Audi A5 Avant review

If you're familiar with Audi car models, the Audi A5 Avant we're reviewing here might throw you a bit. More specifically, it's name.

To cut a long story short, the A5 Avant is an estate car available with petrol and diesel engines that replaces the A4 Avant. The next A4 will be an electric car and the existing A5s (the Coupé and Sportback) are going off sale.

As Audi's smallest estate car, the A5 Avant is up against the same rivals as its predecessor – chiefly the BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes C-Class Estate. And if you can do without a posh badge, you'll have plenty of other models to consider, starting with the Skoda Superb Estate and VW Passat Estate.

The A5 Avant's range of petrol and diesel engines is diverse enough to satisfy most buyers and includes the performance-focused S5 Avant to rival the BMW M3 Touring but the UK won't get a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option until 2025.

Read on to find out how we rate the Audi A5 Avant against the best estate cars...

At launch, the Audi A5 Avant’s engine range consists of four options. The entry-level TFSI 150 is a 2.0-litre petrol that produces 148bhp and will sprint from 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds.

There’s also a 201bhp TFSI 204 version, which shaves that time down to 7.8 seconds (about the same as a BMW 320i Touring).

The diesel option – the 201bhp TDI 204 – serves up plenty of mid-range grunt for overtaking on a motorway or if you put your foot down on a winding country road. At 7.7 seconds, its 0-62mph time is similar to the Mercedes C220d Estate.

While most versions of the A5 Avant have rear-wheel drive, the diesel is available with Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system, improving traction further and cutting the 0-62mph time to 6.9 seconds.

For maximum performance, there’s the S5 Quattro, which has a 362bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. It’s smooth, muscular and happy to rev all the way to the limiter, but a generous dollop of mid-range muscle means you can still cover ground very effectively at a brisk pace without having to wring out the engine.

The S5 sounds good too. The engine note and exhaust noise are slightly louder in the sportier Dynamic mode but not so much to be antisocial or cause a drone at a cruise. In Comfort mode the engine note fades into the background.

If you're looking for a company car, you might want to wait until 2025, when the two A5 Avant PHEVs are due. They're expected to offer 295bhp and 362bhp with official electric-only ranges of at least 60 miles.

The A5 Avant is not available with a manual gearbox – all version come with a seven-speed auto gearbox. If you go for S line trim or higher, you get shifter paddles on the back of the steering wheel. The gearshifts are smooth and quick most of the time but you’ll need to switch into Dynamic mode to encourage it to change down a gear sooner and keep the engine response feeling more lively.

The 2.0-litre petrol uses stop-start technology while the TDI and S5 use a new mild-hybrid system called MHEV Plus to aid performance and fuel economy. This latest generation system allows the A5 Avant to drive on electric power alone for short distances. We managed to reach 30mph before the engines woke up.

The A5 Avant is available with three suspension set-ups. The Sport comes with Comfort suspension, S line models come with a firmer, lower sports set-up, and the performance-focused S5 has adaptive suspension.

So far, all the Avants we've tested have had the adaptive system. Generally, it’s firm enough to keep the car feeling tied down over undulating roads while absorbing and cushioning bumps gently most of the time. There’s the occasional thump on 20in alloy wheels, while larger speed bumps can result in occupants experiencing a minor amount of jostling in their seats.

Handling-wise, the A5 Avant is a big improvement over the Audi A4 Avant which came before it. The steering response has been sharpened up and it turns in to bends predictably, so you’ll quickly build confidence when driving spiritedly down a country road.

The sportier Dynamic drive mode adds a bit more weight to feel even more reassuring and while there still isn’t a great sense of connection with the front wheels, you soon trust the huge levels of grip.

A BMW 3 Series Touring is still a more engaging estate car to drive, with meatier steering and a more agile feel. That said, the gap between these two cars are much closer and some may find the A5’s calmer ride a worthy trade-off.

The same is true of the S5 – which will be competing with the BMW M3 Touring – although the added power means you can push the limits a little higher more easily, with the ability to tuck the nose into corners and have a bit of rotation from the rear to help tighten your line.

There’s a low level of grumble from the diesel engine but it never becomes harsh, even when worked hard. Otherwise, the A5 Avant is a smooth and quiet cruiser. There’s barely any wind noise and only a minor level of road noise generated when fitted with 20in tyres, along with a slight whine from the electric motor.

Meanwhile, the brakes are strong and bring the car to a stop smoothly. The regenerative braking manages to harvest more energy when you lift off the accelerator pedal than earlier Audi systems but the braking effect remains gentle and isn’t so aggressive as to be jerky.

“Unlike in the A4 Avant, I could feel a bigger difference between Comfort and the sportier Dynamic drive mode in the A5 Avant, making switching between them to suit your mood more worthwhile.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

You won’t have too many issues finding a comfortable driving position in the Audi A5 Avant. The driver's seat lines up well with the controls, and in top-spec Edition 1 trim and the performance-focused Audi S5 Avant it has electric adjustment, and ventilation and massage functions.

The steering column adjusts electrically (but very slowly) so you can position the wheel to suit you, but at its lowest setting we found it obscured the top of the 11.9in digital driver's display, which could be a pain for some drivers.

Speaking of which, the driver's display sits on top of the dashboard in a curved housing, which also flows around the infotainment touchscreen so they look like one large unit. Both screens use OLED technology and the graphics are crisp and clear to look at.

Unlike in previous Audi car models, the sat-nav map cannot be shown on the driver's display – on versions without a head-up display you have to glance across at the touchscreen to check your route. Otherwise, there’s plenty of information on show, with three different customisable sections.

Most of the controls are on the 14.5in infotainment screen. There's a physical button for the drive modes and parking camera, and a knob for the volume, but little else. That means you have to adjust the temperature for the climate control system using either the Audi Assistant voice-control system or the touchscreen. On the plus side, the temperature and heated seat icons are always visible.

There are two columns of shortcut keys near the driver for major functions but they're small and difficult to aim for. Finding other features takes a while because the main screen loads up lots of icons you need to scroll through. At least the graphics are smooth and the screen responds to inputs quickly enough.

Edition 1 trim adds a 10.9in touchscreen in front of the front passenger. There's a column of shortcut keys to the left of the screen for quick access to some settings. 

Visibility from A5 Avant's driving seat is pretty clear all round. It’s easy to look around the chunky front pillars and the large side windows provide a good view out over your shoulder.

The rear headrests obscure the view out of the rear windscreen, but at least front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera are standard. Edition 1 gets 360-degree cameras, plus self-adjusting matrix LED headlights that can be left on full beam without dazzling other drivers.

A Sound and Vision Pack is standard on the S5 Avant and optional on other trims, and adds a head-up display (which can show sat-nav directions) and a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround-sound stereo.

The S5's sports seats' headrests have built-in speakers that give sat-nav directions to the driver without interrupting music coming from other speakers.

Overall, the A5 Avant has a well-appointed interior, although there are some scratchy hollow-sounding plastics used for the centre air vent and along the centre console by the arm rest. The higher-spec cars we’ve tried have plenty of fabric material and soft-touch plastics on most surfaces up front.

There’s plenty of ambient lighting, including a strip that runs under the base of the windscreen on Edition 1 and S5 versions. The outer sections change colour to display a green sweeping effect when using the indicators (you no longer see an amber light in the door mirror casing as you did in earlier Audi car models).

“Thankfully the optional second touchscreen fitted ahead of the passenger is polarised so the driver can't see what's on. I found that helpful to reduce distraction.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Getting in and out of the front of the Audi A5 Avant is easy because of its wide door apertures and low sills.

Once inside you’ll find plenty of head, leg and elbow room so you're unlikely to feel cramped unless you’re remarkably tall. The Skoda Superb Estate and VW Passat both feel more airy inside though.

You get a good amount of interior storage, including a shallow but wide tray under the adjustable armrest, two cupholders beside the gear selector and a tray for your phone with an integrated wireless phone-charger. The door bins can hold a bottle but the access area is quite restricted.

The A5 Avant is longer than the A4 Avant it replaces, resulting in a bit more rear leg room. Two six-footers in the back will find a bit more knee-space when sitting behind an equally tall pair up front, although their heads will be brushing up against the roof lining. The Superb and Passat are more spacious in the back.

Storage amenities come in the form of rear door bins that will each fit a bottle of drink, along with nets on the backs of the front seats and two cupholders in the central armrest.

Folding down the rear seats is easy in the A5 Avant – it’s just a case of pulling the release levers positioned conveniently inside the tailgate opening so the backrests fold in one simple action. The seats fold in a 40/20/40 arrangement, giving you various options when you need to carry long loads as well as people.

The A5 Avant's boot capacity depends on the engine you go for. With a maximum of 476 litres with the TFSI 150 engine, dropping to 448 litres with the diesel and S5, it's less practical than the Mercedes C-Class Estate (490 litres) and BMW 3 Series Touring (500 litres). The Superb and Passat estates offer 690 litres.

At least the load area is a uniform shape with a low load entrance. However, the floor doesn’t sit flush with the entrance so you have to heave items over a small load lip. All A5 Avants have a powered tailgate with a motorised parcel shelf.

“The A5 Avant is longer than its predecessor (the A4 Avant) but I still found it cosy in the back seats. You can’t stretch out like you can in a Passat or Superb Estate.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

With a list price starting at more than £40,000, the Audi A5 Avant costs slightly more than the cheapest version of the BMW 3 Series Touring but undercuts the Mercedes C-Class Estate.

It’s more expensive than the non-premium estate car rivals, including the Skoda Superb Estate and VW Passat but is predicted to lose its value a little more slowly than a C-Class Estate, if not quite as well as a 3 Series Touring.

For now, company car drivers seeking low BIK tax rates will be better off holding out for the A5 Avant plug-in hybrids (due in 2025), which are expected to have a 60-mile electric-only range. BMW 330e Touring officially goes 34 miles while the Mercedes C300e Estate has an official figurer closer to 70 miles. The Superb and Passat have even longer ranges and are cheaper.

When it comes to fuel economy, the A5 Avant TFSI 204 is slightly more frugal than an equivalent BMW 320i Touring although not quite as economical as a Mercedes C200 Estate. The TDI diesel is also slightly less economical than a C220d, while the 3 Series and Passat are not available with a diesel engine.

At launch, the A5 Avant is available with a choice of three trim levels – Sport, S line and Edition 1 – while the S5 Avant has its own trim based on Edition 1.

Sport comes with 18in alloy wheels, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, three-zone climate control, wireless phone-charging and leather upholstery.

S line has 19in alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, more aggressive exterior styling, a sportier steering wheel design and S badging.

Edition 1 (and the S5) has 20in alloy wheels, red brake calipers, keyless entry, and part-suede and leather upholstery.

It's hard to predict reliability for a model as new as the A5 Avant but we can tell you that Audi did quite badly in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. It finished in 24th place out of 31 car makers – below BMW (eighth), Skoda (13th), VW (18th) and Mercedes (22nd).

You do get a three-year, 60,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty, which isn’t quite as generous as the unlimited mileage cover you get from a BMW or Mercedes. For an extra cost, you can extend it for up to five years or 90,000 miles.

The A5 Avant has not yet been tested for safety by Euro NCAP so we can't tell you its safety rating out of five stars. Standard safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition and hill-hold assist. Edition 1 adds lane-change assist.

“The S5 comes with these neat-looking OLED rear lights that you can also change the light pattern with. I think they're really snazzy.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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