All,
It's company car replacement time and I am such a ditherer it takes me ages to make a decision.
Audis on my list are A5 sportbacks (3.0 and 2.0 Tdi multitronics FWD not quattro) and A6 Saloons (S-Line and SE Multitronic 2.0 Tdi).
Auto is a "must have" for me.
So I'm deciding between A5 and A6.
I have a young family, 2 girls under 5, and a wife who can't pack light. But I do have a roofbox.....
I do circa 30,000 miles pa so comfort is important. Any views on the sports suspension that comes on S-Line Audis is most welcome. A previous (2004) Audi was returned as it was just too uncomfortable but I've been told that Audis have softened since then.
Opinions on if the A5 Sportback is large enough/comfortable enough buy those that either own or have driven one is particularly welcome.
I'll no doubt go for a 520d SE but the A5 looks much nicer and the A6 S-Line is better equipped so I'd like to keep my options open at ths stage.
Thanks
PS - I have a 5 day test drive booked with an A6 S-Line booked from the end of this week so that should prove interesting.
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Wouldn't imagine any of the above would disappoint. Very good on bik too I see. New A6 Avant is a cracking looking thing. With 2 kids etc wouldn't that be a good choice? How strict is the list?
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I think you need to avoid the S-line if comfort is anything more than a vague wish, even if the big wheels do look nice. A test drive would confirm. A5 Sportback looks nice, but 5-series reportedly a better drive.
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Unfortunately A6 avant isn't on list (Saloon only) or else that would be the one. Likewise a 520dSE tourer IS on the list but manual only so I'm discounting it.
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Think I'd go for the beemer estate with proper gears and enjoy both it's practicality and indeed hurling it about for a couple of years or whatever.
I too like autos ( I have one ) but it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.
Saloons are just so compromised. In my view anyway.
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Get the A5!
I went from an E91 BMW 320d Estate to an A5 Sportback 2.0 TDI Auto with multitronic auto box.
In truth, I never got on with the BMW, and I am really glad that I got the A5. It suits me down to the ground.
Some random points based on my ownership:
- The hatch boot has been brilliant - it has never let me down and I've carried some bulky items in there (and I know that I'd have been stuck many times if I'd only had a saloon), and I've never felt the need for an estate.
- The SE model is very comfortable, helped by the excellent seats. I would AVOID the S-line unless you really, really want the best handling. I get back twinges, yet a two hour trip is no more tiring than a five minute drive up the road.
- Overall, I've gotten 47 mpg in almost 14000 miles from new. I take it steady and keep to the speed limits - but 47 mpg in an automatic! Not bad, and better than I got in the BMW. Oh yes!
- Audi interiors rock. All the kit is excellent, especially the MMI. Bluetooth has paired up seamlessly with two different modern phones, and the music interface is brilliant! You get 10 speakers as standard, and I am rediscovering my music collection.
- Performance is perfectly adequate for me. It would be all too easy to lose my licence in the A5 if I didn't take care. How fast do you need, anyway?
- If you get an automatic you don't have to worry about the "offset pedals problem" that every pro-BMW car reviewer harps on about.
- Last but not least, the A5 is gorgeous to look at!
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The A5 appeals to me, too - although the Audi salesman I talked to in Reading the other day seemed to be doing his best to put me off. We (the Beestlings and I) had a look at one they had on the lot, and I was impressed by two parts of the accommodation package: I had no trouble getting comfortable in front, and the boot is excellent - long, deep, straight-sided and accessible.
It's a much better package than the poky A4 Avahnt (as Audi salesmen seem to say) but I'm still not convinced it has the room in the back seat that we'll need for two long-limbed children and the occasional third passenger - most A5s are configured as strict four-seaters, I think.
I'd still like to drive one - although I'd prefer a manual and offset pedals are no mere Bavarophile nitpick; prolonged sitting in a twisted position can cause serious problems, however good the seats. My other misgiving - which won't concern A900 - is that my cash budget will run to a 2010 A5, but the same amount will also buy a similarly aged and powered A6 Avant, and that looks like an altogether more serious family car.
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I was considering an A4 and even an A5 last year. I ruled out the A4 in part because it's a bit small in the rear. Never looked at the A5 closely because when I was deciding they were fairly new and the local dealer didn't have one in stock*.... and the price on the company car scheme was very expensive.
One observation was the A5's came with less kit than a cheaper A4. Especially in A4 Technik spec. But even an A4 SE came with tri-zone climate whereas the more expensive 4-cylinder A5 did not.
Of course the car has been recently revised so specifications have changed. And there's now a more efficient and cleaner 1.8T replacing the 2.0T 180PS engine.
* I ordered my new car last April I think so it would be ready for October due to long lead times! It came in July and I had to wait.
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A5 Sportback opinions please (and new A6 saloon) - Runfer D'Hills
