2009 Audi A5 Reviews

Convertibles, or cabriolets as they have become known, have had a resurgence in popularity in recent times and for good reason. Where they were basic and offered little refinement they now rival their closed cousins in comfort and convenience. Buy a cabriolet today and you lose almost nothing compared to a coupe.NEWThe Audi A5 cabriolet launched in 2009 delivered open-air motoring with all the closed-car refinement you could wish for. Audi chose to employ a conventional soft-top instead of a folding steel roof that many carmakers now offer, even on cheaper models.The A5's roof was a lightweight fabric one with a flat, clear glass rear window. With the roof up the cabin was quiet and comfortable, there was none of the buffeting or wind noise that was synonymous with convertibles of old. When wanted the roof could be lowered at the flick of a switch mounted on the centre console.A matter of just 15 seconds later it was folded away out of sight in the rear compartment. It was full automatic, and if needed it could be done while on the move at 50 km/h should you need to avoid getting wet.It only takes up a small amount of storage space, leaving plenty for luggage, and if the boot is full and there's insufficient space for the roof when you go to lower it an alarm sounds to warn you and the roof won't open.The A5 is a full four-seater able to accommodate four adults in comfort, and if needed the rear seat can be folded flat to create a large luggage space through to the boot.Audi offered the A5 cab with two petrol engines, a 2.0-litre turbo four and a 3.2-litre V6, and a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6. The entry model came with the 2.0-litre engine, CVT transmission and front-wheel drive; all others came with Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system.All others came with a 7-speed dual clutch auto and the Quattro all-wheel drive system.NOWThe disadvantage of a cloth roof like the Audi's is that it wears and can be affected by the sun, sleet and snow. When checking the roof, run it up and down several times, when stationary and when on the move at slow speed, and make sure it goes up and down smoothly.Check for wear, particularly at the points where the roof folds, and check for rips and tears in the roof fabric. The A5 has a glass rear window, so there's none of the fogging associated with plastic windows of years gone by.Look for evidence on the inside of exposure to the sun, looking for trim that has faded or become brittle. Also pay attention for squeaks and rattles when test-driving a cabriolet. With a less sturdy body structure than a closed car they are more prone to developing body squeaks and rattles.The A5's transmissions also warrant thorough testing. Although they are quite different transmissions, one a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and the other a dual-clutch DSG automatic, they can have issues that can be expensive to rectify.When test-driving your potential purchase put it through its paces at low speed as well as high speed, fast and slow acceleration, and particularly check the take-off to make sure there is no hesitation, no shuddering or jerking, and progress is smooth and uninterrupted.Also give the car a thorough inspection, externally looking for bumps and scrapes, and under the bonnet where you should look for oil or coolant leaks.SMITHY SAYSA great cruiser if you're looking for a cool summer ride.Price new: $79,400 to $116,500Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder, 132 kW/320 Nm: 3.2 V6, 195 kW/300 Nm; 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, 176 kW/500 Nm.Transmission: CVT, 7-speed DSG; FWD, AWD.Economy: 7.4 L/100 km (2.0T), 8.2 L/100 km (V6), 6.9 L/100 km (TD)Body: 2-door cabriolet Variants: 2.0 TFSi, 2.0 TFSi Quattro, 3.2 FSi Quattro, 3.0 TDi Quattro.Safety: Dual front, side head airbags, rollover protection, ABS, ESP.COMING UPDo you own a Holden Colorado? If so tell us what you think of it by sending your comments to Graham Smith at grah.smith@bigpond.com or Carsguide, PO Box 4245, Sydney, NSW, 2010.

It takes a bit of effort to get camera attention in the Nurburgring’s carparks.

The race to get the top down for summer is hotting up, as Audi joins Lexus with a new-season Cabriolet. The droptop version of the A5 coupe comes with a traditional folding soft top, seats for four, class-leading luggage space and a choice of engines including a diesel.Pricing The A5 Cabriolet is also built to Audi's usual quality standard, weighs only 185kg more than the coupe, and is priced from $94,900 with a 2-litre petrol motor through to $112,500 with a diesel and $116,500 for a fully-loaded V6.That's a big hike on the Lexus IS Cabrio, from $79,900, but Audi Australia is expecting no trouble in shifting plenty of its new sunshine stars and really considers the BMW 3-Series as its only serious opposition.Soft top changes Work on the Cabrio began with the basic A5 body, which was then strengthened in all the important areas including the base of the windscreen and below the seats. Audi decided very early to go with a soft top, rather than one of the latest folding metal designs, for a range of reasons."There are lots of benefits. It is light in weight, fast to open and close, and best in class for luggage. Another benefit of fabric is we can have split-fold rear seats," says Audi's product planning manager, John Roberts.The top will operate up to 50km/h, unlike the Lexus which must be stationary, but Audi concedes the extra noise in the system by having an 'acoustic' top with an extra layer of sound proofing as an option and standard on the V6.Equipment The basic deal with the 2-litre engine is 155 kiloWatts of power, 17- inch alloys, keyless start, rear park radar, shift paddles for the auto and Xenon lamps; the V6 with 176 kiloWatts lifts the bar with 18- inch alloys, front parking radar, heated seats, satnav and wood inserts. All A5 Cabriolets have a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox and quattro all-wheel drive as standard.Driving The A5 Cabriolet is a smooth operator. The roof works smoothly in as little as 17 seconds, the engines and transmissions are slick, the styling is elegantly effective and the quality as smooth as we expect from every new Audi.There will eventually be an S5 Cabrio with more punch, but the diesel and V6 both showed plenty of pace during a quick introduction drive. The best thing about the diesel, apart from the fact it is the only one in the class, is the strong surge of torque which makes driving easy. The cabin space is good and the boot is huge, with the advantage of the fold-down rear seats. It's definitely a winner over the Lexus in that area.But the Japanese car scores in the body. The Audi is reasonably rigid but you feel the smallest ripples in the road, with tremors through the seat and wheel, and there is no encouragement to go sports car quick in the A5.Still, few people looking at the A5 Cabrio are likely to be chasing a sports car thrill, and it's a smooth new way to welcome the coming summer.Audi A5 Cabriolet Price: from $94,900-$116,500Engines: 2-litre petrol, 3-litre turbodiesel, 3.2-litre V6Power: 155kw, 176kw, 195kwTorque: 350Nm, 500Nm, 330NmTransmission: seven-speed S tronic manu-matic, quattro all-wheel drivePerformance: 0-100km/h, 6.4-73sEconomy: 6.8-9.5L/100kmEmissions: 179-226grams/km CO2 

The opportunity comes from addition of an entry-level two-litre quattro model and a double-clutch automated manual gearbox.Models and pricing The new powerplant - which also features in the company's new Q5 SUV - slots into the A5 range as an entry point, with the quattro manual priced from $79,900 and the seven-speed S tronic wearing an $83,500 pricetag.Drivetrains The two-litre four-cylinder engine shares blocks with the previous A4 2.0-litre TFSI - which offers 132kW - but the new turbocharged direct-injection engine has variable valve systems on inlet (timing) and exhaust (lift), a new intercooler design and chains operating the camshafts.The A5's new engine - which sits further back in the engine bay than its forebears - offers 155kW between 4300 and 6000rpm, with 350Nm of torque available between 1500 and 4200rpm.Audi says the systems - combined with engineering work done to reduce friction - to produce a quicker charging of the turbo, as well as improving fuel consumption, with an improvement of up to 20 per cent over the previous two-litre powerplant.When teamed with the S-tronic transmission the A5 returns 7.5l/100km, which drops by 0.1 when the manual transmission is directing drive.Audi is boasting better fuel use, fewer emissions, 100Nm more torque (although it's 5kW down on the BMW, 20kW up on the Benz) and more than a second quicker to 100km/h than the BMW 325i auto coupe and the Mercedes-Benz CLK 200K auto coupe.The quattro system follows several other Audi models in apportioning 60 per cent of drive rearward, with the remaining 40 going to the front wheels; up to 85 per cent can head aft should conditions require it.Equipment The features list on offer includes 17in alloy wheels, tri-zone climate control, power-adjustable front seats, keyless entry and start, Bluetooth phone link, xenon headlights and LED driving lights.As is the norm, the options list is extensive and expensive - the adaptive dampers add $3600, the multi-media interface with hard drive memory for music and satnav adds $5900, adaptive cruise control ups the price by $2945 and the whopper sunroof increases the asking price by $2860.There's also an S-Line sports package which increases wheel size to 18in, puts sports trim in the cabin and tightens up the suspension tune for $5850.Sales But what ever the argument about pricing and options, the A5 range thus far has performed "exceedingly well" on the sales front, according to Audi, with estimates of around 700 units for this year, currently led by the 3.2 FSI model representing almost half of A5/S5 sales.The company expects the introduction of the 2.0 TFSI model to gather 130 sales and about 30 per cent of the range total sales, which are already 50 per cent up on 2008 - the range totalled 623 sales for Audi last year.DrivingThe upgraded two-litre TFSI engine might well share the same basic block but the extra work has been worthwhile.Not that the 132kW version of the engine is any slouch - it is a decent powerplant - but the 155kW version that has been slotted into the middle of the A4 range and as an entry-level A5 has plenty of charm and performance.With the quattro system biased to the rear and the engine weight no longer hanging out ahead of the front wheels, the A5 TFSI doesn't feel like an entry-level model.The engine is willing and has a punchy midrange, there's next-to-no lag and the double-clutch gearbox slips cogs in 0.2 of a second.One of the best looking cars around, the A5 has enough room for four, decent luggage space and the ability to get from A to B without excessive thirst - at least until you get serious on a back road, but even then the trip computer won't frighten you.The A4 was also sampled with the new engine and was similarly spritely.With the adaptive damping system set to dynamic and swapping gears with the six-speed manual, the new TFSI models can both be punted with enthusiasm and show plenty of ability through the curves.The A5 in particular - and without the adaptive damping system - has enough punch from the powerplant and the ability to put it effectively to ground.A talented chassis, good grip without the perils of an understeery driveline and decent punch from a frugal engine gives the A5 added appeal at a better price.Audi A5 TFSI coupe Price: from $79,900.Engine: two-litre 16-valve DOHC intercooled turbocharged four-cylinder engine.Transmission: six-speed manual or seven-speed double-clutch automatic, all-wheel drive.Power: 155kW between 4300 & 6000rpm.Torque: 350Nm between 1500 & 4200rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h 6.5 seconds. Top speed 245km/h.Fuel consumption: 7.4litres/100km (S tronic 7.5), tank 65litres.Emissions: 173g/km (S tronic 179).Rivals: Alfa Romeo GT V6, from $69,990.BMW 3 Series coupe, from $70,959.Mercedes-Benz CLK coupe, from $88,859.Peugeot 407 V6, from $69,800.

...the A5 retains the elegance of a traditional grand tourer while continuing Audi’s general shift toward sportier, more dynamic vehicles.This new diesel version, with its quality engine, improved fuel economy and CO2 output has entered the market at just the right time to take advantage of the growing interest in keeping things lean and green.DrivetrainThe A5 is powered by a 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine that produces 176kW between 4000-4400rpm and a substantial 500Nm of torque between 1500-3000rpm. It gets power to all four wheels via a six-speed tiptronic transmission with DSP.Shooting from 0-100 in a rapid 5.9 seconds, it burns 6.9 litres of fuel every 100km and expels 182gm of CO2 per 100km.ExteriorLike the A4, the A5 is underscored by Audi’s intent to position their vehicles as athletic as well as elegant. To this end, they have included a focus on road presence, muscle and poise, and its shows with a longer, wider, lower chassis, shaped by graceful, sweeping lines and short front overhangs.The long v-shaped bonnet coupled with sleek right-angled headlights and large air inlets create an impression of breadth in the nose that highlights the distinguishing single-framed waterfall grill.The short, sporty rear is emphasised by long smooth lines starting from the C-pillar.InteriorInside the A5 you are surrounded by quality materials and workmanship. The dash is angled slightly towards the driver creating a snug cockpit feel and the ergonomic seats hold you firm at the wheel.A 10-speaker sound system, leather upholstery, cruise control, electric front seats, Bluetooth compatibility, leather multi-function steering wheel and auto-dimming rear-view mirror are all standard, as is the drive information system – with trip computer, auto-check control and ambient temperature.Split fold rear seats and a decent 455-litre boot allow comfortable trips away.Running GearThe long wheelbase and shorter overhangs, along with a newly designed five-link suspension arrangement at the front wheels means the A5 is firm but not stiff, with precise steering and superb agility.The ride is comfortable, smooth and stable thanks to the trapezoidal-link rear suspension with new kinematics.SafetyA comprehensive airbag package together with ESP, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Electronic Differential Lock, traction control and Brake Assist, pushes the A5 into the superior safety category.PricingThe Audi A5 3.0 litre diesel quattro starts at $93,894.DrivingThe A5 is a great looking driver’s car and this new diesel variant is very impressive.After having just stepped out of a Japanese luxury hybrid, it felt a little stiff but just a few minutes in and we realised what we’d been missing – and that the Japanese car was just like driving a couch.Audi’s ever improving interior design makes for an agreeable place to spend extended periods and this one with its angled dash gave us that cosy cockpit feel. The instrumentation was easy to read and intuitive.With a 5.9 second 0-100 sprint, it’s no secret this diesel addition to the A5 range is a real performer. Acceleration is immediate and smooth and with a bit of room it will pin your scone into the headrest no trouble.The ride is firm enough to give you good feel but easygoing enough for longer journeys. The steering is light and true, allowing for great feedback.All wheel drive plus the firm suspension pack keeps the car stuck to the road surface and there is little body roll.The diesel is a great addition to an already impressive line-up.Verdict: 8.2