COUPE DE GRACE

MODELS COVERED:

Three-door coupe (1.8TFSI, 2.0TFSI, 3.2TFSI:2.0, 3.0 TDI diesel [Standard, Sport, S line, S5])

BY JONATHAN CROUCH

Introduction

In the 2012 to 2016 era, the Audi A5 was the market’s most complete compact executive coupe, its credentials emphasised by a package of improvements made to the first generation model five years into its production run. Performance statistics, running costs, residual values, practicality – all of these were ruthlessly checked to improve upon standards set by rivals from Mercedes and BMW. It was a clinical approach. And not surprisingly, it produced a car that’s very difficult to fault. A very strong used buy.

* The History

Efficiency. It’s a very Germanic trait. And of all the Teutonic automotive brands, Audi epitomises it best. Not only in its compact hatches and business-bound saloons which have to be affordable to run, but also in sportier, more impulse-purchase models. For goodness sake, they even made an electric version of their R8 supercar. The improved first generation A5 Coupe we’re looking at here didn’t raise quite as many eyebrows as that in its production lifetime but it still claimed to be a shockingly efficient way to have an awful lot of driving enjoyment.

This enhanced mildly facelifted version was launched at the end of 2011, four years after this car first hit the UK market. Visually, the changes on offer were slight but under the bonnet, they could hardly have been more far-reaching. All the engines on offer were either completely new or usefully revised, with the result that across the range, running costs were substantially reduced, often despite significant hikes in power. So an A5 makes sense. But that’s not usually the over-riding reason for buying a coupe of this kind. Can it reward as much at the wheel as it does on the balance sheet? And is it a better used car bet than obvious arch-rivals, coupe versions of BMW’s 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class? This MK1 model sold until the second generation A5 coupe as launched in the Autumn of 2016.

* What To Look For

As a whole, Audi A5 Coupe owners seem to be a pretty satisfied lot, though we did come across a few issues in our survey. Most seemed to relate to electrical problems. A number of owners have experienced issues with the electric window mechanism, so check that. One owner had a problem with the MMI infotainment system failing; another found dashboard rattles – and particular issues with rattly speakers.

As for mechanical stuff, well, we found one owner who reported an oil light issue and a handful who had reported brake grinding issues. Corrosion is simply not an issue with Audis and another reason why resale values are high. Look for a fully stamped up service history and look for uneven tyre wear on the more powerful models.

* On The Road

Between 2005 and 2007, Audi’s engineers totally revolutionised the way that many experts thought about the driving dynamics of the brand. This was thanks to three key products launched in that period, the R8 supercar, the RS4 super-saloon and perhaps most significantly, this car, the A5 Coupe. This model didn’t grab the headlines - but it should have done. This, after all, was the first mainstream design for which the Ingolstadt brand had set out to seriously develop a driver-orientated chassis, an essential ingredient if Audi was really serious about taking on the class-leading BMW Series Coupe.

If you really do want an A5 with a bit more straightline poke, then you’ll be pleased to know that the higher end petrol range is a lot more competitive in this post-2012-era guise. Previously, buyers had the unappetising choice of an aging 3.2-litre V6 and a heavy, thirsty 4.2-litre V8 in the S5 model. In this revised version though, both units were replaced by 272 and 333PS variants of the quicker, more efficient 3.0 TFSI supercharged unit borrowed from the larger A6 saloon. There’s a two-way 3.0-litre choice in the diesel range too, either a 204PS variant with two wheel drive and 8-speed Multitronic auto transmission, or the top 245PS 3.0 TDI quattro model with 7-speed s tronic auto transmission. And this particular car really is very quick indeed, sixty from rest occupying just 5.8s on the way to an artificially limited 155mph maximum.

* Overall

The Audi A5 Coupe may not be the sportiest or the most prestigiously-badged compact executive sports coupe you can buy but the sales figures from new suggested that it was the one that most customers in this segment would rather have. That was the case even before the far-reaching changes made to the post-2012-era model we’ve been looking at here. So were they really needed? Well, Audi’s a brand with little time for such questions. The brand is all about constant product evolution – and this improved first generation two-door A5 is a good example of that.

In terms of driving satisfaction, it got surprisingly close to the class-leading rear wheel drive BMW 3 Series Coupe – certainly as close as any front-driven rival was ever likely to get. In every other respect – quality, practicality, value and running costs – this A5 is unequalled in its segment for coupes in this class from this era. Some may find in Audi’s ruthless pursuit of excellence a product that can be rather soul-less. But many more will see this car as being everything that a desirable sports coupe should be. Very smart. Very cool. And very Audi.