Road Test: 2014 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Coupe Quattro Technik
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
Nothing says, “Look at me!” like a stylish, two-door coupe. And Audi’s A5 continues to draw the right kind of attention.
After a two-decade absence, Germany’s Audi re-entered the two-door market with the 2007 A5 and its sportier S5 coupes. Critical acclaim immediately followed, especially for how the A5 2+2 looked. Based on the 2003 Nuvolari Grand Touring coupe concept, the production version looked as if it were chiseled out of a slab of marble. But now after seven years on the market, does the big Audi coupe still cut it with fickle coupe buyers?
Based on its classy exterior alone, my topline $55,295 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees) 2014 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Coupe Quattro Technik tester certainly doesn’t look dated.
Within Audi’s growing family of two-door coupes — including the not-unattractive TT and R8 sports cars and the forthcoming compact A3 Cabriolet — the mid-size A5 is arguably the most sophisticated looking. Countering the austere, Bauhaus designs from the 1990s, the A5 2+2 broke the automaker’s former cool design mold like a warm Tuscan sunrise. Of particular note: The Audi coupe’s singular, flowing fender line that starts at the headlights and ends at the taillights makes the A5 look like a German Olympic athlete dressed in an Italian suit.
Open the 2014 Audi A5 Coupe’s doors, and the brand’s successful interior design still shines. Compared to rivals like the BMW 4 Series Coupe or Mercedes-Benz compact C- or mid-size E-Class Coupes, the Audi two door's cockpit layout and driver controls are more intuitive to use. My tester’s lone option was the $3,100 S line Package, which included the attractive two-tone seating that gave the cabin an added bit of class. Plus, the Audi’s build quality and fit and finish are more precise than either of its Teutonic competition.
Nobody expects a minivan-like room in a coupe. Based on the compact Audi A4 four-door sedan, however, the A5 coupe offers a generous amount of room for its two passengers up front. Nonetheless, anyone asked to hop into the Audi 2+2’s back seats may start the “Are we there yet?” chant immediately if they’re past the age of puberty.
While rivals are just now getting around to offering engines with smaller displacements boosted with forced induction and direct injection, Audi’s been at the forefront of this trend for years. When the A5/S5 first appeared in 2007, the engine lineup consisted of a 265 horsepower naturally aspirated 3.2-litre V6 in the A5 and a 354 hp 4.2 L V8 in the sportier S5.
By 2009, though, a turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0L four-cylinder gas engine replaced the bigger V6. That turbo-four continues today powering the base $46,095 2.0 TFSI Coupe Quattro, making a healthy 220 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. With its six-speed manual gearbox, zero to 100 kilometres per hour takes 6.5 seconds — 0.2 seconds quicker when equipped with the eight-speed automatic transmission. Still, with Transport Canada fuel economy ratings of 10.1 litres per 100 kms in the city and 6.8 on the highway (I saw an indicated 8.8 L/100 km average for my time in the Audi), the A5 2.0 TFSI will not bankrupt your fuel budget.
(If you want to go quicker in an A5 Coupe, Audi offers the $55,900 S5 Coupe Quattro. With its 333 hp, supercharged 3.0L six-cylinder gas engine, zero to 100 km/hr takes only 5.1 seconds. Or, there’s the $77,700 RS 5 Coupe Quattro. With its 450 hp, naturally aspirated 4.2L eight-cylinder gas engine, zero to 100 km/hr takes only 4.7 seconds. And if you want more wind in your hair, Audi offers convertible versions throughout the A5 range.)
One of the joys of spending some time in the “big” Audi coupe is discovering its refined and mature road manners. Audi has always been happy taking the middle ground when it comes to how its coupes drive. And the 2014 A5 2.0 TFSI Coupe Quattro does not waver from that tradition.
Audi’s Drive Select system allows the A5 2.0 TFSI Coupe Quattro to be driven at different levels of aggression. It tailors the coupe’s steering, engine response, automatic gearbox and tautness of suspension bits individually. That comes in handy. Mainly because I found the A5’s electric steering gave too much rebound at turn-in when set to the sportiest setting. As I’m a steering fetishist, I could dial in the most aggressive settings for the engine, gearbox, and suspension, but leave the steering in “comfort” mode, which best met my admittedly anal-retentive needs.
As you may have noticed in its name, all Canadian-spec A5 models get Audi’s excellent rear-biased (40:60) Quattro all-wheel-drive system. But the traction gains do not come at the expense of all-out driving fun. Compared to the more relaxed BMW 428i Coupe, the A5 offers a nicer blend between a comfortable ride and, when called upon, agile handling. Except for when the A5’s exhaust is bellowing when pressed on, its cabin is always quiet, its ride always refined, and its directional stability arrow-straight — especially at highway speeds.
All in all, the 2014 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Coupe Quattro is more of a well-rounded grand tourer than a balls-to-the-wall sports car. And trust me: the stares you’ll receive driving one will all be of the admiring kind.
WHAT I LIKED: One of the most beautiful cars for the money; all-wheel traction with refined road manners; ergonomically excellent and comfortable cockpit.
WHAT I DIDN'T: Cosy rear-seat accommodations.
Type of vehicle Rear-wheel-drive compact coupe
Engine 2.0L DOHC four-cylinder gas engine
Power 220 hp @ 4,450
Torque 258 lb-ft @ 1,500
Transmission Eight-speed automatic transmission
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires 255/35 R 19
Price (base/as tested) $44,100/$53,300
Destination charge $1,995
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy (L/100 km) 10.1 city, 6.8 highway, 8.8 as-tested
Options $3,100 S line Sport Select Package: S line exterior; 19-inch wheels with 255/35 R 19 performance tires; S line Flat Bottom Steering Wheel; Alcantara/Leather Sport Seats; Brushed Aluminum Trim from quattro GmbH; Black Headliner; S line door sills; Adaptive Damping Suspension; Audi Drive Select Controls (Auto, Comfort, Dynamic); Variable Throttle Response (Normal, Sport); Variable Gear-Shifting (Normal, Sport); Variable Electromechanical Steering Control (Normal, Sport); and more.