Audi A5 Cabriolet (2017-2022) Review

Written by Andrew Brady
Quick overview
Pros
- Exceptional interior quality
- Punchy engine range
- Impressive refinement, roof up or down
Cons
- Expensive to buy
- Still not the best to drive in the class
- Not the freshest cabriolet around
Overall verdict on the Audi A5 Cabriolet
"Four-seat convertibles are a relatively rare thing on the market but the Audi A5 Cabriolet demonstrates what an appealing option they can be. Practical enough to use on a daily basis, comfortable enough for long journeys and with enough of the fun factor to be enjoyable to drive, and the Audi Audi A5 Cabriolet manages it all to a pretty high standard. It also gives away little in refinement to its fixed-roof A5 siblings, which is no mean feat."

Starting with the excellent Audi A4 saloon, then adding a folding fabric roof and making the interior slightly less practical sounds like a recipe for failure, but as this Audi A5 Cabriolet review shows it demands demands few compromises from the owner. It's virtually as easy to live with as the A4, will cost almost the same to run but gives you the freedom and experience that only a convertible can deliver at the touch of a button.
Audi has years of experience in building soft-tops, and its familiarity with the form is made abundantly clear with the impressive design of the fabric roof. Its triple-layered fabric structure and hidden soundproofing panels ensure the Audi A5 Cabriolet remains almost as hushed inside as the coupe, even at motorway speeds.
It stows neatly into the boot in 15 seconds, and although the complex folding mechanism does limit the size and type of luggage you can carry, a 370-litre minimum capacity is still larger than any of its competitors. Passenger space is good too, with room in the back for two petite adults to sit comfortably for several hours.
Power comes from a range of capable four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, driving either the front- or all four-wheels through a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic gearbox. They're predictably excellent, supplying enough power to drag the additional weight of the roof around, but efficient enough to be affordable to run.
If you have the urge to turn the gentle breeze on your face into a force ten gale, the rapid Audi S5 Cabriolet has the firepower to turn any drive into a hair-raising experience, although its fast and stable, rather than fun.
Refinement and - in the right spec - comfort are stellar, and the combination of such smooth, quiet engines and supple suspension make this a very relaxing car to while away the miles in; more so than its peers. To keep things as comfortable as possible, you'll want to avoid the lowered sport suspension on S line models.
In fact, there are very few chinks in the Audi A5 Cabriolet's armour. The sumptuous interior delivers Audi's usual devastating mix of superb feeling materials and meticulous attention to detail. It's crammed with technology, but is intuitive to use, and comes with all the standard equipment you'd expect in a car costing over £40,000.
Wrap this appealing package in a chiselled body, and the soft-top A5 makes a convincing case for itself over natural rivals such as the Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet and BMW 4 Series Convertible. What it lacks in driver appeal it makes up for in almost every other area, and while expensive, it feels like a worthwhile investment.
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Is the Audi A5 Cabriolet right for you?
What's the best Audi A5 Cabriolet model/engine to choose?
What other cars are similar to the Audi A5 Cabriolet?
Comfort and design: Audi A5 Cabriolet interior
"Despite its racy two-door image, it won't take long to get comfortable behind the Audi A5 Cabriolet's steering wheel. It comes with an impressive range of manual reach and height adjustment to the seat and steering column."

On Sport models, the seats are comfortable, with electric lumbar support and heating as standard, great for chilly autumn evenings when you feel like opening up to see the stars. Still, they're also a bit flat at the sides and don't hold you as tightly in place as the thickly bolstered 'Super Sport' chairs you get in the TT roadster.
Audi divides the A5 Cabriolet's interior into three distinct sections, making it really easy to locate everything you need. A strip of material runs the whole width of the cabin, above it is the two infotainment screens, in the middle is a separate pod for the climate controls, and below on the centre console (right next to where your hand will naturally rest) are the roof mechanism switches, a volume knob, and on older cars, the MMI controller.
Everything is easy to read and to reach, and we love the fact that the digital dials and steering wheel buttons mean you rarely need to take your eyes from the road, even when changing the radio or checking your route.
Visibility is not great with the roof up (particularly over the shoulder) so we're glad parking aids are standard.
If we have a complaint, it's that the Audi A5 Cabriolet's restrained design lacks the visual flair of some of its rivals, but if the conservative styling is the price to pay for such ergonomic brilliance, then we'll happily pay it time and again.
Quality and finish
Infotainment: touchscreen, USB, nav and stereo in the Audi A5 Cabriolet
Space and practicality: Audi A5 Cabriolet boot space
Handling and ride quality: What is the Audi A5 Cabriolet like to drive?
"The Audi A5 Cabriolet comes with a variety of suspension setups depending on the trim level you pick, but the focus is clearly on delivering mild-mannered comfort and composure, instead of a super-stiff or sporty vibe."

That seems perfectly appropriate for a car that's a chunk heavier and not as stiff as the coupe, and you do feel the difference that additional ballast makes in the corners. That's not an indictment of the A5 - merely an observation that's true of all cars of this type. It handles well, with good body composure and plenty of grip.
The steering is nicely weighted, and there's less body lean and greater agility through tight turns than you'd find in the heavier-still C-Class Cabriolet, although in town the Mercedes' extra weight helps smother bumps.
Gun to our head, we'd say that the 4 Series Convertible is a slightly more involving drive. Its rear-wheel drive layout and sharp steering help it change direction that bit faster, encouraging you to barrel into corners. The A5 can lose grip on a greasy surface in front-wheel drive form, but the quattro versions are unshakeable.
However, when you back off and glide along with the roof off the ride comfort and stable handling comes to the fore, helping the Audi feel really civilised and relaxing. It's impressively stiff, with little flex in the chassis over bumps, so while you can see the rear view mirror wobbling occasionally, you won't feel it in the cabin.
That's the reason we'd avoid the lower, firmer suspension setup and larger wheels on the sportier trim levels. The changes take the Audi A5 Cabriolet away from its core strengths, making the ride fidgety without adding excitement.
Top-spec Vorsprung models have an adaptive setup, allowing you to change the softness of the suspension, along with the steering weight and throttle sensitivity (the last two you can do on the garden variety car too.)
This works brilliantly in its slackest 'Comfort' setting, but we can't see the appeal of the unforgiving 'Dynamic'.
What engines and gearboxes are available in the Audi A5 Cabriolet?
Refinement and noise levels
Safety equipment: How safe is the Audi A5 Cabriolet?
MPG and fuel costs: What does an Audi A5 Cabriolet cost to run?
"The 2.0-litre diesel is likely to be the most popular engine due to its impressively low running costs. In the latest range, it's only available with quattro four-wheel drive, but is still capable of returning a decent 44mpg."

Despite being front-wheel drive, the Audi A5 Cabriolet petrol with an identical 190PS is thirstier but should get around 35mpg in the real world depending on your driving style, and the size of your wheels. Larger rims = worse economy.
Previous front-wheel drive diesels claimed to get close to 60mpg, but that was on the older NEDC tests, so it won't reflect what you'll get in normal traffic, although the newer cars do feature mild-hybrid fuel-saving tech.
As for cruising range, the diesels get a larger fuel tank than the petrol cars, so you'll be able to go over 500 miles between pit stops - perfect for those long stints down to the French Riviera in search of sunny weather.
How reliable is the Audi A5 Cabriolet?
Insurance groups and costs
VED car tax: What is the annual road tax on an Audi A5 Cabriolet?
How much should you be paying for a used Audi A5 Cabriolet?
"The Audi A5 Cabriolet is less popular than its Coupe and Sportback siblings so there are fewer used examples to choose from. Prices start at around £17,000 for the cheapest cars, with more recent examples starting at around £21,000 . We think that sounds pretty reasonable for a four-seater convertible with a premium badge on the nose."

Diesel automatic models start from around £1000 more. The majority are in sportier S line trim, but should have a fully stamped service booklet from a franchised dealership, and roughly 20,000 miles on the clock.
You'll need to save up a little more for cars equipped with four-wheel drive (prices start at around £22,500) and a lot more if you want a newer model. Cars from 2019 begin at £25,000, still pretty good considering that most have driven fewer than 5,000 miles, and pre-registered versions of the latest A5 cost well over £40,000.
Trim levels and standard equipment
Ask the heycar experts: common questions
How much does an Audi A5 Cabriolet cost?
Is the Audi A5 Cabriolet a good car?
How long does it take to open the roof of the Audi A5 Cabriolet?
Audi A5 Cabriolet cars for sale on heycar
Audi A5 Cabriolet40 TFSI 204 S Line 2dr S Tronic
202113,879 milesPetrol£443 mo£28,000
HD21UAAudi A5 Cabriolet40 TFSI Edition 1 2dr S Tronic
202013,772 milesPetrol£478 mo£29,750
LE32LDAudi A5 Cabriolet40 TFSI 204 S Line 2dr S Tronic
202123,734 milesPetrol£483 mo£29,295
DD23PTAudi A5 Cabriolet45 TFSI Quattro Vorsprung 2dr S Tronic
201939,862 milesPetrol£419 mo£26,750
BS107FFAudi A5 Cabriolet40 TFSI 204 Sport 2dr S Tronic
202128,269 milesPetrol£410 mo£25,600
Delivery
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