2022 Audi A5 Sportback

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.

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 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.

我们通常建议选择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.

TheAudi A4is 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.