If you want to leave the sea of SUVs for something a bit more sporty and luxurious, the Audi A5 may be an excellent fit. The A5 is offered as a coupe, convertible, or a four-door hatchback that Audi calls the Sportback. As different as these body styles may be, they’re nearly identical when it comes to feature content and desirability. All benefit from sharp yet understated styling, liberal use of premium interior materials, and enough performance to bring a grin to your face.
For 2023, the A5 returns largely unchanged. One of the most significant updates is the addition of Matrix-design LED headlights that selectively block sections of the light beam to keep from blinding oncoming drivers at night, while keeping the rest of the road brightly lit up. These headlights have been installed on previous A5 models but weren’t activated until the Department of Transportation approved them for use in the U.S.
Among the few luxury coupes, convertibles, and hatchbacks, the 2023 Audi A5 is a strong competitor. Its most direct rival is the BMW 4 Series, which stands out with its stronger performance, especially with the available six-cylinder engine. The Lexus RC coupes take the opposite approach, emphasizing comfort and refinement over performance. The spoiler in the class may be the redesigned Mercedes-Benz C-Class when it arrives this fall. At least until then, the Audi A5 remains a well-balanced and desirable choice.
Trims and Pricing
The 2023 Audi A5 is available in three distinct body styles: two-door coupe and convertible, and four-door Sportback. Each body style is offered in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. The Premium Plus is most popular with buyers, and for good reason. It splits the difference between the base and top trims, and comes with key tech and safety upgrades. Read on to learn more.
Premium
The Premium coupe starts at $47,295 (convertible, $53,995; Sportback, $45,195) and for a base trim, it’s anything but basic. Standard features include 18-inch wheels, a sport suspension (for coupe and Sportback), Matrix-design LED headlights, a sunroof, heated side mirrors, leather upholstery, heated power-adjustable front seats, tri-zone climate control, LED ambient interior lighting, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
Infotainment includes a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a 10-speaker audio system. Forward-collision warning, automatic braking, and lane-departure warning comprise the driver aids. The convertible and Sportback are equipped nearly the same, although the Sportback adds a power liftgate, and the convertible a power-folding top and 50/50-split folding rear seats.
Premium Plus
Moving up to the Premium Plus (coupe, $52,895; convertible, $59,595; Sportback, $50,795) adds upgraded LED headlights, keyless entry, auto-dimming and power-folding side mirrors, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, driver’s seat memory, a heated steering wheel, and faux-leather center console and armrests.
Tech upgrades include a premium 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, satellite radio, and a wireless charging pad with signal booster, while blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system round out additional driver aids. The Sportback adds dual USB charge ports in the rear. The extra safety features are enough to make the Premium Plus our trim preference; the interior and tech upgrades are just icing on the cake.
Prestige
The top-trim Prestige (coupe, $57,045; convertible, $64,595; Sportback, $56,095) has navigation, a head-up display, subscription-based Wi-Fi connection, and an automated parking system.
The optional Convenience package ($1,800) is available for the Premium trim and adds some tech, safety, and conveniences (adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, driver’s seat memory, satellite radio, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and heated, auto-dimming side mirrors).
Premium Plus trims can add the premium audio system, navigation, ventilated front seats, and a black contrast roof, along with the Black Optic Plus package (different 19-inch wheels, all-season tires, black exterior trim, red brake calipers, aluminum interior inlays) and S Line interior package (leather/faux-suede seats, aluminum inlays). These options are also available for the Prestige, which already comes with navigation and premium audio.
Rear-seat side airbags are optional for Sportback models.
