Test Audi A5 Cabriolet 45 TFSI quattro: Open driving pleasure

The Audi A5 Cabriolet 45 TFSI quattro S tronic at a glance

• Four-seat all-wheel drive convertible with a fabric top
• “45 TFSI” with 265 hp turbo petrol engine
• 0-100 km/h in 6.0 s, Vmax 250 km/h
• Balanced driving performance
• High quality
• Starting price Audi A5 Cabriolet 45 TFSI from 61,000 euros

Visually fresh as ever: small facelifts have hardly aged the Audi A5 Cabriolet since 2016. The last revision took place in 2020.

Convertible series are being rigorously reduced

One more round goes, but then it’s really over. No more summer, sun and fabric top. Mercedes recently combined the generous C- and E-Class models under the name CLE; at BMW, the 4 Series and 8 Series Cabriolet could live on as the 6 Series. The Z4 was only possible with the support of Toyota anyway. And at Audi? The Audi A3 Cabriolet, the TT (Roadster) and the R8 (Spyder) were already thrown out of the range. All that remains is the open-hearted A5. But so far there is no sign of his successor – planned for 2024. Not even as a disguised Erlkönig. It seems that car manufacturers have lost the fun of open-top driving more than ever. But who would blame them, given the steadily declining sales figures.

So is driving a convertible just not exciting enough these days? We can best understand this using the example of the current Audi A5 Cabriolet. This is now considered a mature car that has been on the market in its current form since 2016 and has since been kept fresh with one or two small facelifts. Most recently, the 2020 series received a revised infotainment system and engines with the latest expansion stage of the Euro 6 emissions standard. The six-cylinder diesel was taken out of the range for the convertible at that time, and there is no longer a manual switch. But the sweet spot, if you want to call it that, is served by a different engine/transmission combination in the open A5 anyway.

The 265 hp 2.0 TFSI in the Audi A5 Cabriolet offers a good compromise between performance and efficiency. Only the 7-speed direct-shift transmission occasionally takes a little longer to find the right gear.

The 265 hp 2.0 TFSI forms the sweet spot in the A5 Cabriolet

It is the 265 hp 2.0 TFSI with seven-speed direct-shift transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive as the Audi A5 Cabriolet 45 TFSI quattro S tronic (combined fuel consumption: 8.1-7.2 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 183-164 g /km)², which accompanied us over two weeks of testing. Sufficiently powerful, sufficiently economical (around 9.0 liters per 100 kilometers) and, in its calmness, perfectly suited to an open four-seater. It does take a while for the transmission to respond to kickdown requests from the daily grind, but then the A5 marches forward strongly. As is typical for Audi, corners are driven through neutrally to slightly understeer, but the steering should have a little more feedback. However, the optional chassis with damper control was very pleasantly tuned.

But despite all the performance reserves in the test car – the Audi A5 Cabrio is intended less for racing and more for enjoying. Anyone who ticks the long list of additional costs will then sit on fully air-conditioned massage seats, look at a head-up display and listen to their favorite playlist via a Bang & Olufsen sound system via wirelessly connected Apple CarPlay. If in doubt, the speakers of the Audi system installed in the test car will certainly do the trick – but that doesn’t really make the A5 Cabriolet any cheaper. Prices now start at more than 50,000 euros (45 TFSI quattro from 61,000 euros), although our test car ended up costing more than 83,000 euros. Air upward? But of course!

When it comes to workmanship, Audi has made the most of it. Everything fits and fits here, the materials used are mostly of high quality.

From fresh air fanatics and wimps

At the same time, for so much money you forego all the practicality that a full-fledged first car as an Avant or Sportback in the same price range could deliver. With a small luggage volume of 380 liters, you should know exactly what you are taking with you when planning your vacation. In an emergency, the rear seats have to be used. Only children sit there with any degree of comfort anyway; for adults of any stature, the lack of legroom quickly proves to be an exclusion criterion. But we’ve already written it: The Audi A5 Cabriolet is intended to be enjoyed – then only for two people. They get their money’s worth when the fabric top is folded into the top compartment in 15 seconds at the touch of a finger. This also works when driving up to a maximum of 50 km/h.

Then it’s about distinguishing the true fresh air fanatic from the wimp. The latter likes to hide in the eye of the storm, with the windows up and the wind deflector opened. The only breeze that could move the toupee comes from the optional neck hairdryer. Everyone else enjoys the yacht aesthetics of the A5 with the windows down and enjoys maximum torque. Both factions will be united at the latest when the 265 turbo hp are to take to the motorway for a longer period of time. Towards the top speed of 250 km/h, the acoustic top with real rear glass insert really comes into its own.

The operation does not raise any questions and the instrumentation is clear and easy to understand. Commendable in this day and age: separate climate control.

The workmanship quality of the A5 Cabriolet is exemplary

It’s almost remarkable how quiet the A5 Cabrio is and at the same time it becomes clear how well the Audi is put together. You don’t hear any vibrations or creaks (regardless of the road surface and at what speed), which is of course to be expected with such an expensive car. However, not every competitor can do this. Otherwise, the interior of the Ingolstadt is very well made and when it comes to the MMI Plus system, it is only at second glance that you notice that it was last worked on in 2020. At this point, Audi is often criticized for its old model range, but it is precisely in headless times like these that you first notice how good separate air conditioning controls, real switches and push buttons are.

When it comes to the assistants, you have to accept that the A5 cannot always automatically stay on track as cleanly and permanently as its younger competitors can. The Audi also doesn’t remember the last parking maneuver on request and can tumble 50 meters into the garage at home on its own as if by magic. As if the world didn’t have enough problems. What is annoying, however, is that the front collision warning system and the reversing assistant work rather nervously and occasionally intervene in the driving situation with braking maneuvers, even though no obstacle can be identified in the immediate vicinity.

The A5 Cabriolet’s visual appeal is particularly evident when all the windows are rolled down and the wind deflector is folded aside. There is a boat feeling.

Conclusion

In the end, we can say that a drive in the 265 hp Audi A5 45 TFSI quattro continues to touch the senses and that the people of Ingolstadt still know how to build pretty good cars. Even and especially without a solid roof. The comfort-oriented fresh air section definitely gets its money’s worth. At the same time, these are not without. The starting price of the A5 Cabriolet is hefty at over 50,000 euros, the list of additional costs is extremely long and also not particularly price-sensitive. (Text and image: Thomas Vogelhuber)

Technical data Audi A5 Cabriolet 45 TFSI quattro S tronic*

*Manufacturer information