Used Audi A5 Sportback cars for sale

Used Audi A5 Sportback pros and cons

Is a used Audi A5 Sportback a good car?

The Audi A5 Sportback is an A5 Coupe with a sleek laptop backback. It’s more practical than the two-door A5, but you’re still not going to be able to pack it full of large items. 

The A5 Sportback has one of Audi’s best interiors, even if it is looking a little old these days. It’s really well-made, and the low-slung driving position is excellent. The infotainment screen gets bigger roughly every 18 months between the A5’s original launch in 2017 and it finally going out of production in 2024, so buy according to your digital tastes. 

Thankfully, Audi kept sensible things such as proper buttons for the air conditioning all through this A5’s production. 

Basically, the A5 Sportback is an A4 saloon wearing spandex. The driving position feels a little lower-slung — which might be a bit weird if you’re stepping out of an SUV — but the wide range of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel means most will be able to get comfortable. 

Those in the rear seats aren’t short-changed either. The A5 Sportback might not be the most wildly practical car in the world, but there’s enough headroom and legroom to get four adults in the car. Five would be a bit of a squeeze though, so maybe don’t try that. SE models get softer suspension than S-Line versions, so consider that if you’re regularly going to be driving with a full complement of passengers. 

The A5 was offered with a huge variety of engines throughout its life, but the best for motorway users would be the 40 TDI with its hugely economical 2.0-litre diesel engine. It has 150hp so doesn’t feel slow, but will easily top 50mpg on a gentle run. If you’re not so much into long-hauls and fancy something a bit sportier, there’s the 204hp 45 TFSI petrol turbo engine, which is also pretty economical overall. 

For the most muscular performance, go for the brilliant 347hp 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine in the S5 Sportback, which blitzes the 0-62mph run in just 4.9 seconds, and which uses a clever electric turbo so that you’re not left hanging around, waiting for the power to kick in. And it’s economical, too. 

The only problem is that the A5 Sportback, good though it is to drive, just can’t match the lovely sweet fluency of a BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe in the corners. A Jaguar XE — technically a saloon, not a coupe — is also more fun to drive than the Audi. 

The standard six-speed manual gearbox shifts sweetly enough, but most will have been ordered with the optional seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch automatic. It’s a good auto, but can be a bit hesitant around town. This being an Audi, several models were available with optional quattro four-wheel drive, which is a boon if you regularly drive on damp and slippy country roads. 

Speaking of keeping safe, the A5 Sportback is — it received a full five-star rating from Euro NCAP, so it should keep you right even if the worst happens. 

In fact, if you want a car that looks stylish, feels premium, is decent to drive and has space for the family – few cars fit the brief as well as the Audi A5 Sportback. Check out our latest used Audis for sale and find out how you can sell your car online through carwow, too.

What to look for when buying a used Audi A5 Sportback

The overall picture for the A5 Sportback looks fairly rosy — it seems to be a well-made car, with few major issues. In spite of the reputation for high levels of cabin quality, there have been some complaints about rattles and buzzes inside the A5. Meanwhile, there have been recalls for issues with the airbags, seatbelts, and front suspension. The infotainment system can also be very glitchy, and is prone to going blank-screen without warning. 

The A5 finished in 38th position in the Driver Power Top 50 Cars To Own survey, with solid scores for reliability and build quality, which bodes well. Audi itself, however, finished a disappointing 27th out of 32 brands in the overall Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with 21% of owners reporting faults with their cars. 

Audi A5 Sportback FAQs