Audi A5 2011 Review

ECONOMY motoring as a genre doesn't have a sleek two-door body and a $100,000 price tag. It will, however, probably have a diesel engine. Though seemingly at odds with each other, the three ingredients aren't uncommon in Europe. BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are generous providers. The primary reason for their success in Europe is buyer demand for a stylish car that has the long fuel range of the frugal diesels.

The carmakers are equally as pragmatic - they put diesel engines into anything that moves because the low carbon-dioxide emissions reduce their fleet emission penalty. Australians are more emotive - they like the prestige diesels because they go like stink. That's where the Audi A5 3.0 TDI comes in.

VALUE

Straight up - you don't have $100,000 in your pocket and then buy a car for economy. At $91,900 the A5 Coupe 3.0 TDI is all panache. It turns a lot of heads and sparks a lot of questions. This V6 diesel-engined model is $4000 cheaper than its 3.2-litre V6 petrol sister. It has the same gear - leather, all-wheel drive quattro system, auto and sweet audio - but aside from saving on the purchase, it's quicker to 100km/h than the petrol and gets 6.6 L/100km against the petrol's 9.3 L/100km. That's about a 1000km range compared with the petrol's 700km.

DESIGN

Beautiful. Despite the rather heavy-handed near-vertical grille, the A5 Coupe is both balanced and head-swivelling. It looks aggressive from the front - almost dainty in profile and purposeful at its tail. Driver visibility is actually quite good - park sensors help! - though if you want to regularly cart four people, go for the A5 Sportback and its five doors. Rear seat room in the Coupe is okay for two adults on a short run, but dependant on having average-size people in the front seats. Boot space is excellent and fold-down rear seat makes it almost cavernous, but space-saver tyre mounted on a plinth ( to save money on a full-size spare) looks cheap. Instruments, quality of finish and design of the dashboard is spot on.

TECHNOLOGY

Hmmm. Big V6 turbo-diesel driving all wheels through a seven-cog dual-clutch automated manual - DSG to us but Audi calls it S-Tronic - gearbox pretty much says it all. The electric-hydraulic steering is better than similar systems. Putting a heavy V6 ahead of the front axles invites understeer but there's a lot of trickery with metal rods and springs and relocated components to minimise the handling disadvantages of a heavy nose. Having all-wheel drive also helps.

SAFETY

Five stars when you hit the concrete and six airbags with all the (now) expected chassis and brake electronics. It's the full suite and that complements the Audi's feeling of solidity on the road.

DRIVING

Forget traditional diesel engine noise - the Audi's diesel rumble at idle is so muted that it sounds more like a big-bore petrol. That's outside the car. Inside it's just a faint growl at idle; inaudible at cruising and only present again when the accelerator is mashed. Acceleration is brilliant, more linear than you'd first expect and absolutely seamless the way it rapidly ditches one ratio and picks up the next. Fantastic punch at the mid-corner also creates eye-watering slingshot exits. It's also very comfortable (if you're in the front), has a supple ride and is so confident through the corners, unless you fang it when it gets a tad nose heavy.

VERDICT

Unexpectedly good. Basically the chassis and the drivetrain layout defies physics - like a mirror of the 911 - but really works well. I think you get more driving thrills out of this diesel than the equivalent petrol model. But still not a cheap car and while the five-door Sportback may make more sense, it's nowhere near as pretty.

AUDI A5 3.0TDI QUATTRO

Price: $91,900
Warranty: 3 years, unlimited km, roadside assist
Resale: 59%
Service interval: 15,000km or 12 months
Economy: 6.6 l/100km; 174g/km CO2
Safety equipment: six airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC
Crash rating: 5 star
Engine: 176kW/500Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Transmission: Seven-speed DSG auto
Body: 2-door, 4 seats
Dimensions: 4625 (L); 1854mm (W); 1372mm (H); 2751mm (WB)
Weight: 1620kg
Tyres: 245/40R18, space-saver spare