2011 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.

ECONOMY motoring as a genre doesn't have a sleek two-door body and a $100,000 price tag. It will, however, probably have a diesel engine. Though seemingly at odds with each other, the three ingredients aren't uncommon in Europe. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are generous providers. The primary reason for their success in Europe is buyer demand for a stylish car that has the long fuel range of the frugal diesels.The carmakers are equally as pragmatic - they put diesel engines into anything that moves because the low carbon-dioxide emissions reduce their fleet emission penalty. Australians are more emotive - they like the prestige diesels because they go like stink. That's where the Audi A5 3.0 TDI comes in.VALUEStraight up - you don't have $100,000 in your pocket and then buy a car for economy. At $91,900 the A5 Coupe 3.0 TDI is all panache. It turns a lot of heads and sparks a lot of questions. This V6 diesel-engined model is $4000 cheaper than its 3.2-litre V6 petrol sister. It has the same gear - leather, all-wheel drive quattro system, auto and sweet audio - but aside from saving on the purchase, it's quicker to 100km/h than the petrol and gets 6.6 L/100km against the petrol's 9.3 L/100km. That's about a 1000km range compared with the petrol's 700km.DESIGNBeautiful. Despite the rather heavy-handed near-vertical grille, the A5 Coupe is both balanced and head-swivelling. It looks aggressive from the front - almost dainty in profile and purposeful at its tail. Driver visibility is actually quite good - park sensors help! - though if you want to regularly cart four people, go for the A5 Sportback and its five doors. Rear seat room in the Coupe is okay for two adults on a short run, but dependant on having average-size people in the front seats. Boot space is excellent and fold-down rear seat makes it almost cavernous, but space-saver tyre mounted on a plinth ( to save money on a full-size spare) looks cheap. Instruments, quality of finish and design of the dashboard is spot on.TECHNOLOGYHmmm. Big V6 turbo-diesel driving all wheels through a seven-cog dual-clutch automated manual - DSG to us but Audi calls it S-Tronic - gearbox pretty much says it all. The electric-hydraulic steering is better than similar systems. Putting a heavy V6 ahead of the front axles invites understeer but there's a lot of trickery with metal rods and springs and relocated components to minimise the handling disadvantages of a heavy nose. Having all-wheel drive also helps.SAFETYFive stars when you hit the concrete and six airbags with all the (now) expected chassis and brake electronics. It's the full suite and that complements the Audi's feeling of solidity on the road.DRIVINGForget traditional diesel engine noise - the Audi's diesel rumble at idle is so muted that it sounds more like a big-bore petrol. That's outside the car. Inside it's just a faint growl at idle; inaudible at cruising and only present again when the accelerator is mashed. Acceleration is brilliant, more linear than you'd first expect and absolutely seamless the way it rapidly ditches one ratio and picks up the next. Fantastic punch at the mid-corner also creates eye-watering slingshot exits. It's also very comfortable (if you're in the front), has a supple ride and is so confident through the corners, unless you fang it when it gets a tad nose heavy.VERDICTUnexpectedly good. Basically the chassis and the drivetrain layout defies physics - like a mirror of the 911 - but really works well. I think you get more driving thrills out of this diesel than the equivalent petrol model. But still not a cheap car and while the five-door Sportback may make more sense, it's nowhere near as pretty.AUDI A5 3.0TDI QUATTROPrice: $91,900Warranty: 3 years, unlimited km, roadside assistResale: 59%Service interval: 15,000km or 12 monthsEconomy: 6.6 l/100km; 174g/km CO2Safety equipment: six airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TCCrash rating: 5 starEngine: 176kW/500Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-dieselTransmission: Seven-speed DSG autoBody: 2-door, 4 seatsDimensions: 4625 (L); 1854mm (W); 1372mm (H); 2751mm (WB)Weight: 1620kgTyres: 245/40R18, space-saver spare