We like the familiar and we like the new. This seems like an odd statement but if a car captures our attention and has the look and feel we want it doesn’t matter if it’s the first time or the millionth time we’ve seen it we love it. The Audi A5 has been a car that we’ve adored for many years and even though Audi hasn’t been a brand that embraced exterior style the interior of the A5 and the power from under the hood has been fantastic in a car that’s made to be an awesome luxury car for us to drive.
For 2018 Audi has redesigned the A5 to be much different than before. The A5 we’re used to was similar to an American muscle car with a massive amount of weight up front and some in the rear with very little in the center of the car. This is about to change and finding a new way to balance this car out has been the goal for Audi as they look to compete with BMW for the top spot with the most active and drivable car on the road.
This new A5 has many reconsidering their affection for the car. Gone is the long hood and the long rear. The seats are moved forward and the car looks to be shorter than before. What this does for the A5 is give it a European appearance, but beyond the appearances this is a car that now feels more balanced. By moving the engine back and shortening the rear the weight is more centralized to give this car the feeling we want for driving on winding roads and cutting up curves that we find in many of the different areas of the country.
This new build gives us an A5 that is 132 pounds lighter than the previous version and offers us a car that is easy for us to drive on any road. The A5 is now tighter and more in tune with itself. The older model, with the longer wheelbase was harder to turn and didn’t come close to the performance of the BMW 5-Series, this new A5 should give the BMW model a serious run for the finish line, especially when the race involved a wide variety of twists and turns along the route.
Of course the interior is still elegant and exceptional, the car does wear the four ring badge on the front, but the tech has been upgraded and you’ll be pleasantly greeted by a screen between the gauges that can be used for navigation or for other information that you feel is needed when driving. Adding to this technology improvement is a full suite of safety and driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assistance, automatic emergency braking, collision avoidance, cross traffic alerts, exit warnings and much more. This tech is fairly easy to use on the new A5, giving you a car that will fit your driving needs right away.
Under the hood we will see two engines in the US (Europe will have three diesel engines as well to give them five). The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that offers up 252 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is smooth and easy to enjoy while being attached to a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. The engine for those who want more power will be the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 that offers up 354 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is capable of reaching sixty mph in less than 4.7 seconds to give you plenty of acceleration.
Is the new A5 the right car for you? There is some time for you to answer that question. As a 2018 model this car won’t actually be ready for sale until the spring of 2017, which gives you plenty of time to decide if the new style suits you or if the new driving dynamics are what you’re looking for. One thing is certain, this is a step forward for the A5 as it becomes a more serious competitor with the 5-Series from BMW for the top drive in this class.
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