2017 Audi A5

The 2017 model year closes out the original A5 that debuted for 2008 and got a mid-cycle refresh for 2013. Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) describes it as more than a two-door A4, with a longer 108.3-inch wheelbase, a new front suspension design and a repackaged engine, transmission and steering rack for better weight distribution, and says the previously optional S Line Competition Plus package is now standard on the coupe and cabriolet. Its verdict is that the A5 has long been the benchmark for premium interiors, with even the base car rivaling slightly pricier Mercedes-Benz and BMW cabins, against so-so power delivery, handling tuned more for comfort than sport and little cargo space.

The 2.0-liter turbo in the coupe makes 252 horsepower, which SlashGear (opens in a new tab) said matched the A4 sedan's jump that year. The car is about to be replaced: CNET (opens in a new tab) noted the A5 had been around since about 2007 when Audi revealed the all-new one with a new chassis, which reached U.S. showrooms as a 2018 model.

NHTSA lists two recall campaigns for the 2017 A5, both about the electric coolant pump on the 2.0-liter turbo FSI engine. 17V002000 covers a pump that can be blocked with debris from the cooling system and overheat, and its remedy is a software update that cuts power to a blocked pump. 18V229000 covers a pump that can either block or short-circuit from moisture, and its remedy is replacing the pump, free of charge, in a campaign that began September 14, 2018. It is additional to the software update, so a car that had only the first fix needs the second. A third, 17V150000, covers 2017 A5 and S5 Cabriolet models whose seat belt retractor pretensioner component may detach after the seat belt is used.

Owners have filed only two complaints with NHTSA on this model year, both about the engine. That is a small record, and Consumer Reports (opens in a new tab) carries the recall notes alongside its survey-based reliability history.

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) puts the Fair Purchase Price of a used 2017 A5 Sport coupe at $16,840. Cabriolets and Prestige trims cost more, and condition and mileage move the number more than the trim does on a car this age.

EPA rates the 2017 A5 at 24 to 26 mpg combined and $3,000 to $3,250 a year in fuel, all with all-wheel drive. The 2017 BMW 4 Series rates 23 to 27 at $2,850 to $3,350, the 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 19 to 30 at $2,600 to $4,100 and the Lexus RC 21 to 26 at $3,000 to $3,700. The A5 is the only one of the four sold solely with all-wheel drive, and Car and Driver calls its interior a benchmark for premium materials.