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Audi A5 3.2 Quattro Review

greenwad submitted on 07/02/2008 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 3:54 PM
from: carwad.net

[42] user comments | category: Reviews

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Tags: audi, audi a5, audi a5 3.2 quattro, audi s5, audi tt 3.2 quattro

Tag Links: audi, audi a5, audi a5 3.2 quattro, audi s5, audi tt 3.2 quattro

Audi A5 3.2 Quattro Review

In the old days, a coupe was considered more of a driver’s car than a sedan. A two-door car provided its owner with more style and driving pleasure than a family-oriented four-door.

Times have changed, as sedans have gotten more adventurous designs and more powerful engines. The coupe has pretty much lost its place in the market, and a decreasing number of manufacturers are producing them now, since a lot less customers are buying them.

But the luxury brands haven’t given up on the coupe, as they still seem to believe that they have potential, as long as they don’t simply look like the 2-door variation of an existing sedan. The new A5 and S5 models in Audi’s line-up are perfect examples.

Absolutely gorgeous
Now, here’s a great-looking car. The A5 is just beautiful, as it looks like the stunning R8’s little sister. A lot of time can be spent admiring the headlight clusters, with the LED driving lights that support the xenon headlights. When the car approaches in your rear view mirror, you’ll know it’s a new Audi.

The car’s fluid shape races right down to the rear end, with an integrated trunklid spoiler and tasteful taillights. A character line floats over the front and rear fenders, gracing them with muscle and elegance. Top all this off with a set of magnificent-looking, optional 19-inch alloys, and you’ve got quite an attention-grabbing car. Audi’s artistic department deserves a bonus for creating such a striking corporate design, because the A5 draws more stares than a federal minister’s hot girlfriend.

Sumptuous cockpit
Inside, the car’s officespace is finished with high-quality materials, including comfortable leather seats and solid-feeling switchgear. The dashboard’s conception isn’t as breathtaking as the car’s bodywork, but you get to appreciate its elegance.

Surrounding the shift lever is an array of buttons, including those that control the MMI on-board information center. The latter is isn’t all that complicated to use, maybe because I’m slowing getting used to it, but somehow it feels a little less intuitive than in the competition’s similar setups.

At night, the console glows blood-red, which is a little marginal. The navigation system is reasonably easy to operate and the screen is very legible, but finding a specific location such as a restaurant is much more complex.

Rear-seat space and comfort is adequate, although getting in is obviously a little complicated. A thoughtful feature that helps entry and exit is power switches located on the top of the front seats, which moves them fore and aft without having to reach for the controls located on the side of the seat cushions. As for the power sunroof, it opens up only about an inch, so it’s not very useful. Read Article

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AgentOrange - 7/2/2008 5:06:20 PMView My AgentSpace

+5 Boost

Beautiful vehicle, but why do they have to add weight and inches to every new model.
They better figure out how to build beautiful smaller/lighter cars - and soon........

reply to this comment

tattedtwice - 7/2/2008 8:26:02 PM

+2 Boost

The A5 is by no means a porker, even though it's a good sized coupe. It's lighter than competing AWD Bimmers, and certainly lighter than the fat ass, leisurely accelerating g37 and clk.

qweasdzxc - 7/2/2008 10:44:25 PM

+2 Boost

What? Are you talking about A5 or S5? BMW 335 xi coupe weighs only 30 lb more than A5, and G37 is in fact 100 lb lighter. What's more, S5 weighs 160 lb more than A5. So, if G37 is "leisurely accelerating", then 3.2 A5 must be, what, leisurely strolling?

But I do agree w/ you for one thing. A5 is by no means "beautiful". It surely looks like a porker compared to 3 coupe or G37. :)

IamEvilHomer - 7/6/2008 10:36:32 PM

+1 Boost

this car is lighter silly boy

tattedtwice - 7/2/2008 8:30:00 PM

+1 Boost

I would never be able to call either the A or S5 "beautiful." Beautiful should be reserved for Aston's, not coupes that are just slightly better than average looking.

reply to this comment

SixxFive - 7/2/2008 8:51:39 PM

+2 Boost

Wow...$60K for this car and the TT recently tested by Autoweek was approx. $55K. I would feel better about a purchase if Audi's didn't depreciate like rocks.

reply to this comment

bulldogz - 7/2/2008 9:24:12 PM

+2 Boost

Bingo! And for those that think the limited supply/sales of these car will change that, just look at the A8 (wait a year and you can easily save over $20-25k on one).

For some reason, just like the 335i coupe, the taillights seem uninspiring, almost an afterthought IMO.

Vantage - 7/3/2008 11:06:42 AM

+1 Boost

They do fall out of bed quickly but then flatten out. Thats good for patient buyers...Unlike myself who bought a damn Q7 the day it came out. Oh well I love the thing.

irie77 - 7/3/2008 2:41:47 PM

+1 Boost

This is in Canadian dollars. It starts at $39.9K USD

amazinBimmer - 7/2/2008 9:26:42 PM

-4 Boost

"quattro"

a synonym for "we make badly engineered fwd cars that we lift directly from plebian VW. We need to add this feature to trick the US public by selling them on the benefits of better all weather compatibility at the expense of a proper rwd luxury car set up"

wow.. great marketing. I particularly like the reptile on the logo(or whatever the crap that is...).

"Please visit us for our other trick.. "Limited" which is what we use when we get our asses kicked by a comparable M car"

Joke

reply to this comment

bulldogz - 7/2/2008 9:32:43 PM

+2 Boost

...and yet the AWD version from BMW is consistently rated lower than quattro. When you can safely drive an M car or the hardtop cabrio year-round in New England, call me. Otherwise I'm forced to spend twice as much money to own 2 BMWs when one Audi can do the same.

aarononymous - 7/2/2008 10:09:34 PM

+2 Boost

Again though the majority of BMW buyers don't know or care their car is RWD.

steve27t - 7/2/2008 11:26:47 PM

+2 Boost

When BMW de-Bangles its cars they might make something as good looking as the A5 (and the R8), although the coupe 3 is pretty nice. If immitation is the best form of flattery then BMW's X series shows how good Quattro is. How many times do people have to point out that the VW/Audi parts crossover is extremely limited to Amizinglystudpid?????

IamEvilHomer - 7/3/2008 12:19:48 AM

+2 Boost

amazing has the same comments in the last 2000 post

zzzzzzzz

I notice people that have nothing to support only can find faults in others

Vantage - 7/3/2008 11:10:50 AM

+3 Boost

Amazin, we realize you think BMW is the best, enough already. For you to think Audi is shit is sheer stupidity. They are both great cars and its nice to have them both as fine German enginering options!(choices) Its time to come around to the dark side....

bulldogz - 7/2/2008 9:34:23 PM

-1 Boost

Oh, and where this article came up with $73k for a CLK350 is beyond me, they start at $47k, I doubt MB offers $26k in options! I'll assume they meant the CLK500...

reply to this comment

ThierryHenry14 - 7/2/2008 10:15:05 PM

+2 Boost

Its not US pricing. A5 3.2 Quattro in US starts at 41K. I'm more than positive this is Canadian market pricing...

bulldogz - 7/3/2008 7:36:11 AM

+2 Boost

thank you, my bad Thierry.

FactsRule - 7/3/2008 8:39:06 AM

+1 Boost

You want to talk about "uninspired taillights", look no futher than Mercedes Benz.. Every time I pass one of the new C Class sedans I think it is a older Toyota Camry from behind. The only way I know it is a MB C class is when I look back in my rearview mirror and see the hood emblem.

Agent63 - 7/4/2008 7:00:44 AMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

You must have a wild imagination because i see no Toyota Camry in it. You want to talk about uninspired? Look at the Lexus SC430. I wouldn't call a turtle inspiring.

VISO - 7/2/2008 10:28:41 PM

0 Boost

This is an Australian site. Therefore the difference in dollars. Not USD. Again, thank you amazingidiot for your insightful rant. The funniest thing is you actually brainwashed yourself to believe what you are saying is real and assume everyone else actually cares.

reply to this comment

amazinBimmer - 7/2/2008 10:59:57 PM

-2 Boost

bulldogz... not an issue when you can actually afford it...

reply to this comment

IamEvilHomer - 7/3/2008 12:23:14 AM

0 Boost

the xi is an afterthought
bmw lifts the car so high it looks like an X3

btw bmw= market share dropping even with the large discounts

Audi= future is bright
only 3,000 cars diffrent from the A4 vs 3 series

bulldogz - 7/3/2008 7:34:51 AM

+3 Boost

well let's see, I currently drive an 07' A8, before that GS450h, then an M5 and an E55. I like alot of diff. cars, not just one brand, and my wife currently drives a 335i cabrio (great car).

You seem to think that a BMW costs significantly more than an Audi...yet it doesn't.

JRobUSC - 7/3/2008 7:29:34 PM

+1 Boost

EvilHomer, first off the suspension on the 3-Series all-wheel drive models is just the standard 3-Series suspension, it's not "lifted like an X3".

Second, it might have been "only 3000 cars different between the A4 and 3-Series" last month (helped out by the model closeout pricing and lease incentives Audi is running on 2008 A4's) but that 3000 cars is pretty big when you're only selling 7500 total cars. Those 3000 extra 3-Series sales would represent 40% of Audi's total monthly sales. BMW sold 3000 more 3's then Audi did A4's and then went and sold an extra 12500 other vehicles over and above the rest of what Audi sold.

And keep in mind I LIKE Audi. I'm not throwing dirt on them, just pointing out that its easy to skew numbers one way if you don't present them in context. You've already said you work for Audi, you don't always have to be in a pissing match with BMW. Don't let AmazinBimmer and some of the other idiots on this site turn you into Tecnik, MichaelTaylor, etc.

amazinBimmer - 7/2/2008 11:00:45 PM

-1 Boost

and aaronidiot.. we all do know AND care..

reply to this comment

IamEvilHomer - 7/3/2008 12:25:08 AM

0 Boost

the typical BMW buyer is a princess they don't care

aarononymous - 7/3/2008 7:16:38 PM

+2 Boost

I don't think most BMW owners what you grouping yourself with them.

daytonaviolet - 7/3/2008 9:25:11 PM

+1 Boost

I sold BMWs for a few years. We would actually get quite a few people in looking at the cars that thought they were front wheel drive. If the question came up we would explain the virtues of RWD, but many of these people had no clue.

btw, I think Audi makes great cars. I've worked at both an Audi dealer and a BMW dealer. If you think Audis are so inferior, you're just missing out.

BJS470 - 7/2/2008 11:38:16 PM

+1 Boost

the majority of bmw owners can read the brochure too and think they know it all.

reply to this comment

Maverick2020 - 7/3/2008 11:48:19 AM

0 Boost

In person, the A5/S5's proportions seem a little off.

I agree that it is a beautiful vehicle, especially compared to the 3-series and CLK. Performance wise, the 3-series pretty much wipes all of its competition, but at least for now.

reply to this comment

volnedan - 7/3/2008 12:25:10 PM

+1 Boost

OK seriously, 0-60 on 6.7 seconds isn't really considered "blasting". G37 hits 60 in about 5.4, and the 335 gets there in about 4.8. What justifies the excessive cost increase of this car?

Don't get me wrong, i love audis, but i just don't get the marketing for this vehicle. They saw it has quattor, but so does 335xi and soon to be G37x, both well over 300hp.

However, audi does have the best looking interior of them all.

reply to this comment

volnedan - 7/3/2008 12:26:46 PM

+1 Boost

Sorry, a few corrections:
*They say it has quattro*

Heyhuub - 7/3/2008 12:58:06 PM

+3 Boost

I've seen figures below 6 seconds for this car. I think Road and Track even got 0-60 in 5.5 and a 14.0 second 1/4 mile for the 3.2.

Heyhuub - 7/3/2008 12:58:33 PM

+2 Boost

Must be because it's an automatic they tested here.

Htay7500 - 7/3/2008 3:58:06 PM

+3 Boost

this isn't an suv...

reply to this comment

daytonaviolet - 7/3/2008 9:30:00 PM

+2 Boost

Interesting, so I guess you didn't bother reading the article before posting? Or even look at the picture?

reply to this comment

Agent63 - 7/4/2008 7:02:20 AMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

MichaelTaylor needs to learn how to read before typing. Maybe that's why most of his comments are baseless claims and information.

How can you switch A5 with Q5? I can't see how you can get those two letters mixed up.

reply to this comment

amazinBimmer - 7/6/2008 5:07:13 PM

+1 Boost

6.7 seconds vs. 4.8 for the bimmer... sounds about right.. heheheh.. its what inferior engineering with a VW fwd platfrom is all about...

reply to this comment

IamEvilHomer - 7/6/2008 10:37:27 PM

+1 Boost

the 328xi is 4.8? wOW you running NOx?

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