Some cars are defined by their engines, the character and performance of their powerplants relegating everything else to a bit-part role. Then there's the Audi A5 3.2-litre FSI. It has a great engine, packed with modern technology, fuel efficient for a big petrol six-cylinder lump and even relatively green. The trouble is, this engine is like one of those wallflowers who go to parties and spend the whole time hiding somewhere between the freezer and the dishwasher. It's just the thing that drives the wheels.

When you're buying a coupe, you're making a resolutely impractical choice. Tied in with that choice are emotional reasons for buying the car - looks, performance, and above all, charisma. The Audi A5 3.2-litre FSI is a handsome thing and when prodded can pick its skirt up and fly, but is it a car that you can lose your heart to? Audi certainly hopes so.

The quest for ever more power in coupe models such as this means the 3.2-litre FSI engine is the middle powerplant in the A5's petrol portfolio and yet it's still capable of hitting 60mph in just 5.9 seconds and bump heads not too long later with its 155mph electronic limiter. With 262bhp on tap, this is surely all the engine you'd need? So you might think until you drove the S5, that car's 4.2-litre V8 being one of the best engines in series production.

As the company that popularised four-wheel drive sports cars, Audi has developed a reputation for innovation and design. Therefore, it was imperative for it to start divorcing itself from what was seen as a rather old-fashioned and suboptimal chassis layout. The A5 has finally broken that mould. The steering system has been redesigned to offer better feel, five link front suspension helps optimise balance and there's the familiar quattro drive system. This abandons the stodgy old 50:50 distribution in favour of a sportier 40 per cent front and 60 per cent rear torque split. To be honest, the A5 probably isn't the platform to really exploit this setup, the 3.2-litre model, even in Sport trim, feeling more cross-continent GT car than B-road basher.

"It's marketed cleverly, beautifully finished, well-equipped and impeccably engineered."

The significant thing about this chassis is that Audi's engineers have shifted the front axle as far forwards as possible and shunted the engine and gearbox as far back as they can. For years, chassis engineers have known that bringing weight to the centre of the car improves its responses and agility, which is why Formula 1 cars and all serious supercars have their engines mid-mounted. More recently, engineers have explored the concept of the 'front mid-engined' car, that is, a car with the engine ahead of the driver but behind the line of the front axle. It might sound techy but it offers real benefits.

Leaving aside its radically improved chassis, the most significant factor for most buyers will be the simple fact that 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.

The 3.2-litre version of the Audi A5 starts at £33,230 for the entry-level front-wheel drive version with the multitronic CVT gearbox. Alternatively there's a quattro four-wheel drive version with a manual 'box retailing at £33,375. There are then Sport versions which carry list prices of £34,180 for the front-wheel drive car and £34,325 for the quattro. Given that a BMW 330i coupe retails at between approximately £31,000 and £34,000, it would appear that these cars are natural rivals. The A5, however, is a very different car to the Three. It's a little longer and looks a bigger, more substantial vehicle, and is more relaxed in focus.

A5 models include as standard 17-inch alloys, Milano leather upholstery, an MP3 compatible CD stereo, acoustic parking sensors, xenon lights, light and rain sensors and an automatic opening boot. Go for the Sport model and it comes with 18-inch ten-spoke alloy rims, S sports suspension with ride height lowered by 20mm, stiffer springs and shock absorbers and some figure hugging front seats. Options include a revised Multi Media Interface with DVD satellite navigation and a smart key that can store servicing information.

The reason why the quattro model is priced so closely to the front-wheel drive version becomes evident when running costs are taken into account. Firstly, however, it's worth remembering that the front wheel drive car comes fitted with the expensive and relatively complex multitronic gearbox but it's also illuminating to see quite how much the all-wheel drive layout costs to run. Where the front-wheel drive car returns a respectable 31.7mpg, the quattro drinks the juice at the rate of 28.5mpg. A bigger shock comes in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. Where the front wheel drive car emits 207g/km, the quattro chugs out 232g/km, which will be highly significant for business users.

Yes, you'll be able to get off the line quicker in the quattro, especially when it's wet, but on most occasions the front-wheel drive car's traction control is more than up to the task and the better economy means a 444 rather than 399 mile tank range in favour of the front-wheel drive model. Insurance for all 3.2-litre cars is identical at Group 16. Satellite navigation is a costly extra at nigh-on £2,000 and MP3 connection is £200. You'll even be asked £750 for electric adjustment for the seats so factor these costs in when considering residual values.

As with any car in this class, buying an Audi A5 rewards care. Getting the colour, the specification and the requisite options right is crucial in determining not only how enjoyable the car will be but also what it will be worth when the time comes to shift it on. Looking at the residual figures for the car, the biggest mistake you can make right now seems to be ticking the box marked 3.2-litre FSI engine, with retained values about five per cent down model for model against the 3.0-litre diesel cars.

Objectively there is very little to criticise. It's marketed cleverly, beautifully finished, well-equipped and impeccably engineered. The 3.2-litre FSI engine is smooth and unobtrusive. It's not, however, an engine you can love and I'd go as far as to say, it's not the engine you'll want. The A5 is a very good car but do yourself a favour and go for the 3.0-litre diesel or the 4.2-litre V8. You can thank me later.

TOP 2 A5 DEALS

The results below show the top A5 deals on buyacar

	Audi A5 3.2 FSI Quattro 2dr Coupe
	ETR	Mthly £573	Saving £1,314	Price £32,306
	Audi A5 3.2 FSI 2dr Multitronic Coupe
	ETR	Mthly £568	Saving £1,312	Price £32,258

typical 9.67% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000