Audi A5 (2026)

Steve Ellen is positive about the Audi A5 overall, especially its polished driving manners. He praises the excellent balance of responsive handling, comfortable ride, quietness, supportive seats, intuitive Digital Stage infotainment, and genuinely useful Sportback cargo access. Adaptive cruise control also impresses in traffic. Still, enthusiasm is tempered by the sluggish, indecisive 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, confusing touch-sensitive controls, bland monochrome cabin, limited rear-seat room, awkward door handles, sparse storage, and lack of a spare tire. It feels like a highly competent luxury commuter with meaningful usability flaws rather than an unqualified standout.

Redline Reviews is strongly positive about the 2026 Audi A5’s polished, practical execution. After a week, the reviewer praised its 5.6-second acceleration, standard quattro all-wheel drive, comfortable ride, improved steering feel, roomy rear seat, efficient highway manners, and exceptionally usable liftback cargo area. The tech-heavy cabin—especially the responsive screens, excellent wireless phone integration, and useful passenger display—also impressed. Reservations include a muted four-cylinder soundtrack, occasional low-speed dual-clutch jerkiness, a harsh first-to-second shift, the absent mild-hybrid system, piano-black trim, non-opening panoramic roof, and styling that feels less distinctive than before. Overall, it’s a well-rounded luxury commuter, though enthusiasts may prefer the S5.

Tom Baker is highly enthusiastic about the 2026 Audi A5 e-hybrid, calling it close to a perfect non-SUV choice. He praises its harmonious plug-in-hybrid powertrain, roughly 100 km of tested electric range, refined performance, excellent ride-and-handling balance, comfortable seats, and strong value compared with the petrol version. The Avant’s practical four-adult cabin and appealing design add to its appeal. However, the boot is smaller than the petrol model’s, the cabin leans too heavily on screens and piano black, safety alerts can be overzealous, and the ride may feel firm for some luxury buyers.

MotorWeek is clearly impressed by the 2026 Audi A5, calling it a compelling step up from its former sidekick role. The Sportback’s hatchback practicality, polished design, intuitive high-tech cabin, and strong yet manageable turbo-four earn consistent praise. Track testing backs that up with quick acceleration, solid braking, and entertaining lift-off oversteer, while fuel economy matched its EPA rating. Criticisms are relatively minor: the electric door handles divide opinions, headrest navigation speakers can feel jarring, and the large displays occasionally distract. Overall, it comes across as a refined, practical, and genuinely fun luxury daily driver.

Nobby On Cars is clearly positive about the 2026 Audi A5, especially as a comfortable long-distance cruiser. He praises its elegant Sportback design, quiet and efficient diesel mild-hybrid powertrain, refined suspension, improved rear space, premium materials, and impressive range. The A5 feels easy and reassuring on rough Irish roads, though he considers it comfortable rather than exciting, with steering and dynamics trailing the BMW 3 Series. Cargo space is useful but reduced versus some rivals, the rear middle seat remains compromised by the transmission tunnel, and expensive technology packages push an already steep price higher. Overall, he views it as a polished, practical evolution rather than a thrilling driver’s car.

Nick O’Leary is highly positive about the 2026 Audi A5, especially as a refined long-distance cruiser. After living with it for a week and driving to Heathrow, he praised its exceptionally smooth, quiet ride, premium cabin, responsive multimedia system, and practical hatchback boot. He also appreciated its polished design and build quality. The reservations are meaningful but limited: rear-seat space suffers behind the thick front seats, piano-black trim attracts fingerprints, the touch-sensitive steering wheel is easy to activate accidentally, and the base engine feels sluggish. Overall, he recommends spending slightly more for the stronger engine.

Juliet McGuire is highly impressed by the 2026 Audi A5, especially its striking design, spacious rear seating, practical Sportback-style liftback, and smooth, confident quattro performance. She sees it as a more mature, premium-feeling alternative to smaller luxury sedans and welcomes its refusal to follow the SUV trend. Still, the enthusiasm is qualified: the optional 20-inch wheels make the ride unnecessarily firm, touchscreen climate controls remain frustrating, the passenger display feels gimmicky, and the nearly R1.6-million tested price is steep. Overall, she considers it an exceptional niche luxury car for buyers who can afford it.

Raiti’s Rides is highly enthusiastic about the 2026 Audi A5, calling it a polished luxury all-rounder. He praises its sharper styling, standard quattro AWD, stronger torque, refined ride, comfortable seats, excellent visibility, practical Sportback cargo area, and impressive technology, including the OLED displays and electrochromatic glass roof. He also appreciates the quieter cabin and rear-biased handling, while acknowledging that the S5 is the choice for serious performance. Criticisms are relatively minor: excessive touchscreen dependence, too much gloss black, a cheap-feeling horn button, questionable rear trim, netted seatback pockets, no spare tire, and screens that replace a more traditional dashboard.

Realistick is cautiously positive about the 2026 Audi A5, praising its versatility and driving manners while questioning Audi’s cabin choices. The A5 offers a comfortable, spacious interior, excellent driving ergonomics, useful Sportback cargo room, strong torque, confident handling, standard quattro all-wheel drive, and effective highway assistance. However, glossy plastics, awkward climate controls, a visually intrusive passenger display, and less-refined low-speed dual-clutch behavior undermine its premium feel. Realistick also flags early software complaints and limited reliability data. Overall, it remains a capable, attractive road-trip-friendly luxury car, but the 2026 updates feel more like band-aids than a complete fix.

Tom from Vehicle Visionary is strongly positive about the 2026 Audi A5, calling it fun, luxurious, practical, and reasonably priced. He appreciates its quattro all-wheel drive, sporty acceleration, comfortable seats, hatchback cargo flexibility, upscale styling, and well-integrated technology. His hands-on tour shows useful touches such as switchable sunroof transparency, adjustable rear climate controls, and a versatile pass-through. Reservations are limited but specific: the panoramic roof does not open or have a power shade, rear headroom is tight for taller passengers, gloss-black trim attracts fingerprints, climate controls are screen-based, and the brake pedal feels slightly soft to him.

Ben Hardy is clearly positive about the 2026 Audi A5, calling it a comfortable, quiet, smooth-riding luxury car with an appealing new design. He likes the Sportback practicality, upscale cabin presentation, responsive infotainment, and attention-grabbing features such as the moving camera system and wraparound screen. Still, his enthusiasm is measured: the A5 feels noticeably less special than the S5, especially in its seats, and touchscreen controls are less intuitive than physical buttons. Overall, he sees the mid-$50,000 A5 as a polished, passenger-impressing daily driver with a few unnecessary gimmicks.

Greg Dennis is strongly positive about the 2026 Audi A5, calling it beautifully designed, comfortable, practical, and genuinely enjoyable to drive. He praises its responsive 200-kW turbo engine, quattro traction, adaptive suspension, supportive seats, polished technology, and Sportback cargo space, while appreciating the physical climate controls and volume dial. However, he criticizes the noticeable launch hesitation, higher-than-claimed fuel consumption, and steep pricing once essential features such as adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera are added. His verdict is “go and drive it,” especially against similarly priced BMW and Mercedes alternatives.

Boston Auto Blog is highly positive about the 2026 Audi A5, calling its interior changes close to an overhaul. The reviewer praises the returning steering-wheel scroll wheels, improved Virtual Cockpit layouts, more intuitive infotainment, head-up display, passenger screen, remote start, and newly available parking-camera features. The Premium Plus feels notably more luxurious, especially with ventilated seats, headrest speakers, and the technology package, while the S sport suspension adds handling appeal. Still, the exterior, powertrain, rear-seat dimensions, and cargo capacity are largely unchanged, there is no massaging function or spare tire, and the video is dealership-provided, making the endorsement enthusiastic but not fully independent.

Kumbi M is highly enthusiastic about the 2026 Audi A5, calling it the best in its class and “absolutely brilliant.” After a week of driving, he preferred the 146-kW 2.0-liter turbo for its comfort, efficiency, and sufficient performance, averaging 7.6 L/100 km. He praises the gorgeous Sportback design, spacious rear seats, liftback practicality, premium screens, sound system, and polished ride. Criticisms are limited but specific: lag in town, touch-based climate controls, scratch-prone piano-black trim, and white seats that show wear quickly. Overall, he considers it outstanding value against the BMW 4 Series and Mercedes CLE.

Car Features is clearly positive about the 2026 Audi A5, viewing it as a polished, confidence-inspiring all-rounder. The review praises its comfortable ride, responsive powertrain, standard quattro AWD, excellent liftback practicality, spacious cabin, and impressive 39-mpg highway result. Its technology and premium build also make a strong impression. Still, the A5 is characterized as more relaxed than exciting, with less steering feel than a BMW 3 Series and less interior flair than a Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Limited physical controls, costly higher trims, and merely competitive warranty coverage temper an otherwise enthusiastic recommendation for daily luxury driving.

Edmunds presents the 2026 Audi A5 with clear, upbeat interest. The A5 replaces the A4 in the U.S. with a hatchback-sedan body, a 268-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, real exhaust tips, and an unusually tech-heavy cabin. Edmunds also calls attention to the S5’s 362-hp twin-turbo V6, three-screen layout, ChatGPT-powered assistant, and configurable LED lighting signatures. The post is informative and enthusiastic about the redesign, though it remains a feature rundown rather than a driving review, offering no firsthand impressions, drawbacks, pricing, or recommendation.

Jerrod Anthraper is mildly enthusiastic about the 2026 Audi A5, especially its looks, cabin, and sunroof. He calls the exterior “cute” and good-looking, enjoys the interior’s large screen, and finds the sunroof impressive for a car priced below $150,000, while acknowledging it is not new technology. His assessment is preliminary, though, since the A5 is a loaner he has driven for only a few hours. He also hints at interior shortcomings without specifying them, making this an upbeat but brief first impression rather than a thorough review.

JE_BRZ is clearly underwhelmed by the Audi A5, calling it extremely boring despite its practical strengths. The front-wheel-drive, 201-hp model feels enormous, but its comfortable, spacious cabin, abundant technology, and roughly £30,000 price make the luxury reasonable. However, JE_BRZ dislikes the styling and finds the lane-assist alerts, speed warnings, and constant chimes intrusive, leaving the car feeling as though it wants to drive itself. Overall, it is a comfortable, well-equipped commuter rather than an exciting car, with the electronic interruptions severely hurting the experience.