2023 Audi A5 Expert Review
Reviewed by Duncan Brady
The A5 is the seductive, sloped-roof cousin of the understated A4 and is available as a hatch-equipped Sportback, two-door Coupe, and drop-top Cabriolet. The Sportback is the most popular, squaring off with the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, the electric BMW i4, and the electric Polestar 2. That four-door model was included in the first-generation A5 lineup but not sold in the U.S.; thankfully, Audi brought it over as part of the second-gen lineup for the 2018 model year.
What's New
- Redesigned standard 18-inch wheels
- Convertible gets newly standard S Line exterior package, sport seats, illuminated door sill plates, and wood inlays
- Matrix design LED headlights now standard
- Premium Plus trim now includes Bang & Olufsen premium audio
- Expanded Black Optic package for the coupe and four-door
- Adaptive cruise control now included as part of the Convenience package
- Chronos Gray replaces Quantum Gray
What We Think
There's a lot to like about the A5, but we've just never fallen in love with it. The fit and finish and build quality are all top notch; it's hard to find a car with tighter panel gaps or more elegant detailing. The interior and exterior design are both elegant, not flashy, and not too minimalist for a luxury car (cough, Tesla Model 3).
The driving experience, though, is just forgettable. This A5 lacks the velvet-hammer qualities of its predecessor. It's quick and competent, plenty for the highway commute or for those who use their car as more of an appliance than a plaything, but we wouldn't call it fun. In our First Drive, we complained of some tire noise on the highway. There's plenty of tech, though, and the Sportback offers a ton of usable cargo space. The A5 is an objectively good car—it just doesn't excite.
Performance and Efficiency
Unless you go for one of the A5's performance variants—the S5 or RS5—every example of this sporty compact Audi is fitted with a 2.0-liter turbo-four working in concert with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. There's a less powerful version in this car's more reserved sibling, the A4, but the A5 only gets the more powerful variant putting out a healthy 261 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. Audi claims the A5 Sportback with this powerplant will scoot to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, and the 2022 model was EPA-rated at 26/34 mpg city/highway. The coupe and convertible return 24/31 mpg.
Safety Ratings and Features
The A5 Sportback earned a 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick (as long as you get the better headlights on the Premium Plus and Prestige trims) and NHTSA five-star overall safety rating. As for features, Audi includes forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking as well as automatic high-beams. If you spring for the Premium Plus or Prestige trims, you'll get adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and side cross-traffic alert.
Cargo Space and Interior Room
The A5 has loads more cargo space than its A4 sibling and more room behind the rear seats than the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. That said, the BMW has more space if you can sacrifice the second-row seating. Legroom is average for the segment.
Technology
Every A5 includes a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system centered in the dashboard, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard. The Premium Plus trim adds a wireless charging pad, and if you go for the top-spec Prestige, you'll get a head-up display and integrated navigation. Those higher trims also feature Audi's 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit display behind the steering wheel.
Like an A5, but Fast!
Audi has two options for you if you want its slinky sportback, coupe, or convertible with a bit more performance potential. First is the S5 with its 3.0-liter single-turbo V-6 putting out 349 hp, good for 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds. Not enough oomph? Look toward the RS5, the fastest and most expensive A5 you can buy. This car has a smaller-displacement 2.9-liter V-6, but it's augmented by a pair of turbochargers and kicks out 444 hp. It launches to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, according to our tests. Careful, though; the last one we tested was nearly $90,000.
