2017 Audi A5 And Audi S5 Review
The Audi A5 Has Always Been One Of The Most Handsome Cars, Not Only In Its Segment, But In The Whole Market.
This Second-generation 2017 Audi A5 Model Changes That Slightly, But Whatever You May Think The New Model Lost In This Redesign, It Gains Back In Dramatically Better Driving Dynamics.
The Reactions To This Redesign Seem To Be Mostly Negative — As Always, Audi Is Being Accused Of Not Pushing The Envelope Far Enough And Being Too Conservative. At First Glance, This Argument May Have Some Merit, But If You Put This New, Second-generation Model Side-by-side With The Previous Gen, The Differences Are Stark.
New Posture, New Personality
Where The Previous Generation A5 Had A Similar Stance As An American Muscle Car, The New A5 Is Distinctly European. The Long, Imposing Hood Is Gone In Favour Of A More Compact Hood That Is Defined By A New “power Dome.” I Don’t Particularly Like This Design Cue — I Don’t Think It’s Very Elegant — But I Can Understand Why It’s There.
Similarly, The Entire Proportions Of The Coupe Have Changed, Giving The A5 A More Balanced Look That Is Reflected In How The Redesigned Car Handles. The Exaggerated Rear Haunches Have Been Toned Down To Look More Subtle, And The Weight Now Looks And Feels Like It’s In The Middle Of The Car, Rather Than In The Front And Back, Which Is Where The Previous Gen Model Kept Its Bulk.
A Little Less Bold And Brash, The New A5 Trades In Its Muscular, Beefy Appearance For Something More Refined And Taut. Audi Engineers And Designers Will Tell You That They Sent The A5 To The Gym, But To My Eye, The A5 Looks Like It Stopped Lifting, It Went To Bootcamp (it’s Much More Athletic Now), Starting Practicing Yogalates (it’s Leaner, Has A Stronger Core And Exhibits Better Balance) And Also Started Shopping On Saville Row (it Looks Much Classier).
Light And Tight Is Right
All That Working Out Has Made The Biggest Difference In How The A5 Drives. Weighing In At Some 132 Pounds Lighter Than The Previous Model, The New A5 Feels Like A Completely New Car From Behind The Wheel. The Coupe’s Newfound Lightness Is One Of Its Biggest Strengths, As It Makes The A5 Feel More Energetic And Willing To Play.
Power In The Power Dome
Underneath That New Power Dome Is A Choice Of Five Engines, But Only Two Of Them Will Likely Be Available In North America When The A5 And S5 Launch In Spring 2017. The Europeans Get Three Diesel Options And Two Gas Options, But North Americans Will Likely Only Get The Gas-powered 2.0-liter Tsfi Four-cylinder Base Engine And The 3.0-liter Turbo V6 That Powers The S5. Quattro All-wheel Drive Will Come Standard.
The Base 2.0-liter Turbo Four-cylinder In The A5 Outputs 252 Horsepower And 273 Lb-ft Of Torque. The Engine Pulls Strongly Throughout The Rev Rage, With A Bit Of Turbo Lag Evident The Moment You Put Your Foot Down. The Engine Can Be Hooked Up To A Six-speed Manual (yay!) Or A Smooth Seven-speed Dual-clutch Unit That Displays None Of The Weirdness That Surfaces In Other Dcts.
The Upgraded 3.0-liter Turbo V6 In The S5 Gets A Healthy 354 Hp And 369 Lb-ft Of Torque, Allowing It To Hit 62 Mph From A Standstill In 4.7 Seconds. It Even Sounds The Part, Although I’m Certain The Sound Is Piped Into The Cabin Or Even A Bit Faked Or Amplified Because It Sounds Slightly Manufactured. The V6 Gets Paired To A Silky And Responsive Eight-speed Tiptronic Transmission.
Audi Says Both Engines Are 17 Percent More Powerful And 20 Percent More Fuel Efficient Than The Motors They Replace. When Driven, Both Engines Exhibit More Linear Torque Curves That Don’t Drop Off As Sharply Higher In The Rev Range. The Base Engine Is More Than You’ll Ever Need, But The V6 Gives The S5 A Lovely Urgency And A More Authoritative Sound.
The Verdict: 2017 Audi A5 And S5 Review
The New Audi A5’s Biggest Accomplishment Is Its Newfound Lightness And Balance – These Two Changes Make The Coupe Even Better To Drive. Combined With All The New Tech, The Audi Gives Us More Of What We Love And More Of What It’s Good At: Impeccable Build Quality And Attention To Detail, As Well As Fantastic Driving.
The 2017 Audi A5 Is A Luxurious And Endlessly Civilized Machine That Can Be A Comfortable Cruiser Or A Fiery Corner Slayer Whenever You Need It To Be. Read More Test Drive
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