2022 Audi A5 Sportback

It's widely accepted that sedans, in general, look classier than hatchbacks, but what if you want the style of a sedan with the practicality of a hatch? Well, a four-door coupe with a hatch rear is the ideal compromise, and few cars pull this off as well as the Audi A5 Sportback - not that there are many rivals out there besides the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Naturally, that sloping roofline takes away as much headroom as it adds style, but it's a worthwhile compromise when there's a much more practical cargo area. In the case of the A5, a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine powers the stylish hatch and now comes in two states of tune, each with a 12-volt mild-hybrid system for better gas mileage. More entertaining options are out there, but the Audi A5 quattro Sportback is still one of the best choices for style, decent performance, and practicality. Is it still at the top? Let's find out.

As the years have progressed, Audi's design has tapped into the high-performance S variants for lesser models, and the A5 benefits from this with aggressive S line lower grilles either side of a large honeycomb grille. LED headlights are standard and lead to a contoured beltline that follows the massaged front fenders and curves towards the rear of the 4-door hatchback. Here, it meets up with LED taillights below a subtle trunk spoiler. A fake diffuser and dual-exit exhausts round things off, while 18-inch wheels fill the arches in standard guise. 19s are optional. The optional Black Optic package blacks out all exterior chrome trim.

The new Audi A5 is nicely sized with well-proportioned dimensions. It is 187.3 inches in length, which is around 4.6 inches longer than BMW's 4 Series GC. Height measures 54.6 inches while the width measurement is 79.8 inches; the wheelbase is 111.2 inches. Curb weight starts at a hefty 3,725 pounds, thanks in part to the quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Just one engine is used for the turbo Audi A5 but you now have a choice between two states of tune. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot starts at 201 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque while the more powerful version produces 261 horses and 273 lb-ft of torque. Each is assisted by a 12-volt mild-hybrid electric system and sends power to all four wheels via a smooth and sharp seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic automatic gearbox. The new base 40 TFSI engine promises to propel the Audi A5 Sportback from 0 to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds, while the 45 TFSI promises a time of 5.4 seconds, although independent tests have shown that the real figure is almost in the four-second bracket. Top speed is limited to 130 mph on either version.

The A5 may not be an S- or RS-badged machine, but it is the basis for those incredible versions of Audi's A5 Sportback and as such is incredibly good to drive. The all-wheel-drive system is never flustered and apportions power brilliantly to give you a consistent and composed drive. Sure, it's not tail-happy, but it doesn't understeer like Audis of old either - it's just quick. It's easy to pick a line and stick to it, thanks to that quattro system and a brilliantly accurate steering setup that is perfectly weighted. Neither big nor small bumps fluster the chassis and the overall experience is calm yet enjoyable, giving you the confidence to drive with determination. The brakes are similarly good, proving easy to modulate and easy to trust.

The official EPA gas-mileage figures for both 40 and 45 A5 Sportback models are 26/34/29 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles, helped by the mild-hybrid system. With a 15.3-gallon gas tank, it should return at least 440 miles with mixed driving.

Audi interiors are still stunning places to sit and the Audi A5 four-door is no exception. The layout and design is similar to that of the Audi A4 and still seats five individuals, but that sloping roofline means that adults will find headroom a little less freely available at the back. In the front, each occupant gets an eight-way power-adjustable seat, swathed in leather, which is available in various colors. All perches are quite comfortable and can be occupied for hours without any complaints. The driver will also note that everything is in easy reach. Getting in and out is easy too, but again, the roofline will cause taller individuals to stoop slightly when climbing in the back.

While the A5 Sportback is less accommodating for rear passengers than the A4, the cargo space more than makes up for this. The area behind the rear seats offers 21.8 cubic feet of volume but it's the large rear opening and power tailgate that really set it ahead of its sedan sibling. There's enough space for all occupants to comfortably bring weekend luggage along, but if you need more space you can always fold the rear seats in a 40/20/40 split for more space.

In the cabin, each door has decent pockets while cupholders, a glovebox, center armrest storage, and a spot ahead of the gear-lever ensure that you don't have to travel with your pockets full.

The Audi A5 comes generously equipped, even in base form. It gets automatic LED headlights with high-beam assist and LED taillights, a panoramic sunroof, a seven-inch driver info display, auto stop/start, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, heated power-adjustable wing mirrors, ambient lighting, tri-zone climate control, and heated front seats. A rearview camera, lane departure warning, and low-speed forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking are also among the included specs. There is a host of available features too, such as blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, keyless entry and ignition, parking sensors, power-folding wing mirrors, ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel - some of these available only on the upper trims. In terms of driver aids, there adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist is standard on the top two trims and traffic-sign recognition is added on the Prestige. Active lane keep assist, a surround-view camera, and Matrix-design LED headlights are the preserve of the upper two trims as well, with laser light and animation and a head-up display added to the Prestige. Some of these were available as standalone extras before, but are now restricted to certain trims.

Audi's MMI infotainment interface is now one of the best in the business and features a 10.1-inch touchscreen display. It plays out to ten speakers and features USB and Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and voice control. If you want to upgrade, a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system is available, but it's a little disappointing that SiriusXM satellite radio is optional on the base model and navigation only found on the Prestige. Fortunately, the system works well and the graphics are attractive and easy to read while driving.

Thus far, the 2022 Audi A5 has not been subject to any recalls, indicating good reliability. However, last year's model was subject to three - a malfunctioning seatbelt retractor, a rear-light wiring harness that may lack scuff protection, and lock nuts on the rear axle that may fail.

In the event of an issue, the car is covered by a limited and powertrain warranty for the first four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.

The IIHS has conducted a comprehensive safety review for the Audi A5 for 2022 and it received a strong overall rating of Good for all major crashworthiness tests. Last year, it received a Top Safety Pick award. At the NHTSA, these sentiments were echoed by testers as the 2022 A5 scored a full five stars in this agency's ratings.

In the event of an untimely and sudden deviation from the road, you will be pleased to know that the A5 comes standard with six airbags (along with optional rear side airbags), a rearview camera, lane departure warning, forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking, rain-sensing wipers, and LED headlights with auto high beams. Matrix design LED headlights are only standard on the top two trims, with laser light tech only standard on the Prestige. Audi side assist with rear pre-sense and park assist are optional on the Premium. Active lane keep assist is standard from Premium Plus level and a head-up display and traffic-sign recognition are standard on the Prestige only. With most safety features now pre-packaged per trim, there is less flexibility and you might have to buy a higher trim to get certain safety features.

The 2021 Audi A5 Sportback is pretty much perfect. Even in base guise, it looks good and drives well. The interior is stylish, tech-forward, ergonomic, and for the most part very comfortable. The infotainment system is also highly attractive, as is the available 12.3-inch driver info display. Yes, rear occupants may have an issue with how much headroom is available, but that will be the case in any car of this style. The A5 also rides comfortably, is light on gas, is spritely off the line, has a very slick gearbox and a joyful steering setup, offers plenty of standard and available features, and has plenty of trunk space. Besides these rational reasons to consider it, the A5 is simply incredible to look at too. Overall, this is a brilliant, athletic, and capable all-rounder, and we see no reason to look past it. If you can afford one, take it for a test drive - this thing is really hard to fault.

For 2022, the price of the Audi A5 40 Premium trim has a starting MSRP of $43,500 before a $1,045 destination charge, while the 40 Premium Plus is on sale for $48,400. Opting for the more powerful engine option on either of these trims adds $2,100 to the price of the Audi A5 Sportback. On the top Prestige trim, the lesser engine will result in a price of at least $54,100, but the jump to more power only costs $1,250. A fully loaded A5 Sportback will come in with pricing over $60,000 with the destination charge included.

We would normally recommend opting for the mid-level Premium Plus model on the A5 Sportback. You get the bigger 12.3-inch driver info display in this version, keyless entry and ignition, more safety equipment as standard, and more options too. We'd also recommend the 45 TFSI engine as the extra grunt and the potential for a sub-four-second real-world 0-60 mph dash are highly attractive to us. However, the difference between the two engines costs less on the top trim and the other added features are so impressive that the higher cost is justified. On the Prestige, you get heated rear seats, adaptive cruise control, navigation, lane keep assist, a head-up display, Matrix LED laser headlights, and a Bang & Olufsen sound system - all as standard. For once, the top trim on a luxury German car seems to offer true value for money.

The Audi A4 is very similar to the A5 in many ways. It comes with the same engines and produces the same output, but as a sedan, it's less practical. It also looks far less appealing in our opinion. It's also a little smaller and, as a result, it's lighter and more economical, but less prestigious and less practical. Still, the A4 does come in at a base price of under $40k in the US, which makes it more affordable. In addition, it's more comfortable for rear-seat passengers. Thus, we'd suggest you drive both and weigh up your requirements for a new car before making a decision. If you need practicality and value looks and handling ability, the A5 is a sure winner, but the A4 - although less interesting - is still a great alternative.

The brand-new BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is arguably the only real direct rival to the A5 Sportback. It's a more expensive car though, with a base price of over $45,000. However, its base engine produces less power, it is slower than the A5 45, and it returns slightly less impressive economy figures, despite the fact that it's RWD and not AWD like the Audi. Its appearance with the huge new kidney grilles is very polarizing and you'll either love it or hate it. Still, it has its benefits with rear-wheel-drive, so for driving fun, the Bimmer is a better choice. With the new model bringing a fresh take on BMW's compact sedan-coupe, it runs the Audi close - if you don't mind its looks and higher price.