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From the mean stare of its front grill along the low-slung body all the way to
its powerfully built hindquarters, the 2009 Audi A5 is a great looking midsize
luxury car. The changes from last year are not major, but they are dynamic,
taking the A5 from an "also ran" in terms of looks, to one of the sharpest
looking cars on the road.
The A5 is fairly new for Audi. A coupe version of the A4, it arrived in the 2008
model year. As you might expect from a German luxury car, its primary
competition comes from BMW 3-Series coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class.
The A5 comes with a single engine, a 3.2 liter, dual overhead cam V6 generating
265 horsepower. The engine can be matched with either a six-speed automatic
transmission or a six-speed manual transmission. Mileage is rated a sixteen
miles per gallon in the city and a nifty twenty-one miles per gallon on the
highway. The A5 is all-wheel drive, only.
The closest thing to an NHTSA crash test rating for the A5 is a 2008 A4. With
four-stars everywhere except a five-star driver's side impact rating, the
figures weren't bad, but they were great, either. Much of that has to do with
the class of car, of course. A5 does have all the expected safety features
including four-wheel anti-lock brakes, two-stage front airbags, airbags all
around, seat position detection and occupant classification, LATCH system,
electronic stability and side impact sensors. There's even a first aid kit in
the rear armrest.
There is only one trim level on the A5 (super nice!), but there are various
option packages to choose from. Just some of the fancy gear includes a power
sunroof with remote operation, leather upholstery, eight-way driver and
passenger seats with power lumbar support, power remote door locks, power
one-touch windows, heated power mirrors, leather wrapped steering wheel and
gearshift knob, wood trim, interior charcoal air filter, six CD/MP3/satellite
radio player with ten speakers and Bluetooth technology.
The A5 comfortably seats four adults, and the operative word is comfort. There
are even rear-seat headrests.
Except for the less than thrilling crash test ratings, there is only one
drawback to the A5, and it's the one you expect. Base price for the 2009 Audi A5
is $37,851. Jump that to $39,060 for an automatic transmission and you can see
it's not a car for the masses. But it's not supposed to be. The truth is, the
price is right in between its two primary competitors, and it's better looking
than either of them. |
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