Pros

* Great to drive
* Nice blend of power and economy
* Well-appointed interior
* Top can be raised and lowered when the car is moving

Cons

* Pricey
* Not enough lockable storage

Description

* Convertible version of the A5 coupe; replaces last year’s A4 Cabriolet
* Trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus, Prestige
* Price range (including options): $42,825 – $60,575 ($52,275 as tested)
* Powertrain: 2.0 liter turbo 4-cylinter, 211 hp/258 lb-ft, CVT auto/front-wheel-drive or 6-speed automatic/all-wheel-drive
* EPA MPG estimates: 20-23 MPG city, 26-30 MPG highway
* Observed fuel economy: 23.7 MPG
* The vehicle for this test drive was provided by Audi.

Guide Review – 2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet

I know I should write a full-length review of the Audi A5 Cabriolet — it is, after all, a new-for-2010 model — but honestly, I don’t think there’s any need. The A5 Cabrio is a fantastic convertible, and it won’t take me long to tell you why.

How do I love the Audi A5 Cabriolet? Let me count the ways. It’s beautifully styled outside and nicely finished inside. It’s quiet enough to use the built-in Bluetooth speakerphone with the top down at highway speeds. It rides comfortably, handles sharply, and it’s good fun to drive, especially with the optional Quattro all-wheel-drive system. There’s barely a hint of chassis flex, a problem that afflicts more of the A5′s rivals than I care to count (are you listening, Infiniti G37?). The four-cylinder turbo engine accelerates like a V6 and delivers decent fuel economy; I averaged 23.7 MPG. It’s got a halfway-decent back seat and a quarter-decent trunk. Some might complain about the lack of a retractable hardtop, but the A5′s soft top seals up nice and tight, and I love that you can raise and lower the roof when the car is moving up to 30 MPH — no more searching for a place to pull over when those first dreaded raindrops start to fall.

If I was going to complain, I suppose I’d target the lack of lockable storage space (just the glovebox and the trunk), the absence of a manual transmission, and the fact that the windows don’t automatically roll up when you raise the top. And at $43k for starters, the A5 ain’t cheap; you can get a six-cylinder retractable-hardtop Lexus IS 250C for a few grand less, although you’ll have a lot less fun driving it.

Senner Tuning’s aerodynamic package consists of a carbon fiber front spoiler apron, carbon-fiber mirror housings, a rear spoiler and spoiler lip, and a carbon fiber rear bumper.

Other available mods include a Bilstein B16 PSS10 coilover suspension which is fully adjustable with individual height adjustment and a new stainless steel exhaust system with 4 tailpipes plus a set of 21-inch Evo DS Carlsson alloy wheels.

Well, not quite. Such a car–the 2010 Audi A5 Sportback–is indeed destined for production, but not the New World. Audi says the shapely fastback doesn’t mesh well with its U.S. market plans, and as such, the car will become forbidden fruit.

Still, it’s not hard to imagine the final product in all its glory–a spokesperson described its look as merging the A5’s nose and tail to the body of the Sportback concept, which the small pencil sketch seems to confirm.

Ultimately, two Sportbacks–the A5 and a larger A7–will reside in Audi’s lineup, but it’s unclear which model will compete against BMW’s new 5-series Gran Turismo. BMW’s made the new 5-series GT almost the size of a 7-series, which would suggest the A7–sized between an A6 and A8–will be a direct competitor. Powertrain will likely be similar to the two-door A5, although we hear the A6’s supercharged 3.6-liter V-6 will become the new standard in all A5s.

It is perhaps for that reason Audi has chosen to keep the A5 Sportback overseas. Although the market for a car/sedan/wagon concoction is certainly niche, Audi does plan on bringing the larger A7 to our shores in late 2010.