Audi A5 Avant long-term test
Can the Audi A5 Avant help our digital editor fall in love with estate cars all over again? He's running one as his next company car to find out...
The car Audi A5 Avant Vorsprung e-hybrid quattro S tronic Run by Stuart Milne, digital editor
Why it’s here To see if there’s life in the estate car in the face of the SUV onslaught
Needs to reclaim Audi’s seat at the top table when it comes to interior quality and its Vorsprung Durch Technik
Miles covered 1271 Price £67,070 Target price £65,625 Price as tested £68,515 Official economy 108.4mpg Test economy 48.7mpg Options fitted Grenadine red metallic paint (£750), S sport suspension with damper control (£695)
28 May 2026 – What’s in a name?
You might argue it was the Minions who were the stars of the Despicable Me films; the loveable sidekicks who brimmed with character and cutesy looks who became the unlikely stars of their own films.
In many ways, that’s the story of the Audi A5: a sleek, two-door model which spawned from the more grown-up A4 – that’s now become the headline in its own right. You see, the A4 is on hiatus, preparing to be reborn as an electric car – and the A5 has assumed its erstwhile role.
Confused? So was I – and the idea of there being something called an Audi A5 Avant seems rather alien. Fortunately it wasn’t for Ben McClaskey, who is senior new car and VIP sales executive at Audi’s flagship dealer, West London Audi.
The showroom is more like a museum, with several floors of Audis from the firm’s current range jostling for position with four-ringed heroes of the past. But as enticing as that was, I was focused on the handover room, where my A5 Avant was teasing from beneath a cover.
I was a little apprehensive about the Grenadine red paintwork I’d chosen, but as Ben pulled the covers from the car, I knew I’d made the right decision. It’s a finish which shimmies from deep red to bronze to a pleasing shade of brown depending on the light, and in the days following its grand reveal, elicited praise from many passers-by.
The 20in wheels mark my A5 estate out as a Vorsprung – the top of the range trim – which I chose for its standard-fit beam-shifting Matrix LED headlights (a feature which I absolutely love) and the 10.9in passenger touch screen. It’s something I’ve been fascinated by since I saw a prototype Audi Q6 e-tron a few years ago. I love that clever tech means certain apps can’t be viewed from the passenger seat, and I’m intrigued to see how well executed it is for everyday life – and how distracting it is.
The whole infotainment shebang is feature-packed, and after a couple of false starts setting up the MyAudi smartphone app, I’ve been able to install a few new apps which should make long journeys more entertaining for my passengers.
Vorsprung models also have a full-length panoramic roof, which is always my kids’ favourite feature. Unlike versions which use a headroom-sapping roller blind, the A5 Avant not only adjusts its transparency electronically, but it can do so in segments, revealing sunlight in stages from the front or the back.
Audio comes courtesy of a Bang & Olufsen stereo (which I’m finding tricky to dial in a sound quality I’m happy with), and the seats adjust electrically which so far are proving very comfy indeed.
That cossetting feeling is improved further by the only other optional extra I’ve chosen: adaptive suspension. With four settings, plus a customisable mode, it makes a noticeable difference to the driving experience, although Comfort has quickly become my favourite.
Not that the A5 Avant is all soft and squidgy, because it’s one of the more entertaining Audis I’ve driven recently, with agile handling and sure-footed four-wheel drive grip.
When it came to choosing my engine option, there was no contest. My commute is too long for petrol fuel economy, and eye-watering benefit-in-kind rates make diesels far too expensive. I’ve had a few plug-in hybrids in recent years, and the ever-improving all-electric range makes them ideal for round-town journeys, and the battery’s assistance should deliver me decent long-distance economy. How much? I’ll find out in the coming months.
Audi quotes an official electric-only range of 61 miles from its battery with 20.7kWh usable capacity. That matches what you’ll get from a BMW 330e Touring’s slightly smaller battery. The BMW’s fuel official economy is about three times the Audi’s 108.4mpg figures, but as ever with a plug-in hybrid, those numbers are subject to so much variance to be of little practical use.
The cost to buy one or run as a company car isn’t meaningless, though. My A5 Avant, with PHEV power and in top-spec Vorsprung trim is about as expensive as you can go, costing a little more than £67,000. That’s a hefty £13,310 more than a 330e M Sport Pro Touring. The costs are closer for company car drivers, though: both attract a 10% rating and the Audi will cost the 40% taxpayer £2617 in the 26/27 tax year – £474 more than the BMW.
Costs-wise, then, it's not a slam dunk. But over the coming months I’ll find out if its Minion-like charm can win me over. Early signs are good.
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