Audi A5

Our verdict

The Audi A5 is a great car. Slightly divisive looks, but a great drive and superb engines make for a fantastic cruiser. Almost too quiet for some.

Comfort

Feels like a big GT and that's no bad thing. Little noise, suitably relaxed damping and a general air of grown-upness make for a satisfying cruiser. You'll like this car after a few hundred miles at the wheel.

Performance

Five engines to choose from; two big TDI diesels in 2.7 or 3.0 flavours and three petrols. There's the base 1.8, a 3.2 V6 and the 4.2 V8 in the S5 (see separate listing). The lowly 1.8T FSI manages to crack 62mph in just 8.4 seconds and hits 140mph - but the pick of the bunch is the 3.0 diesel; it's quick, and impressive through the gears.

Cool

Sharp suit cool rather than flash cool. But still cool.

Quality

When it comes to making a car feel expensive and well built, Audi has a solid grasp on the concept. The A5 feels like it'll last until the universe implodes.

Handling

The A5 is one of a new breed of Audis that can ride and handle at the same time. There's decent feedback from the wheel - unusual for a mass-market Audi - and for what looks like quite a big car, exceptional body control.

Practicality

It's a coupe and not a particularly spacious one. Rumours of an A5 convertible might go some way to explain why the rear bench is tight and rear legroom pretty sparse. But the boot really is quite big and you don't like having passengers anyway.

Running costs

Go for the small petrol if you're at all bothered by the company car tax; 168g/km means it works well and gets nearly 40mpg. The 2.7 diesel is a close run second if you want better in-gear acceleration and similar mpg. Shouldn't depreciate too badly.