Audi A5: Habitual Car-Buyer's Nightmare

Hello,

I am the Checkered Blog's "Flag Raiser" and I am a habitual car buyer.  To make matters worse, I work for Checkered Flag and am surrounded by some of the coolest cars on earth.  This year has been extremely tough on us habitual car buyers because there is so much great stuff on the lots.  I have done a fantastic job of avoiding them all....till now.   

Yesterday I had to help a fellow colleague at our Audi store.  I ended up parking next to the white A5 demo we have, but walked away from it as fast as I could (remember - I have a car buying problem).  Once in my colleague's office, that damn A5 kept staring at me.  It kept saying "drive me" and I could have sworn it winked some LED's at me.   As luck would have it, the keys were sitting on my colleague's desk.  My self control melted and 5 miles later I was picking out colors and options.

Now that you know how I got here, let me tell you a little about those 5 miles.  In my opinion Audi's have been slightly softer in the suspension area when comparing them to some of their other German friends in the Checkered Flag lineup.  I have always been one who values cornering over straight-line driving, so I was concerned the A5 was going to be more of the same.  It wasn't!  It was crisp and grippy.  The extra width paired with Quattro is a big bonus!  It is comfortable when cruising too - I could easily imagine 500 mile drives being a joy in the A5.  Steering was precise and the Servotronic speed-sensitive steering was barely noticeable - unlike some other cars adaptive steering systems.  The Servotronic was slightly lagging when changing lanes on the interstate, but not enough to spark concern.

The A5 does not come with DSG, but the new Tiptronic transmission certainly didn't slow it down.  In fact, I think I prefer it to a clutch-less manual.   Power is certainly adequate from the 3.2L FSI motor, and I would call it fuel-economical for a luxury car.  Because I am so impressed with the 3.2 V6, I wonder about the 4.2 V8 in the Audi S5 - I'd like to take one to VIR!

Interior space is just right for a coupe.  The back seats obviously don't have tons of legroom, but I could certainly handle riding in the back around town.  The trunk is perfect for a daily driver and a long trip.  I have been a huge fan of Audi's MMI coupled with Nav, Sirius, and an iPod - it all works well and makes sense.  It is a little easier to get used to MMI than some other systems.  The seats are extremely comfortable and infinitely adjustable.

Audi continues to be a stunning car that doesn't scream "look at me" - it is kind of a sleeper.  On first glance the A5 looks like any other subtle Audi design, but then you notice the headlights, the curvy line, the large moonroof, the wheels, and then realize it is an Audi Coupe!  The A5 is knocking on my garage door very hard, and I think I'm going to let it in!