Short Take Road Test
Few can argue against the Audi A5 as a stunning piece of automotive sculpture, its low-slung silhouette and taut sheetmetal looking far more exotic than the car’s price suggests. Of course, our favorite iteration is the gutsy S5 high-performance version, with its 354-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 stirring the soul all the way to its 7000-rpm redline.
But we’re happy to pedal the everyday A5 with the 3.2-liter V-6 or the Euro-only A5 TDI with the 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel, both of which pack nearly the same visual punch as the S5 but with significantly less damage to your wallet. For 2010, Audi is slashing an additional $4700 off the base A5’s starting price—it’s now $36,825—with the fitment of the turbocharged, 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder.
Less Power, Better Package
From the 200-hp variant in the Volkswagen GTI to the 265-hp unit in the Audi TTS, the VW Group’s direct-injected, 2.0-liter turbo four is widely respected around Car and Driver HQ for its overall smoothness and linear power delivery. The version in the 2010 A5 2.0T is the same used in the A4 sedan; it develops 211 hp at 4300 rpm and a stout 258 lb-ft of torque from 1500 to 4200 rpm, thanks to Audi’s variable exhaust-valve lift technology. Quattro all-wheel drive is standard, as it is on all A5/S5 models except the A5 cabriolet, where it is optional.
Compared with the 265-hp, manual-transmission A5 3.2 we’ve tested, the four-cylinder’s horsepower deficit adds 0.4 second to the coupe’s run to 60 mph—6.2 seconds versus 5.8—and stretches the quarter-mile time from 14.5 seconds at 98 mph to 14.9 at 94. Top speed remains the same at a governed 130 mph. Away from the test track, however, the 2.0T feels as drivable and as quick as the V-6, thanks in part to having 15 more lb-ft on tap, and at far fewer revs (the six’s maximum 243 lb-ft aren’t available until 3000 rpm).
What’s more, our 3649-pound 2.0T weighed about 130 fewer pounds than the 3.2 and nearly 170 fewer pounds than the S5, allowing for a more nimble and playful attitude on our favorite back roads. Our impressions were verified on the skidpad, where the 2.0T served up 0.91 g of grip and a 155-foot 70-to-0-mph stopping distance, topping not only the 3.2’s 0.90 g and 159-foot figures but the S5’s 0.88 g and 158-foot measurements as well. All three cars rode on 19-inch wheels wrapped in 255-series Dunlop summer tires, which were part of the 2.0T’s optional Sport package ($1450) that included front sport seats and a stiffer suspension.
The Sport package also adds steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles on models equipped with the $1200 six-speed automatic transmission, but our tester had the delightful standard six-speed manual. Its light, precise shifter made rowing through the gears a breeze, allowing us to better keep the turbo four on the boil. Fuel economy is slightly better, too: 22/30 city/highway mpg versus the auto’s 21/27, with our tester averaging 23 mpg overall. The A5 3.2, which is only offered with the automatic for 2010, is rated at 17/26.
Still Well-Equipped
Options can add up quickly on the A5. Our tester had the $2500 Navigation package (a navigation system with Audi’s MMI system, a color info screen in the gauge cluster, and a rearview camera) and the $3500 Premium Plus package (xenon headlights, LED running lights and taillights, Bluetooth connectivity, three-zone climate control, heated front seats, and Audi’s music interface technology). Special $475 paint pushed the as-tested price to $44,750. Plan on an additional $4000 for a similarly equipped model powered by the 265-hp V-6, which works out to about $74 per pony, or roughly a grand for every 0.1 second you’d gain in the 0-to-60 run.
Our Pick, If You Can’t Swing the S5
The 2.0T’s exhaust note isn’t the sexiest we’ve heard—it sounds farty and inappropriate coming from such a good-looking car—but we’d get used to it if we couldn’t afford to stretch to the $53,225 S5. Our only other issue was a hint of turbo lag that was a bit more noticeable than in lighter 2.0T-powered cars such as the GTI and TT.
Unless you can’t stand the thought or sound of a four-cylinder in your luxury car, the 2.0T is the most logical choice in the A5, and not just because it’s available with a manual gearbox. With a negligible drop in quickness compared with the V-6, along with better fuel economy and slightly improved braking and handling numbers, it’s a perfect example of how downsizing a powertrain doesn’t have to downsize expectations. It’s also a harbinger, with nearly every automaker touting the benefits of and working to introduce smaller-displacement, forced-induction engines.
In the case of the A5, which wraps a high-tech, all-wheel-drive chassis and a beautiful interior in some of the sexiest sheetmetal available for under $50,000, the 2.0T simply makes a great car better. And more affordable, too, which is something else we can’t imagine many buyers arguing against.
