The on board toys are extremely complicated to use and you really must spend a lot of time in this car to become au-fair with the controls and how to use them before you set off on any journey. Again I found this to my cost as the A5 arrived with the electric heated seats on and as my bum started to burn, could I find out how to turn this off? Oh no, not a normal button but you had to go into the communication device select heated seats and adjust accordingly.
This is the same for the independent driver and passenger deluxe climate control which has the annoying feature that whenever you switch on the car it will automatically go straight to air conditioning even though it is minus 10 out there. Same goes for the electrically adjustable front and passenger leather seats unless you have the sense to use the memory button. The Drivers Information System in full colour is very useful but be careful not to spend too much time looking at that instead of the road. The same could be said of the Audi Concert audio system with MP3 compatibility and single CD player. Decide what music or radio station you want before you embark on your journey as your eyes will be off the road for too long while you fumble to change stations or CD. There are audio remotes on the leather height adjustable steering wheel along with the optional cruise control. Talking of which my test car also came with the optional Bang and Olufsen sound system, DVD satellite navigation, sport seats, comfort pack adaptive lights and GSM mobile phone prep in the front centre armrest pushing the price tag from a reasonable £32,600 to £42,225 ouch. Its those laurel nutmeg inlays that must have over done it.
The ride and handling of the A5 is unbelievably smooth, powerful and so utterly quite thanks to the re-engineered suspension, and with the rack and pinion power assisted steering, precision on the open roads is ensured and parking bays are conquered. The upgraded 3.0 litre TDI engine sprints to 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds yet manages to cover 39.2 mpg on a combined cycle with CO2 emissions down at 191. The six speed manual gearbox is standard for this A5 with a gearshift indicator that does not in fact tell you when to change gear in case you have gone deaf or forgotten, but actually helps the driver to adopt a fuel saving driving style by showing what gear you are currently in but if a higher or lower gear can deliver the same performance with better fuel economy, an arrow and a number are displayed to tell you the suggested gear. Being equipped with the latest generation quattro permanent four-wheel drive, 40 % of the engine power is distributed to the front axle and 60 % to the rear ensuring optimum handling is achieved.
Its German therefore it has to be safe with driver and passenger airbags, thorax pelvis side airbags plus a head airbag system for all four occupants with two ISOFIX mountings in the rear just in case the children need a lift to school. What is refreshingly reassuring in the Audi A5 are the not so obvious safety features such as Adaptive Frontal Restraint System that is in fact a new feature to the Audi A5, sensor controlled cut off fuel system with an additional safety valve to prevent fuel loss in a rollover, front and rear have aluminium deformation elements that prevent any damage to the actual body structure at impact speed of up to 12mph and because of the bolted fastenings, the damaged bumper can be replaced quickly and at low expense. Just as well as we love our bumps in the car parks dont we ladies. However I fail to see how anyone sound possible damage this Audi A5 as it comes with the most sensitive of parking sensors front, rear and side that proved incredibly annoying as they will beep you even if you are parked next to another car. Yes I know a car is there, I do have eyes you want to scream at it. Thankfully there is a button to turn them off, as they are more irritating that the sat nav lady.
But in a real emergency you can always call in the ESP boys. But of course being an Audi its not your normal ESP but an integrated driving dynamics assistance system comprising of ABS, Hydraulic Brake Assist, Electronic Differential Lock, Traction Control and Yawing Moment Control. Who? Something to do with the forces against the car, but not the armed forces. However, thats not all, for in conjunction with the Cruise Control, automatic-braking kicks in giving a constant speed during downhill driving. Goodness gracious me, whatever next? Securing the Audi A5 is a Thatcham Category 1 approved alarm falling into a hefty insurance group 17E. Perhaps if you buy a steering lock you may get a discount.
At the end of the day the Audi A5 is a beautiful coupe car and one every parent deserves, as the children get older. She delivers a stupendous ride and is very very safe. But that is just as well because to operate the toys on board takes your eyes off the road in my opinion, for too long, which in turn is dangerous. I am also beginning to wonder if these new cars, albeit stunning, are just getting a little too complicated and I would dread the day if the electrics suddenly failed.
FemaleFirst Jackie Violet
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