Audi A5 Cabriolet 2017 Review

The Audi A5 Cabriolet has been revitalised. Priced from $83,400, the luxurious convertible is quieter, faster and more efficient… the complete opposite of this author, who is becoming louder, slower and less effective -- at everything, all the time. But we do have one thing in common: we're both getting uglier. The new A5 Cab isn't the prettiest flower in the meadow but it is a better car overall and easier to live with.

"Drop the top," they said. "It's got neck-level heating," they said.

Sure, OK. I guess.

Less than five minutes later the heavens opened with one the biggest deluges Adelaide has seen all winter, and rain drops an inch in diameter were slamming into the S5 Cabriolet's windscreen. That's champagne Murphy's Law, dear readers.

The timing was deplorable but instead of panicking I glanced at my co-driver and uttered "We're not stopping".

Before the rain could saturate the car's plush leather and soak its high-definition Virtual Cockpit, I lowered the speed to 45km/h and stabbed the roof-shut button with vehemence. In 15 seconds we were ensconced within a warm, almost dry cockpit – without stopping.

Granted, most modern convertibles have this feature but knowing it’s available and having an urgent need to employ it are two different things. It worked well. Bravo Audi convertible.

Open wide, step inside
There are a lot of other neat features in the new A5 drop-top range that make living with it easier. For example, there's more rear leg room, a single button to open/close all windows at once and a simpler roof opening functionality, requiring one touch instead of holding the button.

The roof takes 15 seconds to open and 18 seconds to close, and its improved material layering delivers impressive insulation against outside acoustics, as do 1mm thicker side windows and an acoustically insulated front windscreen. In other words, it’s impressively quiet inside the cabin.

Another cool addition are three discreet Bluetooth telephony microphones sewn into the seat belt. They're the size of small shirt buttons and improve hands-free voice quality. It's all a bit CIA.

The A5 Cabriolet's cabin looks fantastic too, even the front-drive entry-level model.

The view from the driver's seat starts with the large premium leather steering wheel and customisable Virtual Cockpit, which operates with Google Maps for extra visual acuity. I reckon it's still the best digital instrument panel on the market.

Audi makes the driver feel special through other means too, such as the clean, uncluttered central infotainment system, classy gear shifter and touch-sensitive digital climate controls.

Everything looks and feels a million bucks.

New platform, new tricks
Based on Audi's MLB Evo platform that also underpins its Q7 flagship, the new A5 Cabriolet comes with a veritable cornucopia of driving and safety aids.

Active steering will keep you in your lane, radar cruise control will accelerate and slow you automatically, and these two features alone make cruising very relaxing. There’s even a traffic jam assistant, so if this is your daily driver the commute won't be quite so taxing.

Then there's an active swerve control safety feature designed to stop you having a head-on collision. This side of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi's autonomous features are some of the best on the market.

Of course there's also autonomous emergency braking, which operates at up to 85km/h, plus exit warning so you don’t open your door into traffic or cyclists, and rear cross-traffic alert.

Audi says this is the biggest convertible in its range, offering four proper seats compared to its three other open-top offerings: the Audi TT, A3 and R8 cabrios.

There's plenty of headroom for front occupants with the roof closed, although if you drew the short straw for the back seat you'll be demanding the roof be opened. Rear seat leg room isn't amazing either, but really, bad luck chuck if you're stuck in the back.

At the top of the family tree is the S5 Cabriolet, powered by the same 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 (260kW/500Nm) as the S4 sedan, wagon and (Sportback) liftback, not to mention the S5 Coupe.

All models come with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia. Here's the pricing structure (plus on-road costs):

Audi A5 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI S tronic — $83,400
Audi A5 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic — $95,000
Audi S5 Cabriolet 3.0 TFSI quattro tiptronic — $119,111

Will there be a bahn-storming 331kW RS 5 Cabriolet for $170K? Audi isn't saying at this stage, so we'll have to wait and see. There are diesel models offered in Europe but after accounting for less one in 20 sales in this country, Audi Australia made the decision not to import any oil-burning A5 Cabs here.

But when the entry-level 140kW car consumes a claimed 5.9L/100km, frugal shoppers won't have too much to whinge about. It's a spritely mover too, accelerating crisply off the line and building steam effectively for overtaking, with peak torque arriving at a very usable 1400rpm.

The more potent 185kW 2.0-litre four-pot consumes premium fuel at 6.7L/100km, while the S5 does 7.9L/100km – not bad for cars that rocket to 100km/h very quickly: 6.3 and 5.1sec respectively.

Both four-cylinder models come standard with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that does an unbelievably effective job swapping cogs, whether you're ducking and weaving like Floyd Mayweather or just going from A to B like Postman Pat.

The beefy turbo V6 model gets a conventional eight-speed auto and it's just as smooth but not quite as responsive.

Driving with wind in your hair
The new model has less flex in the body and therefore an improved ability to generate grip. It accelerates better and is easier to drive than its predecessor in all situations.

Despite being longer by 47mm (now 4673mm), it's 40kg lighter and a more dynamic car, eating up corners like a hungry canine at an abandoned picnic.

The S5 is the pick of the bunch if you like going fast and enjoy a gravelly exhaust note, but the reality is that the base- and mid-level A5 Cabriolets offer more thrust than most drivers will ever need.

Although the 2.0-litre cars don't have the sports suspension of the S5, they offer slightly better ride comfort instead.

Neck-level heaters integrated into the top of the seats offer three temperature settings and make open-top driving more pleasant, especially in wintery weather which we encountered in South Australia.

But the best thing about driving the new A5 Cab is that you don't have to see its ugly muzzle. Fair dinkum, in my humble opinion, the design has gone backwards.

I've written about this design conundrum previously, when I compared the aesthetics of the old Audi A5 coupe versus the new one. The original's beauty was in its elegant simplicity, while this one is too fussy in the details and has me scratching my head, given Audi insists this convertible is an image car.

Each to their own. I can think of better things to drop $100,000 on but I also see – nay, understand – the attraction. And, to be fair, only the design and the complicated wind blocker that deletes the rear seats (no joke) are worth complaining about.

It's a lovely machine to spend time in, it's engaging to interact with, it’s chocked full of luxury and technology and it’s worth a closer look if this is your jam.

2017 Audi A5 Convertible 2.0 TFSI quattro pricing and specifications:
Price: $95,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 185kW/370Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 154g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBC