The Audi A5 has got the look

4:33pm Wednesday 23rd April 2008

REFINED, elegant, sleek and comfortable, the Audi A5 has really got it all - inlcuding that all-important "look".

With a real James Bond feel to it, it is every bit as classy as all the other Audis - if not a tad more.

But the beauty is, it's reliable and practical too - although there isn't too much space in the back, despite it being described as a four-seater coupe.

I drove the 237bhp (240PS) turbodiesel-powered A5 3.0 TDI quattro and you'll definitely need to watch your speed - it's sooo easy to go ridiculously fast and is the sort of car that looks as if it's going fast even when it is stationary.

But it really is great fun to drive - especially on motorways when there's hardly any traffic. That's all I'd better say about that.

It's not a cheap car, but stick with the diesel version and it can be very economical to run. The brakes are excellent and on flowing roads, so is the handling balance.

My only single complaint was the fob that operates as a key and starter button, which was hard to remove when turning off the engine. However, amongst other things, there is good automatic air-conditioning, rear parking sensors, an automatically opening boot lid and leather upholstery.

Optional features include a Bang & Olufsen audio system delivering 505 watts of music power via 14-speakers, the Audi Parking System Advanced with rear-mounted camera and DVD sat nav.

Factfile

Car: Audi A5 3.0 TDI quattro

Price: from £32,600

Top speed: 155mph

0-62mph: 5.9 seconds

CO2 emissions: 191 g/km

Verdict: An Audi TT for grown-ups. Fabulous.