Audi A5 Coupe 2.0 TFSI Quattro 2014 Review

If outright performance and aggression is your sports coupe cup of tea, Audi will happily serve you a scalding hot 331kW/430Nm RS5. 

However at half the RS5's price of entry, the A5 Coupe 2.0 TFSI Quattro represents a sweet spot in the two-door's lineup; promising sufficient style and performance to satisfy most.  

VALUE

The A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro we tested was fitted with the S-line Competition pack, which Audi Australia has limited to just 50 examples. 

The Competition nameplate suggests an A5 coupe with more go-fast bits bolted on, but in reality it’s more of a styling exercise than anything else.  

You get sporty-looking S-line bumpers fore and aft, big 20-inch wheels and a few gloss black exterior trimmings – namely the mirror caps, side blades, front and rear bumper inserts and small lip spoiler on the bootlid. 

Inside there’s a pair of Alcantara and leather sports seats for the front passengers and a flat-bottom steering wheel. 

Sports suspension has been fitted but otherwise it’s pretty conventional beneath the skin. 

The A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro Competition is priced from $83,300 with a six-speed manual or $85,200 with the S-tronic dual-clutch automatic, those prices represent an increase of around $9000 over the cost of a standard model.  

As standard you get Audi’s MMI infotainment system with satnav, Bluetooth connectivity and reversing camera which works in parallel with front and rear parking sensors. The A5 also has keyless entry and start/stop, plus xenon headlights with neat-looking daytime running LEDs. 

Like most Audi products you still don’t get a USB port for charging portable devices, rather the A5 offers a proprietary cable for smartphones, which isn’t particularly user friendly.

iPhone 5 owners won’t be able to connect  either as the cable only supports devices equipped with a 30-pin plug.

The Competition cars are limited to five colours, which include Ibis White, Glacier White, Daytona Grey, Sepang Black and the Misano Red of the example we tested.

DESIGN

The Audi A5 Coupe is a great looking machine. The S-line sports pack adds meatier front and rear bumpers while the Competition extras just make it look that little more special. 

The gloss black design elements add an extra level of style to what was already a pretty solid starting point. But it’s the big 20-inch wheels finished in dark grey that give the A5 Competition its aggressive yet stunning hunkered-down appearance. 

Inside it’s typical Audi in that the design is exceptionally well executed. The leather and Alcantara seats look and feel great with decent side and thigh bolsters that hold you in tight when cornering quickly. 

Rear seat passengers aren’t completely short-changed with the two back seats offering enough space for average-sized adults for short trips. 

The cargo area is surprisingly deep and totals 455-litres VDA of space, which should be plenty for the weekly shop. Inside the cabin there is sufficient storage for drink bottles and other items within the door bins and storage cubbies. 

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION

The A5 Competition uses the VW Group’s versatile EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which produces 165kW/350Nm here, and is coupled to either a six-speed manual or optional S-tronic seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Our test car has the manual.  

The Quattro all-wheel drive system permanently powers all four wheels and uses a self-locking center differential and torque vectoring system to distribute power based on the driving conditions and available grip.

The 2.0 TFSI should be quick enough for most with the 0-100km/h sprint dealt with in 6.4 seconds. The official combined fuel consumption figure is 6.7/100km. 
 
SAFETY

The A5 coupe is fitted with dual front, side and head protecting curtain airbags as well as electronic stability control, which encompasses ABS, ESP, EBD and TC, to give a five star ANCAP rating. 

DRIVING

As per Audi tradition the A5 coupe still has most of its engine located ahead of the front axle, but fine suspension tuning has removed any sense of nose heaviness. 

The 2.0 TFSI Quattro is delightfully composed on the road. Straight-line traction feels infinite, and only when approaching antisocial speeds does it start to run out of cornering grip and default to mild understeer.  

The progressiveness and balance of the chassis means that you can slowly creep up to its limits without the car suddenly surprising you with a big loss of grip. The A5 is a safe handler. 

However, it’s not perfect. Like a lot of Audi products the steering lacks feel and is a little over-assisted. This initial lack of communication doesn’t give you masses of confidence to push the A5 hard, but once you do you’ll realize that it’s a competent handler. 

The benefit of having such light steering is obviously the fact that it’s easy to drive, park and manoeuvre. With a comfortable ride even despite the huge wheels, light and easy manual gear change and quiet and refined interior, this is an easy car to eat up the miles in. 

In fact, it’s so quiet inside the cabin that you can barely hear the smooth four-cylinder engine working beneath the bonnet – even when your foot is hard up against the firewall. So while the A5 Competition is quite a fast car, the performance just feels a little sedate – which will appeal to some and deter others.