AUDI A5 Sportback

Sonnenblumen

Looking forward to my test drive on Sat of this super looking car. New pricing is very attractive too!

Any driver feedback from anyone?

TheBazman

Which model are you testing and what is the pricing? The reviews I have read are mixed particularly on the ride quality.

Owen

Bass player in my band has one ordered, should be arriving soon. I can't wait to drive it. Let us know how it goes OP?

R.O.R

Not sure if they have even made it to the dealers yet. I was up in Belgard today and they didn't have one in the showroom. Wouldn't surprise me if the first lot only landed on the boat on Friday.

Not sure a hatchback A4 is worth the few thousand premium over the saloon (as that's all it really is). Have the pricing in work and I think the difference is around €3,000 - €4,000

TheBazman

They do look much better than the A4, but definitely not as good as the standard A5 coupe

pburns

Reviews I read were over-whelmingly negative, primarily about the ride. I also think there's a bit of fatigue setting in amonsts journos regarding the multi-layered web of niche models the Germans produce these days.

Is the ride different to the stanard A4? I think they have made it harder to fit in with the sporty image. If that's bad on UK roads it'll be a disaster on ours. I'd have an A4 with Quattro for similar money in preference.

Actually an A5 Sportback with Quattro and the 170bhp engine would - on paper - suit my performance and practical needs to a tee. Would find it a very hard car to get enthusiastic about though:(...

Biro

Probably have a few "hate posts" following this, but I don't care. I think the Passat CC looks a lot better than this. The CC might be a bit overpriced, but this is a lot over priced. And by reports, too firm, whereas the Passat would probably be a better cruiser. Still, 4 rings on the nose does a lot for people in Ireland.

EPM

Biro wrote: »

Probably have a few "hate posts" following this, but I don't care. I think the Passat CC looks a lot better than this. The CC might be a bit overpriced, but this is a lot over priced. And by reports, too firm, whereas the Passat would probably be a better cruiser. Still, 4 rings on the nose does a lot for people in Ireland.

+1. CC gives an arguably better car for Irish conditions than the A5. I like the idea but the reviews I have read on the car have been far from complementary. Torque steer and poor ride quality mentioned in all bar the quattro reviews.

R.O.R

A4 2.0Tdi 170bhp SE = €40,900
A4 Avant 2.0Tdi 170bhp SE = €43,300
A5 Sportback 2.0Tdi 170bhp SE = €44,450


Over 3 1/2 grand more for a hatch over a saloon, and more expensive than the more practical A4 Avant. Think it definately a niche vehicle and we won't see too many of them on the road.

RedorDead

Its not an A4 or based on any A4. Its an A5 through and through. Front to A pillar is taken straight from the Coupe and for A pillar back the underpinnings are actually taken from the A5 Cabriolet.

R.O.R

RedorDead wrote: »

Its not an A4 or based on any A4. Its an A5 through and through. Front to A pillar is taken straight from the Coupe and for A pillar back the underpinnings are actually taken from the A5 Cabriolet.

You can dress it up in all the marketing speak you want , but there are not massive differences in the front of an A4 and any A5, the interior is the same layout and I wouldn't have a clue what the difference is between the underpinnings of an A4 and an A5.

EPM

RedorDead wrote: »

Its not an A4 or based on any A4. Its an A5 through and through. Front to A pillar is taken straight from the Coupe and for A pillar back the underpinnings are actually taken from the A5 Cabriolet.

Admittedly from wiki but:

The new A5 and B8 A4 were based on the Audi MLP platform (Modular Longitudinal Platform) which is planned to underpin the next generation A6 and A8

RedorDead

Its lower, wider and longer than an A4 or A4 Avant. Admittedly its built on a similar interpretation of that platform (MLP as is Q5) but its just lazy to label it as an A4.

EPM

RedorDead wrote: »

Its lower, wider and longer than an A4 or A4 Avant. Admittedly its built on a similar interpretation of that platform (MLP as is Q5) but its just lazy to label it as an A4.

Thats majority of that is just metal work differences really. Otherwise, it really is A4 based - reduces development costs. You could say similar things about an E90 compared to an E92 really

Zube

RedorDead wrote: »

its just lazy to label it as an A4.

Whereas I think it's a bit crazy that Audi have a medium sized saloon, hatch, coupé and estate and insist on splitting them into two models.

GigaByte

Good write up here

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/audi/a5-sportback-2009.aspx

-Chris-

I haven't seen it in the flesh, but a mate who has says it's very, very good looking and will take a lot of sales from the 5-Series...

kuro_man

Drummerboy08

I presume this is the machine we're all talking about?



I personally dont like it. I think it looks like an old lump of wood thats started to sag in the middle. I think its the line that runs from the front arch to the rear that causes this, but I think it looks ready to split in half!

I also think its pointless - give me a nice A4 with a bit of spec all day long please and thank you. Even the Passat CC is less pointless, and better looking than this monstrosity!

This is the type of car that would have sold in thousands a few years ago, but I cant see people forking out over the odds money for a car thats not practical, ugly, and doubtless will go through clutches and flywheels like its two sisters - the A4 and A6.

GigaByte

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

I presume this is the machine we're all talking about?



I personally dont like it. I think it looks like an old lump of wood thats started to sag in the middle. I think its the line that runs from the front arch to the rear that causes this, but I think it looks ready to split in half!

I also think its pointless - give me a nice A4 with a bit of spec all day long please and thank you. Even the Passat CC is less pointless, and better looking than this monstrosity!

This is the type of car that would have sold in thousands a few years ago, but I cant see people forking out over the odds money for a car thats not practical, ugly, and doubtless will go through clutches and flywheels like its two sisters - the A4 and A6.

Thats not it, thats an old photoshop! How could you not manage to find a correct picture but managed to pick an old photoshoped one?

EPM

GigaByte wrote: »

Thats not it, thats an old photoshop! How could you not manage to find a correct picture but managed to pick an old photoshoped one?

To be honest, both those pics look like the same car taken from different angles. There is no difference between them. And if any one of them looks photoshopped it's the second one

GigaByte

EPM wrote: »

And if any one of them looks photoshopped it's the second one

Why? There's even what looks like a wing on the back of the first one!

Dades

Yup - can't see a difference between the two.

There's been a billboard with a nice pic opposite where I get my DART - but the new pics I've seen this morning are disappointing tbh.

EPM

GigaByte wrote: »

Why? There's even what looks like a wing on the back of the first one!

Angle of the shot I'm afraid. Same car

Drummerboy08

Either picture still makes me think that the car is drooping in the middle.

Much like the prospective owners I suppose.

GigaByte

EPM wrote: »

Angle of the shot I'm afraid. Same car

:eek: Should have gone to spec savers!

MarkN

Every single line of the car is the same as the first Audi picture posted?

I think it's you that needs to get your eyes tested?

GigaByte

MarkN wrote: »

Even with a close up you can't see the difference!

MarkN

GigaByte wrote: »

Even with a close up you can't see the difference!

It's the same boot lip spoiler it's just from a different angle.

OP I hope there's more room for legs in the back than in the coupe - I'm sure there is but I just remember even compared to the BMW coupe that the leg room in the A5 was non existent.

unkel

R.O.R wrote: »

Think it definately a niche vehicle and we won't see too many of them on the road.

-Chris- wrote: »

will take a lot of sales from the 5-Series...

I'm not a betting man. If I were, I'd put my money on R.O.R

GigaByte

MarkN wrote: »

It's the same boot lip spoiler it's just from a different angle.

Specsavers 112 Grafton St, Dublin - 01 6776969

Drummerboy08

Seriously, there's no difference between those two pictures.

EPM

GigaByte wrote: »

:eek: Should have gone to spec savers!

Eh no...

Does look very droopy in the middle though. Had never noticed that before. About 5 years too late to be a sucess here

EDIT

GigaByte wrote: »

Specsavers 112 Grafton St, Dublin - 01 6776969

You're not even comparing the same car now:rolleyes:

Maybe get a cab to spec savers. Dont want you falling over and hurting yourself on the way;)

MarkN

GigaByte wrote: »

Specsavers 112 Grafton St, Dublin - 01 6776969

Eh why are you posting a picture of an A5 coupe when everyone else is comparing the two pictures on the previous page?

Seriously, let it go and let us talk about cars yeh?

plissken

MarkN wrote: »

Eh why are you posting a picture of an A5 coupe when everyone else is comparing the two pictures on the previous page?

Seriously, let it go and let us talk about cars yeh?

He is right though, the first pic is a photoshop based on a simple stretch of a photo of an A5 coupe, the clue is in the rear fanlight beside the C pillar, its completely different between both pictures.

I have to agree that even regardless of the price difference, the Passat CC is a much nicer coupe.

EPM

plissken wrote: »

He is right though, the first pic is a photo shop based on simply stretching out an existing photo of an A5, the clue is in the rear fanlight beside the C pillar, its completely different between both pictures.

I'm off to spec savers!:D

Apologies GigaByte:o

R.O.R

unkel wrote: »

I'm not a betting man. If I were, I'd put my money on R.O.R

Sure, what the funk does -Chris- know about Audi's anyway?

-Chris-

R.O.R wrote: »

Sure, what the funk does -Chris- know about Audi's anyway?

Banned! :P:D

GigaByte

EPM wrote: »

I'm off to spec savers!:D

Apologies GigaByte:o

lol, no problem! It's the one part of the car that I think would make the A5 coupe look nicer.

SomeDude

It's an odd looking car. It looks like bits and bobs just bolted together - It just doesn't seem to flow properly. The A4 and A5 coupé are nicer looking imo.

It seems to have received mostly negative reviews from what I've read.

RedorDead

Dynamically reviews havent been great alright. Ill leave at this when I say its better looking in the metal.

Car is being unveiled across dealerships from tomorrow onwards. Go make up your own mind.

mickdw

IF its anything like the A5 coupe to drive, it will be a pig. I would advise the OP to get a quattro version with the (possibly standard now) servo steer option. Has this the same track width as the A5 coupe? I think the handling problems Ive been experiencing with my A5 are coming from a number of design problems which possibly Audi are sorting over time on newer versions but the principle issues I see are:

Chassis/suspension not upto putting all the power through the front wheels and as such I feel that Audi designed this chassis around the quattro system and havent put any effort into the lesser models. I get wheel tramp & all sorts of crap at only moderate power delivery.
Additionally, The car feels like it i running on totally wrong offset wheels even though they are genuine A5 wheels. I think possibly the suspension is a bit too similar to the A4 and I think the A5 has a wider track. Have they taken the easy way out and shared a few too many components, it certainly feels like that. Definitey, the A5 needs wheels with very different offset than many of the other VAG cars. They are possibly creating too much of the track running width within the wheel itself causing the awkward steering feel (Possibly). I must look up the S5 details as Ive a feeling that its running with a proper setup not relying on the wheel rim to create the suitable width.

SomeDude

RedorDead wrote: »

Dynamically reviews havent been great alright. Ill leave at this when I say its better looking in the metal.

Car is being unveiled across dealerships from tomorrow onwards. Go make up your own mind.

I saw it in Park Motors in the metal. My opinion hasn't changed - something still odd looking about it.

R.O.R

It was just described to me, from someone standing next to one, as a stretched Citroen C5.

Drummerboy08

Thats highly insulting................to the Citroen.

stevenmu

It looks pretty dreadful in the pics attached in the thread here, like others have said it looks like it's sagging in the middle, but the pic on the parkers website linked above actually looks really good.

edit: pic

Sonnenblumen

TheBazman wrote: »

Which model are you testing and what is the pricing? The reviews I have read are mixed particularly on the ride quality.

2.0TDI 170HP €45.5k (list)

Bandara

Anyone else think is looks very very like the Peugeot 407???

Its quite bland imo

sid3

Went to look at one today. Much better looking in the flesh. Really like a classier A4. Decent back seats, boot was great. Looks good from the back.Yeah very nice car. Not as flashy looking as the coupe which might be a good thing these days! Going to test drive it next week. A few pics attached from camera phone will give an idea....

-Chris-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6V6Ro-6NRo

I'm looking forward to seeing it in the flesh, the A5 Coupe looks pretty imposing to me, and I think this'll be the same.

Certain angles of the rear "haunches" make me think of a BMW X6 that's lost weight (another love-it-or-hate-it car).

kikel

I like it. But they should of named it the A4 hatchback.