Audi A5 Avant long-term test
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 2138 Price £67,070 Target price £65,625 Price as tested £68,515 Official economy 108.4mpg Test economy 62.7mpg
24 June 2026 – Silver screen machine
No matter how frequently you go, visiting the cinema is a special experience. Relaxing in a warm auditorium, popcorn balanced precariously on your lap, it’s an event that’s hard to replace at home.
But by the time you’ve chosen the comfiest seats, loaded up with overpriced snacks and a bucket of lemonade, it could easily cost a family of four £100.
As I’ve been finding, though, there is another way – by watching the latest movies in my Audi A5 Avant. Now, I’m not going to pretend choosing a near-£70,000 estate is the cut-price alternative to an evening at the flicks, but it is a lot of fun.
The Audi’s infotainment system is packed with features, and once I’d downloaded the MyAudi app and established a data connection betwixt iPhone and car, I’ve been able to raid its app store for free apps. These include some games, karaoke, an internet browser, YouTube (for watching my colleagues' brilliant videos, naturally), and Disney+.
And that’s why I took my wife and kids out to the coast to eat pizza and have a film night recently, and all from the comfort of the A5’s snug seats. The quality of the picture was great – testament to the crisp display I get to enjoy every time I journey out – and the sound quality was excellent, too. The novelty of watching Inside Out 2 overlooking the sea was striking, as was stealing a watch of King Kong in the office car park.
The main reason I chose my A5 Avant in Vorsprung trim was for the 10.9in passenger-side display screen. I was fascinated by its ability to shield the screen from my eyes while showing films or games while I’m driving, yet make it visible again for other functions, such as sat-nav or its audio controls.
My son has taken an instant shine to it, watching YouTube videos as I drive. I thought that it might be a distraction, but I’ve had no problem zoning out – even though he’ll frequently ask me to look at something, which of course, I can’t. While I try to limit his screen time, it has been a boon on a couple of longer journeys recently.
You’d need to make 64 £100 visits to the cinema to cover the cost of jumping from Black Edition to Vorsprung trim, but it does also deliver Audi’s excellent anti-dazzle Matrix LED headlights, and its panoramic sunroof with electrically-adjustable transparency remains another — both box office blockbusters.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
Read more about our long-term Audi A5 Avant >>
Read about more long-term test cars >>
Buy a new car with What Car?
Like the sound of the Audi A5 Avant?
If so, check our New Car Deals page to see how much you could save on the A5 Avant.
We’ve got the biggest selection of discounted new cars available in the UK.
