Used Audi A5 Cabriolet 2009-2017 review

What's the used Audi A5 like?

There’s a certain phrase that would apply perfectly to the Audi A5 Cabriolet: airs and graces. You see, you could be the least classy person in the world, yet still look like you belong to royalty if you drive around in an A5 Cabriolet because of its impeccable image. Plus, with early ones only costing a few grand, you can definitely enjoy Champagne motoring for lemonade money.

That theme of inexpensive motoring continues with the smaller, more economical four-cylinder engines, such as the 158bhp 1.8-litre and 208bhp 2.0-litre petrols, as well as the 148bhp and 168bhp 2.0-litre diesels. The bigger 187bhp 2.7-litre and 242bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesels aren’t too bad on fuel either, and the latter option is very smooth and refined. Then there are the rare 261bhp 3.2-litre V6 and turbocharged 328bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrols. There’s also the slightly bonkers 444bhp 4.2-litre V8 of the Audi RS5.

Overview

The Audi A5 is a classy convertible that's more of a cruiser than sports car

Pros

• Classy interior
• Refined
• Strong diesel engines

Cons

• Offset pedals in manual cars
• Body flex
• Hard suspension in S Line trim

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Audi A5 Cabriolet

2.0 TDI S line S Tronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£9,500

Audi A5 Cabriolet

2.0 TFSI 40 S line S Tronic Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£9,995

Audi A5 CABRIOLET

2.0 TDI S line S Tronic Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£9,995

Audi A5 Cabriolet

2.0 TFSI 40 S line Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£10,000

Audi A5 Cabriolet

2.0 TDI Sport S Tronic Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£10,295

Audi A5 Cabriolet

2.0 TFSI S line S Tronic Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£10,990

Audi A5 Cabriolet

3.0 TDI V6 S line S Tronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£11,499

Audi A5 Cabriolet

2.0 TDI S line S Tronic Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

£11,995

Audi A5 CABRIOLET

2.0 TFSI S line S Tronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

RRP £44,745

£11,995

See all available cars

Even when fitted with an engine of huge power, the A5 is best thought of as an urban boulevardier rather than a sports car. Neither the handling nor the steering ever encourage you to drive with vigour, and unless you go for one with firmer S Line suspension, it tends to lean over quite a lot through the corners. Trouble is, if you do go for sportier suspension, the ride is very hard, which does little to remedy the rattle and shake you experience when going over lumps and bumps in the road.

The interior is of impeccable quality, though. Dense, soft-touch plastics adorn most surfaces and there are tasteful chrome highlights throughout. The only major disappointment is its offset driving position – a particular issue in examples equipped with a manual gearbox. Meanwhile, the folding roof mechanism means there isn’t room for a fifth seat, so the A5 Cabriolet is a four-seater only. However, the boot is still a decent size and the rear seats fold down to allow you to load longer items.

Standard equipment on SE cars is decent with an electric roof, 17in alloy wheels, leather, climate control and rear parking sensors. S Line models have sportier exterior styling, bigger 18in alloy wheels, sports suspension, sat nav, Bluetooth connectivity, xenon headlights, automatic lights and wipers, heated front seats and a quieter acoustic hood.

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Ownership cost

What used Audi A5 will I get for my budget?

A high-mileage, early A5 Cabriolet can be found for as little as £4500, but we’d suggest you spend £6500 for something with fewer miles on it.

A facelifted example from 2012 onwards will cost you around £11,000, while a late model from an Audi franchised dealer should be around £20,000.

A tidy Audi S5 can be found for £13,000, but a more specialised Audi RS5 is at least £23,000 for a higher-mileage example, or £30,000 for something fresher.

Check the value of a used Audi A5 cabriolet with What Car? Valuations

Our recommendations

Which used Audi A5 should I buy?

Standard SE spec is probably the best way to go because you get all the luxuries you’ll need without having to resort to the rock-hard ride of S Line cars.

We also prefer the automatic S tronic gearbox over the manual; the offset driving position mentioned earlier makes the latter's clutch pedal awkward to use. The S tronic gearbox is also far nicer than the Multitronic CVT that's teamed exclusively with the 2.7 TDI.

Regarding engines, because of the oil consumption issues of 2.0-litre TFSI engines and the thirst of some of the larger petrols, we’d suggest you go for one diesels instead. The 2.0-litre is the most popular and economical, while the 3.0-litre is a worthwhile upgrade, so long as you can afford the higher running costs.

Our favourite Audi A5 Cabriolet: 2.0 TDI SE S tronic

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Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Audi A5?

Premium convertibles aren’t great in number, but the BMW 3 Series Convertible (2007-2014) and later BMW 4 Series Convertible (2014-2020) are amongst the most popular. These two are ideal for those who prefer a fine driving experience and both offer an excellent mix of economical four-cylinder diesel engines and sonorous six-cylinder petrols.

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