with looks this good better might be good enough
May 7th, 2007I’ve been watching the Audi A5 closely, largely because it is a harbinger than Audi knows where its fundamental flaws lie: for example a revised drivetrain sets the engine further back, and as regular readers will know thats something that’s always kept Audi from matching the eagerness to change direction its competitors offer.
But as with the new TT early impressions suggest the car is almost there as a driver’s car but lacking that edge that makes a drive an experience. This impression from 4car is worth a read… it suggests that the A5, like many Audis before it – will sell because of its image more than its actual drive feel.
But don’t think this isn’t intentional – this excerpt explains why:
Why the dull dynamics? And why waste all that effort in developing the new platform? Audi’s chief chassis engineer agrees with our assessment and would like things to be different, but Audi’s marketing department insisted that the A5 must feel familiar to existing Audi owners. Which suggests that a) those owners would be unable to appreciate an improvement, which is an odd stance to take, and b) that Audi isn’t interested in attracting buyers from BMW. The marketeers have shot themselves in the foot, then.