Audi A5

[adrian3000]

Whats up guys. I'm in California and I'm looking into buying an Audi A5.

- What are the pros/cons of owning an A5.
- How's the reliability?
- Is maintenance and upkeep expensive?

[namvar]

Pros/Cons- read the forum posts. Lots of information there on why people love their A5s and why some are frustrated
Reliability- consumer reports
Maintenance- Look up the cost of audicare.


Are you buying new or used? What king of A5? what options?

[8T_BoCO]

Pros - I'm struck by the look of this 2-door coupe every time I see one.
I rarely use the back seat for passengers, so 2 doors are plenty.
Few US offerings come with 6MT + rear-bias (Torsen) AWD. The 2.0T is reasonably efficient.
Great trunk with 60/40 split rear seats for long cargo.
Feels remarkably solid & gives me greater confidence on the road than any previous FWD VW or even Subaru AWD.

Cons - none for me yet, but I do expect some expensive things to fail eventually.

Maintenance - Yes, do look at Audicare if you're considering new, low-mileage Certified Used, or if you don't DIY.
For my 3 year old out-of-warranty A5, I do simple maintenance myself (oil changes, air/oil filters, seasonal wheel swaps), but for more complex tasks
I'll go to my local independent Audi specialist. The local dealer wanted over $500 for the 55k service (parts: oil/oil filter, air & cabin filter).

[osugsxr]

2013 a5 recently purchased within last few months,
Pros
Fun to drive and excellent car
Awd is a plus if needed
Mpg is okay 25-33 , previously owned a hybrid
Car looks great
Apr tuning , read some good reviews then a few bad ones

Cons
This forum and ideas of upgrades
Maintenance can be costly if not mechanically inclined or find a good independent shop
If buying 12 and under look into oil consumption test ,

[Rons01B5]

I've had my 2012 A5 2.0t 6-speed for about 5 months now, coming from an B6 A4, here is my take:
Pros:
Handles great (even in stock form)
Great highway cruiser
Comfortable seats (sport seats)
2.0T engine is super smooth and refined.

Cons:
Interior looks great but there are a lot of cheap plastics everywhere!
ie: My interior door panels creak when you put your arm hits them.
Steering has a bit of an artificial feel at low speeds
Has enough usable power but can sometimes feel sluggish.

I can't tell you anything about maintenance yet.

[zhclvn]

I bought my 14' Audi A5 for 15% off sticker included with all incentives.
52K MSRP S-Line Comp Package with Everything. 48.5K Out the door.

Maintenance: Audi Care! I went through my tires and brakes by 25K Miles before that car was totalled

Reliability: 2.0T Audi Motor has been very reliable.

[senatorswag]

Coming from a line of BMWs.
Way lighter handling steering wheel, but tightens up when you're at speed like getting on an onramp for a freeway; makes it easy for parking lots and still fun for taking turns.
The turning radius is pretty wide and I feel like I have a much harder time parking in tighter spots. Feels bigger, boatier and less sharp than a 3 series stock vs stock.
Ride comfort is not much to boast about. I'd say a 3 series wins here. I'd say if you're into sporty driving, go for the 3; if you want to have the looks, go for the a5. I still think the audi A5 is the best looking car out there. For the A5, I felt I upgraded to a more grown-up/old-man's car since it didn't feel as nimble and was a bit more muted in terms of driving feel.

Maintenance costs are imo a bit higher than a bmw within the 4 year factory coverage. I never had to pay a dime with the 4 years coverage for the bmws, but for audi I had to pay deductibles and always ended up paying something out of my pocket for routine every 10k mi inspections and maintenance. I don't recall paying deductibles for bmw. I ended up buying the audicare package that covered me from 55k to 75k (3 services) and it was maybe 1,300 or so, saving me about 500-700 if I didn't do the package. Don't recall numbers for BMW, since I'd trade in and get a new one after hitting 50kmi. After the coverage, I can see them being equal here.

Any A5 2010 or lower, be wary of the oil consumption engine issue; had to take mine in twice before they did the full job (covered though since I bought it certified pre-owned). 2011 and on have the additional 7th gear which give you 1mpg more.

Huge fan of the audi infotainment system. Seamless integration with my android phones.

Otherwise, yeah my comparison is from a bmw. You want a sportier drive and more engaging experience, get the bmw. If you want the looks, get the A5.

[DOT]

I agree with much of what's been said here, except for the BMW comparison (I've never owned one). I have a modded 2010 2.0t and love the handling and stability, add in awd for crappy Northeast weather (admittedly this doesn't apply to the question here) and there are very few cars that approach the versatility of the A5. Weekend racer. Check. Snazzy show car. Check. Long range cruiser. Check. BTW it also comfortably seats four and has a huge trunk. The only things I dislike are the relative vagueness of the steering feel and the mushy brake pedal - the braking situation is likely the next round of upgrades.


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[adrian3000]

Thanks for the helpful responses so far fellas.

So I'm planning on buying a Certified used A5. Is there any difference between a 2013 and a 2014?

Navigation is a must, so it has to be a Premium Plus. Could someone tell me what the Prestige has that the Premium Plus doesn't??

[chrisdazzo]

I bought a Certified 2014 P+ A5 recently. Super fun as a unique starter Audi, but try bringing some friends taller than 5' 9" and putting them in the back seat :) I really enjoy mine, though. That said, I think the 2014 models got a lot of standard features that were considered "upgrades" on the 2013's. Make sure you get the blind spot monitoring/alert system. So nice!

Oh, also: get Audi Care, tint, and a clear bra wrap. You'll thank yourself down the road. See if you can't work one of those three into the purchase deal. Final thing about Certified - it extends the warranty to 6 years or 100k miles, and if you get a good deal on a CPO with <10k miles like I did... You're set.

[Wingnut601]

Whats up guys. I'm in California and I'm looking into buying an Audi A5.

- What are the pros/cons of owning an A5.
- How's the reliability?
- Is maintenance and upkeep expensive?

Picked up my 2011 A5 from EU Motorsports behind Tognotti's just off Fulton. Great guys over there.

Pros - awesome to look at every day, lots of compliments from everyone that sees it, the larger coupe doors make entry and exit much easier.

Cons - insurance can suck (Audi), paranoid about curbs, soccer moms in parking lots, that lead foot that just got heavier.

Maintenance - I've had mine since April and the only issues I've had were twice I had the low oil light come on (free too off at dealer) and something in Low Angeles freeway that put a 1" hole in my tire and wheel. Niello Audi (Auburn Blvd @Fulton) charges about $200 for minor services and $500 for majors. Majors are roughly 2-3 years apart. Just had the 105k done and was $206. Shuttle service is Mon-Fri. Everyone there is friendly.

The original owner of my A5 had it services religously at the dealer in Newport Beach and since the maintenance cost at the dealer isn't too bad I plan on continuing to take it there.

If you see my A5 in Town & Country Village (Fulton/Marconi) come by Tobacco Road and say Hi.
-Wayne


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[FaceSmA5h]

Whats up guys. I'm in California and I'm looking into buying an Audi A5.

- What are the pros/cons of owning an A5.
- How's the reliability?
- Is maintenance and upkeep expensive?

Pros: Looks/Luxury
Cons: MPG / Power (Stock)
Reliability: No issues at 23,000 miles so far.
Maintenance: $850 for 15k, 25k, 35k, and 45k intervals paid in advance.

My car is for sale if you're interested =P

[Drew0u812]

MPG is Con??
I think the MPG is quite good on the car, especially when you consider it's AWD, and in my case the stock 19" wheels.
Lifetime Mileage is 29.2 (approx 70% highway)

[adrian3000]

What A5's have dual exhaust? I saw one for sale but it was a convertible and I'm not looking for a convertible.

[fasteddy91]

What A5's have dual exhaust? I saw one for sale but it was a convertible and I'm not looking for a convertible.

Either the convertibles or the 08-09s that had the 3.2 liter V-6s.

[FaceSmA5h]

MPG is Con??
I think the MPG is quite good on the car, especially when you consider it's AWD, and in my case the stock 19" wheels.
Lifetime Mileage is 29.2 (approx 70% highway)

I drive 100% Highway and shift early and let the car roll on neutral when braking is not required. Best MPG was 29, been tracking the mileage on fuelly.com since the first day of the car. I drove a lot of highway miles on this car and the best is closer to 27 than 29.

My overall avg is 25.8

http://www.fuelly.com/car/audi/a5_qu...eking4u/263640

[FaceSmA5h]

What A5's have dual exhaust? I saw one for sale but it was a convertible and I'm not looking for a convertible.

Mine has a dual AWE exhaust =] (Not Convertible)

[8T_BoCO]

True, you can tastefully modify ($$) the rear bumper & valence to accomdate a dual exhaust. I suspect the adrian3000 is inquiring about factory dual exhaust (thanks FastEddy).

[adrian3000]

Yeah that's what I meant.