Audi A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro (2008) CAR review

Audi’s dinked the A5’s old 1.8-litre base engine, and brought in this 2.0-litre turbo, that kicks off the range in 178bhp front-drive mode for £26,150. There’s also this 208bhp version, tested here with Quattro four-wheel drive.

Great-looking car, the Audi A5. Is it great to drive too?

The A5 is more than just a chopped-down A4. Take a peek behind the front seats and you’ll notice there’s significantly less legroom in the back. And that’s a legacy of Audi placing the engine further back in the chassis, so the A5 isn’t quite so nose-heavy as you might expect.

And that’s immediately apparent when you head into a corner. Sure, the steering is Audi's usual Mute n Lite™ affair, but those front wheels feel reasonably keen to dig in rather than scrubbing you into the trees. You might expect a bit of help from the back ones, given that they’re driven too, but for the 2.0 TFSI Quattro, Audi’s priority seems to be security rather than excitement.

So it’s not exciting. Is it comfortable?

The ride is firm but rarely harsh, though it suffers from the habitual Audi tendency to fall heavily into bigger depressions and potholes rather than skip lightly across them. It’s this unfortunate lack of polish that denies access to the club of dynamic excellence occupied by the likes of the BMW 3-series. There’s a rather long-winded gearshift to contend with too, but the engine’s plentiful torque means you don’t have to rely on cog-stirring to get the best out of the A5.

In fact, the engine is probably this car’s best aspect. It spins sweetly and seems to become quieter the harder you rev it. And there’s always plenty of acceleration on tap.

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