• Efficient, punchy petrols and diesels
• RS5 borders on being supercar quick
• All versions are satisfyingly capable

Petrol engines

Regular A5 Coupe models are powered by 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines, with a choice of three petrols and two diesels. The larger six-cylinder units are limited to the diesel S5 and petrol RS5 performance models.  All engines come with an automatic gearbox – a seven-speed S tronic for the 2.0-litres, and an eight-speed tiptronic for the S5 and RS5 – while Quattro all-wheel drive is limited to the more powerful units.

Despite the 35 TFSI being the entry-point of the A5 range, its performance is more than acceptable and suits the A5’s relaxed nature. If you tend to cruise around and don’t require much pace, this will serve you well in everyday driving.

Diesel engines

The TDI diesel line-up really suits the character of the A5 Coupe with strong in-gear acceleration. The 40 TDI is a great all-rounder, blending running costs with plenty of pace.

The small fuel tank does impact the range though, so although it’s well suited to long-distance touring you’ll make more frequent fuel stops than you might expect.

High performance engines

The next rung up in the performance stakes is the S5 Coupe, which is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine producing 341hp and 700Nm of torque. This is enough to sprint from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and onto a top speed of 155mph.

Where the S5 is quick, the RS5 Coupe is, frankly, ridiculous. The twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 TFSI has been tuned to produce 450hp and 600Nm, the latter from 1,900rpm. Like the S5, the gearbox is the traditional-technology eight-speed automatic with Tiptronic manual override. It also features torque-sensing Quattro four-wheel drive with a rear-end bias that is readily felt when driving.

Performance on the RS5 is intoxicating. For drivers used to the instant flick of the tachometer with a dual-clutch transmission, the slightly analogue feel of the RS5 gearbox might feel slow, but it provides a welcome dose of normality in a car which relentlessly exceeds performance expectations.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Quattro models have astonishing traction
• Ride comfort suitable for long journeys
• Falls short of true sports car involvement

Unsurprisingly, the A5 Coupe shares similar handling characteristics to the Audi A4 range on which it is based – that is to say it is a marked improvement over its predecessor. While the previous-generation model’s steering was numb, this version delivers much more feedback and a well-weighted, linear action. It feels more tied-down too, useful when combined with the huge cornering traction enabled by the Quattro all-wheel drive system.

You can set things up exactly how you want them with the Audi Drive Select system, taking in five modes called Comfort, Auto, Efficiency, Dynamic and Individual, the latter allowing you to mix the settings up. Optional adaptive dampers give a good balance of agility and comfort, with a cosseting ride over broken tarmac and a firmer setting for faster cornering.

Crunching motorway miles in an Audi A5 Coupe is a relaxing and quiet experience, with little wind, tyre or engine noise infiltrating the cabin. Ride quality is very good, even on broken surfaces, with lumps and bumps absorbed by the well-judged set-up. Migrate to the RS5 and you would expect the levels of comfort to be sacrificed for ability, but that really isn’t the case.

Increasing the power and turning the focus to ultimate performance, the RS5 Coupe should avoid accusations of being too soft when discussing the handling. There are a couple of choices when specifying the RS5’s suspension, a full active RS Sport system with Dynamic Ride Control, and a standard adaptive damper setup; the latter system has Comfort and Dynamic modes as well as an option to automatically switch between.

The rear-biased Quattro system does give a bit of excitement in the handling department with progressive weight transfer and low-speed, high power cornering – again, it’s an entirely safe package, with more traction than you should ever need. On wet roads, the all-wheel drive system is almost essential given the performance available.