.

Other features that make driving a little easier include parking proximity sensors, road-speed sensitive steering, cruise control, xenon headlights, and electric leather sports seats.

There's also a 10-speaker 180 Watt stereo system, dual-zone automatic climate control, and when surrounded by soft leather upholstery on the seats and doors it's easy to relax. Some of the options include cornering headlights, a premium 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, satellite navigation and a rear parking camera.

The overall design of the interior is archetypal Audi. Sophisticated, elegant and high-tech. The cabin can come across as somewhat clinical at first glance - the aluminium accents and broad swathes of black dash - but after a few days using the MMI (multi-media interface) and getting used to the functionality of the car, the design layout makes sense.

Ergonomics are excellent - all controls fall easily to hand - and like a high quality timepiece, metallic trim surrounds important details, like the speedometer and tachometer.

Fit and finish is excellent, quality materials are used and the tactility of all the buttons and dials you can toggle is very nice. The sports steering wheel for instance is leather bound and features discreet controls to that let you cycle through trip computer functions or adjust audio settings.

Bootspace of 455 litres is pretty good, enough room for a number of golf bags or a folding push bike.

Like the front seat occupants, the rear seat passengers are shamelessly pampered with form-fitting leather seats, and while rear seat room is generous for the most part with plenty of leg room, head room is compromised by the coupe's fast-back shape and downward sloping roof.

Ingress and egress is rather poor for rear seat passengers as well but apart from the usual constraints that afflict sport coupes, the Audi A5 lavishes it's passengers with a pleasant blend of luxury and intuitive technology.

Overall: 4/5

The new A5 is one of the new breed of vehicles from Audi, presenting itself as a luxurious 2-door sports coupe, and though the German company is going through a new model blitz, the good news is that quality has not been diluted as a result.

If anything the new A5 is even more refined and luxurious than its stablemates and heralds a new era of prestige motoring for Audi.

I think that the A5 will attract a lot of new customers into the Audi fold, and I know I'm going to sounds like a spin doctor here, but the Audi A5 3.2 is sporty, progressive and sophisticated. And rather sexy if I do say so myself.

As the old German proverb goes, "with the wolves one must howl" and the A5 does just that, rivalling the BMW 3 Series Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLK in every respect.