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Buy this Ford vs Ferrari GT40 Movie Car2023 Audi A5 Review: New and Improved
The 2023 Audi A5 is a refined car with smart upgrades. We look at powertrain, interior options, trim levels, and more. Find out our thoughts here.
What’s New for the 2023 Audi A5?
Audi is adding a lot of content as standard equipment for the 2023 model year. That includes illuminated door sills, front sport seats, 18-inch wheels, and natural gray oak interior trim. The mid-level Premium Plus trim gets a high-end 19-speaker sound system.
Audi also introduces a number of new and improved packages like the Black Optic Plus package with exhaust tips, a spoiler, and a rear lip in black. A competition package debuts on the RS5 with more track goodies and adaptive cruise is now part of the brand’s convenience package.
2023 Audi A5 – audiusa.com | Shop 2023 Audi A5 on Carsforsale.com
The Breakdown
Great powertrain
Balanced handling
Classy interior
Pricey top trims
Tight cabin
Tame attitude
A jack of all trades
2023 Audi Specs
- 201 horsepower from base engine
- 236 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 3 available trims
- 10.9 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- Standard Android and Apple connectivity
- Standard lane-departure warning
- Four-year bumper-to-bumper coverage
2023 Audi A5 Powertrain
Audi sells the A5 family with four different engines. The base is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 201 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. It’s only available in the Sportback four-door version. Above it is the same engine but tuned to develop 261 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque and a seven-speed automatic transmission. Basically, every other A5 comes with this package including all coupes and cabriolets.
Audi also sells the S5, a hot version of the A5 with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 that develops 349 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. It mates to an eight-speed automatic which is the same used for the RS5 with its 444 hp 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. All 5s use Quattro all-wheel drive. As all-wheel drive systems go it’s one of the very best on the market when it comes to balancing intentional slip and necessary grip.
The S and RS versions are the obvious choice for those who love to drive. Still, keep in mind that even the base Coupe and Cabriolet versions are great to drive. The only downside is that these cars don’t have a particularly playful attitude. The exhaust note isn’t very endearing, the handling is almost too safe, and the styling isn’t as aggressive as rivals.
2023 Audi A5 Fuel Economy & MPG
According to the EPA, the A5 gets up to 24 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway. That figure actually drops slightly on the highway for the Coupe and Cabriolet versions. The S5 gets up to 21 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway while the RS5 gets up to 18 and 26 respectively. Those figures are surprisingly excellent for the size and nature of this car.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
It’s been about five years since Audi introduced this generation of the A5 and it’s somewhat obvious. While the dash design is sleek and elegant it’s clearly just a bit behind rivals from BMW and Mercedes in terms of cutting-edge touches. Despite that, we think it’s still a nice place to spend time and the attention to detail is obvious from the tight panel gaps.
The seats are slightly cramped compared to rivals too but many will enjoy that feeling as this is intended to be an athletic vehicle from the outset. That same feeling is present in the rear seats of the Sportback model as the roof dips down hard so headroom and legroom are compromised.
Thankfully, cargo space is considerably better in the Sportback. The A5 coupe comes with just 10.9 cubic feet of cargo volume. The Sportback sports 21.8. Fold those back seats down and that’ll expand to 35 cubic feet of storage space.
Entertainment & Technology
Audi’s infotainment system is a solid performer with good response times and a few different ways to interact with it. Aside from the 10.1-inch touchscreen itself, occupants can use physical controls on the steering wheel or their voice.
Drivers can also employ Android Auto or Apple CarPlay should they prefer one of those features. An available 12.3-inch digital cockpit is available which turns the gauge cluster into a high-tech affair with configurable sections, bright crisp informative graphics, and even a background map with integrated navigation.
Safety Features
Audi offers the A5 with automated emergency braking and lane-departure warning but beyond that, you’ll have to fork up more cash if you want things like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and more. That’s a bit disappointing in a car of this class. Advanced safety features do more than simply improve safety. They also improve the feeling of luxury and comfort, something Audi could lean into a lot more.
2023 Audi A5 Trims & Pricing
Audi sells the A5 in three body styles including Sportback (a four-door coupe-style sedan), coupe, and cabriolet. For the most part trim content is identical across each body style but we’ve parsed out the most significant differences below. For example, the Sportback is available with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (40 TFSI) that makes 201 hp while the two-door A5s only come with a version (45 TFSI) that makes 261 hp. The S5 and RS5 largely follow the same content system albeit with more powerful engines.
Premium – $45,695
This base trim gets 18-inch wheels, heated side mirrors, Matrix LED headlights, a tri-zone climate control system, leather upholstery, power-adjustable heated front sport seats, ambient interior lighting, a 10.1-inch infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and a 7-inch digital gauge cluster. Coupe buyers get a sunroof and a sport suspension as well. Sportback buyers also get a sunroof but a power liftgate is also included. All A5s with the 261-hp engine get a sport suspension setup.
Premium Plus – $50,795
The mid-tier trim adds a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, upgraded LED headlights, faux-leather-wrapped center console armrests, a wireless charging pad, driver’s seat memory functions, satellite radio, a surround-view camera system, a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, and lane-keep assistance.
Prestige – $56,095
This top trim adds special headlights with walk-up and departure animations, integrated navigation, traffic sign recognition, ventilated front seats, a heads-up display, and an automated parking system. The Sportback gets heated rear seats.
Warranties
The entire 5 family including the A5, S5, and RS5 comes with a four-year or 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. That, of course, includes the powertrain. It’s worth noting that some rivals include complimentary maintenance and Audi doesn’t. We consider that a swing and a miss.
What we think
2023 Audi A5 – audi-mediacenter.com | Shop 2023 Audi A5 on Carsforsale.com
The 2023 Audi A5, S5, and RS5 all fall into a strange space. They’re not as advanced, raucous, or aggressive as cars like the BMW M4 or M3 but that might be a good thing for some buyers.
We’re also pleasantly surprised at just how well the entire A5 family drives no matter what trim level or engine one chooses.
Those who prefer a sleeper instead of a bombastic performance machine do well to look at our article on new car incentives and then head over to their nearest Audi dealer for a test drive.
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