The Audi A5 is a range of compact executive cars manufactured and marketed by the German company Audi. The A5 was introduced in 2007 and is currently in its second generation since 2018. The A5 range consists of a two-door coupe, two-door convertible (cabriolet), and five-door hatchback (Sportback) a liftback with a fastback roofline. There are three available trims: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige.
What’s new?
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The 2020 Audi A5 is still available in convertible, coupe, and Sportback body styles. The exterior styling received some cosmetic changes which include larger air inlets and a more angular grille. Interior changes include a new 10.1-inch high-resolution touchscreen infotainment system. Some trims came with a secondary screen for climate control
Here we take a brief look at the 5 pros and 5 cons of the A5 as a way of knowledge sharing so as to assist you in arriving at an informed decision of whether to buy on not buy this car. Please follow through.
5 Pros
Lively Engines
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The 2020 A5 offers excellent handling and an agile ride, while power is decent.
Under the hood, the 2020 A5 comes fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine with 248 hp. The engine is attached to a 7-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission. The A5 comes with a standard Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD), with power distributed to the four wheels, improving the car’s grip on the pavement.
The combination makes for a calm, vigorous performance. The hatchback model clocked 0-97 kph in 5.7 seconds with a maximum speed of 209 kph. The engine is responsive and quiet and pairs well with the equally responsive transmission.
Dazzling And Comfortable Ride
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The 2020 A5 was not built to be practical, and it is not. The convertible and coupe are best suited for two occupants and possibly for a leisurely trip with a few bags, but the five-door hatchback is remarkably versatile.
Its road manners are the closest you can get to perfection, as you can never find fault. The four-door coupe is a true mixture of sharp and agile responses with comfortability.
The steering’s weighting is inch-perfect and responses to driver inputs are precise. The Quattro all-wheel-drive system improves the car’s grip and composure on the road even in slippery conditions. There’s an optional S Sport Package on the Prestige trim that adds a Quattro sport rear differential with adaptive damping suspension, but this upgrade is not necessary thanks to a basically adequate setup.
The car is not agitated by bumps regardless of its size. The cabin is well insulated, no road noise enters the cabin making the environment calm.
High-Quality Interior
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The interior of the 2020 A5 is truly premium. A blend of soft-touch plastics and textured aluminum with finely grained wood trim is available to create a sociable and friendly atmosphere. The convertible just like the other models has a quiet cabin, thanks to its sound-isolating soft-top.
Standard features include leather upholstery and front power-adjustable (eight – or ten-way) seats that are comfortable and can be adjusted to the desired position of the user. You can also opt for front sports seats with better support, but you better try them before you buy. Rear-seat occupants on the coupe or convertible models will struggle to access the rear seats via the two front doors, although on the convertible you can always hop over the door (careful). The hatchback (Sportback) has better rear legroom but is let down by the slopping roofline that eats up the headroom a little.
Cargo is very poor on the coupe and convertible models, while the hatchback is better. It can take about 623 liters of goods with the rear seat in place.
Intuitive Tech Features
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The 2020 A5s infotainment system was updated, and it now comes standard with a 10.1-inch MMI touch responsive touchscreen. Its interface is intuitive making interacting with the system a pleasure. The 12.3-inch virtual cockpit available on the Premium Plus and Prestige trim is a welcome.
Other tech features include the Audi Pre Sense Basic collision detection system which automatically tightens the seat belts and rolls up the windows when an imminent collision is detected, the Audi Pre Sense Front system with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking.
A Good Deal Of Standard And Optional Tech Features
The 2020 A5 comes packed with plenty of standard and optional features.
Amenities
The standard Premium trim comes with a MIB 3 infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a 10-speaker stereo, Bluetooth, two USB ports, HD Radio, leather upholstery, tri-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, power-adjustable front seats, a moonroof, and ambient LED interior lighting. The Premium Plus mid-trim adds Audi’s Virtual Cockpit with a 12.3-inch TFT configurable digital instrument cluster, satellite radio, a digital instrument cluster, and wireless device charging, while the top-spec Prestige trim gains a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, navigation, and a Wi-Fi hot spot.
Safety
Standard active safety features found on the Premium trim include an Audi Pre Sense Front (automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and pedestrian detection), Audi Pre Sense Basic (for detecting an imminent collision), and a rearview camera.
The mid-trim Premium Plus adds Audi Pre Sense Side (for detecting impending side collisions), front and rear parking sensors, vehicle exit warning, and Audi Pre Sense Rear (rear cross-traffic alert and blind spot monitoring).
The top-spec Prestige trim adds traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, parallel and perpendicular park assist, a head-up display, and a surround-view parking camera system.
5 Cons
Limited Boot In Coupe And Convertible Models
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The 2020 A5 convertible has a 380-liter boot with the roof in place and 320 liters with the roof lowered while the coupe has a 465-liter boot. These are decent-sized boots for their class, but some models offer much larger boots. Loading and offloading goods in parts of these boots can be tricky as it might require placing a section of your body into the boot to be able to access the far ends of the boot.
Limited Interior Storage
The 2020 A5 comes with several cubbies and storage bins that don’t conform to the same convention. Small items such as smartphones, keys, snacks, jewelry, and other small items can be stored with ease, but when it comes to bulkier items such as water bottles, you won’t find a place to store them.
It’s too bad the various storage bins and cubbies don’t follow the same convention. You’ll easily find places for smartphones, snacks, and other small items, but bulkier objects such as oversize water bottles will have no proper storage areas.
High MSRP
The 2020 A5 has its MSRP starting at $42,900 which can rise to 60,000+ depending on spec. This is a very high price for an ordinary buyer. For $42,900 you get the standard A5 Sportback (Premium trim) before tax and registration. If you opt for the mid-spec (Premium Plus) the price rises to $46,700 and the top-spec (Prestige) will cost $52,600. The A5 Coupe attracts similar prices despite its size and shape.
You must remember, that these prices are exclusive of any upgrade packages. Prices of upgrade packages range between $1,300 and $1,600.
Cramped Interior In Coupe And Convertible Models
The 2020 A5 coupe and convertible models are four-seaters. Its cabin isn’t that spacious, the front seat occupants can easily bump elbows in pursuit of comfort, and the rear seats are best reserved for occasional use for average-sized adults.
Out in the second row, there’s just about enough space. Getting into the second row is a bit tricky as the passage is too narrow; unless you hop over for the sake of a convertible with the roof off. Getting a child seat to the second row via the folded seat can prove to be a real debacle.
Sibling A4 Is More Practical
There are three models of the 2020 A5 which are the coupe, convertible, and hatchback (Sportback) with all having varying practicality. Comparing these three with their A4 sibling in terms of cargo capacity, the A5 hatchback and the A4 saloon cargo space are about the same size at 480 liters. The A5 coupe cargo space is reduced to 465 liters, while the A5 convertibles cargo space further reduces to 380 liters with the roof up and 320 liters with the roof down and this is due to the folding roof taking up part of the boot.
Access to the A5 hatchback boot is more practical compared to the hinged boot opening on the A4.
For families with several adult passengers or older children, the legroom and headroom in the A5 coupe can be distressing, especially for those with claustrophobia. So if you are planning to haul lots of people around, we recommend the A4 due to its superior headroom, as even headroom in the A5 hatchback (Sportback) is affected by its sloping rear roofline.
Final Verdict
There is no such thing as perfection in the real world, but some things come close to it, and one of those is the Audi A5 hatchback (Sportback). Apart from rear headroom, finding fault in the A5 hatchback (Sportback) is a waste of time. It is simply a job well done: it’s stylish but not too pretentious, it’s powerful yet efficient, and comfortable yet fun to drive. Audi’s mastery for crafting premium interiors can be witnessed in the A5, with every finish showcasing a quality feel. The hatchback is also versatile, as it comes with a larger trunk than the coupe, convertible, and every other Audi sedan. Overall, all A5 trims are fantastic choices depending on needs.
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I am a Telecom & ICT specialist with a career spanning over 15 years in the demanding Tanzanian telecom industry.
I am also an avid DIYer with a good knack for everything technical and a wealth of vocational skills, with automotive being the top, and here I am writing about cars.
In 2017 a guy created a WhatsApp group called MyCar for the sole purpose of members helping each other with all matters regarding cars. I joined this group in 2018, and with my enormous wealth of knowledge regarding cars, and my readiness to share the knowledge with others, I became a top contributor, and that didn’t go unnoticed, as one member thought I was a potential writer and had contacts with Be Forward Japan who were looking for writers then. Fast forward to January 2020, I began writing for the Be Forward blog with 2024 being my fourth year.
As far as I can remember, I love cars, and growing up in the farming and tourist city of Arusha Tanzania in the ’80s and ’90s, I ended up being drawn to the Ranger Rover Classic for leisure and Land Cruiser 70 pickup as a workhorse. These were tough cars then, cars that could take you anywhere any time no matter the weather.
