Motoring journalists are in my view sometimes guilty of not comparing apples with apples. It was something that came to mind recently when examining Audi's A5 coupe. This was a car that came to market hot on the heels of two highly acclaimed Audi sporting models, the new TT and the R8 supercar. On the back of these two, the motoring press were expecting a real; B-road blaster when it came to the A5 - and were disappointed. I, on the other hand, had no such expectations. Here was Audi's take on a BMW 3 Series Coupe. It probably wouldn't be quite as engaging to drive. But it would be a great long distance cruiser, it would be of even higher quality than the Bavarian car and it would look great - in a kind of chunky, Germanic way. Like most potential buyers who don't want to drive like Lewis Hamilton, all of these attributes, if delivered, would make the A5 hard to resist for me.

Well, it's a Coupe isn't it? How practical can it be? Surprisingly so in this case. Here at last is an Audi coupe that real people with legs and a head will be able to sit in the back of, something that could never really be said of the TT. Despite the attraction of the TT's styling, this one caveat was enough to send many potential buyers down the road, only for them to return with Mercedes CLKs or, more frequently, BMW 3 Series coupes. The A5 will seat four adults in reasonable comfort and still leave room for 455 litres of boot space. Lumping child seats into the back was a lot easier than I've found with other coupe models. I was also pleased to find the plastics and seat materials seemed to be hard-wearing and should stand the test of chocolate staining and grubby fingers. Some of my friends (and some of my colleagues) feel that the styling is rather bland, though I have to say that personally, it rather grew on me. I liked the shape in its flanks and the wavy beltline that runs from the headlights right back to the tail lights. The interior is cleanly styled too, with the fascia looking a lot cleaner than some contemporary Audi models, the cowled dash now neatly incorporating the centrally mounted display screen. As with all Audi models, build quality seems peerless with beautifully damped controls and top-drawer materials used throughout.

As I said earlier, if you want a B-road blaster, buy a TT (or, if you've just won the lottery, an R8). This car is more of a GT. There are two diesel engines offered, a 190bhp 2.7 TDI teamed with a multitronic gearbox and a manual 3.0-litre TDI that can manage 240bhp, resulting in a 0-60 time of just 5.7 seconds. Opt for petrol power and the choice is mouth-watering, the entry-level unit being a 1.8 TFSI unit with 170bhp, sitting just beneath a 3.2-litre V6 with a hefty 262bhp and 330Nm of torque. Even this model will hit an electronically-limited 155mph top speed and jet to 60 in 5.9 seconds. Step up to the S5 with the 4.2-litre V8 FSI and you get a 351bhp road rocket that gets to 60mph in 4.9 seconds and which churns out a monstrous 440Nm of torque at just 3,500rpm.

'Laid back' was the phrase that sprang to mind after a few days with this Audi. It doesn't need to prove anything to anybody (least of all a bunch of conceited motoring writers) and it's likely that potential owners will be of the same mindset. I could live with that?.