2018 Audi A5

A5 Coupe competes with the likes of BMW 430i xDrive Coupe and Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe. The competition is threatening. Although, the latest avatar of the Audi A5 Coupe has a few tricks under its sleeve. A high-end interior, enthralling performance and lengthy feature-list are just some of them.

The 2018 Audi A5 is available in 3 trims, namely Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. Each of the trim packs a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic engine, capable of imparting 252 hp and 273 lb.-ft. of power and torque, respectively. Pricing options for the Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige trims start from $42,800, $45,800 and $50,400, respectively.

Trim	Premium	Premium Plus	Prestige
MSRP	$42,800	$45,800	$50,400
Key Features	Xenon headlights Heated mirrors Automatic wipers Tri-zone automatic climate control Leather upholstery Power front seats Auto-dimming rearview mirror Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 7-inch infotainment display with Audi's MMI interface Rearview camera 10-speaker sound system Frontal collision warning and mitigation	All Features of Premium, and: LED headlights Auto-dimming exterior mirrors Front and rear parking sensors Audi's Connect Care (with 4G LTE connection and emergency telematics) Rear collision mitigation Blind-spot monitoring Heated front seats Driver-seat memory functions	All Features of Premium Plus, and: Head-up display Premium audio system Simulated leather upholstery for the center console and armrests Digital instrument panel Remote vehicle function controls via a smartphone app Top-down parking camera system 8.3-inch infotainment display

The Premium and Premium Plus trims come with a 7-inch infotainment display, with Audi’s traditional MMI interface. While the Prestige trim offers a bigger 8.3-inch infotainment display. Top-down parking camera system and simulated leather upholstery are exclusive features to the Prestige trim.

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The 2018 Audi A5 Coupe Premium trim comes with a great set of features. Leather upholstery, automatic wipers, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and 10-speaker sound system are some of them. The bid for the base model starts from $42,800. For another $3000, one can have the Premium Plus trim, which packs all the features offered by the Premium trim, plus several others.

"The redesigned 2018 Audi A5 has all the makings of a fun-to-drive luxury small car. It gives you a choice between two energetic powertrains and comes standard with all-wheel drive. The ride is smooth, and the brakes are strong. The A5 is composed around turns, while the performance-oriented S5 is downright nimble."- cars.usnews

Engine and Transmission

An Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 2.0 L  engine powers the Audi A5 Coupe. It adds 252 hp of power and 273 lb.-ft of torque to the luxury car. The engine power bests its competitors and is equally if not more refined. Power delivery is linear, with surprisingly unnoticeable turbo lag.

The transmission duties are carried away by a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The power is sent to all four wheels via the brilliant Quattro system, which splits power in variable fashion among the front and rear wheels. Theoretically, grip levels should be phenomenal. Practically though, Audi has played it safe and dialed in a little understeer to prevent drivers from pushing the edge.

Models	Audi A5 Coupe	BMW 430i xDrive Coupe	Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe
MSRP	$42,800	$45,500	$45,200
Engine	Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 2.0 L/121	Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 2.0 L/122	Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 2.0 L/121
Transmission	7-speed S Tronic dual-clutch automatic	8-speed Sport Automatic transmission with automatic Sport and Manual shift modes and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters	9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic
Horsepower	252hp @ 5,000 rpm	248hp @ 5,200 rpm	241hp @ 5,550 rpm
Torque	273 lb.-ft. @ 1,600 rpm	258 lb.-ft. @ 1,450 rpm	273 lb.-ft. @ 1,300 rpm

Both BMW 430i xDrive Coupe and Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe offer less power output than the A5 coupe. Mercedes though evens the playfield in terms of torque. BMW employs the relatively old 7-speed dual clutch on the 430i coupe, while Merc uses an overkill 9-speed automatic. 

Acceleration

Owing to all that power, Audi A5 Coupe does a 0-60 MPH dash in  5.7 seconds. Additionally, it takes 13.7 seconds to cover a quarter-mile, a better-than-average figure for this class.  Even though Audi A5 Coupe has average acceleration, it is smooth and one that every ride-lover wish to have.

Models	Audi A5 Coupe	BMW 430i xDrive Coupe	Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe
0-60 MPH	5.7 sec	5.5 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter mile	13.7 sec	13.5 sec	14.3 sec
Engine	2.0L	2.0L	2.0L
Emission (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	6.5	6.5	7.1

BMW 430i xDrive Coupe offers better 0-60 MPH acceleration as well as quarter-mile coverage time. The C300 is a bit slow to the 60 MPH mark, and quite a bit slower to the quarter-mile. Not only is the Merc slowest, but also the least environment-friendly, releasing more CO2 into the air than the other cars here.

Ride and Handling

2018 Audi A5 Coupe shows brilliant composure under both heavy cornering and braking, thanks to its sports suspension. Grip levels inspire confidence, but A5 betray you when you try to push further than Audi wants you to. Apart from that, steering lacks a little feedback. The all-wheel-drive gives the driver full control of the car. The ride quality is above average and enjoyable on all conditions, leave for extreme ones.

Braking

Audi A5 gets a disc setup all around, rear brakes measuring 13.0-inch and front ones 13.3-inch. The brakes have strong calipers, but a soft pedal. As such the bite isn't lacking, but the feel is.

Model	Audi A5 Coupe	BMW 430i xDrive Coupe	Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe
Brake Front (in.)	13.3	12.3	13
Brake Rear (in.)	13.0	11.8	11.8
Curb Weight (lbs.)	3,549	3,697	3,759
60-0 MPH (ft.)	117	123	109

BMW 430i xDrive Coupe falls behind in terms of braking, taking at 123 feet to come to a halt from 60 MPH. Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe, on the other hand, offers the best panic stop distance of 109 feet.

In city conditions, the latest revamp of the Audi A5 Coupe delivers quite an impressive fuel economy. On highways, it can run 33 miles on a single gallon of fuel, while in the city, that figure drops down to 24 mpg, bringing the combined efficiency to 27 mpg.

Model	Audi A5 Coupe	BMW 430i xDrive Coupe	Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe
MPG (city)	24	23	22
MPG (highway)	33	33	30
MPG (combined)	27	27	25

City efficiency figures for both the Beemer and Merc are less than the A5, with BMW matching the little Audi's highway efficiency. Overall, Mercedes is a little disappointing.

"The A5 gets high marks for its modern and elegantly simple interior. Materials quality is excellent for the class, and the controls are just where you'd want them as a driver. The rear seats are rather small and best suited for smaller passengers."- edmunds

Seating and Comfort

Audi A5 Coupe can officially accommodate 4 people. Front seats offer plenty room, although tall rider would struggle for legroom. Rear space is a little inadequate for adults, just like all the other cars in this segment.

Model	Audi A5 Coupe	BMW 430i xDrive Coupe	Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe
Passenger capacity	4	4	4
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	39/55.3/41.3	40.4/55.3/42.2	39.8/55.3/42.2
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	36.1/50.7/32.7	37.1/49.8/33.1	35.6/51.7/33.7

BMW 430i Coupe offers the best-in-class cabin space, which in this segment means it offers adequate space inside. People in the front would be happy, and people in the rear would be a little cramped for space. Moreso in the Merc, which offers even less space inside.

Infotainment System

The 2018 iteration of the Audi A5 Coupe brings digital interactivity with its above average infotainment system. The infotainment screen is 7.0 inches in the Premium and Premium Plus trims, and 8.3 inches in the Prestige trim. In addition to that, it offers:

• Bluetooth connectivity
• 2 USB ports
• 10-speaker audio system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Interior Features

The redesigned 2018 Audi A5 Coupe not only looks great on the outside but on the inside too. There is an addition of stronger and aesthetically pleasing materials inside the ride. On the inside, the latest entry in the Audi A5 Coupe comes with:

• Sleeker and contemporary cabin design
• Rear seats are spacious than before
• Ample Cargo space
• Some more additional tech features are available
• Upgrade to the Audi’s Virtual Cockpit

Cargo Capacity

The coupe design robs the Audi A5 of trunk volume, which measures in at a below average figure of 11.6 cubic feet. It is enough for stowing one full-size bag with space left for a few groceries.

Model	Audi A5 Coupe	BMW 430i xDrive Coupe	Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe
Trunk Volume (ft.3)	11.6	15.7	10.5

The 430i Coupe offers far more trunk volume than the A5 Coupe. With 15.7 cubic feet of trunk volume by its side, it offers the most space for storing cargo. The C300 coupe comes dead last, with only 10.5 cubic feet storage capacity.

"Restrained as it may be, the A5 is elegant, with one of its biggest splashes being up front with a large trapezoidal grille."- Kelley Blue Book

Dimension and Weight

With a curb weight of 3549 lbs, the A5 isn’t as light as Audi wants you to believe. It, however, is as compact as advertised. It can easily squeeze into tight parking spots, and managing the car in heavy traffic isn't difficult. The ride has a ground clearance of 4.7 inches, barely enough to save the underbelly from larger speed bumps.

Model	Audi A5 Coupe	BMW 430i xDrive Coupe	Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe
Curb weight (lbs.)	3,549	3,697	3,759
Length(in)	184	182.7	184.5
Width(in)	72.7	71.9	71.3
Height(in)	54	54.8	55.3
Ground clearance (in)	4.7	5.1	5.1
Wheelbase (in)	108.8	110.6	111.8
Track width (in) F/R	62.5/61.7	60.8/62.8	61.5/60.9

Both 430i xDrive Coupe and C300 4Matic Coupe offers slightly better ground clearance and larger wheelbases too. They are also a little heavier, all of which would affect maneuverability 

Exterior Features

There are plenty of changes to the exterior of the all-new 2018 Audi A5 Coupe. The brilliant Singleframe grille is distinctive and better than ever. The latest model offers:

• Sportier presence with S line exterior featuring revamped front and rear bumpers
• Bolder and beautiful LED taillights with dynamic turn signals
• Upgraded dual exhaust outlets
• Panoramic sunroof allows for more tilting and sliding than before

 

2018 Audi A5 Coupe takes safety and reliability earnestly with its wide range of safety and security features. Standard Safety Features include the following:

• Driver-adaptive and front-passenger dual-stage airbags
• Driver and front passenger head/thorax side airbags
• Driver and front-passenger knee airbags
• Power central locking system with safety unlock feature if airbags deploy
• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution (EBD) and brake assist
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with secondary collision brake assist and traction control (ASR)
• Vehicle Immobilizer
• Tire-pressure monitoring system
• Safety belt reminder for driver and front passenger
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) in rear seats
• Electromechanical parking brake
• Active rollover protection system
• Integrated child door locks in rear doors

IIHS Safety Ratings

Crashworthiness
Small Overlap Front (Driver’s Side)	Good
Moderate Overlap Front	Good
Side	Good
Roof Strength	Good
Head Restraints and Seats	Good

Crash prevention and mitigation
Front Crash Prevention	Superior
Headlights	Marginal
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH) Ease of Use	Good

NHTSA hasn't rated the Audi A5 Coupe.

BMW 430i xDrive Coupe Vs Audi A5 Coupe

BMW 430i xDrive Coupe is another name in the luxury segment. Its engine is capable to deliver 248 hp of power and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. Pricing options for the ride start from $45,500, which is $2700 more than that of the 2018 Audi A5 Coupe. The drive features an 8-speed sport automatic transmission with automatic sport and manual shift mode.

BMW 430i xDrive Coupe offers a slightly better 0-60 MPH acceleration time but is also a little bulkier than the A5 Coupe with a total curb weight of 3697 lbs, and also has poor braking performance, all of which counts against it.

Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe Vs Audi A5 Coupe

Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Coupe is about $2400 more than that of the base model of the 2018 Audi A5 Coupe. Although it is powered by a similar engine as that of the Audi A5 Coupe, it makes up for a lower power of 241 hp while maintaining the same torque of 273 lb.-ft. The rides provide a 9-speed automatic transmission mode. It also posts the best braking performance of all.

C300 4Matic Coupe is the bulkiest ride with a total curb weight of 3759 lbs, which hampers acceleration.  Emissions are quite heavy too, and the fuel economy is lower as well.

2018 Audi A5 Coupe is a great combination of style, class, and performance. Adding this to the vast number of standard as well as optional features available, it makes up for a wide variety of options to pick from. Also, it has a price tag that is lowest for the base trim, Premium, and comparable to the Premium Plus trim.

Audi A5 Coupe is not the best bet. what it is, however, is a compact fun car, with good performance, classy interiors, and impressive body styling. If all this sounds appealing, then 2018 Audi A5 is definitely the car for you.