2013 Audi A5

Where it lacks presence, oddly enough, is at the front. Audi adopted a tall, gaping grille design a generation of cars ago, and for 2013 it's rendered the look with more delicacy. The frame of the grille has been muted, and the corners have been angled while the headlamps have been trimmed and thinned out, and the fog lights widened and flattened. There's so much negative space on the front end, it takes a moment to register as a grille, not as a nose bra--not the intent, we're sure. The addition of LED lighting dresses it up at night, and it's become such a recognizable Audi calling card, it's easier to pick out the cars at night than it might be during the day, even with the grille and with the four shiny rings on the decklid.

Inside, the A5 has all the gravitas to match the high-design exterior. It's lavish and luxurious, with high-grade materials and plenty of small details like the finely graded instruments and the light grace notes of metallic trim on switches and buttons. The dash shapes itself add up to a little more business than we'd like, but it works well, and two-tone leather and suede seats, along with aluminum or piano-black trims, combine to a wide range of appearances that help this cabin stand apart from ordinary wood-trimmed luxury interiors. The same flowing, sculpted design of the standard A5 is the basis for the S5's proportions, and that's a very good thing. It's also dressed up a bit with bolder aerodynamics and accent trim on the outside, while inside, the cabin again builds on the attractive base car's design with performance-themed trim and options. Aluminum, wood, and woven metal are all to be found, and while the switchgear can seem a bit excessive, all of the materials and fit and finish speak of quality. The RS5 is nearly identical, save for a mesh grille and LED detailing, RS5 badging, a retractable spoiler on the decklid, and a distinctive selection of interior trims, from Nappa leather to carbon, piano-black plastic, or stainless steel.

Transmission choices depend on body style. In the Coupe, Audi brings a choice of an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual. Either one suits the A5 well, though with quattro all-wheel drive, the eight-speed automatic is particularly effective, since it has more gears, staged in the grunty end of the powerband, to deliver good acceleration and decisive, quick downshifts. Audi estimates 0-60 mph times with the automatic of 6.6 seconds; with the six-speed manual, it's even quicker, at 6.4 seconds.

In the Cabriolet, Audi's continuously variable transmission makes its only appearance. It's not unwelcome, especially for those seeking out its excellent city fuel economy ratings, but like other CVTs, it's more sluggish to respond and generates more drivetrain noise than a well-sorted automatic. It still suffers from a drawn-out feel, almost rubbery, as it glides through ratios generated by the expansion and contraction of pulleys around a belt--they take the place of conventional gears. This is Audi's least satisfying powertrain available in the U.S. It's the only A5 offered without all-wheel drive, and still it's the slowest of the A5 lineup, with a 0-60 mph time estimated at 7.5 seconds. Even with the weight penalty of all-wheel drive, the Cabriolet with the excellent eight-speed automatic hits 60 mph in 7.2 seconds.

Ride and handling are set for comfort, but Audi makes its Drive Select feature available on the A5. Along with the CVT, it's a feature we'd just as soon leave on the order sheet. Drive Select gives the driver the ability to alter settings for the suspension, steering, transmission and throttle response. As it does in the A4 sedan, Drive Select can be a bit of too much choice--much of the time, it doesn't seem to offer the right combination of ride and handling to suit the car's character. We think the basic suspension is up to the task, allowing you to maintain composure over choppy surfaces without feeling overly stiff.If the mostly serene driving feel of the A5 needs a boost, in your mind, there's always the S-line option package that has stiffer suspension settings and better handling.A superb ride-firm but just absorbent enough-plus excellent insulation from road and wind noise altogether make the A5 a joy for covering long distances.

Steering response, with or without Drive Select, has improved this year with the adoption of electric power steering, which in the now-typical VW/Audi mold, has better on-center feel and response than some other brands and executions. It also enables Dynamic Steering, a variable-assist feature that can change the amount of steering response delivered based on a variety of factors. It's another feature that means more to enthusiasts and higher-performance cars, than it does to more relaxed cruisers like the A5 and its drivers.

Move up to the S5, and the two-door's performance envelope expands to FedEx proportions. Both the S5 Coupe and Cabriolet are now powered by a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, rated at 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. Until this model year, Coupes still sported a V-8 engine. Performance hasn't lagged, though--acceleration is still good for 0-60 mph times of about 5.0 seconds. The S5 cars adopt stiffer suspensions and better brakes, and Audi's magnificent seven-speed dual-clutch transmission becomes the gearbox of choice on the coupe, above and beyond the standard six-speed manual. (Cabriolets don't offer the manual at all.) The dual-clutch's lightning-quick reflexes and paddle controls will have even the diehard shift-it-yourselfers reconsidering their position on the third pedal.

With uprated brakes, 18-inch wheels and summer sport tires, and standard all-wheel drive, handling is, as you might expect, is very good. Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system aids this, biasing the front-rear power split at 40/60 percent, and an available sport differential splits power between the rear wheels for even more balanced handling. Electronic power steering in the S5, like everywhere it's been used, is a tad on the numb side, while the stiff ride quality which enhances handling can feel a bit harsh on the street, though the optional Drive Select system allows the driver to adjust the shift modes, suspension stiffness, and steering feel to better suit the situation. As with the A5, the S5's basic suspension seems so well-sorted, Drive Select and Dynamic Steering seem more like an upsell than a necessity. Braking performance is very good.

At the pinnacle of the A5 lineup sits the RS5. New for the 2013 model year, the coupe-only cruiser is the only model to carry a V-8. It's a muscular 4.2-liter engine with 450 horsepower that shows its semi-exotic roots as it blends power with an authoritative growl through the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel-drive system. Audi pegs 0-60 mph times at 4.5 seconds, and top speed rises to 174 mph, figures that rival BMW's M3 and Mercedes' C63 AMG. The sport differential comes standard, as do 19-inch wheels and Drive Select--but without control over the suspension, which uses conventional springs and shocks. Dynamic Steering remains an option on this model, too. It's the sole A5 that feels fluid with Drive Select, admittedly left in its most sporting setting, while even Comfort mode imparts a somewhat stiff ride. A sport exhaust makes the RS5's sound even more resonant, and optional carbon-ceramic brakes lift its stopping power into Porsche territory. In sum, the RS5 is part luxury coupe, part weekend track toy.

The emphasis placed on the front passengers is obvious, from the cozy comfort of the base seats, to the grippy nature of the uprated sport seats available on the faster versions. Even those standard seats have relatively firm and pronounced bolstering for a luxury car; they're great for relaxing or for racking up the miles on long drives without discomfort. They're also capped in leather, something the competition has left behind in the name of cost savings. On the S5 and RS5, sport seats grow wings that snug up against the torso and legs; on the RS 5, they're offered in either Alcantara or Nappa leather.

In those spots, head and leg room are good, though head room can be a little tight on Coupes when the panoramic sunroof is fitted.

The back seat promises occasional seating for a couple of passengers, and in reality, that's all you'll want to use it for. Getting in and out of the seats can be an exercise unto itself, even with the long doors. Adults won't be happy back there for very long--there's nearly no legroom or headroom. The Cabriolet cuts out even more space back there, so it's for kids only. The rear seats are split to fold down in equal portions, or together, which boosts access to the trunk. Even in the Cabriolet, the cargo hold has space for a fair amount of luggage; it hangs on to 11.3 of the Coupe's 16.3 cubic feet of trunk space, even when the top is folded down.

Materials are a high point in the A5, no matter which model. Surfaces have a low-gloss luster, and the cockpit shows the company's mastery of mixing plastic, leather, and wood in the right proportions, especially on the RS5, which offers a choice of stainless-steel or carbon trim.

Each A5 (or S5 or RS 5) comes with dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control. Curtain airbags are left off the Cabriolet for obvious reasons, but Audi does install bigger side airbags on the convertibles along with pop-up roll bars that deploy when sensors detect a rollover is imminent.

Visibility is very good in the A5 Coupe, a little less so in the Cabriolet when the roof is raised. Still, the optional rearview camera and reverse parking sensors are welcome features, since the A5 does have somewhat thick roof pillars and a small rear window.

If you're willing to invest some extra money in safety-tech, you can option up to a lane-departure warning system, a blind-spot warning system, radar-based cruise control, adaptive headlamps, a rearview camera and rear parking sensors.

All Cabriolets come with a power-folding soft top with a glass rear window and an electric defogger. The folding fabric top weighs less than a hardtop mechanism, and takes up less space when folded--and it opens or closes completely in less than 20 seconds.

Audi's Multi-Media Interface is also standard on the A5 lineup. It uses a roller-style controller to govern audio and entertainment features and more, depending on which options you've ordered. In theory, it makes those functions easier to find and operate when driving. But like other knob-driven systems, the MMI still requires you to remember where some of the lesser-used functions are in the menu system. But thankfully, it does have a set of redundant buttons laid out around the knob, and some newly relocated controls for the latest model year.

Bi-xenon headlamps, a rearview camera, side-lane assist (which warns drivers of vehicles in blind spots), and a powerful, clean-sounding Bang & Olufsen audio system are available as options. On Coupes, there's a provision for a panoramic sunroof.

A navigation system bundled in with MMI is updated for the 2013 model year, and available in all models. Packaged with a rearview camera, HD radio, and a DVD player, the system links up with Google Earth and Street View mapping through Audi Connect, a subscription service offered by the automaker. For $25 to $30 a month, Audi Connect turns the car into a rolling wireless hotspot, delivering data to the navigation system as well as up to eight mobile devices. Maps are rendered in beautiful detail, from flyover perspectives that are incredibly useful when hunting destinations in unknown locales. It's the rare new navigation system that seems worth the big pricetag.

Moving into the S5 and RS5 range piles on the standard equipment. The S5 coupe and cabriolet get heated front seats, 18-inch wheels, xenon headlights, iPod connectivity, Bluetooth, and a special body kit as standard equipment. The RS 5 also adds its own styling touches, as well as a retractable spoiler, a choice of special interior trims, sport seats, parking sensors, and a flat-bottomed steering wheel and shift paddles.

Step into the eight-speed automatics, and both the Coupe and Cabriolet earn identical ratings of 20/30 mpg, and 24 mpg combined.

The S5 sees economy suffer a bit, though its supercharged six is more efficient than the former naturally aspirated V-8. It's rated at 18/28 mpg with the Coupe and its dual-clutch transmission, or 21 mpg combined; with the manual shifter, the numbers are 17/26 mpg, and 20 combined. Cabriolets with the dual-clutch gearbox check in with EPA numebrs of 18/26 mpg and 21 mpg combined.

Bringing up the rear is the 450-horsepower RS5. Its V-8 and dual-clutch combo evades the gas-guzzler tax, but still registers the lowest gas mileage of the lineup at 16/23 mpg, or 18 mpg combined.

It's long been rumored that the A4 family of vehicles, which includes the A5, would adopt either Audi's diesel engines or the hybrid technology now found in its Q5 SUV. As of yet, neither's been confirmed for the A5 coupes and convertibles.