Test Drives, Trends & Events

The 2009 Audi A5 is a good looking car from all angles, making BMWs self-conscious everywhere it goes.

Heading back east for the weekend, I made a call/email/drastic plea to a friend to try and line up a car for me during my time in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Boston. The voice on the other end asked if the 2009 Audi A5 3.2 Quattro with manual transmission would be acceptable. Hmm… a $54,715 (as tested) fully-loaded luxury coupe for free or a $20/day rental car with cigarette burn holes in the seat. This was less a choice and more a great way to start a long weekend.



As I said above, I was excited at the thought of charging across scenic New England highways in this two-door German sports coupe, but not quite doing back flips. Last October I had some seat time in the 2008 Audi S5 and I loved it, however that car is powered by a 4.2L V8 producing 354-hp and my only complaint was that the exhaust note was too quiet. This 2009 A5 has a 3.2L V6 under the hood which pumps out 265-hp, almost 90 less than the S5. I had also just spend a week in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (review coming soon), so anything was going to feel slow.

Picking up the A5 at the airport and jumping into the leather and suede seats after sitting on a coast-to-coast red-eye flight was a surprisingly good feeling… for a seat to be supportive and comfortable is all you can ask for, and Audi makes that happen here. Once fully inside the cabin, key fob in pocket and push-button start effectively pushed, it was time to head out on the highway - looking for adventure so to speak (someone should use that line in a song perhaps).



The journey through Connecticut was quicker than I anticipated thanks to surprisingly smooth highways, a lack of traffic, endless options on Sirius (Howard 100, oh how I missed you), and a strong urge to get a sense of what that 3.2 under the hood was all about. Earlier I said I wasn’t excited about the engine after driving an S5, but those thoughts quickly vanished as the wonderfully sculpted nose of this A5 pressed down the highway quickly and efficiently regardless of which of the 6 forward gears I was in - except 1st of course… that would have been bad.

Connecticut soon turned into Rhode Island and I was nearing my destination for most of the weekend. The bridge into Newport was soon behind me and I was approaching the cobblestone section of Thames Street. Switching the Audi drive select from “sport” to “comfort” kept everything smooth in my little A5 world. Driving or walking through Newport, you can come across some nice cars from time to time but all eyes were on this Audi as I glided through the surrounding area. Past mansions that you only thought existed in storybooks, past the ocean along shore drive, and back into the center of town - all the while eyes were fixated on this beautiful coupe. The local crowd’s staring eyes glowed with the same intensity as the LED daytime running lights of the A5. To be honest, I was a bit shocked with the amount of “ooh-look-at-that points” and “wow-that-is-cool stares” since this car is not new anymore. But it is just that good looking.



My time in Rhode Island was over and my last stop before returning to Bradley International Airport in Hartford was Winthrop, Massachusetts. This 2009 Audi A5 gobbles up the road in long smooth strides and my journey was comfortable the entire time. This is certainly not a true sports car; it is a great highway cruiser that can more than handle its way through a few curves (especially when equipped with the $2,900 S-line package-19” wheels, performance tires, and sport suspension).

The point where this car stops making good sense is when you look at the sticker price. In the beginning I said it was $54,715 as equipped. That is a lot of money, especially when you consider that the 2008 S5 I tested cost just $3,775 more. That’s right--it was $58,490 and it might be even less today (if you are willing to get one a few miles old - there are 30 of them on AutoTrader.com right now). Sure, the base price of $42,700 sounds good - but you lose the S-line package, navigation, Bang & Olufsen sound system, and those stunning daytime running lights. You could throw the Infiniti G37s into the mix and really mess things up - even though it isn’t as good looking as the A5 (not many cars are really), it has more power and fully-loaded runs right around the $42,000 mark… that is a savings of about $12,000. You could use that money to buy a new wardrobe to try and make yourself look more appealing since you don’t own an Audi A5.



I have spent most of my time here talking about how the car looks. That is because the appearance of the car really is the best feature. I will now cut to the chase for you: It drives wonderfully on the highway, handles corners adequately, the six-speed transmission feels great, the brakes do a wonderful job of bringing this not-surprisingly heavy car to a stop, and the interior is excellent. With all that said, it is too expensive, but one of the best looking cars on the road hands down.

As I took my luggage out of the trunk, I found myself turning back for one more look at the car… then one more after that… then just one last picture… then I was getting yelled at by the shuttle driver to get my “behind on the shuttle”.

A few more photos here…