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By MURRAY
HUBBARD
13 July 2009
After
a week's road test of Audi's 2009 A5 2.0 TFSI quattro we wonder if
this new entry-level A5 competes hard against another automobile.
No, not from a rival marque, but from within Audi itself. Because
we think it's hard to put up a case for the A5 Audi 3.2 FSI when
it lines up against the new, four-cylinder A5. Not the least of
comparisons is the outlay to play the A5 game: $83,500 for the 2.0
TFSI variant and $95,300 for the 3.2-litre six.
Then you drive both vehicles: the new A5 quattro is a
nimble-footed coupe that just begs to be driven. The A5 3.2 is
front-wheel drive with some unfriendly habits caused by putting
heaps of torque through the front rubber.
With apologies to George Orwell: Two wheels bad, four wheels good.
The A5 with its feisty
2.0-litre TFSI engine is simply a better balanced car. The
3.2-litre has 195 kW of power compared to 155 kW in the
four-cylinder, but this is all but irrelevant. Torque is where
it's at. The 2.0-litre has 350 Nm on tap between 1500 and 4200 rpm
and it runs through a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission.
The 3.2-litre has less torque – 330 Nm between 3000 and 5000 rpm
- and has a CVT transmission. CVT transmissions are about as
sporty as Meatloaf while the DSG transmissions are state-of-the
art and shift faster than is humanly possible.
Then throw in economy: Audi claim city/highway combined
consumption of 7.5 litres per 100 km for the 2.0-litre four and
8.7 L/100 km for the six. For those looking for green pastures,
the 2.0-litre dominates with CO2 emissions of just 173 grams per
kilometre compared to 207 g/km from the six.
Stats aside the new A5 2.0 TFSi is simply a cracking coupe. It is,
above all, a driver's car.
With its low-rev torque the A5 2.0 TFSI actually sprints to 100
km/h in 6.5 seconds, one tenth of a second faster than the 3.2 FSI
A5. The matching of the DSG transmission and the lighter 2.0-litre
engine along with quattro all wheel drive is sublime and are the
key elements to the car's performance and road handling. It's a
combination that inspires confidence. The car points beautifully
into sharp corners and powers through effortlessly and on uneven
surfaces displays very good directional stability.
One thing that does not change between A5 variants is the boot
space. Some 455 litres with the back seat in place and a big 829
litres with the seat folded. However, that comes at a cost. The
rear seat is decidedly passenger unfriendly, but that's not
unusual in this class of car. We even found it a little confining
– and that was just testing it for size.
The reality is that luxury touring coupes like this are most
likely to find homes that are empty nests, or well-to-do
professional couples, so the rear pew is unlikely to be used,
other than for short haul trips or a domestic emergency. These are
the types of buyers who may later migrate to an Audi A4 or Q5 when
kids come along.
New five-link front suspension and extensive use of aluminium in
both the front and rear suspension reduces weight. Finely-tuned
dampers limit body movement well.
The minute you step into the car you feel comfortable – it has
that at-home feeling like winter slippers. The fit, and finish,
are all class and it is tidy. Switches, dials, the driver eye-line
to important information is there where it should be.
All-in-all an impressive coupe that we thoroughly enjoyed during
our week’s road test.
MODEL RANGE
2.0 TFSI quattro: $79,900 (manual)
3.2 FSI: $95,300 (automatic)
3.2 FSI quattro: $98,500 (automatic)
3.0 TDI quattro: $94,500 (automatic)
(Note: Prices are
recommended retail and do not include dealer or government
charges)
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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