Owner Review: A 50-year-old man's mid-life crisis car? - My Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI 2019

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Basic information about my car

Model: Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI 2019

Dealer Name: Euromobil Sdn Bhd

Dealer Location: Glenmarie Shah Alam

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: RM339,000.00

The Price I Paid: RM305,000.00

Vehicle Delivery Time: May 2020

Reasons why I bought this car

This was not a 50-year-old man's life crisis car. It was my choice as a weekend car. I did not want to use my company car at the weekend. The Audi A5 Sportback is a looker at any angle. The blue here - officially named Navarra Blue - is probably the most unique of the colours they had in Malaysia and really accentuates the curves. I also considered black and the Matador Red.

If I am forced to choose ONE word: Looks.

Car Selection Process

• I had a budget of RM350,000.00 max

• Model(s) that I have considered include: Lexus ES250 Luxury, Volvo S90 T5

Reasons why I chose this car:

All the models under consideration had offers on the 2019 stocks, and I tested all of them. Twice.

The A5 Sportback was chosen in the end because it had all the elements I wanted: style, sporty coupe styling yet practical 4-door convenience; power on tap (this car, even on comfort setting can whizz 150 km/h quicker than you can say "Sportback" (OK so I exaggerate but you get the idea...).

Style wins. The car with the doors open and windows down gives you a Monte Carlo drive feel; those frameless doors oozes style. The way the shoulder line flow from the front end to the rear end accentuates the car’s length; Navarra Blue accentuates this line.

For ultimate comfort, the ES250 wins by a mile. The only sore point for me was the lack of turbo, but it fit the car perfectly as it was more of a chauffeur-driven car and comfort was the key USP.

For road presence and uniqueness, the S90 was right up there. I had loved this car from the day it rolled off the factory floor, and I liked the odd but bold looks. I did not choose the Volvo in the end because I disliked the way the aircond controls were inside the centre screen. Crazy to do as you drive unless you had a voice command like the X70 GKUI system.

User Experience

• I have already done 4,900 km

Since the purchase, my thoughts about the car are:

It has low mileage as it is only a weekend car. The furthest it went was Taiping in August (where it came face-to-face with the exact same model and same colour brother).

This beauty has not disappointed. It is both comfortable and quick at the same time. The quietness of the cabin is amazing, given it has frameless doors. The looks of this car are breath-taking.

Of course, build quality is German level, and to be fair, Audi probably is better at this than other contis (definitely better than my previous F1 520d). Button tactility is as expected. The seats are very well designed and comfortable. I gripe only about headroom, but also because I insist on the highest seat setting; the coupe roofline impacts that space.

The cabin’s virtual cockpit is really modern, and I love that the entire screen can show the navigation map (although its less luxurious cousin, the Passat, is better at this as the dials become a flat box at the bottom instead of smaller dials on each side). Despite criticism of the touchpad on the MMI dial for right-handers, I found it very easy to use when entering phone numbers.

The TFSI engine is frugal when driven normal to moderately aggressive, thanks to the dual-injection engine; that delivers the balance of power and economy really well.

252HP and 370Nm ensure that power is available when required. On Dynamic mode, this engine combines superbly with the 7-speed S Tronic dual-clutch tranny and Quattro set up. This car is fast.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Good acquisition price for the 2019 model (landed Malaysia in October 2019)

• Abundance of style and sportiness

• German-level build quality; solid as a rock

• Coupe good looks but 4 door practicality

• Virtual cockpit is wonderful and navigation can take over the entire binnacle

• Massive boot: 480 litres, with a huge opening due to hatch design

• Stability at high speed and taking bends is unbelievable; augmented by superb seats (with massage function for both front seats)

Cons

Not much to say here, but if I was nit-picking:

• Headroom, due to my height and preference for high setting for the seats

• Rear windows go down only half way

• Lack of AEB; lack of blind spot monitoring and lane departure are non-issues for me

Ratings

• Total Score: 4

• Performance: 5

• Quality & Features: 4

• Space: 4

• Ride Comfort: 5

• Fuel Economy: 4

• Price & Cost: 4

Summary

Style, quality and excellence. No, it isn't Dunhill. This is a German 4-door coupe that oozes the style of a coupe, yet offers the practicality of a 4-door sedan. Comfort levels are absolutely Audi, as is the build quality. The tactile feel of the buttons and knobs are superb. It has most of the bells and whistles of 21st-century engineering and has a street presence that is unmistakable. A great engine helps the 1.6 tonner to move quickly. Stability at high speeds is so reassuring that even the most sedate driver like me has pushed this to 220 km/h. Once.

Interesting events that happened to my car

That moment in Taiping when we were both side-by-side at the traffic lights like you would see at an F1 starting line front two. We looked at each other, nodded, looked to the front as if preparing to race (we did not as I went left and he went straight). There was a smugness in the air; like "yeah man, you're a stylish and smart dude... eh wait... WE are stylish and smart dudes". LOL.

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