2008 Audi A5 3.2 quattro

Coupes are right brain buys; style plays as much of a role in their purchase as sensibility does for a sedan. With the rollout of the new A5, Audi expands its holdings in this style-conscious class from two to three. Or its that four? The all-new two-door also has a sportier sibling named the S5 (Gwyneth Paltrow’s ride in the movie “Iron Man”), so you can consider the Audi coupe count as four, or three with an asterisk. Considering that the other Audi coupes have very distinctive shapes—the swoopy R8 über car and the modern classic TT—A5 inherits some fine genetics.

Style and Design

Walter de Silva (who also penned the latest TT) has designed a worthy addition to the Audi fold with the A5/S5. The familiar, shield shaped grille leads the way, framed by a set of narrow, horizontal headlamps above, and air inlets below, the latter housing round, chrome rimmed driving lights. Arched front fenders flow back to a laid-back windshield. The A5’s body is high-waisted with a thin, curving greenhouse. A widening c-pillar leads to the notch back tail, with a short deck lid. In all, it’s a muscular shape, less curvy and more angular than TT.


Audi interiors have a well-earned reputation for fine design, nicely executed. The A5 follows suit with a beautifully crafted cabin. Our test car had the $2,900 S-Line Sport Package, which adds brushed aluminum trim and a set of supportive sport seats. The A5 is a 2+2-sized coupe. Front seats will hold most any size driver, and rear seat usability varies in direct proportion to the front passenger’s inseams. If the latter’s are long, rear legroom is short. However, the rear seats fold when not in use, which allows the trunk to be expanded for long items, too.

Interior and Features

The 16.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity will hold a pair of golf club bags or a good supply of luggage. Most interior systems are channeled through the central, MMI controller. The unit allows infinite adjustments to most every feature, but it’s distracting while driving and not especially intuitive. Notable above is a large, glass roof panel that tilts but, curiously, doesn’t slide.


As befits a $40,000 class coupe, The A5 can be packed with virtually any option imaginable. Popular features include the navigation system ($2,390) and the Premium Package ($1,850), which adds Bi-Xenon headlamps, auto dimming mirrors inside and out and heated front seats. In addition to the aforementioned interior spiffs and sport seats, the S Line Sport package includes 19-inch rims, summer performance tires, headlamp washers, redundant controls on the steering wheel and S-Line badging.