Short Take Road Test
Diesels aren’t that quick, right?
Well, the European-spec Audi A5 3.0 TDI is as fast off the line as an A5 with the gasoline-fired 3.2-liter V-6, blasting from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. And 100 mph comes up in 15.4 seconds, just 0.3 second slower than the naturally aspirated gasoline machine. If the diesel car had been geared to reach 60 mph before our intrepid tester had to snatch third gear, it would have been quicker still, probably besting the BMW 335d’s 0-to-60-mph time of 5.7 seconds.
The Quattro all-wheel-drive system in the A5 is good for swift launches, of course, but the car only has 240 hp on tap versus 265 for the Bimmer, and 369 lb-ft of torque against 425. This engine seems better matched in this application than the BMW diesel does in a rear-drive 3-series, because the immense torque makes the 335d tricky to launch. What was most impressive about the Audi’s 3.0-liter direct-injection turbo-diesel, however, is the linearity of its power delivery. Most diesels run out of breath well before the redline approaches, but this Audi engine keeps pulling strongly until the tach needle hits 4800 rpm.
Diesel Economy in a Delicious Package
When it came to gas mileage, the Audi lived up to the advance publicity. We got 32 mpg out of the A5, 3 mpg better than the 335d. That’s also 12 mpg up on the A5 3.2 we tested, a pretty remarkable result.
Despite teeny 17-inch wheels and tires—the 3.2-liter V-6 S-line tester had 19s—the diesel version retains the A5’s visual drama, and there aren’t many better looking coupes out there. Our test car—loaned to us by the folks at Honeywell—had an interior that was relatively bare bones, at least compared with the loaded cars that make it to the U.S., but it was still nicely trimmed and comfortable.
This car makes it simple to see why Audis have become so popular in Europe, where diesel engines are king. The A5 TDI doesn’t give up much, if anything, to the BMW 335d coupe and is better looking with a nicer interior. For the U.S. market, where gasoline rules the roost, the 3.2-liter V-6 just isn’t in the same league as the 335i’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six, though.
Of course, with gas hovering near two bucks per gallon, diesels don’t really have a chance here, but impending fuel-economy and emissions regulations—combined with the possibility of more expensive gasoline—could have Audi thinking about importing this sweet machine to the U.S. We’d love to be able to regularly drive this engine in something other than the Q7 crossover SUV.
