Tested: 2017 Audi A5 2.0 TDi S tronic

The favourite things

Put your money where your mouth is. Go on, we all chat and discuss our favourite things, dreaming about A or recommending B to a friendly neighbor but how often do we take the plunge ourselves? I’m more than happy to lead by example and hereby proclaim that I would gladly buy an Audi A5 Coupé.

Although I don’t have problem with any of its siblings, I’d give all of them the cold showroom shoulder and proceed in the general direction of an A5. Same thing happens to me when dreaming on Audi’s online configurator – after exploring a few other two-door cars, I always end up with a blood-red S5 Coupé.

Before I get carried away any further, I need to stress that I didn’t road-test a Tango Red S5 but rather took delivery of an Argus Brown (dark chocolate metallic) A5 Coupé 2.0 TDi S tronic with Atlas Beige leather seats. I should also mention that I’m not a fan of Diesel engines; especially in svelte German suits.

To deal with that prejudice straight away, the two-liter four-cylinder turbo motor in this car chucks out up to 140kW in the relatively smooth manner you’d expect from a premium German manufacturer. Except for a little start-up clatter, this is a highly refined and comparatively quiet old oil burner.

Available with front- or all-wheel drive (Quattro), power goes via the trusty “S tronic” automatic gearbox which uses the TDi’s enjoyable torque of 400Nm to bridge any power gaps and keep the engine in its torque band of between 1,750 and 3,000rpm. Commuting, cruising or carving – the 2L Diesel A5 does it all.

Of course a family would be better off in a Q5 (or A5 Sportback) but for dinks like me, this medium-sized machine is a decadent pleasure. I don’t need rear doors, high ground clearance or spill-proof carpets. The understated sexiness of an A5 Coupé should thus also appeal to well-off singles, empty-nesters and/or retirees.

As mentioned above, it’s relatively quiet, highly refined, well built and luxurious. Wind, road and engine noise levels are well under acceptable norms, all major controls feel sturdy and premium while Audi offers tasty extras like the fully-digital instrument cluster, MMI multimedia system, snazzy wheels or trick headlights.

With a 465L boot and collapsible rear seats, there’s ample room for holiday trips or even the odd visit to a hardware shop. Audi only fits a 40L fuel tank and claims this car will eat just 3.7L per 100km. Hogwash, we once saw 4.4 but were happy when our mixed driving average returned anything around six.

For those who eat long-distance miles, this is worth a proper look. Grab the 2.0 TDi Quattro for more tank volume and range or take the TFSi (turbo-petrol) for a comparative test-drive. Prices for the TDi models start at around N$620,000 and include a one-year warranty and five-year or 100,000km Audi Freeway Plan.

So why haven’t I put my money where my mouth is and bought the magnificent A5? Simple – because I don’t have enough cash.