New Audi A5 first drive review Audi’s outgoing A5 coupe has always looked the business

Auto Trader verdict:

S5 is a coupe spacious, stylish and beautifully constructed that provide stonking performance, handling and comfort impressive disturbed. Therefore, meet briefly as leggy express highway perfect. This is not a short agility, good, although the steering is more communicative will help no end. If he has an Achilles Heel, it is the low-speed driveability. While the low-speed throttle response is too sudden and shocking jerky gearbox, too often early-gearshift strategy forces the engine to rev band that creates uncomfortable excessive vibration.

Need to know:

• Longer wheelbase and more space inside than the previous model
• Initially available with a choice of two petrol and three diesel engines, plus high-performance S5
• On sale July, with prices from £45,000 (est.)

At the risk of kicking off an almighty Twitter ruckus – protestations on a postcard, please – we’d suggest that the outgoing A5 Coupe is one of the more stylish and classically ageless motors of the last decade. 

So, really, it comes as no surprise that Audi’s designers have decided to retain the essence of the outgoing model when sketching its replacement. 

Granted, the combination of a longer wheelbase, shorter overhangs, and a grille that’s wider and flatter, give the new car a lower, more muscular appearance. Nevertheless, with that characteristic ‘shoulder line’ accentuating those pronounced wheelarches, there can be no mistaking the A5’s stylistic heritage. 

The interior is typical Audi; in other words, typically flawless. Adorned with impeccable materials and assembled with zealous attention to detail, as well as the option of Audi’s ‘virtual cockpit’ that replaces the conventional dials with a full-LED display, the cabin provides a highly effective blend of tech and sophistication. 

Perhaps the most significant difference in the new car, however, is that its longer wheelbase translates into more space for the driver, and in particular, rear passengers. At the same time, the boot is 10 litres larger, so it’s now capable of swallowing 465 litres of luggage; and, there's a 40/20/40 split/fold rear seat as standard. 

The new coupe also provides a full suite of technology to improve safety and comfort, including a City Safe system, which autonomously brakes the car if it detects an impending collision. There’s also Stop and Go Traffic Assist, which uses radar to stop and start the car in heavy traffic, while maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front. 

Initially, mainstream A5s will be available with a choice of two petrol and three diesel engines, all stronger and more efficient than the equivalent units in the previous A5, with power outputs ranging from 187- to 282bhp; and, at the top of the range sits the S5 that we are testing here. It has a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine that produces 349bhp and is enough to get the new S to 62mph in less than five seconds. 

Along with its defining silver door mirrors, the S5 also comes standard with Audi’s Quattro four-wheel-drive system, a new steering rack, and the latest adaptive suspension, which Audi claims combines sporty handling with a comfortable ride over long distances. Of course, we’ll be the best judge of that.

What's it like?

Even though it's more of a cultured autobahn express than an out-and-out tyre-shredder – that’s a territory reserved for the upcoming RS5 – the S5 is not a car that likes to be driven sedately. 

For example, when driving in heavy traffic, abrupt throttle reactions, a rather clunky automatic gearbox (which seems determined to select the loftiest of its eight gears at every opportunity) and a belligerent quad-pipe exhaust conspire to produce a level of boom and vibration akin to standing next to the bass bin at an Iron Maiden concert. 

It’s a similarly irksome story when encountering relatively low-speed bends. While a lopsided, nose-heavy feel doesn’t help matters, a steering wheel that's so devoid of feel you’d swear it communicates via lawyers, means you’re left to guess at what the front wheels are up to. 

As a consequence, in all too many instances, especially going downhill on a trailing throttle, you find yourself taking several exploratory bites at the flat-bottom steering wheel rather than executing one smooth turn. 

It’s not until you generate some heat in the tyres, hustle the wind beneath the front spoiler and bully the Quattro system to transfer a healthy dose of the engine’s power to the rear wheels, that the S5's chassis neutralises and the steering begins to come to you. And make no mistake, when the road dries and opens up, the S5 simply flies. 

 

The car keeps every bit of the fat 20-inch tyres' contact patches glued to the road, and combined with the awe-inspiring traction of the fully engaged Quattro system and neatly constrained body roll, it all means the S5 sacks off high-speed corners with real gusto. 

The turbocharged V6 engine is a proper weapon, too. With an intense power delivery and a willingness to rev close to self-destruction, it’ll have you giggling uncontrollably as you rag it repeatedly up to the red line. 

You’ll also find yourself raving about the S5’s brakes, because they’re simply epic. Delivering immense stopping power, they’re some of the best steel discs brakes we've driven; and, as they're coordinated by a pedal bristling with feel and precision, we can only imagine how good things might have been, had Audi’s engineers dialled the same level of precision into the S5’s steering. 

Although we might not agree entirely with Audi’s proud-as-punch chassis engineers – there’s still a sensation of body shake detectable when encountering sharper low-speed abrasions – we would concede that the S5’s active dampers do a very effective job of blending comfort and control across the speed range. As a consequence, the new car is a far more comfortable proposition than the old, rather ham-fisted model. 

Inside, everything is sweetness and light, literally. With the exterior mirrors now mounted on the doors, and the windscreen pillars appearing slimmer than the previous car's, there’s none of the claustrophobic feel that you get in some rakish coupes. Things are more than tolerable in the rear, too. With enough space for a couple of adults to travel in reasonable comfort, you may even be able to convince your fleet manager that your clients will be more than happy to ride shotgun and that the S5 should definitely be on your user-chooser list.

S5 is, beautifully appointed coupe that looks amazing, and we can also imagine many buyers will pre-order one without ever sat behind the wheel of the flat bottom.

Offering a brilliant performance - although sometimes hampered by jerky automatic gearbox - and safe, predictable, high-speed handling. It is a wee bit awkward at low speed, something not helped by steering clear and raving exhaust note, but the real forte was as a high speed cruiser leggy and comfortable for smart drivers, who regularly eat high mileage. If that sounds like you, then the S5 could be up your street.

Key facts:

• Model: Audi S5
• Price: from £45,000 (est.)
• Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine, eight-speed automatic
• Power/Torque: 349bhp/369lb ft
• 0-62mph: 4.7sec
• Top speed: 155mph
• Economy: 38.7mpg
• CO2/BIK tax band: 166g/km/30%
• Boot 465 litres

Also consider:

BMW 4 Series Coupe 

The 4 Series Coupe is effectively a rakish two-door version of BMW’s hugely successful 3 Series saloon. With a wide range of efficient powertrains to suit most budgets, and a choice of rear or four-wheel-drive, it sets the dynamic benchmark in this category. 

Mercedes C-Class Coupe 

The latest Mercedes C-Class Coupe takes all that is good about the saloon, and wraps it in a flash-looking two-door body. Dynamic tweaks ensure it also drives better than its saloon sibling, while the cabin is decked out with reassuringly expensive materials. 

Lexus RC 

We’re pretty sure most folk will agree that the RC is one cool-looking coupe. It’s beautifully built, impressively specified and surprisingly comfortable. It is pretty portly, however, and as a result, it’s not as good to drive as BMW 4 Series.

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