Audi A5 review

The A5 drives with the maturity and predictability you would expect from this bread and butter car: Audi knows what it’s doing and was never going to mess this up too readily. Everything does what it’s supposed to – the diesel is a frugal cruiser, the petrol a flexible all-rounder (especially in its more powerful state of tune) and there’s the V6 petrol in the S5 if you want something spicier.

Likewise the suspension has been tuned for a smooth ride, with more nibbly feedback coming through to the cabin the higher up the trim levels you go (big wheels and that). Again, the suspension is at its best on a smooth road: it does get very fussy on rougher surfaces.

What, no electric version? 

There’s actually a plug-in hybrid version coming soon that will pair the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol with an e-motor and offer electric range of around 60 miles, but the electric version of this car will look similar. Although, it'll be based on a different platform and (as discussed) badged as an A4. The world’s just changing all around us. 

There’s still big demand from people who aren’t quite ready to go electric, of course, and the A5 is an eminently capable long distance tourer. There are few mainstream cars around you’d be more comfortable in.

What are the engines like? 

The 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine on the A5 is an all-new unit from Audi, with two states of tune (148bhp and 201bhp). It does the business, but with no discernible personality to it. Maybe they’re trying to ease the way to our electric future.

It benefits from fancy new turbo technology that Audi claims has benefits for fuel economy and emissions, and offers you plenty of overtaking shove in its more powerful form. It’ll be interesting to see how the car performs on roads we’re familiar with, but official fuel economy for both petrols is in the high 30mpgs. 

Audi didn’t fit its fancy new ‘MHEV Plus’ tech to the petrol because it wanted to offer a cheap entry point for fleet buyers, but the diesel gets it. It has 48V electric tech with beefed up recuperation and a small lithium ion battery that allows extended start stop, very brief periods of electric running and what Audi calls ‘sailing’ along country roads. Sounds more premium than coasting.

That tech saves 10g/km CO2 on the diesel (it’s 149g/km), which is less smooth and refined than we’ve come to know in the past. But it will do the business for motorway mile munchers.