2020 Audi A5 vs 2021

What's the difference?

The A5 Sportback 45 TFSI quattro S tronic S line might have an overly fussy name, but this car is almost completely fuss-free to live with, from its comfortable ride and handling to its quality feeling interior and good value for money. There is one area that could be a bit fussier – that three-year warranty. We’d like to see it increased to five years and the introduction of capped-price servicing, too, would add up to an even better value equation and assurance for buyers.

Predictably stylish, predictably competent, predictably comfortable. In fact, that predictability is among its only downsides. In short, the updated A5 might not move the needle all that much, but it didn't need much moving in the first place. 

The ‘Sportback’ part of the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI name refers to the sedan-with-a-rear-hatch body style. A fastback, if you will.

Now that’s established, I can tell you the A5 Sportback is the second-best-looking Audi in the world. That’s according to me. The only one that looks better is the A5 Coupe, which has a tougher, more muscular and stockier profile than the elegant and elongated Sportback. The difference in looks is down to the wheelbase of the Sportback, which is 60mm longer than the Coupe’s. The Sportback is also 15mm taller, which means more headroom in the back seats.

What about the rest of the dimensions? The A5 Sportback 45 TFSI is 4733mm end-to-end and 2029mm wide (including wing mirrors).

The A5 Sportback 45 TFSI comes with the S line exterior package, which adds sporty bumpers and the mat- grey trim to the diffuser (see the images) – and this is where the S line part of the name comes from.

Anybody who says Audi cabins are all the same, regardless of the model, hasn’t stared at the interior images for the A5, Q5, A3 and Q3 like I just have for the past five minutes. What I found was that while they appear to be identical, and do share many parts, there are pleasing, subtle differences to the button shapes and layouts, which make the cockpits unique to their models.

The A5 Sportback 45 TFSI’s cabin gets its expansive look from the horizontal elements, such as the aluminum strip that borders the dash and the air vents above it.

The 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster is as good to use as it looks, but that 8.3-inch screen is starting to look small compared to what we’re seeing coming out in newer cars.

The Rock Grey-coloured upholstery doesn’t set my world on fire, but it’s less risky than white as far as grime and stains are concerned.

I found the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI’s interior a little too conservative, but as with all Audi cabins the fit and finish are exceptional and there’s a quality feel to the switch gear, which can’t be said for all of its rivals.

It's gorgeous, the A5. There's simply no disputing it. It's elegant, sophisticated, and above all, restrained. There's no look-at-me chintz here, just clean lines, sharp creases and a shapely figure.

Like its A4 sibling, the A5 has been tickled at the front, with a new-look grille, along with a new headlight cluster with redesigned DRLs, and Matrix LED headlights. 

The four sharp bonnet creases that fan out from the grille lend the A5 a sense of speed, even when stationary, and we love the way the 19-inch alloys fill the wheel arches. It looks polished, premium and athletic. 

Inside, Audi's interior treatment is on-point, from the figure-hugging leather seats to the material choices that span the dash. The big news in the cabin is the inclusion of Audi's new 10.1-inch touchscreen perched above the dash, which isn't just easier to use (in my opinion, at least), but also removes the traditional controls from the centre console. 

It means Audi's already fuss-free cabin is even less cluttered, and it's definitely a change for the better. 

The Sportback is the practical alternative to the Coupe. Not only does it have an extra two doors, which open wide for good entry and exit, but the back row has more head and legroom, too. I’m 191cm tall and can sit behind my driving position without my knees hitting the seatback, or my head bashing the ceiling.

The cargo capacity of the Sportback’s boot is 15 litres more than the Coupe’s at 480 litres.

There are four cup holders on board, but apart from that cabin storage isn’t great, with only a small centre-console bin, map pockets in the seat backs and small-ish door pockets. The lack of storage seems to be an Audi trait, and even the brand’s SUVs lack adequate places to stow items.

The 2019 update brought two charge-only USB ports in the second row and there’s also a 12V outlet and climate control with directional vents back there. There are another two USBs and a 12V outlet up front, along with a wireless phone charger.

It very much depends on the model you've opted for, with the Coupe compromising backseat space for exterior style. 

The Sportback is easily the most practical of the trio, what with its four doors, comfortable backseat and dimensions that stretch 4757mm in length, 1843mm in width and 1386mm in height, and its 480 litres of boot space.

The Coupe, then, is a two-door design, stretching 4697mm x 1846mm x 1371mm, with 450 litres of luggage space at the rear. It's long, the Coupe, but most of that space is absorbed by the front half of the cabin, wth the backseat reserved for kids. 

Finally, the Cabriolet (which we're yet to test) stretches 4697mm x 1846mm x 1384mm, and will deliver the lowest luggage capacity of the lot, at 375 litres.

Elsewhere, though, the A5 range delivers two cupholders up front, with another two in the centre armrest that can deploy to divide the rear seat. Rear-seat riders also get air vents with their own temp controls, USB charge points (joining the two up front) and bottle holders in the doors. 

For parents, you'll find a pair of ISOFIX attachment points in the backseat, too. 

The cheapest way into an A5 remains the Sportback or Coupe body styles, which will set you back $71,900 with the 40 TFSI engine choice. You can upgrade to the 45 TFSI quattro engine, but doing so will also up the entry point to $79,900. The Audi A5 Cabriolet sits atop the pile, costing $85,400 for the 40 TFSI, and $93,400 for the 45 TFSI quattro.

Happily, all A5s get the S line style treatment, gifting each a sportier look, with a new-look grille and venting adding to the performance-spec style up front. 

You also get 19-inch alloys, Audi drive select with five drive modes, three-zone climate (and neck-level heating in the Cabriolet), leather trim, matrix LED headlights, as well as tech-heavy interior highlighted by a new 10.1-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash that controls the cars key audio, navigation and driving settings. 

Speaking of the Cabriolet, the three-layer acoustic roof opens in just 15 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h, with a wind deflector also deployed to help with cabin ambience.

Audi's very cool Virtual Cockpit (a 12.3-inch digital display that replaces the traditional driver's binnacle) is also standard, as is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Audi says the new model offers 10x the computing power of the outgoing model, owing mostly to connected car features including live traffic, weather reports and fuel pricing, as well as the ability to remote unlock or lock you car from your phone, or pre-plan destinations and send them to the vehicle's nav.

The 45 in A5 Sportback 45 TFSI refers to the engine’s power output, which is 185kW and 370Nm. Why 45? That’s the Audi designation for engines with an output of between 169kW and 185kW. Sitting below the 45 is an A5 Sportback 40 TFSI, which makes 140kW.

TFSI refers to the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and, along with the higher output, the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI is all-wheel drive (that’s the quattro part) while a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (that’s the S tronic part) shifts gears fairly seamlessly, and super quickly.

Two choices here, the slightly tongue-twisting 40 TFSI and  and 45 TFSI quattro, both of which make use of a 2.0-litre turbo engine tuned for different outputs. 

The 40 will serve up 140kW and 320Nm, and pairs with a seven-speed S tronic automatic that shuffles that power to the front wheels. Audi reckons you'll see 100km/h in as little as 7.3 seconds.

The 45, on the other hand, will give you 183kW and 370Nm, pairing with the same auto gearbox, but this time sending power to all four wheels thanks to the quattro system. The 100km/h sprint drops to 5.8 seconds at its fastest.

Audi says the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI should use 6.5L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads. I put 202km on the clock of my test car and the trip computer was telling me I’d been using premium unleaded at an average of 9.5L/100km.

Helping save fuel is Audi’s stop-start system, which, as much as I’m not a fan of the way it cuts in, I kept activated the entire time.

Audi reckons the 40 TFSI engine will return 6.5L/100km on the combined cycle, and emit 148g/km of C02. The bigger engine increases fuel use to 7.1L/100km, but lowers the C02 output to 163g/km. Both those fuel numbers are taken from the Sportback.

Both engines also get a new 12V mild-hybrid system said to drop fuel use by up to 0.3L/100km.

Fun tank capacity is either 54 litres or 58 litres, depending on the model.

The A5 Sportback 45 TFSI is comfortable, quick and effortless to pilot. Steering is light and accurate, the ride is composed and, while it’s not super-fast (0-100km/h in six seconds) there’s enough shove from that 2.0-litre engine that I could move quickly when needed, whether it was threading my way in city traffic or overtaking on the motorway.

Not sporty enough for you? Well the upside of Audi’s line-up having so many different variants is that you can step up to something more hardcore, like the S5 or the RS5. Still the A5 Sportback 45 TFSI is impressively dynamic, with great grip and unfaltering traction from its quattro all-wheel-drive system.

You'd describe the A5's drive experience as evolved, rather than revolutionary, but to be honest, in a vehicle this competent, that's no small thing. 

The hybrid tech is unnoticeable, and so the A5 delivers an on-the-road feel that isn't far away at all from the car it replaces. None are truly fire-breathing, but it feels comfortable and sophisticated, the outside world largely banished from the interior (though the firm-ish ride can send road imperfections into the cabin).

Audi has done a stellar job of making the A5 feel connected to the road below it, and the world around it, without dialling down the comfort factor. The steering, light in its normal setting but firming up as you cycle through the drive modes, is direct, but not twitchy, the ride is firm, but not uncomfortable, the engine (at least, the 45 TFSI we drove on launch) is capable without being ridiculous. 

The end result is a predictably competent drive experience, with the A5 delivering in the areas it should, largely before you even notice. 

The only downside to all of that, though, is that the experience is so predictable, that there are few surprises, positive or negative, thrown in. It can leave you feeling slightly disconnected from the experience, rather than truly engaged.

Now, a disclaimer, we spent limited time in the A5 on launch, so we'll wait until we get it in the CarsGuide garage before making a final verdict. But I'd be surprised if we liked it any less over a longer period.

Standard safety kit includes eight airbags, parking sensors front and rear, a 360-degree parking camera, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, rear cross-traffic alert, exit warning, and lane keep assist and lane change assist, along with a bevy of airbags, with the A5 range still wearing a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

The A5 Sportback 45 TFSI is covered by Audi’s three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended at 15,000km/12-month intervals. A three-year plan is available for $1800 in total, while a five-year plan can be bought for $2810.

Audi, along with its BMW and Benz rivals, continues to offer less warranty coverage than the mainstream brands and the low score here reflects this duration, and the lack of individual capped-price servicing.

All Audi's are covered by a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with servicing required every 12 months or 15,000km.

You can pre-pay your service costs for three or five years, which will set you back $1800 for three years or $2820 for five years.