2024 Audi A5 Review, Pricing, and Specs

Overview

The four-seater Audi A5 remains one of the most pleasant and practical two-doors available, even after 17 years and four generations on the market. Available as a hardtop coupe or droptop convertible, the A5’s design catches your eye and its handling catches your spirit. While we reviewed the four-door A5 Sportback separately, all A5 models—regardless of door count— featured standard all-wheel drive and shared a 261 hp turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The sharp balance throughout provides an entertaining driving experience without the harsher drive than more expensive and powerful A5-based models like the 349-hp S5 and 444-hp RS5. Beautiful all around, there are some luxury shortcuts in the cabin such as non-padded armrests. Nevertheless, the A5’s ease of use and spacious cargo space make it a very practical and well-rounded choice.

What’s New for 2024?

New standard features join the lineup. All models now come with a heated steering wheel with hand detection, adaptive cruise control, active lane assist and park assist, which can park the car for you. Audi also enables remote starting via the MyAudi app. The exterior color palette adds Progressive Red Metallic in place of Tango Red, and Arkona White in place of Ibis White. Cars equipped with the Navigation Package—optional on Premium Plus, standard above that—get traffic sign recognition and predictive adaptive cruise control. Navigation unlocks a six-month subscription to Audi Connect Plus and the more full-featured Audi app store, Audi’s dedicated software interface for everything from weather and news to games and parking.

Price and Which One to Buy

We recommend the mid-range Premium Plus trim level as the best balance of features and price, and we’ll add the Navigation Package for a more relaxed drive. This trim comes with desirable touches like Audi’s digital gauge display, surround view camera, wireless charging pad, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio and new tech features. We also prefer the coupe; a $7,000 premium for a Premium Cabriolet can buy a Prestige coupe with all the trimmings. On the other hand, if you must go bare-chested, the A5 Cabriolet costs thousands less than the BMW 4 Series Convertible.

Engine, Transmission and Performance

We’re still waiting to get our hands on the latest A5 with its 261 hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in C/D garage. Our last outing was with the earlier 252-hp engine. Gaining nine horses doesn’t change the A5’s basic characteristics, though—a mix of rugged acceleration and a penchant for curves. The A5 accelerates to 60 mph in just 5.0 seconds, two blinks faster than the 255-hp BMW 430i xDrive. Precise and well-weighted steering, agile suspension, a communicative chassis and confident brakes make the A5 easy to drive on back roads. Audi prefers long sweepers to tight spaghetti corners, but in any case, the Quattro all-wheel drive system helps reduce power when exiting tight corners.

Real World Fuel Economy and MPG

The A5 coupe is estimated to return 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, but the highway rating drops to 31 mpg for the droptop variant. Once we run the A5 models on our 75-mph highway fuel economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, we can assess their real-world mpg. For more information on A5 fuel economy, visit the EPA website.

Interior, Comfort and Cargo

Audi has long set the standard for cabins that are as beautifully refined as they are solidly built. The A5 boasts a family of quality everywhere you look, the coupe is as stylish and modern today as it was in 2007. However, perception runs slightly ahead of user experience. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has no power adjustment, the narrow seat bottoms are made comfortable by manually extending the footrests, and the thin padding in the armrests reminds buyers that fancier Audis move up the food and financial chain. The usual caveats about coupes and tight back seats apply here—back seats, adults, and long trips don’t go together. Losing an extra adult and long journeys are a pleasure, the A5 hides roomy luggage behind its flat rear seats.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Audi loads the A5 with digital features, especially on the top trim. The 10.1-inch touchscreen on the dashboard covers all the basics like Bluetooth connectivity, USB connectivity and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Navigation Package adds a trial period of new features such as Amazon Alexa integration, traffic data, connection to the Audi app store and wi-fi hotspot.

Safety Features and Driver Assistance

Automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control are standard, but the A5’s more desirable driver assistance features remain optional. For more information on A5 crash test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include: