Used Audi A5 (Mk2, 2016-2024) buyer’s guide: a stylish, premium coupe that’s easy to live with
A full used buyer’s guide on the Audi A5 Mk2 that was on sale between 2016 and 2024
Verdict
For years Audi has been on the receiving end of criticism about its cars’ dynamics, and it’s no different with the A5 Mk2. These coupés and cabriolets make superb cruisers with their refinement, power and comfort, but you’re unlikely to get up just to go for a blast down a B-road in one. It might lack the sparkle of a BMW 4 Series, but the A5 is hardly a duffer in this respect. It’s easy and enjoyable to drive, if not rewarding, but it is easy to live with. As with most German cars, it comes at a premium cost, but we reckon it’s a price worth paying.
Back in the sixties, when Volkswagen bought Audi from Mercedes-Benz, few people could have foreseen just what a powerhouse this all-encompassing premium brand would become. The seeds were sown in the seventies, then in the eighties Audi gained momentum thanks to its reputation as an innovator, with aerodynamic luxury cars that frequently offered the security of four-wheel drive.
From being a bit-part player, Audi’s presence in the UK is now decidedly heavyweight, even though the brand is still outsold by both BMW and Mercedes. But that doesn’t matter to used-car buyers; what does matter is that Audi builds some of the most desirable cars on the road, including the A5 in both coupé and cabriolet forms.
History
The second-generation Audi A5 Coupé reached UK showrooms in September 2016. A single 2.0 TFSI petrol engine was offered in 187bhp or 248bhp forms, and the latter featured standard quattro four-wheel drive.
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Diesel lovers could choose from 187bhp 2.0 TDI and 215bhp 3.0 TDI engines, the latter in quattro form only. All engines were available with a six-speed manual or seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox, although the 349bhp 3.0 TFSI S5 came only with an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox.
The A5 Cabriolet was launched in April 2017, with identical engine, trim and transmission combinations. The 444bhp RS 5 Coupé and Cabriolet joined the range in August 2017, with a 3.0 V6 TFSI engine. A 148bhp 1.4 TFSI engine was introduced in November 2017, then in April 2020 a revised A5 arrived. This brought design changes, mild-hybrid tech for most engines, a 342bhp 3.0 TDI engine for the S5, LED headlights and upgraded infotainment.
Which one should I buy?
After a couple of years Audi stopped offering a manual gearbox for the A5, because so few people chose it. The automatic transmission is great to use, as are all of the engines.
All A5s are well equipped, with even the entry-level SE model featuring 17-inch alloy wheels, xenon headlights, heated front seats, leather trim, three-zone climate control, a seven-inch touchscreen, a 10-speaker hi-fi, DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, and auto emergency braking.
The Sport has the same equipment as the SE, but sportier design details inside and out, plus LED interior ambient lighting. The S line model has 18-inch wheels, stiffer suspension, LED headlights, and sports seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara.
Used Audi A5 prices
Used Audi A5 Mk2 prices for cars currently available on our Find a Car service start from £20,000 and go up to around £48,000. Use our car valuation tool to check the price of specific models.
Alternatives to the Audi A5
Just like the A5, the BMW 4 Series is built to an impressive standard, comes with some efficient engines and is excellent ergonomically. The BMW is more engaging to drive than the Audi and it also gives a choice of coupé or convertible bodystyles.
Mercedes offers C-Class and E-Class coupés and cabriolets, and they all provide excellent build quality, plus decent engines, refinement and reliability. Four-seat coupés have fallen out of favour in recent years, so other options are few and far between. If you want a stylish coupé, and two seats will be enough, the Porsche Cayman is dynamically superb, while the Toyota Supra and Alpine A110 are also great fun. If you need a bit more practicality, don’t forget the five-door A5 Sportback, with its huge boot opening.
What to look for
Spare
The A5 doesn’t come with a full-sized spare wheel, but at least Audi does supply a space-saver wheel, rather than a tyre mobility kit.
Safety
The A5 Coupé achieved a five-star Euro NCAP score, thanks to its strong structure and extensive safety kit. The Cabriolet was never tested.
Diesel
The A5 2.0 TDI was available in standard and Ultra guises. The Ultra is marginally more frugal, and has a 130mph top speed instead of 149mph.
Fuel tank
Audi offered A5 2.0 TDI buyers the option to upgrade from a 40-litre fuel tank to a 54-litre capacity, and then from a 12-litre AdBlue tank to a 24-litre one.
Common Audi A5 problems
The most common issues faced by A5 owners relate to electrical glitches; we’ve seen reports of infotainment systems crashing, windows opening themselves when the indicator is activated, and even the electronic parking brake not engaging.
Interior
Audi offers some of the most inviting cabins around, with plush materials, great design and a superb level of user-friendliness. The A5 also provides excellent seats and dash design that’s a model of clarity.
Rear-seat space is tight for adults, unless they’re quite small. All A5 Coupés come with a split-folding rear seat; with them up, the Coupé can stow 465 litres in the boot, while the Cabriolet can take 380 litres.
Buyers may also want to look out for models fitted with the optional Comfort and Sound pack, which includes a 360-degree camera, hands-free tailgate, upgraded stereo and extra ambient lighting.
Running costs
Audi A5 owners can choose between fixed and flexible service regimes, with the former set at every 12 months or 9,000 miles, whichever comes first. Services alternate between minor and major; the former is simply an oil change. Opt for the flexible scheme and your Audi will need to be serviced every two years or 18,600 miles; at the same time an inspection service (oil change) is due.
An oil service is priced at £270, whereas an oil and inspection service with a fresh pollen filter costs £350. On top of this, fresh brake fluid is required every two years, at £65, and the 2.0 TDI engine has a cambelt, which should be replaced every 140,000 miles or five years, at a cost of £476, or £807 with a new water pump fitted at the same time.
Check the price of an Audi A5 with our free car valuation tool...
Recalls
Audi has recalled the A5 Mk2 11 times so far. The first was in February 2017 due to faulty airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners; three months later, overheating coolant pumps led to the second recall, and then another in June 2018. Overheating air-con units led to recalls in both January and February 2018, and in December 2018 Audi launched a campaign due to airbag glitches.
Fuel leaks led to the next recall, in March 2019, with the next one coming two months later because of poor-quality front suspension castings. A5s with a factory-fitted towbar were recalled in June 2019 thanks to faulty locking mechanisms; a year later, water getting into the electronics of mild-hybrid models led to the 10th recall. The most recent action was launched in October 2020, because of seat frames working loose.
Driver Power owner satisfaction
You can still buy an Audi A5, but it’s not the car pictured, a model that was killed off last year. Instead, the new A5 took over from the old A4 – offered in hatchback form, or as an estate sold as the A5 Avant. The Mk2 A5 came in coupé form (as pictured here), as a convertible, or as a five-door hatch called the Sportback. Owners of all three bodystyles fed into our survey.
Considering the age of the old A5, it did well to appear in our 2024 poll, even if none of its various category scores are that great.
There are no ratings in the top 10, but there are several in the top 20, including 15th for servicing costs,
17th for the functioning of the safety systems and 18th for reliability and rear legroom. Overall quality and running costs are both ranked 19th. The next best scores are 20th for acceleration and seat versatility,
along with 21st for the interior design.
Most of the remainder are mid-table or thereabouts, but what owners really don’t like are the infotainment (which comes 48th), the navigation (45th) and front-seat comfort (48th).
There also doesn’t seem to be a lot of driving pleasure in evidence for most owners, who rank the Audi 41st in this respect.
What do owners think
Here’s what owners in the 2024 Driver Power survey thought of the Audi A5 Mk2.
| What they like | What they don't like |
| “Even on big wheels and sport suspension the A5 isn’t uncomfortable, and the brakes are quite brilliant.” | “I’m a big fan of my A5, but if there’s one thing that I would change, it would be more comfortable seats.” |
| “Inside and out, my A5 is stylish but understated, while the overall quality is excellent.” | “The boot of my convertible is really quite tiny, and for such a big car I expected more rear-seat legroom.” |
| “There’s plenty of grip and performance. What I love most is that my A5 is the quietest car I’ve owned.” | “The press bangs on about how great the infotainment set-up is, but I think it’s actually not that intuitive.” |
| “I’ve never had an issue with any of my Audis, and this is my sixth example since my first in 2004.” | “The A5 is a class act, but the DSG automatic gearbox is a bit of a letdown. It could be a bit smoother.” |
| “Refinement levels are impressive and so is the performance, but my stand-out feature is the DSG ’box.” | “The standard hi-fi doesn’t sound all that good, and the navigation suggests some very weird routes.” |
| “The A5 is a user-friendly car that’s good to drive and feels very safe. If one thing stands out, it’s the quality.” | |
| “The steering offers decent feedback, but it’s light enough for low- speed manoeuvres. My A5 quattro feels very sure-footed when the roads are slippery, with lots of grip.” | |
| “Everywhere you look inside the A5 you see first-class build quality. The seats are also very comfortable, but the heated-seat settings don’t seem to vary by very much.” | |
| “Rear-seat space is never meant to be a forté of coupés and convertibles, but with the A5 there’s actually a decent amount of room – enough for two adults to travel in comfort. I also find it very straightforward to install a child seat when I need to.” |
Used Audi A5s for sale
2025 Audi
A5
22,670 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £25,399
2019 Audi
A5
45,940 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £18,099
2019 Audi
A5
45,845 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £18,499
2018 Audi
A5
84,080 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £11,995
2019 Audi
A5
38,325 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £15,450
2016 Audi
A5
63,251 milesManualDiesel2.0L
Cash £11,050
2024 Audi
A5
13,860 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £26,995
2018 Audi
A5
59,170 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £14,490
2025 Audi
A5
16,490 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £23,995
Audi A5 Coupe (2016-2024) review: What we said
Extracts from our 2024 road test of the Audi A5 Coupe...
If you want a stylish and refined coupe with four seats, the Audi A5 has been one of the go-to options since its launch in the noughties. While it’s a handsome and desirable machine, it’s not one of the most thrilling to drive. Combine that with the less than dramatic design, and the A5 Coupe faces stiff competition from rivals such as the BMW 4 Series.
The cabin is beautifully fitted-out, however, using the finest materials, while the infotainment system and Audi's standard Virtual Cockpit set-up give the car an impressively technological feel. There’s a good range of trim levels that are all very well equipped and, with a bunch of petrol and diesel engines that are efficient as well as strong performers, the A5 is still worthy of consideration - despite its advancing years.
About the Audi A5
As the coupe spin-off of the A4 executive saloon, the Audi A5 is a spiritual successor to the Audi Coupe of the 1980s. It offers sporty looks, but unlike the smaller TT, there's usable space for four inside. The original two-door A5 Coupe was launched in 2007, and remained on sale for nine years, which is a remarkably long time for a modern production model. It was joined by the A5 Cabriolet in 2009, while the five-door A5 Sportback also arrived in the same year.
All three variants of the Mk1 were based on the same MLB platform as the A4 saloon, but the current generation of the A5 that arrived in 2016 used an updated version of the platform designed to offer a sportier driving experience. Like the Mk1, the second generation A5 is available in two-door coupe or cabriolet form, or as a five-door Sportback.
The A5 lineup was given a facelift in 2019. Among the upgrades was the introduction of mild-hybrid technology to the A5’s entire engine range. Standard A5 models are fitted with a 12V system that can also utilise regenerative braking to improve fuel economy. Audi’s 10.1-inch touchscreen MMI infotainment system was also introduced to the A5 for the first time, and the suspension was tweaked to improve ride comfort. Elsewhere, styling tweaks included tweaked headlamps and a refreshed grille.
Audi offers a range of petrol and diesel engines in the A5. All petrol engines in the standard range are turbocharged four-cylinder units, badged 35 TFSI, 40 TFSI and 45 TFSI, which produce 148bhp, 201bhp and 261bhp, respectively.
There are also two four-cylinder diesels: the 161bhp 35 TDI and the 201bhp 40 TDI. All models come with a seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard, and quattro four-wheel drive is standard on 45 TFSI and 40 TDI models.
A sportier S5 model was previously available with a 2.9-litre, 342bhp TDI V6 diesel, mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and quattro four-wheel drive, but is no longer available to order in the UK.
The flagship RS 5 is powered by a 444bhp 2.9 TFSI V6 petrol engine. The RS 5 is cloaked in a unique body to help mark the model out from the rest of the range, and is available in Coupe and Sportback body styles.
Engines, performance and drive
Despite its sporty coupe looks the Audi A5 is very civilised and refined to drive. It’s based on the same chassis as the A4 saloon and comes with a range of different suspension options which alter the way it drives.
Turn into a corner and the A5 on standard suspension, rather than adaptive dampers, responds more quickly than a BMW 4 Series, plus there’s a little less body roll. Yet the steering isn’t as well weighted as the BMW's, while mild torque steer upsets the front-wheel-drive A5’s composure when powering out of slower bends – four-wheel-drive versions are more planted in similar situations.
Take things easier, and the A5 impresses as a relaxed and refined cruiser. On the standard suspension set-up it’s a little firm at low speed, particularly on optional 19-inch alloys, but go faster and the dampers will do a good job of filtering out road imperfections. Wind noise is also well suppressed, while the tall-striding seventh gear in cars fitted with the S tronic gearbox keeps mechanical intrusion to a minimum.
0-62mph acceleration and top speed
The entry-level engine is the 35 TFSI – a turbocharged two-litre with 148bhp and an 8.9-second 0-62mph time. The same engine produces 201bhp in the 40 TFSI and 0-62mph takes 7.1 seconds. The most powerful petrol engine in the standard range is the 45 TFSI, which produces 261bhp and manages the 0-62mph sprint in 5.5 seconds – thanks in part to its standard quattro four-wheel drive system.
The 35 TDI 2.0-litre diesel makes 161bhp and can hit 62mph from rest in 8.2 seconds, while the 201bhp 40 TDI reaches 60mph in 6.9 seconds with quattro four-wheel drive. All models use the same seven-speed automatic gearbox. It's worth noting that the entry-level Sport trim isn't offered with the more powerful 40 or 45 TFSI petrol engine or 40 TDI diesel.
The top-of-the-range RS 5 is powered by a 2.9-litre V6 with 444bhp – 0-62mph takes 3.9 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 155mph.
MPG, CO2 and Running Costs
The most efficient A5 is the 35 TDI diesel, which returns up to 58.9mpg and emits 125g/km of CO2, while the 40 TDI delivers 50.4mpg and from 147g/km. Audi claims the 40 TFSI petrol will manage 42.8mpg and 150g/km, while the 45 TFSI manages 36.7mpg and 166g/km.
Interior, design and technology
The latest Audi A5 isn’t a radical departure from the old model in terms of styling. The sloping roofline gives its some visual impact but the lines and overall shape of the coupe are quite conservative.
The body is a little longer but also narrower than before and the subtly embossed bonnet helps to differentiate it further from its A4 saloon sibling. The LED headlights have been developed to avoid dazzling other road users when they’re driving towards you.
The A5 may not be the most exciting car to look at from the outside but the cabin is beautifully executed. The quality of plastics used inside the Audi is impressive and goes some way to justifying its hefty price.
Every A5 comes with LED headlamps, adaptive cruise control, 18-inch alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity and Audi’s MMI infotainment system fitted as standard.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Following the 2019 facelift, all A5s are fitted with Audi’s Virtual Cockpit. This system’s 12.3-inch widescreen display shows the sat-nav display straight in front of you, making it easier to follow the route guidance, while you can also change the radio station and look at the car’s efficiency data through the different menus.
It’s a hi-tech feature that fits well with the A5’s well-crafted cabin. Build quality is brilliant throughout, with a simple but smart layout to the centre console adding to the premium feel.
Audi’s 10.1-inch MMI infotainment set-up includes navigation and a 36-month subscription to the Audi Connect service. This has a 4G connection and gives access to the brand’s various apps, plus Twitter and Google Street View for detailed route-finding assistance.
All of this is controlled via the manufacturer’s intuitive MMI rotary dial and shortcut keys that are located on the centre console. A further update in 2021 saw Amazon’s Alexa voice-recognition technology installed, which allows you to use vocal commands to operate a number of the car’s functions completely hands-free.
Practicality, comfort and boot space
One of the biggest sacrifices you have to make when opting for a coupe over a saloon is a lack of practicality. Having only two-doors can make access to the rear slightly awkward for taller adults and rather than three rear seats, you’ll only find two.
Once back there you will notice that there is more head and legroom than you’d initially think. Another plus is that the boot is only 15 litres down on the A4 saloon at 465 litres.
Size
Against the tape measure the A5 comes in at 4,673mm long, 1,846 wide and 1,371mm tall. That makes it longer than a BMW 4 Series.
It’s not as tall as some rivals but its width means more shoulder room for rear passengers.
Legroom
A wheelbase of 2,764mm should mean there isn’t as much space inside as in the BMW 4 Series, as this model has a longer wheelbase. However, because the roofline on the Audi isn’t as steeply raked as its rival, there is more headroom. Legroom is very similar on both models, however.
Boot space
The current A5 has 10 litres of extra boot space over the model it replaced, but at 465 litres that’s still 10 litres less than the A4 Saloon on which it’s based. Still, it has a 25-litre carrying capacity advantage over the BMW 4 Series Coupe. Other highlights include a 40:20:40 split/fold bench, plus remote tailgate opening.
Towing
If you're planning on using your A5 for regular towing duties you might want to opt for a diesel-powered model. The 35 TDI version is rated to tow 1,700-1,900kg, with the 40 TDI variant slightly more capable at 1,800-2,000kg. The entry 35 TFSI petrol car is able to tow 1,500-1,700kg, while the 261bhp 45 TFSI is rated at 1,700-1,900kg. We'd always advise double checking the individual towing limits of your car before hitching up a trailer or caravan.
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