2009 Audi A5

Audi A5: Same great taste as the S5 but less draining to the wallet?

Get a taste of Cristal before your first taste of Pabst Blue Ribbon and there's always the chance you'll like champagne better. Following this logic, in theory, those shopping for stylish coupes run that risk should they drive the very desirable S5 before sampling the less-expensive A5.

The hotrod S5 comes with 340 hp worth of V-8 muscle, a 6-speed manual and a pumped-up suspension. So it's fair to wonder whether the 265 hp V-6-powered A5 coupe, base-priced over 10 grand lower, can possibly be as good.

The short answer: Yes, at least when the S-Line Sports Package ($2,900) is specified. The extra bucks deliver a sports suspension, bigger wheels shod with more-athletic footwear, plus a set of sports seats. Aside from the S5's multi-function steering wheel, the rest of the package includes cosmetic items—bumpers, grille and badges similar to the S5's—and a few bits of upscale interior trim.

Both cars share the new Audi 5-Series' fetching sheetmetal, an enticing blend of a high belt line, TT-like roof, muscular fenders and artfully sculpted quarters. It's a handsome car, particularly from the side and rear quarters.

Inside are found supportive sports seats with good side bolsters and a wide range of adjustment. Some may find the bottom cushions somewhat shy on padding after extended jaunts, but in everyday urban driving they're fine.

The good driving position, generous sightlines and intelligent control layout augment the A5 coupe's mission as a driver's car. The top of the center stack houses a big color screen for the nav system ($2,390) and also doubles as a highly effective backup system. The latter can be set to the driver's preferences and, based on steering-wheel angle, displays the car's anticipated path—well in advance of the rear bumper's reaching that point. Both path and distance are depicted via colored lines superimposed over the image. And for the parking-challenged, audible alerts are provided as a further aid to warn of imminent contact. When considering today's collision repair costs, over the life of the car this feature alone could well justify the cost of the nav system.

One discordant note inside is the absence of an adjustable steering wheel. Although Audi press literature quotes as standard a tilting and telescoping unit, the test car didn't have one. It's possible to conjure up a viable driving position by fiddling with the power seat controls, but in the day when an adjustable column is standard on cars costing a fraction of this, the lack is unfortunate.

The rear seat is accessible after a bit of gymnastic maneuvering and legroom is adequate for short jaunts. Headroom in back is excellent for a coupe, augmented by careful sculpting of the headliner and a powered sunroof that flips up but does not slide back.

The sports suspension is the key element if you're looking to emulate the S5's athletic handling capabilities. Thus equipped, there's little to separate the two in their ability to carve up a twisting secondary road or reel in the horizon on fast interstate romps. Steering feel seems to improve with speed and path accuracy is excellent. This is one of those thoroughbreds you could guide accurately with your knees while finishing a Quarter Pounder, if you chose to.

Revised powertrain packaging means that the A5 has only a slight front weight bias, one far more favorable than in past models. With less weight on the front, it turns-in eagerly and quickly takes a set, tracking through turns with alacrity. Standard Quattro all-wheel-drive seamlessly apportions power between the axles and at subsonic velocities, it helps to mask final understeer that's always on tap to save the unwary. Overenthusiastic corner-entry speeds are further mitigated by a well-tuned stability-control system with its threshold set high enough that few will encounter it unless they've done something monumentally stupid.

Sticky 255/35-19 summer performance tires add measurably to steering precision and grip. The tradeoff is noise, particularly over textured pavement. And a noticeable amount of this is transmitted into the cabin. Tire design and their high 39 psi inflation pressure contribute to this and generate some impact harshness that is likewise telegraphed through the body structure.

The car likely would be far quieter on smooth German highways, leading us to wonder if decisions on the chassis setup were based upon experience gained there rather than on the cratered roads common to the U.S. Fortunately, there's an easy fix for the few that might be troubled by tire noise: Choose four-season performance tires instead, a no-cost option.

The new 3.2-liter V-6 features direct injection, a very high compression ratio, variable valve timing and other airflow-improving tweaks, providing a flat torque curve with good top-end power. Backed by an excellent 6-speed Tiptronic manumatic with paddle shifters—a no-cost option in lieu of the 6-speed manual—it never seems lacking in horsepower. Midrange acceleration is spritely—Audi quotes 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds—and fuel economy is exemplary.

We saw 26.2 mpg at a 75 mph cruising speed. In mixed overall city driving it achieved 20.8 mpg on premium fuel, both numbers particularly noteworthy for a near-two-ton vehicle. It's EPA-rated at 18/27 mpg, about 30 percent more frugal than the S5 with its 4.2-liter V-8, and it will run on unleaded regular with some reduction in performance.

With an as-tested sticker of $50,815, the A5 was just under $7,000 less than a similarly optioned S5 tested previously. For that tariff you get the same haut couture and most of the performance, reason enough to take a close look at this stylish coupe.