Audi A5 coupe (2007-2016)
The Audi A5 Coupe is stylish - but ageing fast
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
Audi A5 Diesel Coupe 3.0 tdi 286 quattro s line 2dr tiptronic [tech pk]
Total RRP £45,995
Your quote £37,991
You Save £8,004
The Audi A5 is a sporty-looking coupe that is due to be replaced by a new model this year. It's still handsome, though and the imminent replacement means that there are plenty of Audi A5 deals. New cars are available with enormous discounts of a quarter of the price, although choice may be limited. There are also generous used Audi A5 offers.
It shares mechanical parts with the Audi A4 family car, but is designed to look more stylish with only two doors. Audi has a reputation for well-designed interiors, but the A5 is the oldest car that the company makes and feels it. Its dated and cluttered dashboard looks from another era compared with the clean design and hi-tech luxury of alternatives such as the BMW 4 Series and Mercedes C-Class coupe. New buyers may well want to wait for the new Audi A5 for that reason alone.
The A5 does have plenty of room inside for front-seat passengers but those in the rear have less headroom because of the sloping roof.
A more practical car, called the A5 Sportback, mixes the A5 coupe’s curvy design with two additional rear doors and a hatchback bootlid. Another model in the range, the two-door Audi A5 convertible is also available for top-down driving.
On the road, the Audi A5 is relatively comfortable on poor road surfaces in the recently discontinued SE trim (S line models are more uncomfortable because they have harder suspension). It’s stable in corners, where it doesn’t lean too much or lose grip, even at high speeds. However, the A5 lacks the fun factor of the BMW 4 Series, which makes you feel more involved as a driver. The BMW darts left or right more quickly when you steer and allows you to feel the precise angle of the tyre and its grip through the BMW’s steering wheel.
The diesel versions feel powerful and have impressive economy figures but the smaller petrol engines seem slower in comparison, and have higher running costs. More powerful petrol models - the Audi S5 and now-discontinued Audi RS5 - give you sportscar acceleration and even higher running costs.
A four-wheel drive version, badged quattro, is available which offers more control on slippery surfaces. These cars are also available with the S-Tronic automatic gearbox, which is smoother and quieter than the multitronic automatic gearbox on non-quattro A5 models.
The A5 wasn’t independently crash tested by Euro NCAP, but it’s based on the A4 saloon which scored a full five stars when it was tested.
Last Updated
Key facts
Warranty: 3 years, 60,000 miles | Boot size: 455-litres |
Width: 1854mm | Length: 4626mm |
Height: 1372mm | Road tax (min to max): £0-£870 |
Best Audi A5 Deals
- Cheapest new
Audi A5 2.0 TDI Ultra Sport 2dr S Tronic diesel coupe
Your price: £25,350 - Biggest reduction
Audi A5 3.0 TDI 286 Quattro S Line 2dr Tiptronic [Tech Pk] diesel coupe
RRP: £45,995Your price: £37,991Your saving: £8,004 - Cheapest finance
Audi A5 2.0 TDI 177 S Line 2dr Multitronic diesel coupe
Your price: £13,495or £199 per month
Best Audi A5 for...
Audi A5 History
- March 2007 Audi A5 launched in the UK starting from £30,175
- August 2007 3.2 FSI petrol and 2.7 TDI diesel engines join the range
- October 2007 1.8 TFSI petrol engine added to the range in Sport trim
- July 2008 2.0 TFSI replaces 1.8 TFSI engine
- November 2008 New 2.0 TDI diesel added to the range with 53mpg claimed economy
- July 2011 Audi A5 is updated with tweaked lights, bumpers and interior, as well as more efficient engines. The A5 Sportback gets the option of three rear seats.
- February 2012 Frugal A5 TDIe version added to the range with claimed economy of up to 64.2mpg
- March 2014 Audi A5 TDI Ultra launched
- May 2016 Audi A5 SE discontinued
Understanding Audi A5 car names
- A5
- Engine
- 2.0 TFSI
- Trim
- S line
- Driven wheels
- quattro
- Gearbox
- S tronic
- Engine
- Each model name shows the engine size in litres, followed by a series of letters that indicate whether uses petrol (TFSI) or diesel (TDI).
- Trim
- The higher the trim level, the more equipment is fitted as standard. The Audi A5 range starts at SE, moves up to S line and has Black Edition Plus at the top of the range. There’s a slight difference for the A5 Sportback where SE trim is replaced by SE Technik.
- Driven wheels
- Four-wheel drive Audi A5s are badged quattro.
- Gearbox
- Buyers choose from a manual gearbox or an automatic. Quattro four-wheel drive cars have a more sophisticated gearbox called S tronic. Other models have a multitronic gearbox, which is less smooth.
Audi A5 Engines
Petrol - 1.8 TFSI, 2.0 TFSI & 3.0 TFSI (S5)
Diesel - 2.0 TDI Ultra, 2.0 TDI & 3.0 TDI
The Audi A5 coupe might be an old design, but the engines have been updated throughout the car’s life to improve performance and economy.
Diesel engines offer the best mix of these two elements. The least-powerful 2.0-litre TDI Ultra is economy-focused, and has an official fuel economy figure of 67mpg. Like most other cars on sale - you should expect this to be lower in real-world driving. With 163 horsepower, it doesn’t feel slow, but a more powerful version of the engine - with 190 horsepower - offers more power which cuts the 0-62mph acceleration time by 0.5sec to 7.5sec. It still has a claimed fuel economy of just over 60mpg and is available with four-wheel drive.
If you want a diesel engine to match the car’s sporty looks, though, the 3.0-litre TDI has 245 horsepower and accelerates from 0-62mph in 5.7sec - considerably quicker. It’s only available as a quattro, with four-wheel drive, and costs around £4,000 more. Official fuel economy drops to 45mpg.
The least powerful petrol engines don’t feel as powerful as the diesels unless you rev them, even though both the 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre versions have similar levels of power as their diesel equivalents. Official fuel economy figures are considerably worse, by almost 20mpg and real-world driving will lower them even further,
If you’re buying the Audi S5 with the top-of-the-range 3.0-litre, 333 horsepower engine, then fuel economy is unlikely to be top of your priority list. The 0-62mph acceleration time of 4.9sec will help distract you from the frequent fill-ups that a 36mpg car requires.
Fuel economy | Power | Acceleration | top speed | |
1.8 TFSI | 48.7mpg | 177hp | 7.9 secs | 143mph |
2.0 TFSI | 41.5mpg | 230hp | 6.4 secs | 155mph |
3.0 TFSI S5 | 35.8mpg | 328hp | 4.9 secs | 155mph |
2.0 TDI Ultra | 67.3mpg | 163hp | 8.3 secs | 140mph |
2.0 TDI 190 | 60.1mpg | 190hp | 7.5 secs | 149mph |
3.0 TDI | 45mpg | 245hp | 5.7 secs | 155mph |
Audi A5 Trims
SE, S line, Black Edition Plus
Considering that official Audi A5 prices start at almost £30,000, it’s disappointing that the car doesn’t come with sat-nav as standard. But that’s the only real complaint about equipment levels on the car.
In cheapest SE specification, the A5 is fitted with 17in alloy wheels, leather seats, heated front seats, a ten-speaker sound system, parking sensors and three-zone climate control, which allows you to set different air temperatures for each of the front passengers and the rear occupants.
For around £2,000 more, S line trim includes sat-nav, along with higher-quality leather on upgraded sports seats, which offer more side support. Headlights are brighter xenon versions, and the car looks sportier with chunky add-ons to the A5’s side and bumpers. It’s fitted with larger 18in alloy wheels and also has sports suspension fitted, which is meant to make the car even more stable when cornering but also makes the ride harder and more uncomfortable.
Black Edition plus adds around £1,500 to the cost of the Audi A5, increasing the size of the alloy wheel to 19in, and upgrading the stereo to a Bang & Olufsen system. There are black panels in place of aluminium ones inside the car. Outside, the mirror, grille and other body parts are also in black.
Audi A5 Reliability and warranty
Audi might trade on its reputation for quality German engineering, but its three-year warranty isn’t particularly generous because it’s limited to 60,000 miles: if you drive further within the first three years then your cover immediately stops. You can pay to extend the warranty to five years and 90,000 miles, though.
Not enough A5 owners responded to the Auto Express Driver Power satisfaction survey for the car to be ranked. Those that did reply were generally impressed with the car’s build quality but some complained of unexplained rattles in the bodywork.
Aftermarket warranty companies, which cover cars once they are outside the manufacturer warranty period don’t rate the reliability of older A5s. Warranty Direct ranks the A5 as the least reliable coupe in a limited list of 11, below two Alfa Romeos. Warrantywise puts older Audis just below average when it comes to reliability.
Some early Audi A5s, built before 2012 and fitted with 2.0-litre petrol engines had a problem which meant that they used vast amounts of oil, which regularly needed topping up. It’s unlikely you’ll come across one of these now as they should have been repaired free of charge under a special program launched by Audi.
Used Audi A5
With only a limited number of people willing to sacrifice the practicality of a four-door family car for a more expensive two-door coupe, these cars can lose a lot of value and the A5 is no exception. Currently, new models are predicted to lose more than half of their list price in the first three years. And with deep discounts on offer, those used prices could drop lower, which is good news for second-hand buyers.
S-line trim suits the Audi A5 well, with high equipment levels and sportier looking additions to the outside. However, its suspension is harder, which means that the car is more uncomfortable over poor roads, so some may prefer to look for an Audi A5 SE with lots of options fitted.
If you’re buying a petrol model built before 2012, you can check with Audi to see if it was affected by the excessive oil consumption issue that cost some owners hundreds of pounds in oil top-ups, and ensure that it has been fixed.
Prices below show typical buyacar discounts for our pick of new and used models. Scroll down further for the very latest new Audi A5 deals or search for all new and used Audi A5 offers.
List price | buyacar new | 1 year old | 2 years old | 3 years old | ||
Best for performance | Price | £43,790 | £36,089 | £38,190 | £32,895 | £26,490 |
Save | 18% | 13% | 25% | 40% | ||
Best for families | Price | £35,410 | £29,059 | £23,900* | £22,990* | £19,870* |
Save | 18% | 33% | 35% | 46% | ||
Best for economy | Price | £31,590 | n/a | £21,170 | £18,870 | £17,355 |
Save | n/a | 33% | 40% | 45% |
Prices correct at time of publication, *equivalent model
Audi A5 Prices
Audi A5 S Line
1.4 tfsi s line 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,846
You could save up to: £6644
1.4 tfsi s line 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 52.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,060
You could save up to: £6825
2.0 tdi quattro s line 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 62.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,783
You could save up to: £7382
2.0 tdi quattro s line 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 62.8mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £34,997
You could save up to: £7563
2.0 tdi s line 2dr
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £31,126
You could save up to: £6984
2.0 tdi s line 2dr [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £32,339
You could save up to: £7166
2.0 tdi s line 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,457
You could save up to: £7183
2.0 tdi s line 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,670
You could save up to: £7365
2.0 tdi ultra s line 2dr
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £31,126
You could save up to: £6984
2.0 tdi ultra s line 2dr [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £32,339
You could save up to: £7166
2.0 tdi ultra s line 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,457
You could save up to: £7183
2.0 tdi ultra s line 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 67.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,670
You could save up to: £7365
2.0 tfsi 252 quattro s line 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 45.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £35,294
You could save up to: £7601
2.0 tfsi 252 quattro s line 2dr s tronic [tech pk]
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 44.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £36,507
You could save up to: £7783
2.0 tfsi s line 2dr
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £29,316
You could save up to: £6714
2.0 tfsi s line 2dr [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 49.6mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £30,530
You could save up to: £6895
2.0 tfsi s line 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 53.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,647
You could save up to: £6913
2.0 tfsi s line 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 53.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,861
You could save up to: £7094
3.0 tdi 286 quattro s line 2dr tiptronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £36,777
You could save up to: £7823
3.0 tdi 286 quattro s line 2dr tiptronic [tech pk]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 51.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £37,991
You could save up to: £8004
3.0 tdi quattro s line 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £35,280
You could save up to: £7605
3.0 tdi quattro s line 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 60.1mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £36,493
You could save up to: £7787
Audi A5 S5
s5 quattro 2dr tiptronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 38.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £41,026
You could save up to: £7824
Audi A5 Sport
1.4 tfsi sport 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 53.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £27,411
You could save up to: £6429
1.4 tfsi sport 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 53.3mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £28,624
You could save up to: £6611
2.0 tdi quattro sport 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,348
You could save up to: £7167
2.0 tdi quattro sport 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 64.2mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,562
You could save up to: £7348
2.0 tdi ultra sport 2dr
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 68.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £29,670
You could save up to: £6770
2.0 tdi ultra sport 2dr [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 68.9mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £30,884
You could save up to: £6951
2.0 tdi ultra sport 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 70.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £31,001
You could save up to: £6969
2.0 tdi ultra sport 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 70.6mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £32,215
You could save up to: £7150
2.0 tfsi sport 2dr
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 50.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £27,880
You could save up to: £6500
2.0 tfsi sport 2dr [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 50.4mpg
- Gears manual
Starting at: £29,094
You could save up to: £6681
2.0 tfsi sport 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 55.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £29,212
You could save up to: £6698
2.0 tfsi sport 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel petrol
- Economy 55.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £30,425
You could save up to: £6880
3.0 tdi quattro sport 2dr s tronic
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 61.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £33,844
You could save up to: £7391
3.0 tdi quattro sport 2dr s tronic [tech pack]
- Doors 2
- Fuel diesel
- Economy 61.4mpg
- Gears automatic
Starting at: £35,058
You could save up to: £7572
Other Editions
- Audi A5 (2016-present)Luxury, style and sportiness: the recipe for the Audi A5 coupe
- Audi A5 Sportback (2017-present) Offering space and style, the Audi A5 Sportback is a coupe for families